7 th ▁season ▁with ▁the ▁National ▁Football ▁League . ▁They ▁finished ▁just ▁ 9 – 5 , ▁their ▁worst ▁record ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁and ▁failed ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁play offs ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁ ▁Season ▁summary ▁Save ▁for ▁a ▁dev ast ating ▁ 1 6 – 6 ▁ups et ▁loss ▁to ▁a ▁Pitts burgh ▁Ste el ers ▁team ▁that ▁would ▁finish ▁just ▁ 5 – 8 – 1 , ▁the ▁Brow ns ▁off ense ▁scored ▁points ▁in ▁bunch es . ▁In ▁later ▁years , ▁Brow ns ▁players ▁from ▁that ▁era ▁said ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁team ▁had ▁the ▁best ▁off ense — even ▁better ▁than ▁the ▁one ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁when ▁the ▁club ▁won ▁the ▁NFL ▁championship — and ▁there ' s ▁evidence ▁to ▁support ▁that ▁cont ention . ▁The ▁fl ur ry ▁of ▁points ▁started ▁in ▁the ▁op ener ▁when ▁the ▁Brow ns ▁ble w ▁out ▁the ▁Washington ▁Red sk ins ▁ 3 8 – 1 4 . ▁It ▁continued ▁in ▁a ▁stretch ▁of ▁five ▁straight ▁games ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁lost ▁ 3 4 – 2 8 ▁to ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Card inals , ▁beat ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Gi ants ▁ 2 8 – 7 , ▁rout ed ▁the ▁Ste el ers ▁ 4 1 – 1 0 , ▁turned ▁back ▁the ▁Dallas ▁Cow bo ys ▁ 3 0 – 2 1 ▁and ▁cr ushed ▁the ▁expansion ▁Atlanta ▁Fal cons ▁ 4 9