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Are the Cleveland Browns Super Bowl contenders? History favors teams with 7-3 starts

george m. thomas, akron beacon journal
·3 min read
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar cocks his arm to throw during the second quarter of the AFC Championship game in Denver, Jan. 17, 1988. At right is Denver Broncos Karl Mecklenburg tries to get past Cleveland's Cody Risien (63). (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar cocks his arm to throw during the second quarter of the AFC Championship game in Denver, Jan. 17, 1988. At right is Denver Broncos Karl Mecklenburg tries to get past Cleveland's Cody Risien (63). (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

For the Cleveland Browns a 7-3 start to the season — the record they currently hold — has been a harbinger of mostly good fortune in those years.

Some of those seasons were put together on smoke and mirrors. While others remain bittersweet memories in that the team had a legitimate opportunity to get into the Super Bowl.

In the team’s history, they’ve achieved such a start 13 times. They’ve done so nine times since the Super Bowl’s inception in 1967.

Of those nine times the Browns could legitimately claim a shot at winning it all based on the talent on their team in three of those seasons.

The veneration of Bernie Kosar and two AFC Championship Games

Why is Bernie Kosar considered a legend in Cleveland football lore? While he quarterbacked the Browns, they made three trips to the AFC Championship Game in 1986, 1987 and 1989. Let’s forget that third one.

If the Browns were going to make it to the Super Bowl, it would have been with either the ’86 or ’87 team. The football gods are fickle, however.

The 1986 team felt special.

Led by Kosar, who had sure-handed receivers in Webster Slaughter, Brian Brennan, Reggie Langhorne and a future hall of fame tight end in Ozzie Newsome along with a running back tandem of Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner, the offense was potent, ranking No. 4 in the league and the defense at No. 13 overall was good enough.

They rode into the playoffs on a five-game winning streak and seemed unstoppable. In the division playoffs against the New York Jets, they completed a miraculous comeback, rallying from 10 points down with 4:14 left to tie the game and take it into overtime where it was eventually won in double OT on a 27-yard field goal from kicker Mark Moseley.

The following week, the Browns would face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game and the legend of John Elway was born with The Drive. No recap needed.

The Browns would be back, however.

They played the AFC Championship Game in Mile High Stadium in Denver, fell behind the Broncos 21-3 at one point, but managed to tie the scored at 31 with 4:12 left in the game. It appeared they would mount one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history when Byner fumbled the ball on his way into the end zone and the Broncos recovered. Super Bowl hopes were dashed.

The Kardiac Kids version of the Cleveland Browns were 7-3 and should've been a Super Bowl team

Jan. 4, 1980: Oakland Raiders defensive back Mike Davis (36) cuts in front of Cleveland Browns tight end Ozzie Newsome to intercept a pass from Browns quarterback Brian Sipe in the end zone with less than a minute to go in an AFC divisional playoff game in Cleveland. The Raiders won the game, 14-12, that would become known as "Red Right 88."
Jan. 4, 1980: Oakland Raiders defensive back Mike Davis (36) cuts in front of Cleveland Browns tight end Ozzie Newsome to intercept a pass from Browns quarterback Brian Sipe in the end zone with less than a minute to go in an AFC divisional playoff game in Cleveland. The Raiders won the game, 14-12, that would become known as "Red Right 88."

Given the closeness of Browns victories this season, younger fans will hear a lot of their grandparents, mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles talk about the Kardiac Kids.

Send them to look up the name Brian Sipe, who had a rubbery arm and a keen football IQ along with offensive weapons that included wide receiver Dave Logan and bruising running back Mike Pruitt. The offense was efficient and well scripted. Fans knew if the Browns were trailing by one score and the offense had the ball last, the game was in the bag – most of the time. That unit ranked eighth in points and fourth in total yards.

The defense, however, was just good enough and epitomized “bend but don’t break,” ranking 12th in points allowed and 23rd in yards.

The team went into the divisional playoffs with momentum and as the AFC Central champion, giving them a home game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium against the Oakland Raiders.

Live by the sword, die by the sword, however.

Fate caught up with the Browns on the final drive of the game when Brian Sipe, looking for tight end Ozzie Newsome in the end zone, was picked off. The Raiders would be the first wild card team to go on and win the Super Bowl.

Never utter the words “Red-Right 88” at a Cleveland football game.

Where will the 2023 team eventually land? Who knows, but fans should enjoy the ride.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Are the 7-3 Browns Super Bowl contenders? Past 7-3 Browns teams were