History of the Cleveland Browns This article details the history of the Cleveland Browns American Football Club . 1946 – 1949 : The AAFC years . The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1944 by owner Arthur ' Mickey ' McBride and head coach ( and Ohio coaching legend ) Paul Brown and started play in 1946 . At the time , Cleveland was home to the 1945 NFL champion Cleveland Rams , led by the NFL ' s hottest star , MVP quarterback Bob Waterfield , who was married to star actress Jane Russell . However , fans supported the Browns over the Rams from the moment they were created , and the Rams ended up fleeing to Los Angeles before the Browns had ever played a game . The franchise conducted a team naming contest in 1945 . The most popular submission was " Browns " in recognition of Paul Brown , already an established and popular figure in Ohio sports . Brown at first objected to the name and the team selected from the contest entries the name " Panthers . " However , after an area businessman informed the team that he owned the rights to the name Cleveland Panthers from an earlier failed football team , Brown rescinded his objection and agreed to the use of his name . As a franchise , the Browns were immediately successful . Dominating the new All - America Football Conference , the Browns won all four league championships , including the 1948 season in which they became the first pro football team to finish the season and playoffs unbeaten and untied - 24 years before the NFL ' s first perfect team , the 1972 Miami Dolphins . Cleveland ' s undefeated streak ( including ties ) reached 29 games , including 18 straight wins . In an effort to increase league parity , the Browns were forced to relinquish the rights to some of their younger players , such as quarterback Y . A . Tittle , who went to the Baltimore Colts in 1948 . The team saw a record setting average attendance of 57 , 000 a game in its first season . However , by the end of 1949 , Cleveland ' s AAFC wins had gotten to be so expected that only 22 , 550 Browns fans attended the 1949 championship game against the Browns ' main AAFC competitors , the San Francisco 49ers . Because of this , the AAFC and the NFL agreed at the end of the 1949 season to merge , and the Browns , the 49ers and the Colts joined the NFL . 1950 - 56 : NFL . 1950 : The Browns won their fifth championship in their inaugural NFL season , behind a potent offense that included Otto Graham , Marion Motley , Dante Lavelli , Frank Gatski and Lou Groza and a defense led by Bill Willis and Len Ford . After going 10 - 2 in the regular season , the Browns defeated the New York Giants 8 - 3 in a playoff game and then beat Cleveland ' s previous NFL tenants , the Los Angeles Rams , 30 - 28 , in the NFL Championship game , on a last - second field goal by Groza . 1951 : The Browns went 11 - 1 , facing the Rams in a rematch . A fourth quarter , 73 - yard touchdown pass by Norm van Brocklin to Tom Fears put Los Angeles in the lead for good . The 24 - 17 loss was the Browns first in a championship game . 1952 : Finishing 9 - 8 , the Browns faced the Detroit Lions in the championship game . A muffed punt , several defensive stands and a 67 - yard touchdown run by Doak Walker all combined to help the Lions win 17 - 7 , frustrating the Browns for the second consecutive year . On the upside , Ray Renfro became a star with 722 yards receiving and 322 yards rushing . 1953 : Owner Arthur McBride sold his controlling interest in the team in June 1953 for $ 600 , 000 to a group headed by David Jones which included Ellis Ryan , an insurance man and former president of the Cleveland Indians , Saul Silberman , owner of Randall Park Race Track and Homer Marshman , the attorney who ' d founded the Cleveland Rams . The price tag was twice as large as that brought by any other pro football team up until that time . 1954 : The Browns finished 9 - 3 and met up with Detroit in the championship for a third consecutive year . This time , however , the Browns were relentless on both sides of the ball , intercepting Bobby Layne six times and forcing three fumbles . Otto Graham threw three touchdowns and ran for three more , en route to a 56 - 10 thrashing and the Browns ' second NFL crown . Graham contemplated retirement after the championship but ended up returning . 1955 : Another successful campaign for the Browns . Chuck Noll had a productive season at linebacker with five interceptions , Graham passed for 15 touchdowns and ran for six more , and the team , who finished 9 - 2 - 1 , won their third NFL Championship game in six seasons 38 - 14 , once again against the Los Angeles Rams in LA . When Coach Brown took out Graham late in the game , the Rams fans gave him a standing ovation . For Browns fans , it was a bittersweet year as Graham retired after the season due to injuries , ending the greatest run of pro success ever : in ten years of existence , the Cleveland Browns reached ten championship games and won seven championships . 1956 : The Browns floundered without Graham behind center . Three quarterbacks - - ( George Ratterman , Babe Parilli and Tommy O ' Connell ) - - were used , none of them throwing more touchdowns than interceptions . The team ' s 5 - 7 record saw the Browns shut out of a championship game for the first time in team history and post the only losing season in the Browns ' first 28 seasons . 1957 - 65 : The Jim Brown years . The Browns responded in 1957 when they drafted fullback Jim Brown , who easily became the NFL ' s leading rusher ( and NFL Rookie of the Year ) with 942 yards in a 12 - game regular season . Once again at the top of the division at 9 - 2 - 1 , they advanced back to the championship game against their nemeses from Detroit . But the Lions dominated from start to finish , causing six turnovers and allowing the Browns ' two quarterbacks ( Tommy O ' Connell and Milt Plum ) only 95 yards passing in a 59 - 14 rout . In 1958 Jim Brown ran for 1 , 527 yards , almost twice as much as any other running back . In his nine seasons in the league , he crossed the 1 , 000 - yard barrier seven times . The only snag in their getting back to another championship was the New York Giants . They lost to New York on the last week of the season after a spirited fourth - quarter comeback , then , due to their equal 9 - 3 records , faced the Giants again in a tiebreaker game with the winner going to the finals . This one was never in doubt : Jim Brown was limited to 8 yards and the team committed four turnovers as they were shut out 10 - 0 . In 1959 the Browns started 6 - 2 but finished 7 - 5 , out of championship contention , despite Brown once again leading the league in rushing with 1 , 329 yards . In 1960 , Plum threw for 21 touchdowns and set a record for passing efficiency that stood into the 1980s , and Brown ' s 1 , 257 yards was again best in the NFL , but the team still finished second at 8 - 3 - 1 . Art Modell purchased the team in 1961 . The season otherwise was typical : a fifth consecutive league - leading season from Jim Brown and a half - decent performance in the standings , but again , at 8 - 5 - 1 , they were two games out of a berth in the championship . Rumors began circulating that the problem with the team was that Paul Brown ' s coaching methods had become predictable . In addition , from the time of the Tittle trade , the Browns had acquired a number players and then traded or released them after just a year or two in Cleveland , allowing them to become stars elsewhere . As of the end of 1961 , this group included defensive linemen Doug Atkins , Henry Jordan and Willie Davis and quarterback Len Dawson . In 1962 , the differences between Paul Brown and Art Modell came to a head . Before the season started , Brown made a secret trade without informing Modell , giving up Bobby Mitchell to acquire the rights to Syracuse running back Ernie Davis , the first African - American to win the Heisman Trophy . However , when training camp started , Davis turned out to have a fatal form of leukemia and never played for the Browns , dying in early 1963 . The Browns went only 7 - 6 - 1 , and Jim Brown didn ' t lead the NFL in rushing for the only time in his career . After the season , during a newspaper strike in Cleveland ( which reduced the public outcry ) , Modell fired Paul Brown , replacing him with his chief assistant , Blanton Collier . The 1963 Browns started off energized and won their first six games before splitting their last eight for an overall 10 - 4 record and second place in their conference , losing out for the third straight year to the Giants behind Tittle , even though Jim Brown had his best season with an NFL record 1 , 863 yards . In 1964 , though , the Browns finally climbed back to the top in the NFL with a 10 - 3 - 1 record , winning the Eastern Conference in the final game by pummelling the Giants and Tittle 52 - 20 , and then beating the Baltimore Colts 27 - 0 in the championship for their fourth NFL title and eighth title overall . A key to the improvement was the addition in the college draft of Paul Warfield , who promptly became the team ' s leading receiver , and Leroy Kelly , a star kick returner / running back . The 1965 Browns picked up where the 1964 Browns left off , despite an injury to Warfield that caused him to miss all but one game , rolling through their schedule with an 11 - 3 record and winning the Eastern Conference by 4 games . Jim Brown won league MVP for the third time with 1 , 544 yards , almost doubling the total of the second place finisher , and 17 rushing touchdowns . However , in the NFL Championship game in frozen Green Bay , the Packers upset the Browns 23 - 12 . 1966 - 73 : Playoff disappointments . As training camp was beginning in July 1966 , Jim Brown shocked the Browns , their fans and the NFL by announcing his retirement . Brown , who had been filming the movie " The Dirty Dozen " in London , was claimed by some to have been irritated by the Browns ' threats of fines for not reporting for training camp and simply retired . Leroy Kelly became the Browns ' new rushing threat for the 1966 season , ably filling Brown ' s shoes with the first of his three consecutive 1 , 000 - yard seasons . Frank Ryan ' s 29 touchdowns also led the league . Entering the final month of the regular season , the Browns had remained in contention , but a costly 26 - 14 loss in a Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas put a major dent in their postseason hopes . Blanton Collier ' s squad placed one game behind the Cowboys with a 9 - 5 mark and missed the league championship game for the first time in three years . The 1967 Browns began the season with two losses , defeats that were quickly forgotten with nine wins in the next 11 contests to help the team finish at 9 - 5 for the second consecutive year . Unlike the previous season , the NFL ' s new realignment made that record good enough for first place in the short - lived Century Division , and a spot in the new Eastern Conference championship against the Cowboys . Unfortunately , the game between the two squads was over quickly as Don Meredith passed for two touchdowns , Dave Baynham ran for three and Bob Hayes generally made the Browns ' life miserable on special teams as the Cowboys annihilated the Browns 52 - 14 . Following another slow start in 1968 Ryan was out at quarterback , in favor of Bill Nelsen , who had been acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason . In their October 20 game against the undefeated Baltimore Colts , the heavy underdog Browns stunned their opponents with a 30 - 20 win , sparking an eight - game winning streak . Nelsen ' s main target was fifth - year receiver Paul Warfield , who had the best season of his career , with 1067 yards and 12 touchdowns . The team finished the regular season with a 10 - 4 mark , good enough for another first - place finish and a rematch with Dallas in the Eastern Conference final . After four consecutive losses to their Texas opponents , the Browns ended their frustration by not allowing the Cowboys an offensive touchdown until the final minute . Leroy Kelly ' s two long runs for scores paced the offense , with the turning point in a 31 – 20 victory coming on Dale Lindsey ' s return of a Don Meredith interception for a touchdown early in the second half . Cleveland advanced to the NFL Championship against the Baltimore Colts . Don Cockroft had an early field goal blocked , and the Browns would not have another chance to score again . Tom Matte ran for three touchdowns as the Colts shut out the Browns 34 - 0 to advance to Super Bowl III . The 1969 season produced similar results . Nelsen threw 2700 yards and 23 touchdowns ( both career highs ) , and Warfield and Gary Collins both had at least ten touchdown catches . The team finished 10 - 3 - 1 , again best in the Century Division , and once again played the Cowboys in the conference final . Nelsen threw for 219 yards and Walt Sumner returned an interception 88 yards for a touchdown as the Browns took their second straight Eastern championship by the score of 38 - 14 . But the NFL Championship Game was another disappointment for the Browns . Joe Kapp of the Minnesota Vikings scored on the team ' s first possession and another rout began . The Vikings went up 20 - 0 by halftime and ended up winning 27 - 7 . The 1970 AFL - NFL merger would see the Browns , Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts move to the new American Football Conference aligned with the 10 teams of the American Football League . While the realignment would greatly benefit the Steelers , the placement of the Browns into the AFC ' s Central Division would not be as good . The trade of Paul Warfield to the Miami Dolphins for a draft choice used on Purdue All American Mike Phipps did not help the Browns either . After defeating the New York Jets in the first - ever broadcast of Monday Night Football , the Browns stumbled through the season finishing 7 – 7 . Coach Blanton Collier retired for health reasons ( deafness ) was replaced with Nick Skorich before the 1971 season . The Browns improved to 9 - 5 , and a first - place finish in the AFC Central . This placed them in the divisional playoff against the Baltimore Colts ; but much like their matchup three years earlier , the game went ugly early . Backup Colts running back Don Nottingham scored two first - half touchdowns , and it was all Baltimore would need . The Browns season ended in another 20 - 3 disappointment . Mike Phipps was promoted to starting quarterback over Nelsen before the 1972 season . After a sluggish start , the Browns went on an 8 – 1 tear . That surge was highlighted by late comeback victories against the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers and a playoff - clinching victory at Cincinnati . A 10 – 4 mark earned them the AFC wild card berth and put them in a divisional playoff against the undefeated Miami Dolphins . The Browns took a lead in the fourth - quarter on a Fair Hooker touchdown catch , but Jim Kiick preserved the Dolphins ' perfect season with a late touchdown run for the 20 - 14 decision . In 1973 , Phipps threw 20 interceptions to just nine touchdowns , and no rusher had more than 600 yards . After winning four of their first six games , the Browns slumped before bouncing back with a trio of victories , the last one a dramatic last - minute victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 25 . The following week , a fourth quarter rally salvaged a 20 - 20 tie against the Kansas City Chiefs , but a playoff berth evaporated the following week with a 34 - 17 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals . Cleveland ended the year at 7 – 5 – 2 , good for third place in the division . Defensive lineman Jerry Sherk , made the first of four consecutive trips to the NFL Pro Bowl . 1974 – 84 . The Browns ' era of success came to a crashing halt as the team dropped to 4 – 10 in 1974 . Neither Phipps nor rookie QB Brian Sipe were effective , throwing 24 combined interceptions to only 10 touchdowns . The Browns allowed 344 points , most in the league . It was only the second losing season in 29 years of franchise history , and head coach Nick Skorich saw his tenure with the team end as a result of the collapse . Assistant coach and former Green Bay Packer offensive lineman Forrest Gregg took over in 1975 , but the bad fortunes of the team remained with an 0 – 9 start that finally came to an end on November 23 in a 35 - 23 comeback victory over the Cincinnati Bengals . Three weeks later , third - year running back Greg Pruitt paced the team with 214 yards rushing in a rout over the Kansas City Chiefs , helping the team finish the season 3 – 11 . Cleveland showed marked improvement with a 9 - 5 mark in 1976 as Brian Sipe firmly took control at quarterback . Sipe had been inserted into the lineup after a Mike Phipps injury in the season - opening win against the New York Jets on September 12 . After a 1 – 3 start brought visions of another disastrous year , the Browns jolted the two - time defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers with an 18 – 16 victory on October 10 . Third - string quarterback Dave Mays helped lead the team to that victory , while defensive end Joe " Turkey " Jones ' pile - driving sack of quarterback Terry Bradshaw fueled the heated rivalry between the two teams . That win was the first of eight in the next nine weeks , helping put the Browns in contention for the AFC playoffs . A loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the regular season finale cost them a share of the division title , but running back Greg Pruitt continued his outstanding play by rushing for exactly 1000 yards , his second - straight four - digit season . The Browns continued to roll in the first half of the 1977 NFL season , but an injury to Brian Sipe by Pittsburgh ' s Jack Lambert on November 13 proved to be disastrous . Cleveland won only one of their last five games to finish at 6 - 8 , a collapse that led to Forrest Gregg ' s dismissal before the final game of the season . Dick Modzelewski served as interim coach in the team ' s 20 – 19 loss to the Seattle Seahawks . On December 27 , 1977 , Sam Rutigliano was named head coach , and aided a healthy Sipe in throwing 21 touchdowns and garnering 2900 yards during the 1978 NFL season . Greg Pruitt and Mike Pruitt led a rushing attack that gained almost 2500 yards , but problems with the team ' s dismal pass defense resulted in the Browns finishing 8 - 8 on the year . The 1979 campaign started with four consecutive wins , three of which were in the final minute or overtime . Four more games were won by less than a touchdown . This penchant for playing close games would later earn them the nickname " Kardiac Kids " . Sipe threw 28 touchdown passes , tying him with Steve Grogan of New England for most in the league , but his 26 interceptions were the worst in the league . Mike Pruitt had a Pro Bowl season with his 1294 rushing yards , while the defense was still shaky , ranking near the bottom in rushing defense . The team finished 9 - 7 , behind division rivals Houston and Pittsburgh in a tough AFC Central . The Kardiac Kids . The 1980 season is still fondly remembered by Browns fans . After splitting the first six games by going 3 - 3 , the Browns won three straight games ( against Green Bay , Pittsburgh , and Chicago ) with fourth - quarter comebacks , and stopped a late comeback by the Baltimore Colts to win a fourth . The Browns won two more games in that fashion by the end of the season , and even lost a game to the Minnesota Vikings on the last play when a Hail Mary pass was tipped into the waiting hands of Ahmad Rashad . Sipe passed for 4000 yards and 30 touchdowns with only 14 INTs ( enough for him to be named the NFL MVP ) , behind an offensive line that sent three members to the Pro Bowl : Doug Dieken , Tom DeLeone and Joe DeLamielleure . The " Kardiac Kids " name stuck . A fourth - quarter field goal by Don Cockroft in the final game against the Cincinnati Bengals helped the Browns capture the division with an 11 - 5 mark , with the Oakland Raiders their opponent in the team ' s first playoff game in eight years . However , a heartbreaking end of this dramatic season came in the closing seconds when Sipe called what became known as " Red Right 88 " and passed toward the end zone , only to watch Oakland ' s Mike Davis intercept the ball . The pass play had been decided on after several botched attempts at a field goal . The Raiders won 14 - 12 and went on to win the Super Bowl . " Red Right 88 " has numbered among the list of Cleveland sports curses ever since ( see : The Drive ; The Fumble ; The Shot by Michael Jordan ; 1994 Major League Baseball strike ; Cleveland State basketball coach Kevin Mackey ' s arrest and conviction for cocaine and Game 7 of the 1997 World Series ) . If 1980 was a dream season , then 1981 was a nightmare . Sipe threw only 17 touchdowns while being picked off 25 times . The Browns went 5 - 11 , and few of their games were particularly close . Tight end Ozzie Newsome , their only Pro Bowler , had 1004 yards receiving for six touchdowns . In 1982 Brian Sipe split quarterbacking duties with Paul McDonald , and both put up similar numbers . The Browns had little success rushing or defending against it , finishing in the bottom five teams in both yardage categories . Despite going 4 - 5 , Cleveland was able to make the playoffs due to an expanded playoff system in the strike - shortened year . They were matched up with the Raiders in the playoffs , but were easily defeated 27 - 10 . Sipe and the Browns got some of their spark back in 1983 . Sipe had 26 touchdown passes and 3566 yards , while Mike Pruitt ran for 10 scores on 1184 yards . Cleveland even won two games in overtime and another in the fourth quarter . A fourth - quarter loss to the Houston Oilers in their second - to - last game dashed their playoff hopes . At 9 - 7 the Browns finished one game behind the Steelers , and lost out on a wild - card spot due to a tiebreaker . 1984 was a rebuilding year . Brian Sipe defected to the upstart USFL after the 1983 season , and Paul McDonald was named the starting quarterback . Mike Pruitt missed much of the season and later ended up on the Buffalo Bills . Coach Sam Rutigliano lost his job after a 1 - 7 start as Marty Schottenheimer took over . The Browns coasted to a 5 - 11 record . 1985 - 90 : The Bernie Kosar years . In 1985 , the Browns selected University of Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar in the Supplemental Draft . As a rookie , Kosar learned through trial by fire as he took over for Gary Danielson midway through the 1985 season . Progressing a bit more each Sunday , the young quarterback helped turn the struggling season around , as the Browns won four of the six games Kosar started . Two young rushers , Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack , played a large part in the teams success as well ; each ran for 1000 + yards . The Brown ' s 8 - 8 record gave the team the top spot in a weak AFC Central , and they looked poised to shock the heavily favored Miami Dolphins in the 1986 Divisional Playoff game with a 21 - 3 lead at halftime . It took Dan Marino ' s spirited second - half comeback to win the game for Miami 24 - 21 . While the Browns faithful may have felt the initial sting of disappointment , there was tremendous upside in the loss : Schottenheimer ' s team , with Kosar at quarterback , reached the playoffs each of the next five seasons , advancing to the AFC Championship game in three of those years . The Browns broke into the ranks of the NFL ' s elite — particularly on defense — with a 12 - 4 showing in 1986 . Behind Kosar ' s 3 , 854 yards passing and a defense with five Pro Bowlers ( Chip Banks , Hanford Dixon , Bob Golic , Clay Matthews and Frank Minnifield ) , the Browns dominated the AFC Central with the best record in the AFC , and one of the NFL ' s stingiest defenses . With these on their side , the Browns clinched home - field advantage throughout the playoffs . In the 1987 Divisional Playoff game , the Browns needed some serious heroics ( and a bit of luck ) to overcome the New York Jets . The Jets were leading 20 - 10 with less than four minutes to play , with the Browns in a dire 3rd and 24 situation . As fate would have it , Mark Gastineau was called for roughing the passer , which gave Cleveland a first down . The drive ended with Kevin Mack running into the endzone for a touchdown . After going three - and - out the Jets went back on defense , but allowed the rejuvenated Browns to again drive the ball deep into their end of the field . With 11 seconds remaining in regulation , Mark Moseley kicked a field goal to tie the game . In the first of two ensuing overtime periods , Moseley missed his next attempt , but later redeemed himself by ending the game in what had become the second - longest game in NFL history . Final score Browns 23 , Jets 20 . The 1987 AFC Championship game saw the Denver Broncos arrive in the windswept , hostile confines of Cleveland Municipal Stadium . No one knew at the time , but the Broncos would become Cleveland ' s arch - nemesis of the Kosar era . As it had been the previous week , the showdown proved again to be it was an overtime heart - stopper . But this time , it was John Elway and the Broncos who came away the victors . Pinned in on their own two yard line with 5 : 11 left to play and the wind in his face , Elway led his now infamous ( or , for the Bronco ' s fans , ' legendary ' ) 98 - yard drive , which is now known by NFL historians as simply " The Drive " ) . With 37 seconds on the clock , Elway ' s 5 - yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson tied the game at 20 apiece . The 79 , 973 Browns fans in attendance were silenced when Rich Karlis ' field goal attempt just made it inside the right - side upright to win the game for Denver early into overtime . The Browns success was replicated in 1987 , with 22 touchdown passes and 3000 yards for Kosar , and eight Pro Bowlers : Kosar , Mack , Dixon , Golic , Minnifield , linebacker Clay Matthews , wide receiver Gerald McNeil and offensive line man Cody Risien . At 10 – 5 , the Browns won the AFC Central again . Cleveland easily defeated the Indianapolis Colts 38 – 21 in the divisional playoff and travelled to Denver for a rematch with the Broncos in the AFC Championship . With the score 21 - 3 in favor of the Broncos at halftime , Kosar led a third - quarter comeback with two touchdowns by Earnest Byner and another by Reggie Langhorne . Early in the fourth quarter , Webster Slaughter ' s 4 - yard touchdown catch tied it at 31 - 31 . The Broncos regained the lead with a 20 - yard Sammy Winder touchdown with less than five minutes to go , setting the stage for another Browns comeback . . . or so they thought . Kosar drove the Browns to the Broncos ' 8 yard line with 1 : 12 to go , and handed off to Byner . When it looked like he had an open route to the end zone , he was stripped of the ball by Jeremiah Castille . The Broncos recovered what became known as " The Fumble " . After taking a safety , the Broncos shocked the Browns again , 38 – 33 . Injuries to Kosar and two of his backups sidelined them for much of the 1988 season , but the Browns still finished 10 – 6 . A final - week comeback victory in a snowstorm at Cleveland Stadium over the Houston Oilers clinched them a wild - card playoff spot , and a home game rematch against the Oilers in the first round . After Mike Pagel , in for Kosar , threw a touchdown pass to Webster Slaughter late in the fourth quarter to pull the Browns within a point at 24 - 23 , the Browns had three chances to recover an onside kick ( due to penalties ) , but the Oilers recovered and stopped the Cleveland comeback . Coach Marty Schottenheimer left the Browns by mutual agreement with Modell shortly after the loss to the Oilers . Modell was tired of losing in the playoffs and Schottenheimer was tired of what he perceived as Modell ' s interference with his coaching personnel and game strategy . Schottenheimer was quickly hired by the Kansas City Chiefs for the 1989 season . Bud Carson was his replacement in Cleveland , but his tenure was short - only one and a half years . The 1989 season , headlined by Slaughter ' s Pro Bowl - worthy 1236 yards receiving , was a success at 7 - 3 until a 10 - 10 tie with Schottenheimer ' s Chiefs in November led to a 3 - game losing streak . Two comeback wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Oilers in the season ' s final two weeks kept them in the playoff race . The tie ended up being the Browns ' saving grace , with their 9 - 6 - 1 record winning them the AFC Central title and first - round bye over the Oilers and Pittsburgh Steelers at 9 - 7 . The Browns narrowly survived a scare from the Buffalo Bills in their divisional playoff game , when Scott Norwood missed an extra point that would have pulled Buffalo within 3 points and , later , when Jim Kelly ' s desperation pass to the end zone on the final play of the game was intercepted . Cleveland ' s 34 - 30 win set them up for a rematch with the Broncos in Denver for the AFC Championship . While their two previous matchups went down to the wire , this one was never in doubt . The Broncos led from start to finish , and a long Elway touchdown pass to Sammy Winder put the game way in the fourth quarter . Denver easily won 37 - 21 . In 1990 things began to unravel . Kosar threw more interceptions ( 15 ) than touchdowns ( 10 ) for the first time in his career ; and the team finished last in the league in rushing offense , and near the bottom in rushing defense . Carson was fired after a 2 - 7 start , and the team finished 3 - 13 , second - worst in the league . After the season Bill Belichick , defensive coordinator of the then - Super Bowl champion New York Giants , was named head coach , setting off a chain of events that some fans believe led to the demise of the original franchise . 1991 - 95 : Bill Belichick and Modell ' s move . The Browns saw only a slight improvement under Belichick in the 1991 , finishing 6 - 10 . Kosar was markedly better , with a ratio of 18 touchdowns to 9 interceptions , and Leroy Hoard had a breakout season . In 1992 , with Kosar sitting out much of the season and Mike Tomczak in under center , Cleveland was in the thick of the AFC Central race before dropping their final three games to finish 8 – 8 . The 1993 season saw Belichick make the decision to bench Bernie Kosar in favor of Vinny Testaverde , who had been signed from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . In spite of his diminishing football skills , Kosar was immensely popular in the local fanbase . His subsequent release by the team , prompted a heated reaction from fans , mostly aimed at Belichick . Cleveland won only two of its final nine games after Testaverde took over under center , finishing 7 – 9 once again . Cleveland managed to right the ship in 1994 , although the quarterback situation hadn ' t quite improved , a solid defense led the league for fewest yards allowed per attempt , sending four players ( Rob Burnett , Pepper Johnson , Michael Dean Perry and Eric Turner ) to the Pro Bowl . The Browns finished 11 - 5 , making the playoffs for the first time in four seasons . In the AFC Wild Card game against the New England Patriots , the Browns ' defense picked off Drew Bledsoe three times , with Testaverde completing two - thirds of his passes , to win 20 – 13 . Arch - rival Pittsburgh ended the Browns ' season the following week , however , with a 29 – 9 blowout in the AFC Divisional game . Team owner Art Modell announced on November 6 , 1995 , that he had signed a deal to relocate the Browns to Baltimore for 1996 . The very next day , on November 7 , 1995 , Cleveland voters overwhelmingly approved an issue providing $ 175 million in unguaranteed tax dollars to refurbish the outmoded and declining Cleveland Municipal Stadium . The relocation announcement was met with unprecedented hostility from Browns fans , with over 100 lawsuits filed by fans , the city of Cleveland , and a host of others . Death threats issued against Modell and his family prompted him to leave the city to ensure his own safety . Not wanting to be targeted by fan ire or face threats against their own employees , many of the team ' s corporate sponsors pulled their support , leaving Cleveland Municipal Stadium devoid of most advertising during the team ' s final weeks . The 1995 season was a disaster on the field , too . After starting 3 – 1 , the rumors of relocation , and the eventual announcement , cast a pall on the team , who finished 5 – 11 . When the Dawg Pound became unruly during their final home game against the Cincinnati Bengals , destroying sections of the stadium and raining debris , beer bottles , and entire sections of seats and bleachers onto the field , action moving towards that end zone had to be moved to the opposite end of the field to ensure the safety of the players and associated personnel , protecting them from injury . The Bengals lost the game , giving the Browns their only win following the announcement of the impending move . Through threats of litigation led by Mayor Mike White , Cleveland accepted an unprecedented legal settlement that would claim to keep the Browns legacy in Cleveland . In February 1996 , the National Football League caved in to media and litigation pressures by announcing that the team would merely be ' deactivated ' for three years , and that a new stadium would be built for a new " reactivated " Cleveland Browns team that would begin play in 1999 . Modell would in turn be granted a new " expansion " franchise for Baltimore , the Baltimore Ravens , retaining the current contracts of players and personnel . 1999 – 2004 : Rejoining the NFL . In early 1998 the National Football League began its search for an owner for the reactivated Browns , finding one later in the year in Al Lerner , a former limited partner and a friend of Art Modell . Ironically , it was Lerner who was the primary catalyst for Modell ' s move to Baltimore . Lerner was the winning bidder against a number of others who sought the team , including cable TV magnates Charles Dolan and Larry Dolan , Cleveland real estate developer Bart Wolstein and New York developer Howard Milstein . During the period from 1996 - 1998 other franchises , such as Tampa Bay , blackmailed their home cities with the possibility of moving to Cleveland in order to put pressure on their respective cities to get more governmental funding for their own stadiums . Lerner died of cancer in October 2002 , coincidentally four years to the day he was awarded the reactivated Browns franchise . Upon his passing , the team went into trust , controlled by his son , Randy . The new team arrived with high hopes and expectations , featuring deep - pocketed ownership and what appeared to be solid general management in the form of former San Francisco 49ers president Carmen Policy , general manager Dwight Clark and head coach Chris Palmer . But with poor players selected in the 1999 expansion draft and 1999 – 2004 college drafts , the team floundered . Palmer was dismissed after the 2000 season and Policy and Clark were forced out in 2003 . The 2001 season nearly saw the Browns achieve a playoff berth , but the Week 15 game with Jacksonville saw their chances evaporate after a disastrous ruling by the referees that a Cleveland pass was incomplete , awarding the Jaguars a 1st down . Infuriated Browns fans pelted them and the visiting team ' s players and staff with bottles and other debris . With the crowd on the verge of starting a riot , the officiating crew called an end to the game with 48 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter . Commissioner Paul Taliagube then called them on the phone and ordered the game to be completed . After most of the fans had left , the Jaguars and Browns returned to the garbage - strew field to complete the final seconds of the match . With Jacksonville winning 15 - 10 , the Browns were removed from playoff contention and finished the season at 7 - 9 . Palmer was succeeded by former University of Miami coach Butch Davis . Despite a 2002 AFC Wild Card qualification , the team saw a dismal record during the next two seasons leading to Butch Davis ' resignation in December 2004 . Offensive Coordinator Terry Robiskie , was named interim head coach for the remainder of the 2004 season . 2005 – present . As Super Bowl XXXIX approached , there was much speculation over who would become the new head coach . On January 6 , 2005 , it was announced that Phil Savage signed on as general manager . Savage was previously an administrative member for the Baltimore Ravens and the Browns before 1995 . After the New England Patriots victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at the Super Bowl , Patriots ' defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel signed on as the 3rd head coach for the new Browns . Robiskie was kept on as part of Crennel ' s staff . With the Browns acquiring Trent Dilfer from the Seattle Seahawks and Reuben Droughns from the Denver Broncos , the Browns began 2005 on the wrong foot , losing 27 - 13 at home to their in - state rival , the Cincinnati Bengals . They would go on the road and pick up their first win of the year against the Green Bay Packers , 26 – 24 . After losing to the Indianapolis Colts , they used their Bye Week to regroup and pick up a comeback victory against the Chicago Bears . However , the Browns couldn ' t keep the momentum going from their win and dropped four of their next five games . A promising 22 – 0 shutout of the Miami Dolphins proved to be a mirage when the team lost its next three straight games . In the team ' s final five games , rookie Charlie Frye served as the team ' s starting quarterback , winning two of those contests . However , the two victories produced limited offense , while one humiliating 41 - 0 loss came at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 24 . The Browns ended their 2005 campaign at 6 – 10 in last place in the AFC North . Just prior to the Browns ' final game of the 2005 NFL season , the team ' s front office became embroiled in a major controversy that threatened to once again send the team into rebuilding mode . A reporter for ESPN went public with a story that Team president John Collins was going to fire general manager Phil Savage . The resulting uproar from fans and local media was so strong that it was Collins who resigned on January 3 , 2006 . The role of team " President and CEO " was vacated , with owner Randy Lerner filling in as de facto CEO for the time being . In the 2007 season , the team saw a remarkable turnaround on the field . After opening the season with a 34 – 7 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers , the Browns traded starting quarterback Charlie Frye to the Seattle Seahawks , with backup Derek Anderson assuming the starting role . In his first start , Anderson led the Browns to a surprise 51 – 45 win over the Cincinnati Bengals , throwing five touchdown passes , which tied the franchise record . The Browns finished the 2007 season 10 – 6 , their best record since 1994 , when they went 11 – 5 . Six players earned Pro Bowl recognition . Coach Crennel agreed to a two - year contract extension . In 2008 , however , the Browns crashed back to ground , finishing 4 – 12 and coming in dead last in the AFC North . The Browns never contended during the season , and closed out the 2008 campaign with six consecutive games wherein the Browns failed to score a single touchdown . The season was punctuated in Week 16 by an embarrassing 14 – 0 shutout at Cleveland Stadium at the hands of the two - win Cincinnati Bengals , who with 24 players on injured reserve and starting 2nd stringers on both lines , a backup quarterback , a discarded free - agent running back , and reserve receivers and secondary , completely and thoroughly dominated the game . A 31 – 0 shutout against Pittsburgh in the season finale closed out the dismal season , resulting in the firing of Crennel and GM Savage . In 2009 , Eric Mangini was hired as head coach , but the Browns showed little sign of improvement as the season progressed . They defeated the Buffalo Bills 6 - 3 in Week 5 , but after that were hammered repeatedly , scoring an average of 15 points per game . The lowest ebb was a 16 - 0 shutout on Monday Night at the hands of Baltimore . Afterwards , they faced the equally hapless Detroit Lions , losing by one point in an epic 38 - 37 game that few saw due to being blacked out on local television . Redemption finally came in Week 14 , when Cleveland hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers , and despite all odds , beat their unprepared opponent 13 - 6 in frigid weather conditions . This would prove a major morale booster to the Browns , whose last win over the Steelers had been in 2003 . Although no longer able to achieve a playoff berth , Cleveland won its final three games . The season ender saw them trump the Jaguars to finish 5 - 11 . During the 2010 off - season , Cleveland conducted a total overhaul of its QB corps . Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson were traded to Denver and Arizona . Meanwhile , Jake Delhomme was acquired from Carolina and Seneca Wallace from Seattle . They also drafted Colt McCoy from the University of Texas . With Delhomme starting , the Browns dropped three in a row against Tampa Bay , Kansas City , and Baltimore before beating Cincinnati in Week 4 . After this , they fell to Atlanta , and then were routed by Pittsburgh . In Week 7 however , Cleveland gained an upset 30 - 17 victory over the Saints , marking the third year in a row that they beat a defending champion . After their bye week , the Browns pulled off another upset by beating New England 34 - 14 , now with McCoy starting . For Eric Mangini , this game was personal owing to his past relations with Patriots coach Bill Belichick ( Mangini had revealed the New England videotaping scandal in 2007 , earning him the lasting enmity of Belichick ) . Cleveland next hosted the Jets and after a valiant effort , brought the game into overtime with a 20 - 20 tie . New York ultimately won on a touchdown with 20 seconds left on the clock .