the last time the browns won a playoff game was 2016.
when was the last time the browns won a playoff game?
2016
davis became head coach of the cleveland browns in 2001, inheriting a team that won five games combined in the previous two years. davis led the team to a 7–9 record in his first year, missing the playoffs by a game. one of the most controversial refereeing moments in nfl history, bottlegate, effectively stole a win from the browns. his defense that year forced a league leading 33 interceptions. the browns posted a 9–7 record and got a playoff berth in davis' second year, getting in after winning two close games in a row against the baltimore ravens and the atlanta falcons. in 2003, a quarterback controversy erupted between tim couch and backup kelly holcomb after holcomb, starting the 2002 playoff game for the injured couch, threw for 429 yards and three touchdowns. davis would ultimately give the starting job to holcomb, though couch did start a few games. in the 2004 offseason, davis signed jeff garcia and cut couch. davis was forced to resign in early december 2004 after a 3–8 start and ended with a 24–35 overall record as coach of the browns. as of 2019, davis is the only coach to lead the expansion browns to a playoff game.
butch davis
in 1985, the jets made the playoffs, accruing an 11–5 record, and hosted their first playoff game in four years. they were defeated in the first round by the eventual afc champion new england patriots after turning the ball over four times. looking to improve on their 1985 performance, the jets started the 1986 season 10–1, including nine straight wins. in week three against miami, the jets won 51–45 in overtime as ken o'brien and dan marino combined to pass for 884 yards, then an nfl record. wracked by injuries, the jets lost their final five regular season games, but still made the playoffs. in the wild card playoff game against the kansas city chiefs, the jets replaced o'brien with pat ryan, and won 35–15. this victory sent the jets to the divisional round in an away game against the cleveland browns. the jets built a 20–10 lead and appeared to have stopped a late cleveland drive — until mark gastineau was called for a roughing the passer penalty, a late hit on browns quarterback bernie kosar that gave the browns another opportunity. cleveland went on to tie the game, and in the second overtime, defeated the jets, 23–20. the browns went on to lose to the denver broncos (beaten by the jets earlier in the season) in the afc championship game; the broncos in turn lost to the giants in super bowl xxi. many jets were convinced that given the opportunity to play the giants, the jets would have won. according to eskenazi, the giants "were the toast of new york, back in a championship game for the first time since the 1960s, while the jets contemplated the late hit and what might have been".
history of the new york jets