1980 Cleveland Browns season

The 1980 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 31st season with the National Football League.

For more details on the season, see Kardiac Kids and Red Right 88.

NFL Draft
The following were selected in the 1980 NFL Draft.

Memorable moments
Week 7 (Home) – Browns 26, Green Bay Packers 21
 * Facing a third and 20 from the Packers' 46 yard line with 16 seconds left, Brian Sipe completes a pass to Dave Logan for the winning touchdown.

Week 8 (Home) – Browns 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 26
 * Sipe and company fight back from deficits of 10–0, 20–7, and 26–14 to defeat the Steelers in Cleveland. Ozzie Newsome hauls in the winning catch with 5:35 to play.

Week 9 (Home) – Browns 27, Chicago Bears 21
 * Although Mike Pruitt's 56-yard touchdown run ultimately wins the game for Cleveland, Sipe throws for 298 yards and reaches a milestone in Browns history, becoming the Browns' all-time passing leader.

Week 11 (Away)- Browns 13, Pittsburgh Steelers 16
 * Seeking their first ever win at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, the Browns are once again denied, this time on a Terry Bradshaw to Lynn Swann touchdown with eleven seconds left. It marks the Browns' 11th consecutive defeat at Pittsburgh.

Week 15 (Away) – Browns 23, Minnesota Vikings 28
 * The Browns relinquish a 23–9 lead with only 7:15 remaining. The game is probably most remembered for Browns Safety Thom Darden's deflection of Tommy Kramer's "Hail Mary pass", which is caught by Ahmad Rashad as time expires. Kramer's 456 passing yards were the most ever given up by the Browns.

Week 16 (Away) – Browns 27, Cincinnati Bengals 24
 * Needing a win to secure the Central Division title, the Browns hold off the Bengals 27–24. Don Cockroft's game winning field goal comes with 1:25 left to play.

AFC Divisional Playoff

 * Oakland Raiders 14, Cleveland Browns 12

at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio


 * TV: NBC
 * Attendance: 77,655

In a play that has become known as Red Right 88, Raiders safety Mike Davis intercepted Browns quarterback Brian Sipe's pass in the end zone with 41 seconds left in the game to preserve Oakland's 14–12 victory. Instead of opting for a game-winning field goal, Cleveland decided to attempt a pass play because kicker Don Cockroft had previously missed two field goal attempts, had another aborted following a bad snap, and had one extra point blocked.

Awards and records

 * Brian Sipe, NFL MVP
 * Brian Sipe, PFWA MVP
 * Brian Sipe, UPI AFL-AFC Offensive Player of the Year
 * Brian Sipe, AFC Leader, Touchdown Passes (30), Tied with another player