John Elway and the Broncos Ended Up Going To The Super Bowl Instead

Published on September 5th, 2024 11:04 am EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


If you mention "The Fumble" and a Cleveland Browns fan is in the room, there is a good chance that they'll cringe at the words.

"The Fumble" changed the entire trajectory of the Cleveland Browns franchise, and was partially responsible for the team temporarily leaving Cleveland. Would the Browns have moved from the city if they had gone to the Super Bowl in 1987, and even won the big game?

Instead, "The Fumble" started a spiral for the franchise that they are arguably still in.

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It was January 17th, 1988, and the Cleveland Browns were squaring off against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in the AFC Championship game.

After John Elway and the Broncos jumped out to a quick 21-3 lead at halftime, the Browns heroically marched back.

With the minutes ticking down in the game, John Elway found Sammy Winder for a 20-yard touchdown pass to put the Broncos up 38-31.

The Browns, led by QB Bernie Kosar and running back Earnest Byner, marched down the field and were poised to tie the game.

With time running out in the game, the Browns had marched down to the 2-yard line of the Broncos.

Then, disaster struck.

Kosar handed the ball off to Earnest Byner, who proceeded to fumble the football.

The Broncos recovered the football and ended up winning the game by a score of 38-33.

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The tragic part about this situation was that Earnest Byner had been phenomenal in the game up until that point, as he finished with 67 rushing yards and 120 receiving yards, along with two touchdowns.

The stat, however, that everyone remembers is the fumble that cost the Browns the chance at the Super Bowl.

To his credit, Byner didn't let the fumble impact his career.

In fact, Byner's best years would still lie ahead, as he would make multiple Pro Bowls and win a Super Bowl ring.

The Cleveland Browns, however, have arguably never recovered.