Highlighted Year: George Ratterman, 1949

Quarterback, Buffalo Bills

Age:  23 (Nov. 12)

3^rd season in pro football & with Bills

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

An outstanding all-around athlete in college who lettered in four sports, Ratterman primarily backup up quarterbacks Frank Dancewicz and Johnny Lujack. He signed with the Bills in 1947 and passed for 1840 yards and 22 touchdowns, although with an AAFC-high 20 interceptions, as a rookie. He followed up in ’48 by throwing for 2577 yards and 16 TDs, again topping the league with 22 interceptions. Not averse to taking risks, Ratterman was an accurate passer with good ball-handling skills and sound leadership qualities.

1949 Season Summary

Appeared in 11 of 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 252 [4]

Completions – 146 [3]

Yards – 1777 [4]

Completion percentage – 57.9 [1]

Yards per attempt – 7.1 [4]

TD passes – 14 [3, tied with Y.A. Tittle]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at Baltimore 11/27

Interceptions – 13 [5, tied with Johnny Clement]

Passer rating – 76.8 [3]

Rushing

Attempts – 36

Yards – 85

Yards per attempt – 2.4

TDs – 4 [9, tied with four others]

Scoring

TDs – 4 [19, tied with eight others]           

Points – 24

Postseason: 1 G (AAFC First Round playoff at Cleveland)

Pass attempts – 39

Pass completions – 21

Passing yardage – 293

TD passes – 3

Interceptions – 2

Bills went 5-5-2 to finish fourth in the AAFC. Lost AAFC First Round playoff to Cleveland Browns (31-21).

Aftermath:

With the demise of the AAFC, Ratterman joined the New York Yanks of the NFL in 1950 and led the league in both TD passes (22) and interceptions (24) while throwing for 2251 yards, which ranked second. He jumped to Montreal of the CFL in ’51 but re-joined the Yanks at midseason, although with far less impressive results. Ratterman spent the remaining five years of his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, where he backed up star QB Otto Graham. Given the opportunity to start in 1956, he lasted four games before suffering a career-ending knee injury. Overall, Ratterman passed for 10,473 yards and 91 touchdowns while giving up 96 interceptions, with 6194 yards and 52 TDs with 55 INTs coming in the AAFC.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Jim Cason, 1949

Halfback, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 22

2^nd season in pro football & with 49ers

College: LSU

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 168

Prelude:

Cason was part of the LSU team that went 9-1-1 in 1946 and appeared in the Cotton Bowl, and was chosen by the 49ers in the third round of the 1948 AAFC draft (he was also picked by the Chicago Cardinals in the seventh round of the corresponding NFL draft). He gained 245 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns as a rookie on offense, averaged 14.0 yards on 22 punt returns and 21.2 yards returning kickoffs, and intercepted five passes on defense.

1949 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions

Interceptions – 9 [1]

Int. return yards – 152 [1]

Int. TDs – 0

Rushing

Attempts – 21

Yards – 70

Yards per attempt – 3.3

TDs – 1

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 5

Yards – 38

Yards per catch – 7.6

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 11 [8, tied with Buddy Young]

Yards – 247 [9]

Average per return – 22.5

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 21 [2]

Yards – 351 [1]

Average per return – 16.7 [3]

TDs – 0

Passing

Attempts – 2

Completions – 1

Yards – 38

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 0

Scoring

TDs – 1

Points – 6

Postseason: 2 G

Pass receptions – 1

Pass receiving yards – 30

Pass receiving TDs – 0

Interceptions – 2

Int. return yards – 21

TDs – 0

Kickoff returns – 1

Kickoff ret. yards – 23

Kickoff ret. TDs – 0

Punt returns – 8

Punt ret. yards – 108

Average per return – 13.5

Punt ret. TDs – 0

Longest return – 10 yards

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL/AAFC: INS

49ers went 9-3 to finish second in the AAFC while leading the league in interceptions (32) and fewest yards allowed (3313). Won AAFC First Round playoff over New York Yankees (17-7). Lost AAFC Championship to Cleveland Browns (21-7).

Aftermath:

Cason moved on to the NFL with the 49ers in 1950 and was chosen to the Pro Bowl in ’51 after intercepting eight passes, one of which he returned for a TD. The versatile halfback also caught 30 passes for 374 yards in 1950. Cason spent the 1953 season in Canada with Saskatchewan but returned to the 49ers in ’54 and was chosen to another Pro Bowl. He was traded to the Rams in 1955 and spent his last two seasons with them, playing defensive halfback and intercepting nine passes. Over the course of eight years with the 49ers and Rams, he accumulated 34 interceptions, two of which he returned for TDs, with 25 occurring with San Francisco, 14 while in the AAFC. Cason also rushed for 351 yards and four TDs, caught 40 passes for 519 yards and another four scores, returned 67 punts for a 14.1-yard average and 33 kickoffs for an average of 21.3 yards. He was chosen to two Pro Bowls. Cason was an assistant coach for the Denver Broncos in their inaugural 1960 season.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Harvey Johnson, 1949

Guard/Linebacker/Placekicker, New York Yankees

Age:  30

4^th season in pro football & with Yankees

College: William & Mary

Height: 5’11” Weight: 210

Prelude:

Johnson was chosen by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the sixth round of the 1943 NFL draft but served in the US Navy during World War II and signed with the Yankees of the AAFC afterward. He played tackle, guard, fullback, and linebacker for the Yankees, although he was primarily known for his placekicking. Johnson connected on 6 of 8 field goal attempts in 1946 and 7 of 8 in ’47, when he led the league with 49 extra points out of 51 attempts and scored a career-high 70 points. He also rushed for 63 yards in 1946 and caught a total of three passes for 25 yards.

1949 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Kicking

Field goals – 7 [1]

Most field goals, game – 1 on seven occasions

Field goal attempts – 15 [1]

Field goal percentage – 46.7 [2]

PATs – 25 [5]

PAT attempts – 25 [5]

Longest field goal – 40 yards vs. San Francisco 10/23

Interceptions
Interceptions – 1

Int. return yards – 1

Int. TDs – 0

Scoring

Field Goals – 7

PATs – 25

Points – 46 [7]

Postseason: 1 G (AAFC First Round Playoff at San Francisco)

Field goals – 0

Field goal attempts – 0

PATs – 1

PAT attempts – 1

Yankees went 8-4 to finish third in the AAFC and qualify for the playoffs. Lost First Round playoff to San Francisco 49ers (17-7).

Aftermath:

Following the merger of the AAFC with the NFL in 1950, Johnson, along with many other members of the Yankees, was assigned to the New York Yanks. He chose to coach high school football instead but came back as a linebacker and placekicker in 1951 for one final season, making good on 6 of 14 field goal attempts and all 31 of his tries for extra point. Overall, in four AAFC seasons Johnson kicked 22 field goals out of 38 attempts (57.9 %) and was successful on 147 of 149 extra points, including a streak of 133 straight. Johnson’s total of 213 points ranked sixth in AAFC history. He went into pro coaching, first in Canada, where he led the minor league Kitchener team to four championships. Johnson later joined the Buffalo Bills of the new AFL in ’60 at the behest of his former college teammate Buster Ramsey, who was the new club’s first head coach. Johnson remained with Buffalo for many years, serving as interim head coach twice, in 1968 and ’71, and also in the front office.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Frankie Albert, 1949

Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers

Age: 29

5^th season in pro football, 4^th in AAFC & with 49ers

College: Stanford

Height: 5’10” Weight: 170

Prelude:

After excelling as a T-formation quarterback at Stanford under Head Coach Clark Shaughnessy, Albert served four years in the Navy during World War II and saw action with the Los Angeles Bulldogs of the Pacific Coast Football League in 1945. He then joined the 49ers of the new All-America Football Conference (he had also been drafted by the NFL Chicago Bears) in ‘46. What he lacked in height and arm strength, he made up for in ball-handling skill and passing accuracy, particularly on roll-outs. The 49ers went 29-11-2 in their first three seasons, and Albert established himself as one of the AAFC’s best quarterbacks. He led the league in TD passes (29) and completion percentage (58.3) in 1948 and was named co-MVP of the AAFC along with Cleveland’s Otto Graham.

1949 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 260 [3]

Completions – 129 [4]

Yards – 1862 [3]

Completion percentage – 49.6 [4]

Yards per attempt – 7.2 [3]

TD passes – 27 [1]

Most TD passes, game – 5 vs. Cleveland 10/9

Interceptions – 16 [2, tied with Don Panciera]

Passer rating – 82.2 [2]

Rushing

Attempts – 35

Yards – 249 [10, tied with Lou Tomasetti]

Yards per attempt – 7.1

TDs – 3 [14, tied with five others]

Punting

Punts – 31 [6]

Yards – 1495 [6]

Average – 48.2 [1]

Punts blocked – 0

Scoring

TDs – 3

Points – 18

Postseason: 2 G

Pass attempts – 41

Most attempts, game – 24 at Cleveland, AAFC Championship

Pass completions – 17

Most completions, game – 9 at Cleveland, AAFC Championship

Passing yardage – 204

Most yards, game – 108 at Cleveland, AAFC Championship

TD passes – 2

Most TD passes, game – 1 vs. New York, AAFC First Round playoff; at Cleveland, AAFC Championship

Interceptions – 2

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. New York, AAFC First Round playoff

Rushing attempts – 14

Most rushing attempts, game – 9 vs. vs. New York, AAFC First Round playoff

Rushing yards – 92

Most rushing yards, game – 51 vs. vs. New York, AAFC First Round playoff

Average gain rushing – 6.6

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-AAFC: League

2^nd team All-AAFC: AP, UPI, NY Daily News

49ers went 9-3 to finish second in the AAFC while leading the league in total yards (4793), rushing yards (2798), touchdowns (58), and scoring (416 points). Won AAFC First Round Playoff over New York Yankees (17-7). Lost AAFC Championship to Cleveland Browns (21-7).

Aftermath:

With the demise of the AAFC, the 49ers moved to the NFL and Albert was selected to the first Pro Bowl in 1950. However, he also had his lowest-rated pro passing season in ’50 and his production dropped off in his last two years in San Francisco (1951 and ‘52). He played one year in Canada with Calgary before retiring, returning to the 49ers as head coach from 1956 to ‘58. Albert passed for 6948 yards and 88 TDs in the AAFC while also rushing for 767 yards and 20 touchdowns and averaging 44.0 yards on 160 punts. In three NFL seasons, he threw for 3847 yards and 27 TDs while giving up 43 interceptions, ran for 505 yards and seven touchdowns, and averaged 41.9 yards on 139 punts.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1949: Browns Edge 49ers in Pivotal AAFC Showdown

Throughout the four-year history of the All-America Football Conference, the Cleveland Browns were the dominant club while the San Francisco 49ers had been just as consistently second best. The teams were Western Division rivals for the first three years, but as the teams faced off on October 30, 1949, they were part of a division-less AAFC, the league having dropped to seven clubs for its fourth (and final) season.

The teams had met three weeks earlier in San Francisco, where the 49ers humiliated the Browns by a score of 56-28. The result briefly put San Francisco ahead in the standings, but the 49ers, who had thus far played one more game than Cleveland, lost to the Yankees the week prior to the rematch and were thus 6-2. They also lost two stalwarts of their running game, halfbacks Johnny Strzykalski and Ed Carr, to injuries. The Browns, having thrashed the Los Angeles Dons before their bye week, were on top at 5-1-1. While the top four teams in the league were guaranteed playoff spots – and there was no doubt that the Browns and 49ers would be two of those teams – the game was clearly a grudge battle between the league’s two premier franchises. It was also billed as a showdown between the two quarterbacks who had been co-MVPs of the AAFC in 1948, Otto Graham of the Browns (pictured above) and San Francisco’s Frankie Albert.

Games between the Browns and 49ers typically drew big crowds, and there were 72,189 in attendance at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. They saw a scoreless first quarter as both offenses were slow to get on track, although a one-yard scoring plunge by Cleveland’s Graham was nullified by a penalty. On the first play of the second quarter, the deadlock was broken when Frankie Albert of the 49ers threw to HB Len Eshmont, who went 48 yards for a touchdown, thus finishing off an 88-yard drive. Joe Vetrano added the extra point.

The Browns came back quickly. HB Dub Jones returned the kickoff 66 yards to the San Francisco 28. Otto Graham threw to end Mac Speedie for 16 yards and then to end Dante Lavelli for a nine-yard TD. Lou Groza’s PAT tied the score at 7-7.

The 49ers responded in kind as, taking over at their 30 following the kickoff, Albert went long for HB Sam Cathcart, who gained 62 yards. HB Verl Lillywhite ran the last eight yards for a touchdown and, with Vetrano’s extra point, San Francisco was up by 14-7. Three TDs had been scored in a space of less than three minutes.

Before the first half was over, the Browns mounted another scoring drive. Graham threw to Speedie and Lavelli to bring the team down the field and Jones ran for a six-yard touchdown. The score at halftime was 14-14.

Early in the third quarter, Graham carried directly over center for 20 yards and a TD to put the Browns in the lead for the first time. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Niners tied the game back up when Albert completed two passes to end Alyn Beals that covered 35 yards, including 22 yards for a touchdown. The extra points were successful and the score was 21-21.

Midway through the final period, Lou Groza kicked a 38-yard field goal to break the deadlock. It followed a Graham pass to Lavelli for 30 yards to the San Francisco 32. The Browns then padded their lead with a Graham-to-Speedie touchdown pass that covered 12 yards. However, the extra point attempt failed when the snap from center was high and Groza, grabbing the ball at shoulder level and unable to kick, ran and was pushed out of bounds at the one. Nevertheless, Cleveland was up by nine points.

Time finally ran out on the visitors. The 49ers scored one last touchdown on a quarterback sneak by Albert, but there were only 15 seconds left at that point and the Browns won by a final score of 30-28.

The 49ers had the edge in total yards (477 to 400) and first downs (19 to 17). The passing statistics of the two quarterbacks were similar as Otto Graham completed 14 of 25 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted while Frankie Albert was successful on 14 of 27 throws for 253 yards, also including two touchdowns with no interceptions. San Francisco’s Joe Perry was held in check, but rookie Sam Cathcart (pictured below) ran effectively for the 49ers, gaining 116 yards on just 11 carries.

The win for the Browns effectively decided the race for first in the AAFC. They didn’t lose again the rest of the way (including another tie) and finished at 9-1-2. San Francisco also didn’t lose again on the way to a 9-3 record and second place. The teams met one last time for the league championship, and the Browns won.

Otto Graham led the AAFC in pass completions (161), yards (2785), and yards per attempt (9.8) while Frankie Albert topped the league in TD passes (27). Joe Perry was the top rusher (783 yards) and Mac Speedie the top pass receiver (62 catches, 1028 yards). Alyn Beals led in touchdowns (12) and scoring (73 points).

Over the course of four seasons, the Browns went 47-4-3 and won all four league titles. Two of their losses came at the hands of the 49ers, who were 38-14-2. While the league folded following the ’49 season, both franchises moved into the NFL for 1950 and have remained there, although they were never again in the same division and the intensity of the great AAFC rivalry diminished.

1949: Hornets Edge Bills in AAFC Season-Opening Game

The All-America Football Conference’s Chicago franchise had undergone significant alteration coming into the 1949 season. The league had installed new ownership and the nickname was changed from Rockets to Hornets. Ray Flaherty was brought in to coach the team, and he had experienced success with the NFL Redskins and AAFC Yankees. Most importantly, there were many new players on the roster, including ten alone who had come from the defunct Brooklyn Dodgers. For a team that was coming off a miserable 1-13 record, it could only be an improvement.

The Hornets opened the regular season on August 26 against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills had nearly been sold and relocated to Houston in the offseason, but strong community support kept the team in place. Head Coach Red Dawson’s club was coming off a 7-7 campaign in ’48 that was good enough to tie for first place in the mediocre Eastern Division and had advanced to the league title game, only to be pummeled by the mighty Cleveland Browns. QB George Ratterman had skillfully guided the productive offense, but he was holding out in a salary dispute and was thus unavailable for the first game of the new season. Untested backup QB Jim Still started in his place.

There were 23,800 in attendance at Soldier Field for the Friday night game. The Hornets unveiled a single-wing attack, taking advantage of the presence of tailbacks Bob “Hunchy” Hoernschmeyer (pictured at top), who was returning to the team after a hiatus with the Dodgers; Johnny Clement, formerly of the NFL Steelers; and Bob Chappuis, another Brooklyn refugee.

It was the Bills getting on the board first on a touchdown pass from Jim Still to end Al Baldwin that covered 18 yards. Not only did it put the visitors ahead by 7-0 after Chet Adams added the extra point, but it marked an AAFC-record seventh straight game, stretching back to the previous season, in which Baldwin (pictured below) had scored a TD.

The Hornets scored twice in the second quarter on big plays to take the lead. Bob Hoernschemeyer passed to wingback Ray Ramsey on a play that covered 63 yards for a touchdown. Johnny Clement then connected with wingback Paul Patterson for a 35-yard TD. With both PATs successfully added, Chicago led at halftime by a 14-7 tally.

Neither club scored during the third quarter. Buffalo had difficulty moving on offense while the Hornets proved to be adept at turning the ball over. The Bills got a break in the fourth quarter when a bad snap on a punt gave them possession on the Chicago 38. The series culminated in a 13-yard run by HB Chet Mutryn that, with the successful extra point, tied the score.

Late in the fourth quarter the Hornets had the ball in scoring territory and Jim McCarthy booted a 21-yard field goal that broke the deadlock. Chicago held on to win by a final tally of 17-14.

The Hornets significantly outgained Buffalo (305 yards to 193), with the Bills only able to generate 66 yards through the air. The visitors had the edge in first downs (9 to 7) and Chicago turned the ball over six times (two interceptions and four fumbles) to three suffered by Buffalo.

It was an encouraging – if sloppy – start for the Hornets, who were thrashed by the 49ers the following week but won their next two and had a 4-3 record before the bottom fell out. They lost their remaining games and ended up at 4-8, tying them for fifth in the division-less AAFC with the Los Angeles Dons.

Bob Hoernschmeyer and Johnny Clement continued to handle the bulk of the playing time at tailback. Hoernschmeyer threw more passes (167 to 114) for more yards (1063 to 906) but Clement was more accurate (50.9 to 41.3). Each passed for six touchdowns. Hoernschmeyer also led the team in rushing with 456 yards, with Clement next at 388.

Buffalo had George Ratterman back in the fold in short order and, after getting off to a 1-4-1 start that cost Coach Ramsey his job, finished strong. The Bills ended up with a 5-5-2 record that placed them fourth and gave them a spot in the playoffs. They lost to the Browns in the first round.

Al Baldwin’s streak of games with touchdown receptions ended the week following the opening game. He ranked second for the year in the AAFC with 53 pass receptions, 719 yards, and 7 scoring catches (tied with Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie of the Browns). 

1949: Blocked Extra Point Preserves Win for Yankees Over Dons

The Los Angeles Dons still held out the faint hope of securing a postseason berth as they hosted the New York Yankees in an All-America Football Conference game on November 24, 1949. With the league down to seven teams, the divisions had been discarded in favor of a format in which the top four would qualify for the playoffs.

The Dons were known for their explosive offense and, under Head Coach Jimmy Phelan, the attack had been geared to the passing of star tailback Glenn Dobbs. However, Dobbs was suffering through an injury-plagued season and much of the time it was George Taliaferro at tailback, who was an outstanding runner but mediocre passer. As a result, and despite having good receivers, the Dons were a ground-oriented team with an inconsistent defense and were sporting a lackluster 4-7 record going into the season finale.

The Yankees, coached by Red Strader, were in a far better situation. After a down year in 1948, they had benefited from being combined with the Brooklyn Dodgers for the ’49 season and also picked up some outstanding rookie talent, including DHB Tom Landry. Having converted to the T-formation, New York was lacking at quarterback, and lost star tailback Spec Sanders to injury, but still had a good stable of running backs that included halfbacks Buddy Young and Sherman Howard and FB Bob Kennedy. The Yankees were 8-3 and certain of a playoff berth, and had beaten the Dons in a 10-7 defensive battle in New York.

There were 20,096 fans in attendance for the Thanksgiving Day game at the LA Memorial Coliseum. As had been the case in the first meeting, the first three quarters were again dominated by the defenses.

In the first quarter, Landry punted to the LA 11 and it was fielded by HB Tom McWilliams, who lateraled to C/LB “Big John” Brown, who in turn made it to the New York 49 for an overall 40-yard return. FB Hosea Rodgers gained five yards and then Taliaferro put the Dons ahead with a bolting 44-yard run off tackle for a touchdown. The 7-0 score stood up until the fourth quarter, but the last quarter was an exciting one.

45 seconds into the final period, Bob Kennedy plowed into the end zone from a yard out to conclude a 12-play, 52-yard drive for the Yankees. Harvey Johnson kicked the extra point to tie the contest. On the ensuing kickoff, HB Billy Grimes fumbled the ball and DB Otto Schnellbacher recovered at the LA 28. QB Don Panciera threw to Buddy Young for a 20-yard gain. Three runs into the line gained five yards to the three yard line and Johnson put New York ahead by 10-7 with a 16-yard field goal.

The Dons regained possession at their 29. With Taliaferro running and end Len Ford making an outstanding one-handed catch, they made it to the New York 19. The drive stalled and Bob Nelson kicked a 26-yard field goal to again tie the score at 10-10.

LA tried an onside kick but it failed disastrously when end Bruce Alford recovered for the Yankees and returned it to the Dons’ 47. Highlighted by a 27-yard gain on a pass from Kennedy to Alford that put the ball on the three yard line, New York drove down the field to another one-yard TD carry by Kennedy. Johnson’s 100th consecutive successful conversion made it 17-10.

The next Los Angeles possession ended with an interception, but New York had to punt as the clock ticked down to 30 seconds. On a spectacular play, Taliaferro ran the kick back 52 yards for a touchdown, but instead of salvaging a tie, the all-important extra point attempt by Nelson was blocked by New York end Jack Russell. There were just 13 seconds left and the Yankees came away with a hard-fought 17-16 win.

The statistics were as evenly matched as the final score. The Dons edged New York in total yardage by just a single yard, 246 to 245. LA outrushed the Yankees (151 to 138) while New York had more passing yards (107 to 95) and first downs (13 to 10). George Taliaferro accounted for 112 rushing yards on 14 carries.

While it was the season finale for the Dons, who ended up tied for fifth with the Chicago Hornets at 4-8, the Yankees had one more game to play. They headed up the coast to San Francisco, where they lost to the 49ers three days later to finish in third place with an 8-4 record. They fell again to the 49ers in the first playoff round.

With the merger with the NFL, the AAFC ceased to exist, and that included the Dons and Yankees. However, many of the players on both teams moved on to NFL clubs. 19 of the Yankees made the roster of the New York Yanks (a separate franchise from the AAFC club, they had played as the New York Bulldogs in ‘49), including Buddy Young, Bruce Alford, Bob Kennedy, Harvey Johnson, and Jack Russell. The Yanks also hired Red Strader to be head coach. Several other ex-Yankees went to the Giants, most notably Tom Landry, Otto Schnellbacher, and DT Arnie Weinmeister. Don Panciera played for the Detroit Lions.

Of the ex-Dons, George Taliaferro joined several of his former antagonists on the Yanks and Billy Grimes went to Green Bay. Len Ford joined the Browns, one of three AAFC clubs (along with the 49ers and Colts) that were taken in by the NFL, and moved on with his Hall of Fame career as a defensive end. Glenn Dobbs took his passing arm to Canada instead.

1949: Scores by Defense Propel Browns Over Yankees

The Cleveland Browns had won three All-America Football Conference championships and were unbeaten in 26 straight games (they were tied twice, including the ’49 season opening game against Buffalo) as they took on the New York Yankees on September 18, 1949. The powerful club added DB Warren Lahr and tackle Darrell Palmer for its fourth season, as well as HB Les Horvath (pictured at right), a former Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State who had played two years for the NFL Rams. Typically, the Browns had no trouble scoring points with their well-balanced offense, but on this day it would be up to the defense to pull out another win.

The Yankees, now combined with the defunct Brooklyn Dodgers for the AAFC’s fourth season, were coached by Red Strader and were operating out of the T-formation for the first time. Don Panciera was the starting quarterback, and the backfield also featured halfbacks Buddy Young and Sherman Howard and FB Bob Kennedy, although it was missing star running tailback Orban “Spec” Sanders, who had twice led the league in rushing but missed all of ’49 with a knee injury. The line included tackles Arnie Weinmeister and Martin Ruby, guard Joe Signaigo, and center Brad Ecklund, and the defensive backfield had outstanding players in Tom Landry, Otto Schnellbacher, and Harmon Rowe. While the Browns had played two games and gone 1-0-1, New York opened its season just the previous week at Buffalo and was 1-0.

There were 26,312 fans at Municipal Stadium on a rainy day in Cleveland. They saw the visitors score first, on a 25-yard field goal by Harvey Johnson. But still in the first quarter, Horvath picked up a fumble by New York’s Young and ran 84 yards for a touchdown.

The Yankees outplayed the Browns, who were without star FB Marion Motley due to a rib injury, and put heavy pressure on star QB Otto Graham (who no doubt missed Motley’s outstanding blocking as well as his running). But while New York was inside Cleveland’s 20 yard line on six occasions, and three times inside the 10, the Yankees couldn’t put any more points on the board.

After turning the ball over on downs in the third quarter at the one foot line, the Yankees missed an opportunity to score a defensive touchdown of their own when Graham, fading back into his own end zone, threw a pass that hit G Johnny Mastrangelo in the stomach, but he dropped the ball.

Late in the fourth quarter, DB Tommy James intercepted a pass by Panciera and returned it 27 yards for a TD. Lou Saban, kicking in place of Lou Groza, added his second extra point and the Browns survived to win, 14-3.

New York outgained the Browns (311 yards to 125) and led in first downs (15 to 5). Otto Graham completed just 4 of 10 passes for 36 yards and the Cleveland offense never penetrated deeper into New York territory than the 47 yard line.

The Browns went on to win two more games before being beaten convincingly by their arch-rivals, the 49ers. While that briefly put them in second place, they went 5-0-1 the rest of the way to top the AAFC (which went without divisions in its last year, due to the reduction to seven teams) with a 9-1-2 record. Along the way, they handily defeated New York at Yankee Stadium by a 31-0 score. The Yankees finished third at 8-4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the second-place 49ers. Cleveland defeated Buffalo in the first round and San Francisco for a fourth league title before moving on to the NFL.

Les Horvath, who was strictly a reserve, retired after the ’49 season to go into dentistry (he had a successful practice for many years in Los Angeles). Tommy James (pictured below), who had started his career in the NFL with Detroit in 1947 before moving over to the Browns in ’48, stayed with Cleveland for another six seasons before finishing up with the Baltimore Colts in 1956. His interception against the Yankees was one of 34 that he accumulated (8 in the AAFC, 25 in the NFL) and his only one that he returned for a touchdown, although he did score on a fumble recovery in 1953.

1949: Albert & Perry Star as 49ers Hand Browns Only Defeat of Season

Throughout the four seasons of the All-America Football Conference’s existence, the Cleveland Browns were clearly the best team, going 47-4-3 and winning the championship every year, and the San Francisco 49ers were second best at 38-14-2. Games between the two clubs were among the most highly attended in pro football history up to that time. While the 49ers were the first team to beat the Browns in 1946, they had lost the next five encounters, mostly by close scores, and missed out on postseason opportunities because both teams were in the Western Division.

On October 9, 1949 the 49ers hosted Cleveland at Kezar Stadium before 59,770 enthusiastic fans in their first encounter of the year. With the AAFC having dropped from eight teams to seven, division play had been done away with. The Browns, under Head Coach Paul Brown, came into the contest with a 4-0-1 record and had not lost since the sixth week of the 1947 season – including the postseason, a total of 29 straight games (they had been tied twice). San Francisco, coached by Buck Shaw, was 4-1 and had scored over 40 points in three of the wins.

The 49ers jumped off to a quick start with 21 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. QB Frankie Albert (pictured above) started off the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown pass to HB Johnny Strzykalski. Strzykalski scored a second TD a few minutes later on the next San Francisco possession with a short carry from inside the one.

Next, Albert threw his second touchdown pass, of 28 yards to FB Joe Perry, who made an outstanding one-handed catch. Before the first quarter ended, the Browns finally got on the board thanks to a 39-yard touchdown pass from QB Otto Graham to end Mac Speedie. It was followed in the second quarter by a Graham TD pass to end Dante Lavelli that covered 26 yards and Cleveland was down by just a touchdown at 21-14.

San Francisco came back as end Alyn Beals scored the 40th touchdown of his AAFC career on a 15-yard pass into the end zone from Albert. The Browns again closed the gap to seven points at 28-21 on a 13-yard Graham-to-Speedie pass. However, the 49ers scored once more before halftime as Albert tossed an eight-yard TD pass to end Nick Susoeff for a 35-21 lead.

After the high-scoring first half, there was only one score in the third quarter, but it padded the San Francisco margin as Albert threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game to HB Ed Carr.

Early in the fourth quarter, FB Marion Motley scored for the Browns on a 12-yard run down the center of the field, but the Niners responded with Perry scoring on a 49-yard run of his own. Carr iced the cake with a five-yard carry that finished off a 56-yard drive and the 49ers came away with a convincing 56-28 win.

The game was exceedingly physical, although no fights erupted. Both quarterbacks passed well, but the 49ers defense dominated the line of scrimmage and Graham was hit hard and sacked often. San Francisco ran up a season-high 507 total yards, to 367 for the Browns.

Key performers for San Francisco were Frankie Albert, who completed 16 of 24 passes for 249 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, and Joe Perry, who ran for 155 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. Cleveland’s Otto Graham was successful on 13 of 26 throws for 281 yards.

The win put the 49ers (5-1) in front of Cleveland (4-1-1) in the AAFC standings. However, the Browns recovered, not losing again the rest of the way, and finished with a 9-1-2 record. One of the wins came in the rematch with the 49ers in Cleveland, and San Francisco had also lost the week before to the New York Yankees. They once again came in second to the Browns at 9-3. However, in the single-division format of 1949, the top four clubs made it into the postseason. The Browns and 49ers each won their opening playoff game and the teams met for a third time in Cleveland, with the Browns prevailing 21-7 for the last AAFC title.


Joe Perry (pictured at left) was the AAFC’s leading rusher with 783 yards and also had the highest average gain per carry (6.8) on his 115 attempts with a league-leading eight touchdowns (tied with Cleveland’s Motley).

Frankie Albert, a mobile left-handed passer reminiscent of later 49ers star Steve Young, led the league in touchdown passes for the second straight year with 27 (his 88 TD passes were the most in the four-year history of the AAFC). His TD pass percentage of 10.4 was more than three yards higher than his nearest competitor, Otto Graham (6.7). However, he ranked second (behind Graham) in passer rating (82.2) and third in passing yards (1862), yards per attempt (7.2), and yards per completion (14.4). He also tossed 16 interceptions, which tied him for second in the AAFC with New York’s Don Panciera.

The demise of the AAFC after the ’49 season didn’t mean the demise of the Browns and 49ers. Along with the original version of the Baltimore Colts, they were absorbed into the NFL for 1950. The rivalry between the two teams diminished, however, as they played in different divisions and, from 1970 on, different conferences.

1949: Browns Defeat 49ers for Last AAFC Championship

It was fitting that the last championship game of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) would be between the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. The Browns had dominated the league during its four-year run, compiling a 47-4-3 record and winning all of the championships. But San Francisco had the second best team, with a 38-14-2 record. Unfortunately for the 49ers, they were members of the Western Division and placed second behind the Browns in each of the 1946-48 seasons.

In 1949, the AAFC fielded seven teams instead of eight (the Brooklyn Dodgers merged with the New York Yankees) and the division alignments were done away with; the teams played a 12-game schedule (as opposed to 14 in the previous years) and those with the top four records qualified for the postseason.

Cleveland finished in first place with a 9-1-2 record, while the 49ers placed second at 9-3. The New York Yankees, who had twice won the Eastern Division and lost to the Browns in championship games, came in third at 8-4, and fourth place went to the Buffalo Bills at 5-5-2. The Browns defeated the feisty Bills, 31-21, in the first round, while San Francisco beat New York, 17-7.

A few days before the championship showdown on December 11, word leaked that a merger agreement had been reached between the AAFC and NFL and that this would be the AAFC’s final season. Thus, attendance for what was a very strong matchup was just 22,550 at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium.


The Browns, coached by the innovative and exacting Paul Brown, were a balanced team, led by QB Otto Graham (pictured at left) who passed effectively to ends Mac Speedie (the league leader in ’49 with both his 62 receptions and 1028 yards) and Dante Lavelli, and the running of FB Marion Motley (pictured above) and halfbacks Dub Jones, Edgar “Special Delivery” Jones, and Bill Boedecker. San Francisco, under Head Coach Buck Shaw, had the mobile lefthanded QB Frankie Albert, who threw a league-leading 27 TD passes during the season, 12 of them to star end Alyn Beals. FB Joe Perry led the AAFC in rushing (783 yards) and halfbacks Johnny Strzykalski, Sam Cathcart, and Verl Lillywhite were all effective runners. The 49ers also handed the Browns their only loss during the season.

The field was slushy, but there were no turnovers by either team. “Special Delivery” Jones scored the only touchdown of the first half about midway through the first quarter on a two-yard run. Motley provided the most spectacular play of the game in the third quarter when he ran 63 yards up the middle to put the Browns ahead, 14-0.

The 49ers finally got on the board early in the fourth quarter, after a 74-yard drive, when Albert passed for a 23-yard TD to end Paul Salata. But the Browns ground to a third and final touchdown on a 69-yard drive of their own, resulting in a four-yard run by Dub Jones with under nine minutes left to play. The 21-7 score held up, and Cleveland had a fourth and final AAFC championship.

The Browns defense did a good job against the strong 49ers running game. Perry had just 6 carries for 36 yards, while QB Albert was the leading rusher with 41 yards on 5 attempts. As a team, San Francisco gained 122 yards on 33 carries for a 3.9-yard average, well below the average during the season of 5.5. Albert completed just 9 of 24 passes for 108 yards and the TD.

Otto Graham didn’t put up big numbers, completing 7 of 17 passes for 128 yards and no touchdowns. But he ran for 62 yards on 9 carries, putting him third behind Motley (75 yards on 8 rushes) and “Special Delivery” Jones (the workhorse with 16 carries for 63 yards). As a team, the Browns averaged 5.3 yards per attempt in compiling 217 yards on the ground.

The end of the league didn’t mean the end for the Browns or 49ers; both were accepted into the NFL, along with the Baltimore Colts. Cleveland continued to thrive in the older league, participating in six consecutive championship games, and seven in eight years, while winning three of them. It took San Francisco far longer to finally win a championship (following the 1981 season). The Colts folded after a year, only to be resurrected in 1953 out of the ashes of the failed Dallas Texans franchise. And while the AAFC’s Buffalo Bills went down with the remainder of the league, the name was revived by the AFL’s Buffalo entry in 1960.