Fansided

Missed championship windows in NFL history

By Andrew Hammond

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 12: Fran Tarkenton
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 12: Fran Tarkenton /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
CLEVELAND, OH – CIRCA 1980’s: Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer of the Cleveland Browns talks with his quarterback Bernie Kosar
CLEVELAND, OH – CIRCA 1980’s: Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer of the Cleveland Browns talks with his quarterback Bernie Kosar /

1980s

Cleveland Browns

Championship Window: 1985-1989 (four AFC Central titles.)

Biggest Opportunity: 1986 (Although they’d reached multiple AFC Title Games, the biggest missed chance was “The Drive.” Need I say more?)

Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble. Then The Move. Had a title come to the city of Cleveland, they may well have kept the team in town. 

Miami Dolphins

Championship Window : 1981-1985 (five AFC East titles)

Biggest Opportunity : 1985 (Lost AFC Title Game to the New England Patriots. They might have given the Super Bowl winning Chicago Bears another loss in Super Bowl XX.)

Many thought that Super Bowl XIX would be the first of many for Dan Marino. Still one of the great mysteries in NFL history. 

San Diego Chargers

Championship Window : 1979-1982 (three AFC West titles.)

Biggest Opportunity : 1980 (Hosted AFC Title Game, losing to the Oakland Raiders. Even though many people may say the “Freezer Bowl”, this is the biggest loss the Chargers suffered during their run.)

You can make a strong case that even a Super Bowl win by Don Coryell might’ve gotten him in the Pro Football HOF. The legacy of this organization can be summed up, at least in this era, in always coming up short when the stakes are highest.

Denver Broncos

Championship Window : 1986-1989 (three Super Bowl appearances.)

Biggest Opportunity : 1987 (Broncos were favored by three in Super Bowl XXII, only to end up losing 42-10.)

This was a strange run for the Broncos. They had three Super Bowl appearances and two seasons where they didn’t even make the playoffs. That would definitely be interesting in today’s climate.

Next: The 90s and beyond

Home/NFL