at home (needed 2 OTs) and lost in OT at home to Denver. The Giants were not going to be denied in 1986. If anything Elway kept the game closer vs. the Giants for a while until the flood gates broke. I think it would have been a similar outcome if the Browns made it.
The Browns were a running team for the most part and no one ran on the 1986 Giants. They held teams to around 60 yards a game. So you had Kosar in his 2nd year and they had rookie WRs (Webster Slaughter and Reggie Langhorn). The Giants defense would have rattled them. And the Browns defense was more or less the same as the Broncos. Pretty good, but not great.
Between the Raiders of the early 80s and the Bills of the early 90s, that was during an era where the AFC’s best would have been mostly middle of the pack in the NFC.
Browns fans list the Pummeling in Pasadena up there
Or ANYONE else in the AFC in 86. The Browns were Denver with a less mobile QB. They would have killed Kosar.
The best teams in 86 were the Giants, the Redskins, and SF. And the Giants were the best of those teams in 86, but ANY of those NFC teams would have beaten ANY of the AFC teams.
And they did. In 87, 88, 89, and 90.
The only AFC team in 1986 that could have beaten them was
he was relieved the Broncos won that game. He felt the Browns' defense, specifically their DB's, was a bad match up for the Giants. He's never had time to go into detail about why he felt that way, though.
Had too many weapons for the Browns. Phil was MVP of the game but the Giants pulled away by giving the ball to the most underrated running back in giants history, Joe Morris
they could not stop them both
he was relieved the Broncos won that game. He felt the Browns' defense, specifically their DB's, was a bad match up for the Giants. He's never had time to go into detail about why he felt that way, though.
The Browns defense was no slouch. They had several Pro Bowlers- Bob Golic, Chip Banks, Clay Matthews. They had 2 of the best CBs in the NFL in Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnefield. That could be what he's talking about. However....
In both the Jets game and Broncos games, the gave up big drives late that a "great" defense simply wouldn't do. Freeman McNeil busted off a late TD in the 4th quarter that should have won the game...but the Jets were the Jets. And of course Elway went 98 yards late to tie the game. Great defenses don't do that.
So maybe they hold the Giants offense in check better than Denver's did. But I'd put better odds on the Browns getting shut out since the defense would have killed Kosar. It could well be more like the NFCC 17-0 win.
I do remember my father being disappointed that Cleveland didn't make
...loved the historic angle, Denver had already been there, Cleveland hadn't in the Super Bowl Era, Browns had a excellent rushing attack, would've been fun to see some smashmouth football in the trenches.
But no - it wouldn't have mattered. The 86' Giant Defense was an absolute steamroller, and Simms played one of the best games I ever saw.
Giants 42, Browns 17
RE: Browns beat us in the Meadowlands the season prior....
championship vs Washington. Kosar wouldn't stand a chance against the 86 Giants defense. We'd probably score a TD on defense and another TD with a short field. Add a long drive TD and a field goal, and you get something like 24-3, 27-3, 27-6
The Browns were a running team for the most part and no one ran on the 1986 Giants. They held teams to around 60 yards a game. So you had Kosar in his 2nd year and they had rookie WRs (Webster Slaughter and Reggie Langhorn). The Giants defense would have rattled them. And the Browns defense was more or less the same as the Broncos. Pretty good, but not great.
Nobody was going to beat them.
Giants
Skins
Bears
49ers
I don't know that the offense would have been quite as prolific, as Cleveland had a better defense than Denver, but they would have won fairly easily.
Agree with this.
Between the Raiders of the early 80s and the Bills of the early 90s, that was during an era where the AFC’s best would have been mostly middle of the pack in the NFC.
The best teams in 86 were the Giants, the Redskins, and SF. And the Giants were the best of those teams in 86, but ANY of those NFC teams would have beaten ANY of the AFC teams.
And they did. In 87, 88, 89, and 90.
I'd have loved to have seen a NY vs NY SB at least once in my lifetime. LOL
they could not stop them both
The Browns defense was no slouch. They had several Pro Bowlers- Bob Golic, Chip Banks, Clay Matthews. They had 2 of the best CBs in the NFL in Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnefield. That could be what he's talking about. However....
In both the Jets game and Broncos games, the gave up big drives late that a "great" defense simply wouldn't do. Freeman McNeil busted off a late TD in the 4th quarter that should have won the game...but the Jets were the Jets. And of course Elway went 98 yards late to tie the game. Great defenses don't do that.
So maybe they hold the Giants offense in check better than Denver's did. But I'd put better odds on the Browns getting shut out since the defense would have killed Kosar. It could well be more like the NFCC 17-0 win.
Glad the Broncos were our opponent.
But no - it wouldn't have mattered. The 86' Giant Defense was an absolute steamroller, and Simms played one of the best games I ever saw.
Giants 42, Browns 17
Glad the Broncos were our opponent.
The Giants had no business losing that game. Dominated just about every stat - passing, rushing, time of possession.
Everything but the score.
The score might have looked closer, but the Giants would've just gotten a lead and sat on it for the game.
23-10 or thereabouts.
This question hasn't been asked a lot but it again goes to the fact that nobody in the AFC was close to the level of NYG, WSH, SF, CHI in those days