The Top 5 All-Time Cleveland Sports Heartbreaks

2. The Drive – Browns Lose to Broncos 23-20 in the AFC Title Game in January 1986

Browns fans were quickly dialing travel agents (remember there was no internet back then) for a chance to get a trip to the Super Bowl, as a pass play from Bernie Kosar to Brian Brennan gave the Browns a 20-13 lead with less than 6 minutes to play in the 1986 AFC Championship game.

Instead, the legend of John Elway took a huge step forward for the future Hall of Fame QB, as with 5:02 to play, he led his team 98 yards in 15 plays to tie the game with 37 seconds left in regulation. It was play after play as the Browns defense, who had held the Broncos to 13 points for 54 minutes, looked helpless in stopping the Broncos and Elway.

The key play with 1:47 to play came when on 3rd-and-18 Elway hit Mark Jackson with a 20-yard pass to put the ball down to the Browns 28-yard line.

Five plays later the task was complete, as Elway hit Jackson with a five-yard TD pass that was just out of the fingertips of Browns defensive lineman Sam Clancy, tying the game after a Rich Karlis extra point.

Shell shocked, the Browns played for overtime, and in sudden death Karlis again crushed the Browns with a field goal that didn’t look good on replay, sending the Broncos to the Super Bowl and Browns fans forever wondering ‘what if.’

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