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Fansided

The Greatest Villain In the History of All 32 NFL Teams

By Erik Lambert

of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas
of the New York Jets of the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on November 22, 2007 in Irving, Texas /
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19 Oct 1997: John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos in action during a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 28-25. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport
19 Oct 1997: John Elway #7 of the Denver Broncos in action during a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum in Oakland, California. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 28-25. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule Jr. /Allsport /

Cleveland Browns

player. 53. . QB. Denver Broncos. John Elway . 8

If ever a franchise had a boogeyman they couldn’t escape, it was the Cleveland Browns with John Elway. Any self-respecting football fan has to know the history by now. In the late 1980s, the Browns had emerged as one of the top contenders in the AFC. They were favorites to reach the Super Bowl in 1986, holding homefield advantage going into the conference championship game.

Elway, who’d been dogged by criticism of not having playoff chops, didn’t start the game well. Things got worse when Cleveland took a 20-13 lead with less than six minutes left in the 4th quarter and Denver had been pinned at the 2-yard line on the ensuing kickoff. That meant Elway had to go 98 yards just to tie the game. A series of ridiculous throws later, he hit Mark Jackson for the touchdown.

Denver went on to win in overtime. A year later, the script was flipped. The Browns went into Mile High Stadium as the underdog, hoping to exorcise the demons of their previous loss. Elway made that a monumental task, throwing three touchdown passes including the go-ahead score in the 4th quarter. Cleveland almost tied it until running back Ernest Byner fumbled at the goal line to ice it.

Two years later, as if their pain weren’t severe enough, the Browns made it back one more time. One more time Elway was waiting and this time it wasn’t even close. He threw for 385 yards, three touchdowns and Denver blew them out 37-21. Cleveland hasn’t been to a conference championship since.

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