Super Bowl XXI (Colony Crisis Averted)

Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cleveland Browns and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the American Football League (AFL) champion for the 1986 season. The Browns defeated the Broncos by the score of 23-20, winning their first ever Super Bowl, and their first AFL title since 1955. The game was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

This was the Browns first Super Bowl appearance. Led largely through the play of quarterback Bernie Kosar and a defense that led the AFC in fewest points allowed, Cleveland posted an 12–4 regular season record and two narrow playoff victories. The Giants, led by quarterback Phil Simms, running back Joe Morris, and their "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" defense, advanced to their first Super Bowl after posting a 14–2 regular season record and only allowing a combined total of 3 points in their two postseason wins.

Super Bowl XXI against the Giants was particularly significant because Bernie displayed why many NFL experts thought Super Bowl XXI would be the first of many Super Bowls for him. In what became known as The Drive, the Browns started from their own 1-yard line, trailing 20–13, with 5:32 left to play. But in 15 plays, Bernie led Cleveland 98 yards for a game-tying touchdown pass with 39 seconds left. The Browns then won in overtime after Bernie led them 60 yards in 9 plays to set up kicker Gerald McNeil's game-winning field goal.