That was good for first place in the AFC Central and a trip to the postseason for the first time since 1972. The Browns began their playoff run against the Oakland Raiders on January 4, 1981 in a bitterly cold Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The game started slowly: each team scored only a touchdown in the first half, although Cockroft missed Cleveland's extra point because of a bad snap. In the third quarter, Cleveland went ahead 12–7 on a pair of Cockroft field goals, but the Raiders came back in the final period, driving 80 yards down the field for a touchdown. That put Oakland ahead 14–12. The ball changed hands five times with no scoring from either side, and with 2:22 on the clock, Cleveland had a final shot to win the game. Sipe and the offense took over at the Browns' 15-yard line. In eight plays, Cleveland drove down to Oakland's 14, leaving 56 seconds on the clock.