These teams have never been to a Super Bowl, but how close did they get?

The Browns have won plenty of championships… just not Super Bowl championships. Cleveland had a dynasty on its hands from the organization’s founding in 1946 to 1955. During those first 10 seasons, the Browns went to 10 straight Championship games and won 7. The team won their 8th title in 1964 when they shut out Johnny Unitas’ Colts 27-0. But since the Super Bowl era began, the closest Cleveland has been to the big game is the conference championship.

The Browns lost two straight conference championships in the ‘68 and ‘69 seasons. And before heading to the 1987 AFC Championship, Cleveland posted their most wins in a regular season during the Super Bowl era (12-4). That regular season win total is still a franchise best.

That Browns team, led by head coach Marty Schottenheimer, lost the ‘87 AFC Championship to John Elway in heartbreaking fashion on “The Drive.” The next year, the Broncos beat the Browns in the conference championship again, this time on the equally heartbreaking “The Fumble.” Because nauseating things come in threes, the Dawgs were then treated to a third loss to the Broncos in the 1990 AFC Championship. No cutesy name that time.

Cleveland has not been back to the AFC title game since.