1986 Cleveland Browns season

1986 Cleveland Browns season
OwnerArt Modell
General managerErnie Accorsi
Head coachMarty Schottenheimer
Home fieldCleveland Municipal Stadium
Local radioWWWE
Results
Record12–4
Division place1st AFC Central
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Jets) 23–20 (2OT)
Lost AFC Championship
(vs. Broncos) 20–23 (OT)
Pro BowlersT Cody Risien
NT Bob Golic
OLB Chip Banks
CB Frank Minnifield
CB Hanford Dixon

The 1986 Cleveland Browns season was the team’s 37th season with the National Football League. The death of Don Rogers, a promising young defensive back who was preparing to enter his third season in the NFL, cast a black cloud over the team as it prepared for the 1986 season.

Cleveland won their first postseason game since 1969, and for the first time in franchise history, the Browns reached the AFC Championship Game, where they would eventually fall to the Denver Broncos, in the game famous for “The Drive.” It would be the first of three AFC Championship games that the Browns would reach in four seasons, all losses to Denver.