Dawg Pound Daily
FanSided

Three times the Cleveland Browns were close to making the Super Bowl

By Dan Justik

DENVER - JANUARY 17: Quarterback Bernie Kosar #19 of the Cleveland Browns pitches the ball to his right as linebacker Ricky Hunley #98 of the Denver Broncos approaches during the 1987 AFC Championship game at Mile High Stadium on January 17, 1988 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos won 38-33. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
DENVER - JANUARY 17: Quarterback Bernie Kosar #19 of the Cleveland Browns pitches the ball to his right as linebacker Ricky Hunley #98 of the Denver Broncos approaches during the 1987 AFC Championship game at Mile High Stadium on January 17, 1988 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos won 38-33. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
LOS ANGELES – NOVEMBER 16: Wide receiver Gerald McNeil #89 of the Cleveland Browns runs with the ball during a game against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 16, 1986 in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won 27-14. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – NOVEMBER 16: Wide receiver Gerald McNeil #89 of the Cleveland Browns runs with the ball during a game against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 16, 1986 in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won 27-14. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

1986-1987 season

The Cleveland Browns were one of the best teams during the 1986 regular season with one of the best offenses in the league, led by Bernie Kosar and Kevin Mack. They finished at the top of the AFC with a 12-4 record. With the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Browns had a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Even as the No. 1 seed, the Browns did not have an easy game in the Divisional Round. Facing the New York Jets, Cleveland ended up playing in the third longest game in NFL history.

More from Dawg Pound Daily

The Browns were trailing 20-10 with just over four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Kosar was able to lead the offense down the field and score points twice to put the game into overtime.

Neither team scored in the first overtime, sending the game into a second overtime. Not long after starting the second overtime, Browns kicker Mike Moseley hit a field goal to help the Browns win their first playoff game since 1969 and send them into the AFC Championship, one game away from the Super Bowl.

However, most Browns fans would love to forget the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 11, 1987 against the Denver Broncos.

It was a back-and-forth game for the entire game, creating plenty of drama in the fourth quarter. Kosar completed a 48-yard touchdown pass with 5:43 left in the game, giving the Browns a 20-13 lead. This touchdown led to a moment that Browns fans will forever hate. The ensuing Denver drive is better known as “The Drive” in Cleveland.

The Broncos were unable to come up with the Browns kickoff cleanly before recovering the ball at the two-yard-line. Despite being backed up against their own end zone, John Elway and the Denver offense were able to get down the field and score a touchdown with 37 seconds left in regulation, sending the game into overtime.

The Browns offense was not able to muster anything in overtime, punting the ball back to the Elway-led offense. The Broncos then marched down the field and successfully kicked a field goal to send themselves to Super Bowl XXI.

The Browns were five minutes and one defensive stop away from reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Instead, that drive lives in infamy in Cleveland for all of the wrong reasons. It was thought that the Browns could not have a much worse moment in the playoffs. But it only took one more season for things to get worse for the city of Cleveland and the Browns.

Home/Browns News