| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 7 – December 22, 1986 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | December 28, 1986 |
| AFC Champions | Denver Broncos |
| NFC Champions | New York Giants |
| Super Bowl XXI | |
| Date | January 25, 1987 |
| Site | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California |
| Champions | New York Giants |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | February 1, 1987 |
| Site | Aloha Stadium |
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. Defending Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears shared the league's best record with the Giants at 14–2, with the Giants claiming the spot in the NFC by tiebreakers. In the AFC, the Cleveland Browns earned home-field advantage with a record of 12–4, and they hosted the New York Jets in round one of the AFC playoffs. The Jets had started the season at 10–1 before losing their final five contests. The game went to double OT, with the Browns finally prevailing 23–20. The following Sunday, John Elway and the Denver Broncos defeated the Browns by an identical score in a game known for The Drive, where Elway drove his team 98 yards to send the game to overtime to win. The Giants would defeat their rival Washington Redskins in the NFC title game, blanking them 17–0 to advance to their first Super Bowl. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos 39–20 at the Rose Bowl to win their first league title in 30 years.