| 1946 |
|
Browns were started by owner Arthur
(Mickey) McBride as member of the All-America Football Conference. Paul Brown was named
coach and general manager and the first player he signed was then tailback Otto Graham.
The Browns won the Western title with a 42-17 victory over the Buffalo Bisons and then
defeated the New York Yankees in the championship game (14-9). |
| 1947-49 |
|
Browns continued their domination of the
AAFC, winning three more championships. |
| 1950 |
|
Following the merger of the AAFC and the
NFL, the Browns tied with the New York Giants with 10-2 records for a share of Eastern
title. Browns won playoff, 8-3, and then stopped Los Angeles, 30-28, for the championship.
|
| 1951-53 |
|
Browns won three consecutive Eastern
titles, but lost each time in the league’s title match, once to Los Angeles and twice
to Detroit. In 1953, McBride sold the club to an organization headed by David Jones.
1954-55: Led by quarterback Otto Graham, the Browns won back-to-back NFL championships,
defeating Detroit and Los Angeles. |
| 1956 |
|
At 5-7, the Browns suffered first losing
season. |
| 1957 |
|
Jim Brown was drafted; was named rookie of
the year and helped Cleveland to Eastern Division title. |
| 1961 |
|
Former television and advertising
executive Art Modell purchased the Browns for the then unheard of sum of $4 million. |
| 1963 |
|
Legendary coach Paul Brown was fired and
Blanton Collier, a Browns’ assistant, was named head coach. |
| 1964 |
|
Browns win division title with 52-20
victory over Giants and captured NFL championship with 27-0 0win over Colts. |
| 1965 |
|
In his last season, Jim Brown won NFL MVP
honors and led Cleveland to NFL title game where they were defeated by Green Bay. |
| 1966 |
|
An eighth round pick from 1964, Leroy
Kelly became the club’s dominant threat, rushing for 1,141 yards, but the Browns
finished second in their division to Dallas. |
| 1968 |
|
With newly acquired quarterback Bill
Nelsen (from Pittsburgh), Browns won division; beat Dallas in playoffs and lost to
Baltimore in the championship. |
| 1969 |
|
Browns won third consecutive division
crown, but lost to Minnesota in title game. |
| 1970 |
|
Browns became members of AFC Central and
finished second. The Browns beat the New York Jets on Monday Night Football’s
first-ever telecast. |
| 1971 |
|
Nick Skorich, a Browns’ assistant,
was named head coach. Team won first AFC Central crown. |
| 1972 |
|
Browns once again gained postseason,
losing to eventual champion Miami in playoffs, 20-14, as Dolphins complete undefeated
season. |
| 1975-77 |
|
Forrest Gregg, Browns’ offensive line
coach, becomes head coach; Greg Pruitt has three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons;
Dick Modzelewski coaches final game of 1977. |
| 1978 |
|
Sam Rutigliano becomes the first
non-Browns’ assistant to gain head coaching position. Team won first three on way to
8-8 finish. |
| 1979 |
|
Losses in final two games prevented team
from entering playoffs, finishing 9-7; Mike Pruitt keeps the tradition of outstanding
Browns’ running backs and has the first of three straight 1,000-yard seasons. |
| 1980 |
|
Browns win AFC Central title with 11-5
record; lost to eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland in playoff; Brian Sipe is consensus
MVP of the NFL. |
| 1982 |
|
In strike-shortened season, Browns finish
eighth in AFC (4-5) and gain playoffs second time in three years. Lost to Raiders in Super
Bowl Tournament. |
| 1983 |
|
Browns tied for wildcard playoff spot with
9-7 record, but lost NFL tie-breaking procedure to Denver and Seattle. |
| 1984 |
|
Browns replaced head coach Sam Rutigliano
with defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer after a 1-7 midseason record and finished
season at 5-11. TE Ozzie Newsome caught 89 passes for second straight year. |
| 1985 |
|
Browns captured their third Central
Division championship, but lost to Dolphins, 24-21, in Miami. Rookie Kevin Mack (1,104)
and Earnest Byner (1,002) each gained 1,000 yards rushing. It marked the third time in
66-year history of NFL that teammates both rushed for over 1,000 yards in the same season.
|
| 1986 |
|
Browns won more games than ever before
during regular season, finishing 12-4 en route to their second consecutive AFC Central
crown. In a double-overtime playoff thriller before a packed Cleveland Stadium crowd, the
Browns beat the New York Jets, 23-20, to advance to the AFC championship game. The Browns
lose to Denver, also in overtime, 23-20. |
| 1987 |
|
Browns capture their third straight AFC
Central, as they finished the season 10-5. The third week of the NFL season was cancelled
due to the 24-day players’ strike, while three replacement games were played (the
Browns went 2-1). The Browns defeated the Colts, 38-21, at Cleveland Stadium in the AFC
playoffs, then dropped their second straight AFC Championship to Denver despite a
spectacular come-from-behind bid that saw them score 30 second-half points, only to fall,
38-33 in Mile High Stadium. Bernie Kosar wins the AFC passing title with a 95.4 QB rating,
and an NFL-high eight Browns make the Pro Bowl. |
| 1988 |
|
Cleveland finishes 10-6 and earns a Wild
Card berth by defeating Houston, 28-23, in the season finale by overcoming a 16-point
third-quarter deficit. Houston defeats the Browns, 24-23, in the Wild Card game played on
Christmas Eve. Four Cleveland quarterbacks suffered injuries during the course of the
season. Marty Schottenheimer resigns on Dec. 27. |
| 1989 |
|
Bud Carson is hired as the Browns’
seventh full-time head coach on January 27. The Browns win their fourth division title in
five years with a 9-6-1 record, and advance to the playoffs for an AFC-high fifth straight
season. Browns advance to third title game in four years by defeating Buffalo, 34-30, but
lose to Denver, 37-21, at Mile High Stadium in AFC Championship. |
| 1990 |
|
Browns suffer worst season in franchise
history, finishing 3-13. Jim Shofner replaces Bud Carson as interim head coach on November
5. |
| 1991-93 |
|
Bill Belichick is hired as the eighth
full-time head coach on February 5, 1991. Browns finish 6-10, 7-9 and 7-9, respectively.
Unrestricted free agency begins in 1993. Browns sign five players in first year of system,
including quarterback Vinny Testaverde of Tampa Bay. |
| 1994 |
|
The Browns earn a playoff berth for the
first time in the ‘90s, finishing 11-5 and defeating the New England Patriots, 20-13,
in the Wild Card game at soldout Cleveland Stadium. The Browns faced the Steelers for the
first time ever in the playoffs, and lost 29-9 at Three Rivers Stadium. The Cleveland
defense sets a team record by allowing just 204 points, and six players go to the Pro
Bowl. Leroy Kelly becomes 13th Brown to enter Hall of Fame on July 30. |
| 1995 |
|
Owner Art Modell shocks the nation on
November 6 by announcing his deal to move the Browns to Baltimore. This announcement sets
off what is probably the largest fan protest effort in professional sports history. |
| 1998 |
|
NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE announced
at the NFL Owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, that the Browns will be the 31st franchise
in the NFL. The team will play its first game against the Dallas Cowboys at the Pro
Football Hall of Fame field at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio in 1999. |
| 1998 |
|
After a meeting in Chicago all day
on Tuesday, the final decision to grant ownership to the group of Al
Lerner and former San Francisco 49ers president Carmen Policy was made. |
| 1999 |
|
Browns drafted 37 players in the Expansion Draft. Jim
Pyne Detroit Lions C being the first. |
