1970: Key Turnovers & Brodie TD Passes Lead 49ers Past Browns

The San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns were both 1-0 as they faced each other on September 27, 1970. The 49ers, in their third year under Head Coach Dick Nolan, were coming off of an injury-plagued 4-8-2 record in 1969 but had the tools in place to do much better. QB John Brodie (pictured above) was an experienced and able passer and there was quality at wide receiver and running back. The defense was effective as well, and the placekicking problem of the previous year was resolved with the acquisition of PK Bruce Gossett. The 49ers started off with a Week 1 win against the Redskins.

Cleveland, coached by Blanton Collier since 1963, was in a new division thanks to the AFL/NFL merger, having been placed in the AFC Central. A perennial contender in the NFL’s Eastern Conference, it was anticipated that the Browns would dominate the AFC competition. QB Bill Nelsen was a good leader and passer, although playing on gimpy knees, and star WR Paul Warfield had been dealt away during the offseason in order to trade up for QB Mike Phipps of Purdue in the first round to be groomed as the successor. WR Gary Collins and TE Milt Morin were proven pass receivers, and HB Leroy Kelly a consistent performer. The Browns defeated the Jets the previous Monday night.

There were 37,502 fans in attendance on a hot day at Kezar Stadium. The 49ers advanced 63 yards in eight plays on their first possession as John Brodie threw to HB Doug Cunningham for a 29-yard gain and capped the series with a swing pass to FB Ken Willard that covered the final five yards for a touchdown. Bruce Gossett added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

Cleveland responded with a six-play, 68-yard possession. Bill Nelsen connected with Leroy Kelly on first down for a 41-yard pickup and FB Bo Scott swept for the final three yards and a TD. Don Cockroft added the game-tying point after.

With the game still in the first quarter, the 49ers got a big defensive play when Nelsen was hit while passing and SS Mel Phillips intercepted for the 49ers, who returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Gossett’s conversion made it a 14-7 contest heading into the second quarter.

The teams exchanged punts before the Browns put together a 95-yard drive in 10 plays, the big one a Nelsen completion to WR Fair Hooker that gained 69 yards to the San Francisco 16. The 49er defense held and Cockroft kicked a 20-yard field goal to make it 14-10.

The 49ers advanced to the Cleveland 43 on their next series, losing WR Dick Witcher to a shoulder separation along the way, and a holding penalty forced a punt. However, San Francisco got another break on defense two plays later when Scott fumbled and DT Roland Lakes recovered at the Cleveland 15. On the next play, Brodie threw to WR Jimmy Thomas for a TD. Gossett added the extra point and the Niners led by a 21-10 score.

The Browns came back with an 80-yard drive in eight plays. Nelsen completed five passes, with the longest to Milt Morin for 27 yards and two to Hooker, for 18 yards and finally an eight-yard TD with 1:12 remaining in the first half. There was still time for the 49ers, but the clock ran out on them at the Cleveland 22 and the score remained 21-17 at halftime.

Cleveland’s first series of the third quarter ended with Kelly running 33 yards up the middle for a touchdown. With Cockroft’s point after, the Browns had their first lead of the day at 24-21. The teams traded punts and Cleveland then took six plays to advance 83 yards, helped along by a 28-yard pass interference penalty. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Willard (pictured at left) carried on a draw play for the last nine yards and a TD. Gossett’s extra point attempt was blocked, but San Francisco was back in front by 27-24.

The visitors fought back with a five-play, 80-yard drive. Nelsen was knocked out of the game when, under a heavy pass rush, he suffered a leg injury after completing a pass to Hooker that gained 62 yards to the San Francisco eight. Blanton Collier chose to go with Don Gault, who had spent time on the taxi squad, over Mike Phipps and Gault handed off to Kelly on the next play for an eight-yard TD. Cockroft’s extra point was successful and Cleveland was back in the lead at 31-27.

After a short series by the 49ers, the Browns, with Gault at quarterback, initially appeared to move the ball well. A throw to Gary Collins picked up 23 yards but, three plays later, LB Dave Wilcox intercepted a pass and returned it 11 yards to his own 36. On second down, Brodie connected with Thomas, who made the catch over LB John Garlington and raced the remaining 35 yards for a 61-yard touchdown. Gossett converted.

Down by three points and with eight minutes left on the clock, there was still plenty of time for the Browns. Taking possession at their 24 following the ensuing kickoff, they ran three plays and, facing fourth down and less than a yard to go, chose to punt. In a key series, the 49ers then controlled the ball for 13 plays (nine of them carries by Willard), going to the air only once. The Browns finally got the ball back at their 30, but with only 22 seconds left to play. San Francisco held on to win by a final score of 34-31.

Cleveland had the edge in total yards (448 to 435) while the 49ers led in first downs (24 to 20). The Browns turned the ball over four times, which proved critical, while San Francisco had none.

John Brodie completed 20 of 31 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Ken Willard ran effectively, gaining 105 yards on 22 carries that included a TD in addition to a score on his lone pass reception. WR Gene Washington had 5 catches for 40 yards but Jimmy Thomas was the pass receiving star for the 49ers with four for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Browns, Bill Nelsen was successful on 14 of 25 throws for 308 yards and a TD, but also gave up an interception that led directly to a score, before being knocked out of the game. Fair Hooker (pictured at right) caught four passes for 157 yards and a touchdown and Gary Collins contributed four receptions for 68 yards. Leroy Kelly rushed for 74 yards on 16 attempts that included two scores and also gained 54 yards on two pass receptions. Bo Scott ran 15 times for 48 yards and a TD but gave up a critical fumble.

“You can’t blame the defense for two of the touchdowns,” said Coach Collier in defeat. “You can’t make as many mistakes as we did and win in this league.”

The 49ers lost the following week but went on to top the NFC West with a 10-3-1 record. They reached the NFC Championship game before falling to Dallas. Cleveland was without Bill Nelsen due to damaged knee ligaments the next week but won with Gault and Phipps at quarterback. However, the Browns slumped during the second half of the season and finished at a disappointing 7-7 and second in the AFC Central.

John Brodie had his finest season as he led the NFL, completing 223 passes for 2941 yards and 24 touchdowns, which were all league-leading figures. He was the consensus MVP and received first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors.

The performance by Jimmy Thomas was his best of the season. Appearing at halfback as well as wide receiver, he caught a total of 12 passes for 221 yards (18.4 avg.) and scored one more TD for a total of three. 

The unheralded Fair Hooker also had his best game of the year, not reaching the hundred-yard threshold for the remainder of the season (or his career, for that matter), but he did emerge as a pleasant surprise for the Browns with 28 catches for 490 yards (17.5 avg.) and two TDs.

1965: Cowboys Rally in Fourth Quarter to Defeat Steelers

On November 14, 1965 the struggling Dallas Cowboys hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had beaten them two weeks previously. In their sixth season under Head Coach Tom Landry, the Cowboys had started the season with two big wins before dropping five consecutive games, finally breaking the streak with a win over the 49ers the previous week to be at 3-5. At the center of the storm was QB Don Meredith (pictured above), who had a bad elbow and delivered uneven performances, and was challenged by backups Jerry Rhome and Craig Morton. The running game lacked outside speed but rookie split end Bob Hayes provided plenty of that for the passing game and was one of several promising young players on the roster.

Pittsburgh’s season had gotten off to a bad start two weeks before it started when Head Coach Buddy Parker abruptly quit. Mike Nixon took his place and the team lost its first five games. Veteran FB John Henry Johnson went down with a knee injury, 37-year-old QB Ed Brown was ineffectual, and his young replacement, QB Bill Nelsen, was hampered by a bad knee. While the Steelers won two straight games, they were coming off of a loss the previous week and had a 2-6 record coming into Dallas.

A big crowd of 57,923 was in attendance at the Cotton Bowl on a warm afternoon. The fans booed Don Meredith during pregame introductions and he was a target of disaffection for much of the contest. The Steelers got the first break when safety Willie Daniel intercepted a Meredith pass and returned it nine yards to the Dallas 44. In a drive that took seven plays, HB Dick Hoak carried for the last three, gaining eight and five yards before scoring on a three-yard touchdown. Mike Clark added the extra point.

Bob Hayes returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Dallas 43 and the Cowboys took eight plays to advance the remaining distance. Meredith rolled out and threw to split end Frank Clarke in the left corner of the end zone for a one-yard TD and Danny Villanueva’s kick tied the game at 7-7.

In the second quarter, a promising Dallas series ended with an interception by DB Bob Sherman. The Steelers had to punt, with Frank Lambert’s kick sailing into the end zone for a touchback, and this time the Cowboys didn’t turn the ball over. Meredith completed passes to Hayes, FB Don Perkins, and rookie HB Dan Reeves to reach the Pittsburgh 13, but the advance stalled there and the home team settled for a 33-yard field goal by Villanueva to move ahead by 10-7.

The teams settled into a stalemate until late in the period. Bill Nelsen threw deep to split end Roy Jefferson for a gain of 45 yards and he nearly went farther before being tripped up by safety Obert Logan at the Dallas 21. Nelsen followed up with another completion, this time to flanker Gary Ballman at the two. Rolling to his left on the next play, the quarterback overthrew FB Mike Lind, who was open in the end zone, but the Cowboys were called for an offside penalty and the ball was placed at the one. Nelsen twice tried to sneak across the goal line but was stopped, and on fourth down Hoak was held to no gain.

Dallas was forced to punt on the ensuing series and safety Clendon Thomas, calling for a fair catch, muffed the kick and DB Don Bishop recovered for the Cowboys at the Pittsburgh 41. But the score remained unchanged at halftime when Villanueva’s 46-yard field goal attempt sailed to the right.

Pittsburgh had the first possession in the third quarter and drove to a 32-yard field goal by Clark that tied the score at 10-10. Late in the period, the Steelers’ punt return unit made a big play when Hayes fumbled a kick by Lambert and TE Lee Folkins, an ex-Cowboy, grabbed the bouncing ball and ran 18 yards for a touchdown. Clark added the PAT and the Steelers were ahead by 17-10.

In the fourth quarter, a Nelsen pass was picked off by CB Cornell Green at the Dallas 49. The Cowboys advanced 51 yards in five plays, the biggest a Meredith pass to Reeves that gained 47 yards. Reeves ran the last two yards for a TD and Villanueva knotted the score once again at 17-17.

Another interception of a Nelsen pass, this time by safety Mel Renfro, gave the Cowboys the ball once more near midfield, but Meredith fumbled when hit from behind and Pittsburgh LB John Campbell picked up the loose ball and ran to the Dallas 28. Helped by a penalty on the defense, the Steelers moved to the 17 with Ed Brown now in the game at quarterback. But Brown, throwing toward Jefferson near the goal line, gave up an interception to Logan instead.

The Steelers got another shot with less than three minutes remaining to play, and the result was yet another interception, this time by LB Dave Edwards. After HB Perry Lee Dunn ran for four yards to the Pittsburgh 28 just prior to the two-minute warning, Meredith connected with Hayes, who caught the ball at the 12 and broke away from CB Brady Keys for a 28-yard touchdown. Villanueva converted and the Cowboys won by a final score of 24-17.

Dallas had the lead in total yards (341 to 197) and first downs (15 to 12). The Steelers, who gained just 50 yards on the ground, hurt themselves with six turnovers, five of which were interceptions, although the Cowboys turned the ball over five times. Both teams recorded four sacks apiece.

Don Meredith completed 14 of 31 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns while being intercepted twice. Bob Hayes (pictured below) accounted for 5 catches for 95 yards and the game-winning TD. Perry Lee Dunn led the club with 47 rushing yards on 13 carries and added another 26 on two pass receptions. Dan Reeves ran for just 10 yards on 6 carries but gained 73 yards on three catches.

For the Steelers, Bill Nelsen was successful on 11 of 25 throws for 172 yards with no TDs and two were picked off. Ed Brown had no completions in four attempts, three of which were intercepted. Roy Jefferson had a big performance by catching four passes for 108 yards. Mike Lind led the rushers with 26 yards on 9 attempts and had four pass receptions for 25 yards.

The win put the Cowboys in a tie for third in the Eastern Conference at 4-5 and, while they lost their next two games, they finished strong with three victories to tie for second with the Giants in the Eastern Conference at 7-7, their first non-losing record. It set the stage for a first place showing in ’66. As for the Steelers, they failed to win again the rest of the way, typically being blown out as they ended up in the conference’s basement after compiling a 2-12 tally.

Don Meredith completed only 46.2 percent of his passes due to his slow start, but ended up throwing for 2415 yards and 22 touchdowns as adjustments to the offense allowed him to utilize his mobility to better effect. Bob Hayes had 46 catches for 1003 yards (21.8 avg.) and scored 12 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl.

1970: Second Quarter Surge Leads Lions to Win Over Browns

Two teams with 3-1 records, the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, met in Cleveland in the fifth week of the NFL season on October 18, 1970. The Lions, coached by Joe Schmidt, were coming off of their first loss of the year the previous week. The team had long been known for prowess on defense, and while the line was showing its age, linebackers Mike Lucci and Wayne Walker and the backfield led by CB Lem Barney were still assets. The offense had a competent quarterback in Bill Munson, who was starting ahead of the up-and-coming (and more mobile) Greg Landry, while the corps of running backs was a good one and the receivers competent.

Cleveland, under Head Coach Blanton Collier for the eighth year, was a team used to contending that had moved to the American Football Conference in the newly-merged and reorganized NFL, and was expected to do so again. QB Bill Nelsen was a good passer playing on brittle knees and QB Mike Phipps had been drafted out of Purdue in the first round to be groomed for the job. However, the receiving corps was missing WR Paul Warfield, who had been dealt to Miami in order to trade up for Phipps, and HB Leroy Kelly was still an effective runner, but showing signs of wear. The defensive line was effective, but the linebackers and backfield were a source of concern. 

It was a sunny afternoon with 83,577 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The Browns had the game’s first possession, had to punt, but got the ball back immediately when Lem Barney fumbled the kick and DB Freddie Summers recovered at the Detroit 20. Three plays later, Bill Nelsen threw to WR Gary Collins in the end zone, who beat Barney for a 14-yard touchdown. Don Cockroft added the extra point.

A short series by the Lions resulted in a punt and it looked promising for the Browns when FB Bo Scott ran for seven yards and then Leroy Kelly gained 24 yards to the Detroit 36. But a Nelsen swing pass was then intercepted by DE Larry Hand, who returned it 62 yards for a TD. Errol Mann kicked the point after and, instead of the home team possibly extending its lead, the score was tied at 7-7.

The Browns had to punt following their next possession and Detroit drove 77 yards in six plays. FB Mel Farr carried twice for a total of 13 yards and Bill Munson then threw deep to WR Larry Walton (pictured at top) for a gain of 56 yards to the Cleveland eight. Runs by Farr and HB Altie Taylor picked up six yards and, on third down, Munson tossed a pass to Taylor for a two-yard touchdown. Mann’s conversion put the visitors up by 14-7.

The teams exchanged punts as the game headed into the second quarter. The Browns crossed midfield but Nelsen fumbled while being sacked and Mike Lucci recovered for the Lions at the Cleveland 40. Munson completed three passes to Farr and Mann kicked a 51-yard field goal that hit the crossbar but tumbled on through to make it a 17-7 contest.

Cleveland responded with an eight-play, 79-yard drive. Nelsen completed passes to TE Milt Morin for eight yards and WR Fair Hooker for 18 and Scott had runs of 10 and six yards. Nelsen threw to Hooker for a 16-yard TD, Cockroft added the extra point, and Detroit’s lead was cut to 17-14.

The Lions came back with a scoring series of their own, going 80 yards in six plays. Facing third-and-ten from their own 20, Munson connected with Walton for a 40-yard pickup and, after runs by Taylor and Farr, it was Munson to Walton again for a 28-yard touchdown. Mann converted to put the visitors ahead by ten points. The lead expanded again quickly when, on the second play of the ensuing series, a Nelsen pass was picked off by SS Mike Weger (pictured above) and returned 29 yards for another Detroit touchdown.  Mann’s PAT made it 31-14.

Cleveland got the ball back with 2:39 remaining in the first half, and once again a Nelsen pass was intercepted, this time by Lucci. On the very next play, Munson again threw to Walton, this time for a 34-yard TD. Mann converted and, thanks to the 24-point second quarter, the Lions took a commanding 38-14 lead into halftime.

Detroit added another Mann field goal in the third quarter, from 34 yards. Rookie Mike Phipps came on at quarterback for the Browns but threw two more interceptions, the second on the first play of the final period. Cleveland finally scored again on a 47-yard Cockroft field goal and a late drive led to a Scott touchdown from three yards out, but it was all inconsequential as the Lions won by a final score of 41-24.

The Browns had a slight edge in total yards (318 to 315) and also led in first downs (19 to 13). However, Cleveland also turned the ball over six times, to two suffered by the Lions. Detroit also accounted for all of the game’s three sacks.

Bill Munson completed 10 of 20 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns while giving up an interception. Larry Walton had a huge performance with four catches for 158 yards and two TDs. Altie Taylor topped Detroit’s runners with 51 yards on 13 carries. On defense, Mike Weger accounted for two of the Lions’ five interceptions.

For the Browns, Bill Nelsen was successful on just six of 16 throws for 65 yards and two TDs while giving up three interceptions. In relief, Mike Phipps was six-of-13 for 141 yards and was picked off twice. Leroy Kelly (pictured at right) was effective running the ball, gaining 106 yards on 24 attempts. Fair Hooker had four pass receptions for 52 yards and a TD and TE Chip Glass gained 74 yards on his two catches.

The Lions endured a midseason slump to go 10-4 and finish second in the NFC Central, qualifying for a Wild Card playoff slot. They lost to Dallas in the Divisional round. Cleveland bounced back to win the following week but slumped badly during the second half of the season and finished second in the AFC Central at 7-7.

Bill Munson started eight games before yielding to Greg Landry. He completed 84 of 158 passes for 1049 yards and 10 touchdowns while giving up 7 interceptions. Larry Walton, in his second season, had 30 catches for 532 yards (17.7 avg.) and five TDs. The 158-yard performance against the Browns was his only hundred-yard game of the year and was also his career high.

1966: Concannon Runs, Passes Eagles to Win Over Steelers

The Philadelphia Eagles were 6-5 and trying to put together their first winning season in five years as they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 4, 1966. Head Coach Joe Kuharich’s team had a fine offensive line anchored by OT Bob Brown and good group of running backs that included HB Timmy Brown and up-and-coming FB Tom Woodeshick. The passing game was a problem, however, as QB Norm Snead, typically the starter, was enduring a dreadful season. One of the other two quarterbacks, King Hill, led the team to a win at San Francisco the previous week, but now it was Jack Concannon (pictured at right) getting the call at home against Pittsburgh.

Concannon, a star at Boston College, was Philadelphia’s second-round draft choice in 1964 and had received a big contract to keep him away from the Patriots of the AFL.  Buried behind Snead and Hill on the depth chart, he saw little action but started one game against the Cowboys late in his rookie season and provided plenty of excitement with his flashy running ability, while throwing for 134 yards and two TDs in a win. That performance made him the backup most chanted for when the offense was performing badly, but being a fan favorite didn’t guarantee him playing time. He saw scant playing time in 1965 and Coach Kuharich tried him as a halfback, flanker, and punt returner during the ’66 season before finally giving him another starting shot at quarterback.

The Steelers, under the guidance of first-year Head Coach Bill Austin, were 3-7-1 and also had a change at quarterback. Bill Nelsen, having missed nine games due to a knee injury, was back behind center. But while there were good receivers, most notably flanker Gary Ballman, the line was inadequate and, other than FB Willie Asbury, the backs unimpressive. The defensive line was a strong point, and was a reason for Jack Concannon to get the starting assignment at quarterback for the Eagles because Coach Kuharich believed that his mobile, rollout style would match up well against it.

There were 54,275 fans in attendance at Franklin Field. The Steelers had first possession and punted and the Eagles, starting from their 30 yard line, drove 42 yards. Jack Concannon set the tone when, on a third-and-seven play, he took off and ran for 18 yards. He also had a five-yard carry and completed a pass to Tom Woodeshick that picked up 11 yards and set up a 35-yard field goal by Sam Baker.

Pittsburgh responded by advancing into Philadelphia territory, the big gain being a 45-yard carry to the ten yard line by Willie Asbury on a draw play. But Bill Nelsen was sacked for a loss of 14 yards by DE Gary Pettigrew (pictured at left) in between tossing two incomplete passes, and Mike Clark was unsuccessful on a 31-yard field goal attempt.

The Eagles turned the ball over on the next possession when Timmy Brown fumbled a handoff and DE Ben McGee recovered to give the Steelers the ball at the Philadelphia 19. In a series that stretched into the second quarter, Pittsburgh scored when Asbury ran seven yards for a touchdown and, adding Clark’s extra point, the visitors held a 7-3 lead.

Philadelphia again turned the ball over in its own territory when Concannon fumbled as he was hit by LB Andy Russell and safety Paul Martha recovered at the 34. The result was a 37-yard Clark field goal that extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 10-3.

The Eagles came back with an 80-yard drive in 11 plays. Concannon completed three passes and twice scrambled for sizable gains. An 11-yard completion to split end Fred Hill converted a third-and-ten situation, an 11-yard scramble led to another first down, and a 29-yard run on a third-and-six play advanced the ball to the Pittsburgh 25. Concannon threw to Brown for a 17-yard gain that converted yet another third down and set up a three-yard touchdown carry by Woodeshick. Baker converted to tie the score.

With just over two minutes to play in the first half, the Eagles took advantage of a turnover when Nelsen fumbled and LB Dave Lloyd recovered at the Pittsburgh 25. Concannon had runs of six and eight yards, but when he was finally thrown for a loss on third down, Philadelphia settled for a 22-yard Baker field goal.

There was still enough time for the Steelers, and Nelsen drove them down the field with completions of 11 yards to HB Dick Hoak, 18 yards to Gary Ballman, and 22 yards to Hoak. Clark kicked a 32-yard field goal on the last play before halftime and the score was tied at 13-13 at the intermission. Concannon had accounted for 47 passing yards and 77 by rushing.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter until Pittsburgh put together a scoring possession. The big gain came on a Nelsen throw to Ballman for 26 yards to the Philadelphia 28 and, while the Steelers could get no further, they came away with another field goal by Clark, this time from 35 yards.

The Eagles responded by advancing 70 yards in 11 plays. Concannon completed passes to flanker Ron Goodwin for 29 yards and Hill for 11, and ran three times for 21 yards. Woodeshick ran the last yard for a TD and Baker’s PAT put the home team on top by 20-16.

Asbury fumbled on Pittsburgh’s next play from scrimmage and Pettigrew recovered at the Steelers’ 30. As the period wound down, Concannon scrambled for a 16-yard gain and completed a pass to Timmy Brown for eight more. On the fourth play of the fourth quarter, Concannon scored from a yard out on a quarterback sneak and Baker added the point after to put the Eagles up by 27-16.

The Steelers came right back as Ballman returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards and Nelsen immediately went to the air and connected with flanker Roy Jefferson for 43 yards to the Philadelphia four. Asbury ran for a two-yard touchdown three plays later, Clark converted, and Philadelphia’s lead was narrowed to four points.

The teams exchanged punts and, with time running short for the Steelers as they took over possession on their own 47, Nelsen threw an incompletion, Asbury was stopped for no gain on a draw play, Ballman dropped a pass, and a fourth-down throw was also incomplete to turn the ball over on downs. Pittsburgh got one more shot following another Philadelphia punt, but a penalty and a sack by LB Harold Wells forced them into a deep hole from which they couldn’t escape. The Eagles won by a final score of 27-23.

Philadelphia led in total yards (304 to 250) and first downs (19 to 15). The Eagles also recorded four sacks, to one by Pittsburgh. Each team turned the ball over twice.

Jack Concannon completed 13 of 25 passes for 131 yards with no touchdowns, but also with none intercepted, but made an even bigger impression with his running as he gained 129 yards on 15 carries that included a TD. Tom Woodeshick gained 46 yards on 19 attempts with two short touchdowns and he also picked up 28 yards on three pass receptions. Timmy Brown, who ran for only five yards on nine carries, led the club with 5 catches for 43 yards.

For the Steelers, Bill Nelsen was successful on 11 of 25 throws for 195 yards, also throwing no TD passes or interceptions. Gary Ballman caught 6 passes for 93 yards and averaged 27.3 yards on four kickoff returns. Willie Asbury (pictured above) ran for 70 yards on 14 attempts that included two TDs.

“I ran a bit more today than I want to, and I hope I don’t have to do that again,” said Jack Concannon. “My timing was off from rustiness and our running attack wasn’t working the way I hoped that it would, so I ran more than a quarterback should.”

“We let Concannon go wide on us a couple of times and he hurt us each time,” said Coach Austin of the Steelers. “We didn’t get our people up quick enough to contain the rollouts.”

The Eagles won again the next week against the Browns, with Concannon again leading the way at quarterback, but it was King Hill behind center when they beat Washington in the finale to make it four straight victories to finish out the season. Philadelphia’s final record was 9-5, which was good for a second place tie with the Browns in the Eastern Conference and a spot in the Playoff Bowl, the postseason exhibition game that pitted the runners-up in each conference. They lost to the Colts with Hill and Concannon at quarterback. Pittsburgh also finished on a high note, scoring a combined 104 points behind the good play of Bill Nelsen in beating the Giants and expansion Falcons. The Steelers ended up sixth in the conference at 5-8-1.

Jack Concannon was traded to the Bears in the offseason. In three years with the Eagles, he completed just 43.7 percent of his 103 passes for 637 yards and four touchdowns against eight interceptions. However, he ran for 433 yards on 50 carries, averaging 8.7 yards per attempt and scoring two TDs. The team was 3-0 in his starts and the 129 rushing yards against the Steelers remained the single-game record for a Philadelphia quarterback until 2010, withstanding the presence of far more accomplished mobile Eagles quarterbacks over the years like Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb before it finally was exceeded by Michael Vick.

1970: Browns Defeat Jets in Monday Night Debut

Pro football on Monday nights was not unprecedented, but as a regularly-scheduled weekly television series, which it became in 1970, it was an innovation. The American Broadcasting Company promoted the concept vigorously and provided resources for covering the games that the other networks typically used only for playoff contests. An entertaining trio of announcers Howard Cosell, Keith Jackson, and ex-Cowboys QB Don Meredith added to the showcase.

The first week’s contest on September 21, 1970 pitted the Cleveland Browns, an established NFL team that had been shifted to the American Football Conference as part of the merger (thus being aligned with former American Football League teams), against the New York Jets, champions of the AFL two years earlier.

The Browns were coached by Blanton Collier for the eighth season and had advanced to the last two NFL Championship games. It was anticipated that, with recent success and grouped with three mediocre teams in the new Central Division of the AFC, that the Browns would contend. They had traded away star WR Paul Warfield to Miami in order to draft QB Mike Phipps out of Purdue, but veteran Bill Nelsen was still the starting quarterback. HB Leroy Kelly remained a major cog in the offense and they also had WR Gary Collins and TE Milt Morin. The team’s biggest questions pertained to the reshuffled defense.

New York, coached by Weeb Ewbank, had followed up the 1968 Super Bowl season with a division-topping 10-4 record in ’69. Now in the AFC East, they continued to rely on QB Joe Namath passing to a good group of receivers led by Don Maynard and George Sauer and the running game featured FB Matt Snell and HB Emerson Boozer. The defense was good up front but questionable in the secondary.

It was a clear night at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland with a stadium-record 85,703 fans in attendance and an estimated 35 million watching the telecast. The Jets punted following the first series of the game and Cleveland drove 55 yards in nine plays. Bill Nelsen had completions to Milt Morin for 13 yards and to FB Bo Scott for 21 and a third-down pass to Gary Collins was good for an eight-yard touchdown. Don Cockroft added the extra point.

The Jets reached midfield on their next possession but again had to punt. Starting at their 16, the Browns drove to another score, going 84 yards in 11 plays. Leroy Kelly ran effectively and a pass interference call on a third-and-eight play kept the drive alive. In New York territory, Nelsen threw to Morin for 18 yards and to Scott for 15 and it was Scott running around end for the last two yards and a TD. Cockroft added the extra point and Cleveland carried a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Jets, relying primarily on runs by Emerson Boozer and Matt Snell, put together an eight-play, 61-yard series that resulted in Boozer plowing into the center of the line for a two-yard touchdown. Jim Turner converted and Cleveland’s lead was cut to 14-7.

Nelsen completed a pass to Morin for 25 yards on the next series but the Browns ended up having to punt. The Jets also moved well, with Namath completing back-to-back passes to George Sauer (pictured at left) for 17 and 40 yards, but after reaching the Cleveland 17 Namath again looked to Sauer but was picked off by CB Walt Sumner, who returned it 34 yards. Following another Cleveland punt, another New York drive into Browns territory ended with Namath being intercepted once more, and the score remained unchanged at the half.

The Browns started off the third quarter with WR Homer Jones taking the second half kickoff and returning it 94 yards for a touchdown and, with Cockroft’s PAT, a 21-7 lead. In response, Namath came out throwing and immediately connected with Don Maynard for 20 yards and Sauer for 16 to reach the Cleveland 44. Another pass to Sauer picked up 13 yards and then Snell and Boozer accumulated another 13 yards between them on the ground. Namath found Sauer once again for an additional 13 yards and, two plays later, Boozer raced 10 yards through the middle for a TD to complete the 10-play, 80-yard drive. Turner converted and it was once more a seven-point contest.

The Browns started their next series with favorable field position at their own 47 after a good kickoff return with a penalty tacked on. They advanced 47 yards in six plays and Cockroft kicked a 27-yard field goal. In their next series, the running of Snell and Boozer moved the Jets back into Cleveland territory, and Namath also completed two short passes. However, the drive stalled at the 42 and Turner’s 50-yard field goal attempt fell short.

The Browns punted on the final play of the third quarter and New York again threatened to score. Snell ran for 19 yards on the first play of the series and, after five more running plays, a pass interference call on CB Erich Barnes put the ball on the Cleveland seven. But on the next play, Snell fumbled and DE Jack Gregory recovered to end the threat. The Browns responded with a long six-minute drive. Nelsen completed three passes, the longest to Morin for 22 yards, and Scott had a 17-yard run. But Cockroft missed to the right on an 18-yard field goal try.

The Jets took over from their 20 with 5:40 remaining on the clock and, with Namath throwing on every down, they quickly moved 80 yards in four plays. Completions to Boozer, WR Rich Caster, and Sauer picked up 14, 19, and 14 yards, respectively, and a throw to Sauer was good for a 33-yard touchdown. Turner’s conversion put the visitors just three points behind at 24-21.

The time was running down to two minutes as the Browns went three-and-out on their next possession, but Cockroft’s 65-yard punt had to be chased by DB Mike Battle, who failed to catch the ball at the 30 and downed it at the New York four. Four plays later, Namath’s pass was intercepted by LB Bill Andrews, who returned it 25 yards for a clinching touchdown. Cockroft again converted and Cleveland came away the winner by a final score of 31-21.

The Jets dominated in total yards (454 to 221) and first downs (31 to 20). However, they also turned the ball over four times, to none suffered by Cleveland, and were penalized 13 times at a cost of 161 yards, to 8 flags thrown on the Browns.

Bill Nelsen completed 12 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted. Milt Morin (pictured at right) had 5 catches for 90 yards and Leroy Kelly rushed for 62 yards on 20 carries.

For the Jets, Joe Namath was successful on 18 of 31 throws for 298 yards and a TD, but gave up three interceptions, including the last one that led directly to the game-clinching score. George Sauer caught 10 of those passes for 172 yards and a touchdown and Don Maynard gained 69 yards on his four receptions. Matt Snell topped the ground game as he rushed for 108 yards on 16 attempts and Emerson Boozer contributed 58 yards on 15 carries that included two TDs.

Following the exciting opening contest, neither team ended up meeting expectations over the course of the season. The Browns reached 4-2 before losing five of their last eight contests and ending up at 7-7 and in second place behind the third-year Cincinnati Bengals. Leroy Kelly’s performance dropped off due to an ankle injury and Homer Jones failed to fill the shoes of the departed Warfield (his kickoff return TD against the Jets was the highlight of his season). The Jets won their second game but proceeded to lose six straight on the way to a 4-10 record. Injuries were the key to New York’s collapse, with Joe Namath suffering a broken wrist and Matt Snell a torn Achilles tendon that sidelined them for most of the season.

Pro football on Monday nights did not disappoint, however, and the program maintained consistently strong ratings in its first year and well beyond. 

1968: Kelly Runs for 130 Yards as Browns Hand Colts Only Loss of Season

The Baltimore Colts were cruising at 5-0, and had lost only once in their previous 19 games (that included two ties), as they hosted the Cleveland Browns on October 20, 1968. Head Coach Don Shula’s team was winning despite the loss of star QB Johnny Unitas to a severe elbow injury in the preseason. 34-year-old QB Earl Morrall, acquired from the Giants as insurance, was filling in admirably for the all-time great. The rest of the club was solid. If anything, with the Browns coming into town they could be excused for looking ahead to a showdown with the Rams the next week – the team that had inflicted the defeat at the end of the 1967 that cost the Colts a spot in the postseason.

Cleveland, coached by Blanton Collier, had a 2-3 record and was most recently coming off a loss to the Cardinals. They, too, had gained a new quarterback in the prior offseason in Bill Nelsen, who came from the Browns and supplanted veteran Frank Ryan three weeks into the schedule. They had an outstanding runner in HB Leroy Kelly (pictured above) and equally great receiver in split end Paul Warfield and, after starting slowly, the offense was beginning to come to life following the change at quarterback.

There were 60,238 fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium on a sunny afternoon. The Browns took the opening kickoff and put together a long series that featured Bill Nelsen throwing to WR Eppie Barney for 15 yards and Leroy Kelly gaining 14 yards on a draw play in a third-and-six situation. But after reaching the Baltimore 29, Nelsen was dropped for a 10-yard loss on a third-down play and Don Cockroft’s 47-yard field goal attempt fell short and was returned by FS Rick Volk to the Baltimore 25.

The Colts got a quick first down when Earl Morrall threw to WR Jimmy Orr for seven yards and FB Jerry Hill followed up with a four-yard run. However, three plays later Morrall faced a heavy blitz and, hit by DT Jim Kanicki, fumbled. LB Jim Houston recovered for the Browns and they took advantage by driving 37 yards in seven plays. Nelsen threw two passes to Paul Warfield, for 15 and 9 yards apiece, and Kelly took a swing pass to gain the last two yards for a touchdown. With Cockroft’s extra point, the Browns were up by 7-0.

HB Preston Pearson returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to his own 40 and the Colts were at the Cleveland 49 as the first quarter ended, but had to punt. The Browns, pinned down at their 10, went three-and-out and Baltimore regained possession at midfield. Morrall immediately went to the air and hit Orr for 27 yards and HB Tom Matte then ran the remaining 23 yards for a TD. With the conversion by Lou Michaels, the score was tied.

The teams traded punts as neither offense was able to move until, with just under three minutes remaining in the half, the Browns took possession at their 19 and mounted an 81-yard drive in 10 plays. Kelly ran the ball well and gained 16 yards on a pass completion. A throw by Nelsen to TE Milt Morin picked up 20 yards and had another 15 yards tacked on for a roughing-the-passer penalty to get the ball to the Baltimore 19. The drive culminated in Nelsen passing to Warfield for a five-yard touchdown with the clock down to 24 seconds and Cockroft added the PAT. Cleveland went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.

When the Colts came out for their first series of the third quarter, Johnny Unitas was at quarterback, much to the excitement of the crowd. It was not a promising return for the veteran star, however, when his first pass was deflected and intercepted by FS Mike Howell. Starting at the Baltimore 34, the Browns methodically drove to another score in eight plays. Nelsen threw to Barney for a two-yard TD, Cockroft booted the extra point, and the visitors were now leading by 21-7.

Unitas threw two incomplete passes on the next series, but the Colts got a break when CB Ben Davis fumbled the resulting punt and LB Bob Grant recovered at the Cleveland 37. The rusty Unitas still had difficulty completing passes, but Baltimore managed to get a 17-yard Michaels field goal to make it a 21-10 game.

The Colts managed to retain possession on the following kickoff when Michaels recovered his own short, bouncing kick at the Cleveland 29. Baltimore picked up only four yards in three plays and Michaels kicked another field goal, this time from 33 yards.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the period. The fourth quarter started with Unitas throwing for Orr, but the pass bounced out of the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by LB Bob Matheson, who returned it 30 yards to the Baltimore four. From there on the next play, Kelly ran around end for a touchdown. While Cockroft’s extra point attempt was blocked by DE Bubba Smith, Cleveland was now ahead by 27-13.

Another short series for the Colts ended in Unitas throwing an interception, this time with DE Bill Glass grabbing the deflected pass and giving the visitors the ball at the Baltimore 17. By this point, many in the crowd that was earlier buoyed by his return were booing the all-time great as he left the field. The Browns reached the four before Cockroft kicked an 11-yard field goal.

Morrall was back at quarterback for the Colts, to the cheers of the fans, and he went to the air eight times, completed five, with the last pass to WR Willie Richardson for an eight-yard touchdown. The extra point by Michaels made it a ten-point game, but that was the last gasp for Baltimore. An onside kick was recovered by the Browns and they were able to maintain possession and nail down the 30-20 win.

Cleveland had more total yards (305 to 212) and first downs (19 to 13) than the Colts. The Browns especially ran the ball effectively, gaining 179 yards on the ground. The key was Baltimore’s five turnovers, to one suffered by Cleveland.

Leroy Kelly was the star on offense with 130 rushing yards on 30 carries that included a touchdown plus 18 more yards on two catches that included another TD. Bill Nelsen (pictured at right) completed 15 of 23 passes for three touchdowns with none intercepted and also ran the ball four times for another 32 yards. Paul Warfield had 5 pass receptions for 46 yards and a score.

For the Colts, Earl Morrall was successful on 10 of 18 throws for 130 yards and a TD and one interception. Johnny Unitas completed only one of 11 passes for 12 yards and suffered three interceptions. Tom Matte rushed for 64 yards and a TD on 13 carries and gained another 37 yards on two catches. John Mackey led the receivers with three receptions for 41 yards while Jimmy Orr also caught three passes, for 38 yards.

“I couldn’t get the ball down,” explained Johnny Unitas of his difficulties throwing the ball. “I was releasing it high. But I did have some bad luck.”

When asked further about his reaction to being booed by the home crowd, Unitas responded with a terse “I could care less.”

With Morrall continuing to start for the remainder of the season, the Colts regained their footing to decisively defeat the Rams the next week and continue on to a 13-1 record and first place in the Coastal Division. The win over the Colts initiated an eight-game winning streak for the Browns, who topped the Century Division at 10-4. Both teams won their conference title games, with Cleveland upsetting Dallas in the Eastern Conference and Baltimore easily dispatching the Vikings in the Western Conference. In the rematch for the NFL Championship, the Colts gained their revenge by a convincing 34-0 score. However, the dream season ended with a stunning loss to the AFL-Champion New York Jets in the Super Bowl.

Leroy Kelly led the NFL in rushing for the second straight year with 1239 yards on 248 carries (5.0 avg.) and 16 touchdowns. Adding in 22 catches for 297 yards and another four TDs, he led the league in yards from scrimmage (1536), touchdowns (20), and scoring (120 points). In addition to receiving consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl honors, he was named as recipient of the Maxwell Club’s Bert Bell Award as NFL Player of the Year.

Earl Morrall was the consensus league MVP, however, as he led the league in passing (93.2 rating), touchdown passes (26), yards per attempt (9.2), and yards per completion (16.0) while placing second in passing yards (2909) and completion percentage (57.4). In sixth place (third by the current rating system, at 86.4) was Bill Nelsen, who ranked in the top five in yards (2366), touchdowns (19), yards per attempt (8.1), and yards per completion (15.6).

Johnny Unitas saw scant action during the remainder of the regular season, but did lead the Colts to their only touchdown in the Super Bowl defeat in relief of Morrall. While there were concerns as to his ability to come back (he was 36 by the start of the 1969 season), he did return to the starting job, although with increasingly diminishing returns until his last year in 1973.  

1968: Browns Upset Cowboys for Eastern Conference Title

The Dallas Cowboys had represented the Eastern Conference in two straight NFL Championship games and were anticipating a third appearance as they faced the Cleveland Browns on December 21, 1968. Head Coach Tom Landry’s team had won the Capitol Division with a 12-2 record while scoring a league-high 431 points. The passing game, with QB Don Meredith throwing to wide receivers Bob Hayes and Lance Rentzel, was formidable and the running game produced even when HB Dan Reeves went down with a knee injury; along with veteran FB Don Perkins, HB Craig Baynham and FB Walt Garrison performed well in his absence. The defense was also strong and featured DT Bob Lilly, DE George Andrie, FS Mel Renfro, and linebackers Lee Roy Jordan and Chuck Howley.

The Cowboys had embarrassed Cleveland in the Eastern Conference playoff the year before by a score of 52-14 at the Cotton Bowl, one of four straight defeats that the Browns had suffered against them, including a 28-7 loss during the regular season. Under Head Coach Blanton Collier, Cleveland topped the Century Division with a 10-4 tally. One change since the teams met in ’67 was at quarterback, where Bill Nelsen (pictured below), obtained in the offseason from Pittsburgh, replaced fading 32-year-old veteran Frank Ryan after the club started slowly. They still had outstanding players on offense in HB Leroy Kelly (pictured above), the NFL’s top rusher and scorer, and WR Paul Warfield. The defensive backfield was talented, as the Browns led the league with 32 interceptions.


There was a big crowd of 81,497 on hand at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium with temperatures in the mid-30s. Cleveland scored first following FS Mike Howell’s interception of a Meredith pass at the Dallas 39 that he returned to the 19. Following a penalty for an illegal receiver down field on a pass play, the Browns settled for a 38-yard field goal by Don Cockroft.

Late in the first quarter, the Cowboys got a break when Nelsen was hit by three Dallas linemen and fumbled. Howley recovered and ran 44 yards for a touchdown to give the visitors a 7-3 lead.

In a first half dominated by the defenses, the Cowboys extended their margin following an interception of a Nelsen pass by LB Dave Edwards that gave them the ball at the Cleveland 33. The resulting series ended with Mike Clark kicking an 18-yard field goal that made it 10-3.

The Browns came through on offense late in the second quarter, driving 85 yards in six plays. With the Cowboys double-covering Warfield, Leroy Kelly drifted out of the backfield and was left all alone. He caught a well-thrown pass from Nelsen on the 15 and scored a touchdown on a play that covered 45 yards overall. Cockroft’s extra point tied the game up at 10-10 heading into halftime.

Cleveland broke the game open with two interceptions in the first 2:30 of the second half. The first came on the initial play from scrimmage in the third quarter as LB Dale Lindsey returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. Shortly thereafter, Meredith was picked off again, this time by CB Ben Davis, which set up a 35-yard scoring run by Kelly two plays later. It was the end for Meredith, who completed just 3 of 9 passes for 42 yards and gave up three interceptions. When the Cowboys returned on offense, backup QB Craig Morton was behind center.

Late in the third quarter, Clark kicked a 47-yard field goal that narrowed Cleveland’s lead to 24-13. However, in the fourth quarter, the Browns drove 77 yards for the touchdown that clinched the game. With just over 12 minutes remaining on the clock, and following an interception of a Morton pass by veteran CB Erich Barnes, Nelsen threw to Warfield for a 32-yard gain and then for 13 yards to TE Milt Morin to set up a two-yard scoring run by FB Ernie Green.

The highest-scoring team in the league didn’t get an offensive touchdown until late in the fourth quarter when Morton threw to Garrison from two yards out. It didn’t matter at that point – the Browns won handily by a score of 31-20. The fans swarmed the field at the end and the officials called the game with 40 seconds remaining on the clock.

The Cowboys actually led narrowly in total yards (286 to 280) and first downs (13 to 12). However, they also turned the ball over four times – all on interceptions – and that proved to be the difference.


Bill Nelsen completed 13 of 25 passes for 203 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Leroy Kelly rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries that included a TD and also caught two passes for 46 more yards and the long touchdown. Paul Warfield (pictured at right) had 4 receptions for 86 yards and Milt Morin added 4 catches as well, for 47 yards.

In relief of Don Meredith, Craig Morton was successful on 9 of 23 throws for 163 yards with a TD and one picked off. Bob Hayes pulled in 5 passes for 83 yards and Lance Rentzel contributed 3 receptions for 75 yards. Don Perkins was the top rusher for the Cowboys as he gained 51 yards on 15 attempts.

Blanton Collier had nothing but praise for his defense afterward, saying “It’s a young defensive club, but they came of age today.”

“I can’t say enough about that defense,” added Bill Nelsen. “When the defense gives us the ball that many times, we’re going to score some points.”

“We had a chance to go all the way…but we couldn’t get the spark,” summed up a disappointed Tom Landry.

The high hopes expressed by the exuberant Browns came crashing down the next week as they were dominated in the NFL Championship game by the Baltimore Colts, who won by a 34-0 score. Cleveland and Dallas repeated once again as division champs in 1969 – the final year before the merger would restructure the league and move the Browns to the AFC – and the Browns again came out on top for the Eastern Conference title (and again lost decisively in the league championship contest).

It wasn’t known at the time, but Don Meredith would not be back with the Cowboys in 1969. While the poor performance against the Browns wasn’t his last pro appearance (he played for Dallas in the Playoff Bowl against the Vikings as well as the Pro Bowl), he announced his retirement just prior to training camp the following summer. It was a disappointing conclusion to a good run as quarterback in Dallas that ended with three straight division titles for the team as well as three consecutive Pro Bowl selections for the quarterback out of SMU.

1968: Steelers Deal Bill Nelsen to Browns

On May 14, 1968 the Pittsburgh Steelers traded QB Bill Nelsen and safety Jim Bradshaw to the Cleveland Browns for QB Dick Shiner, DT Frank Parker, and an unspecified draft choice. The deal officially brought to an end Nelsen’s injury-riddled career in Pittsburgh, and at the time was seen as an effort to bolster the defensive line.

The 27-year-old Nelsen came to Pittsburgh in 1963 as a tenth round draft pick out of USC, where he had split time at quarterback with Pete Beathard during a 1962 season in which the Trojans were national champions. While he wasn’t big at 6’0” and 195 pounds, and didn’t possess an especially strong arm, he proved to be a decent passer with a good attitude and outstanding leadership qualities.

After backing up veteran QB Ed Brown in his first two seasons, Nelsen took over as starting quarterback in ’65, but was playing on a bad knee. He missed time and was challenged for the starting job by another young (and less talented) quarterback, Tommy Wade. After off-season surgery, he came back in 1966 and went down with an injury to the other knee. In 1967, Nelsen lost his starting job to Kent Nix as he missed eight games with further knee problems.

In trading Nelsen for Dick Shiner, the Steelers were obtaining a quarterback who had come into the NFL a year later but had seen far less action. A seventh-round draft choice out of Maryland by the Redskins in 1964, Shiner had been strictly a backup behind Sonny Jurgensen in Washington for three years and then Frank Ryan in Cleveland for one, and broke his leg in practice the previous year.

Speculation initially centered around Parker as the key to the trade. The 6’5”, 270-pound defensive tackle missed all of 1965 due to a major knee injury suffered in ‘64 that required surgery. A promising player prior to the injury, he had played sparingly in the two seasons since.

Jim Bradshaw saw little action in ’67, playing both safety positions, after losing his starting job to former Pitt star Paul Martha. He had intercepted a total of nine passes in 1965 and ’66. In 1967, he also returned 16 punts for a 6.1-yard average.

“Parker will give us the interior pass rushing we needed so badly last season,” said Steelers Head Coach Bill Austin. “As far as quarterbacks are concerned, if we opened our NFL schedule tomorrow I'd go with Kent Nix.” Austin added that “I still think Nelsen is a good football player who has been very unfortunate because of injuries. If he didn't beat out Nix this summer it would be very discouraging for him. A shift in scenery should help.”

The change in scenery proved more beneficial to Nelsen’s career than was anticipated when the deal was culminated. 32-year-old Frank Ryan had played well at quarterback for the Browns, including leading them to a championship in 1964, but injuries suffered during the ’67 season took their toll. When the team started off poorly in 1968, Nelsen took over as starting quarterback and significantly reinvigorated the passing game. The Browns won eight of their last nine contests and advanced to the NFL title game before losing to the Colts. Nelsen ranked sixth among the league’s passers, throwing for 2366 yards and 19 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

Nelsen was even better in 1969, earning selection to the Pro Bowl as he threw for 2743 yards and 23 TDs. The Browns again advanced to the NFL Championship game before succumbing to the Minnesota Vikings. With the merger, Cleveland moved to the AFC and Nelsen stayed on as the starting quarterback for two more seasons before giving way to highly-touted Mike Phipps in 1972, his final year. Playing with two bad knees that had him wearing aluminum braces during games, and thus lacking mobility, he nevertheless did well in Cleveland. Over the course of five seasons, four as the starter, Nelsen threw for 9725 yards with 71 touchdowns and, most significantly, the Browns went 34-16-1 in the regular season with him under center and 2-3 in the playoffs.

Dick Shiner ended up supplanting Nix as the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh, but the team played poorly. In two seasons with the Steelers, he proved to be inconsistent and the club’s record in his starts was a dismal 3-16-1. Having drafted, first, QB Terry Hanratty in 1969 and then, with the first overall choice in ’70, Terry Bradshaw, Shiner was traded to the Giants, where he saw little action behind veteran star Fran Tarkenton. Moving on to Atlanta in 1971, he was still a backup, but had the distinction of starting the opening game of the ’73 season and earning a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in a 62-7 shellacking of the New Orleans Saints. It was the highlight of his career, and he lost the starting job to Bob Lee shortly thereafter, finishing up with the Patriots in ’74.

Frank Parker was just a backup defensive lineman in Pittsburgh and moved on to the Giants for one last year in 1969. Jim Bradshaw was waived during the preseason and never again played in the NFL.

The conditional draft choice ended up being used by the Steelers to take RB Warren Bankston of Tulane in the second round in 1969. He was a backup for four seasons in Pittsburgh before moving on to Oakland in ’73.

All told, the trade for Bill Nelsen proved to be a good one for the Browns. The Steelers would ultimately put together four championships in the decade of the 1970s, but the 1968 deal with Cleveland was not a part in that process (although the poor play in ’68 set the stage for the hiring of Chuck Noll as head coach and the accompanying rebuilding job).