The 1985 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 36th season with the National Football League.
This was the first of three consecutive AFC Central titles for the Browns. In Marty Schottenheimer's first full year as head coach, the Browns bounced back from a 5âÂÂ11 season in 1984 to make the playoffs, despite a .500 season. Rookie quarterback Bernie Kosar led the Browns' offense; Ozzie Newsome's 62 receptions earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl; Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack each rushed for over 1,000 yards.
In the Divisional Playoffs, the Browns led the Miami Dolphins 21âÂÂ3 in the third quarter, but in a scene that would be repeated 4 more times in the 1980s, the Browns collapsed down the stretch as the Dolphins came back to score three touchdowns to win the game 24âÂÂ21.
In 2004, Football Outsiders named the 1985 Browns as one of the "worst playoff teams ever":
Opponents outscored them 287âÂÂ294, and they were blown out in two of their last three games (31âÂÂ13 by the Seahawks and 37âÂÂ10 by the Jets). They took a 21âÂÂ3 lead over the Dolphins in the playoffs, only to watch Dan Marino and company score 21 unanswered points to win the game.
The 1985 Browns are probably best known for having two 1,000-yard rushers in Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack. Despite that impressive feat, the Browns were only fourth in the AFC in team rushing yards. They were 13th in the conference in passing yards, thanks to rookie quarterback Bernie Kosar and journeyman Gary Danielson. What that team did very well was play defense and take advantage of a weak division. The Browns swept the 5âÂÂ11 Oilers and split with the 7âÂÂ9 Bengals and Steelers. A 28âÂÂ21 win in week 15 against the Oilers proved to be the division capper: Kosar threw three TDs to open up a 28âÂÂ7 lead, and the defense withstood a comeback driven by Warren Moon.
Until 2011, Cleveland's .500 winning percentage held the record for the lowest such percentage for a division winning playoff team in a non-strike season; the record was tied by the 2008 San Diego Chargers, then broken by the 2010 Seattle Seahawks. (Incidentally, in 1985 and 2008, teams with 11âÂÂ5 records â Denver in 1985, New England in 2008âÂÂmissed the playoffs.)
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.