Cleveland Browns fans have been long-suffering, watching their teams lose countless games by close margins or bad calls throughout the franchise’s history.
Last season, the Browns experienced heartbreak multiple times as their team ended the year with a 3-14 record.
Those oh-so-close losses pale in comparison to others long-time Cleveland fans have experienced.
Bleacher Report’s Joseph Akeley recently noted the “most devastating call of all-time” for every NFL team, naming a quarter-century-old play as one of the franchise’s most heartbreaking experiences for fans.
The play occurred in 2001 when the Tim Couch-led Browns faced off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular season, a game that earned the moniker of “Bottlegate.”
With just 1:08 remaining in the game, the Browns were down 15-10 and had the ball on the Jaguars’ 13-yard line.
On fourth down, Couch dropped back and found receiver Quincy Morgan in the middle of the field for a catch that secured a first down at the 10-yard line.
Cleveland hurried to the line and spiked the ball, killing the clock with 48 seconds remaining in the contest.
Before the Browns could call the next play, officials huddled on the field and discussed their next course of action.
“After Couch spiked the ball, the officials decided to review the Morgan catch, which the officials are not allowed to do. They did it anyway, as lead official Terry McAulay announced that the replay center buzzed down to the field prior to Couch spiking the ball.,” Akeley said.
#OnThisDay December 16, 2001
Officials announced that they would review the 4th down conversion by the Browns two plays earlier and overturned it, giving the ball to the Jaguars.#Bottlegate #TheBeerBottleGame pic.twitter.com/xAqUEuw4TS
— On This Day in Sports (@SportsHistoryD) December 17, 2024
The officials overruled the catch despite Cleveland’s ability to run another play before the review occurred, and fans showed their disgust by throwing hundreds of bottles onto the field
Cleveland’s loss ultimately dropped the team to a 6-7 record, missing the playoffs in 2001 after the impermissible replay overturned the catch.
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