The same two teams had met in the previous AFC Championship Game.
That game also ended in victory for the Broncos and featured a famous five-minute, 98-yard touchdown drive led by quarterback John Elway, known simply as The Drive, to take the game into overtime.

During the game, the Broncos jumped to a 21–3 halftime lead, but Browns' quarterback Bernie Kosar led them back with four second-half touchdowns.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 31.
The Broncos then took the lead on a long drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Elway to running back Sammy Winder, making it 38–31 with 6 minutes left.
Cleveland responded by advancing the ball to Denver's 8-yard line with 1:12 left, setting the stage for the play that made this game one of the most famous in NFL lore.
The same two teams had met in the previous AFC Championship Game. That game also ended in victory for the Broncos and featured a famous five-minute, 98-yard touchdown drive led by quarterback John Elway, known simply as The Drive, to take the game into overtime. 
During the game, the Broncos jumped to a 21–3 halftime lead, but Browns' quarterback Bernie Kosar led them back with four second-half touchdowns. By the middle of the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 31. The Broncos then took the lead on a long drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Elway to running back Sammy Winder, making it 38–31 with 6 minutes left. Cleveland responded by advancing the ball to Denver's 8-yard line with 1:12 left, setting the stage for the play that made this game one of the most famous in NFL lore.
The Fumble