Cleveland’s 12 Closest Championship Calls Since 1964

1986 Browns

When Bernie Kosar hit Brian Brennan on a 48-yard touchdown pass to break a 13-13 tie with 5:43 to go in the fourth quarter, the Browns appeared poised to put away the Broncos and a largely as-yet unproven Elway. The crowd noise inside Cleveland Stadium grew even louder when the Broncos mishandled the ensuing squib kick and their offense was forced to start from their own two.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Elway took the Broncos 98 yards in 15 plays, finding Mark Jackson from five yards out with 37 seconds remaining to force overtime. A 33-yard field goal by Rich Karlis, a kick which some diehard fans insist to this day was no good, denied the Browns their first trip to a Super Bowl, where they would have played the New York Giants. Thirty years later, the wait goes on.

Next: 1980 Browns