Victory rested on the foot of Don Cockroft last night, and the Cleveland kicker came through three times to give the Browns a 30-27 overtime win over the New England Patriots.

After Cockroft had kicked a 38-yarder with 55 seconds left in regulation time to give the Bruins a 27-24 lead, Patriot kicker John Smith came on with one tick on the clock and sent the game into sudden-death overtime with a 34-yard field goal.

In the overtime, Cleveland received the kickoff, and quarterback Brian Sipe (18 for 25 for 199 yards and two touchdowns) engineered a 53-yard drive to the New England 18. With the ball on the 18, second down and nine to go, the Browns brought out Cockroft, who lofted a 35 yarder for the win, 4:45 into the overtime segment.

The potent Patriot offense, led by Steve Grogan, who went 15 for 23 for 173 yards and two touchdowns on the night, was not New England's failing. It was the Patriot defense, which relinquished a 17-7 halftime lead, that ultimately spelled defeat for the Pats.

Running back Greg Pruitt was the Cleveland offensive cannon gaining 153 yards on 27 carries, and scoring the touch-down that tied the score at 17-17.

The Red Sox lost ground to the Yankees in the American League Eastern pennant race, when Boston's game with Toronto was rained out at Fenway after only one-half inning.

While the Sox watched the drops, the Yankees dropped the Sox one-half game in the standings with their 97th win of the season, a 4-2 victory over the Indians in Cleveland. Mike Torrez got his 17th win of the year, with three innings of hitless relief help from Sparky Lyle, in his 69th appearance of the year.

The Orioles were idle, and face Detroit tomorrow night.

The Sox will make up the rainout by playing a doubleheader tomorrow night against the Blue Jays.