Cleveland Browns · Franchise era 4 of 6
Kosar and the Denver heartbreaks: the Cleveland Browns story
Franchise era
1985—1995
Kosar and the Denver heartbreaks
Cleveland Browns
The story in one sentence
A homegrown contender reached three conference championship games in four seasons before The Drive and The Fumble became permanent Cleveland memories.
Three AFC title games, three painful endings
Bernie Kosar, Clay Matthews Jr. and Earnest Byner gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the browns return.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1985
What came before
The Browns remained competitive after Brown and later found a new identity in Sipe's dramatic 1980 MVP season.
1987-01-03
Divisional Round: New York Jets vs Cleveland Browns
1987-01-11
Conference Championship: Denver Broncos vs Cleveland Browns
1990-01-06
Divisional Round: Buffalo Bills vs Cleveland Browns
After 1995
What came next
The restored franchise returned in 1999 but cycled through leadership and quarterbacks, with Thomas providing Hall of Fame stability amid the turnover.
The core