1946: Browns Surge in Second Half to Defeat Dons

The undefeated Cleveland Browns faced a major test in the inaugural All-America Football Conference season as they hosted the Los Angeles Dons on October 20, 1946. The Browns were off to a sensational start under innovative Head Coach Paul Brown and had a 6-0 record. Brown had assembled a team that included many players that he was familiar with from coaching in the college and service ranks, such as QB Otto Graham, ends Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie, FB Marion Motley (pictured at right), G Bill Willis, and OT/PK Lou Groza, and they were all excelling.

The Dons were at 3-1-1 under Head Coach Dudley DeGroot. Viewed as the more glamorous team coming into the AAFC season, LA had several established pro veterans. They also had QB Angelo Bertelli, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Notre Dame, although Charlie O’Rourke had done the better job thus far behind center.

There were 71,134 fans in attendance, which was the largest crowd in pro football history at the time. The Browns threatened first as they reached Los Angeles territory thanks to a pass from Otto Graham to Dante Lavelli that gained 46 yards, but they came up empty when a fake field goal attempt failed. The Dons then drove 67 yards, resulting in QB Charlie O’Rourke throwing to end Bob Nowaskey for an 18-yard touchdown. Joe Aguirre added the extra point to make it 7-0.

Los Angeles was able to keep the Browns in check on offense for the remainder of the first half, but was also unable to add more points. In the second quarter, Cleveland stopped another advance by the Dons when Graham, showing his skill on defense, intercepted an O’Rourke pass at his 31 and returned it to the LA 45. HB Don Greenwood ran for two yards and two passes were incomplete but the Browns scored on a 48-yard Lou Groza field goal. The score remained 7-3 at halftime.

In the third quarter Cleveland’s offense came to life and put together an 85-yard drive. Key plays were runs by HB Edgar “Special Delivery” Jones for 15 yards and FB Gaylon Smith for 16 before a pass from Graham to Lavelli gained 36 yards and set up Graham’s two-yard carry for a TD. Groza added the point after and the Browns were in front by 10-7.

As the fourth quarter started, Joe Aguirre of the Dons attempted a 34-yard field goal that was blocked by tackle Chet Adams. Three plays later, Graham connected with Mac Speedie for a 47-yard touchdown, Groza again converted, and the home team’s lead was up to 17-7.

LA responded with a 50-yard series but, after reaching the Cleveland 26, had to turn the ball over on downs. Two running plays, the longest for 17 yards by Greenwood, got the ball past midfield and then, with the Dons looking for a pass, Marion Motley broke away for a 48-yard TD. Groza added the extra point to make it 24-7.

The Dons again drove into Cleveland territory, going 62 yards. Following an O’Rourke throw to Nowaskey to make it first-and-goal on the six, O’Rourke kept the ball himself on the next play, running around end for a touchdown. Aguirre’s PAT made it a ten-point game, but it didn’t take long for the Browns to respond. On their first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, Motley struck again, running 68 yards for a touchdown. Groza converted, thus sealing the 31-14 Cleveland win.

The Dons had the edge in total yards (395 to 353) and first downs (21 to 10), outrushing Cleveland by 274 yards to 224, but the Browns made the bigger plays in the second half that overcame LA’s statistical edge. Each team turned the ball over three times.

With the two long touchdowns, Marion Motley rushed for 143 yards on just eight carries. Otto Graham completed four of 10 passes for 129 yards with a touchdown and an interception. For the Dons, Charlie O’Rourke and Angelo Bertelli combined for 10 pass completions out of 20 attempts for 121 yards and a touchdown along with an interception.

The Browns finally lost the next week to another Western Division rival, the San Francisco 49ers. They were defeated again in the rematch with the Dons but didn’t lose another game on the way to a 12-2 record and a title game victory over the New York Yankees. Los Angeles placed third in the Western Division at 7-5-2.

Otto Graham went on to lead the AAFC in touchdown passes (17) and yards per attempt (10.5) and placed second in passing yards (1834) and completion percentage (54.6). He received first-team All-AAFC honors. Marion Motley rushed for 601 yards on just 73 carries for an 8.2 average and five touchdowns.

Highlighted Year: Otto Graham, 1946

Quarterback/Defensive Back, Cleveland Browns

Age:  25 (Dec. 6)

1^st season in pro football

College: Northwestern

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 190

Prelude:

A single-wing tailback in college, Graham chose to sign with the Browns of the new AAFC rather than the NFL Detroit Lions, who had drafted him in the first round in 1944, after coming out of the Navy. An outstanding athlete, he first played pro basketball before joining the Browns for the 1946 season. Mobile and an accurate passer, Graham quickly adapted to the T-formation.

1946 Season Summary

Appeared in all 14 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 174 [5]

Completions – 95 [4, tied with Bob Hoernschemeyer]

Yards – 1834 [2]

Completion percentage – 54.6 [2]

Yards per attempt – 10.5 [1]

TD passes – 17 [1]

Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Chicago 11/17

Interceptions – 5 [11, tied with Kay Eakin, Cotton Price & Walt Williams]

Passer rating – 112.1 [1]

Rushing

Attempts – 30

Yards – -125

Yards per attempt – -4.2

TDs – 1

Interceptions

Interceptions – 5 [5, tied with Steve Juzwik & Cliff Lewis]

Return yards – 102 [5]

TDs – 1 [1, tied with seven others]

Punt Returns

Returns – 12 [9]

Yards – 129 [15]

Average per return – 10.8

TDs – 0

Scoring

TDs – 2         

Points – 12

Postseason: 1 G (AAFC Championship vs. NY Yankees)

Pass attempts – 27

Pass completions – 16

Passing yardage – 213

TD passes – 1

Interceptions – 1

Rushing attempts – 3

Rushing yards – -19

Average gain rushing – -6.3

Rushing TDs – 0

Interceptions – 1

Int. return yards – 4

TDs – 0

Punt returns – 5

Punt return yards – 20

Average per return – 4.0

Punt return TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-AAFC: League, UPI

2^nd team All-AAFC: NY Daily News

Browns went 12-2 to finish first in the AAFC Western Division while leading the league in passing yards (2266), total yards (4244), touchdowns (55), and scoring (423 points). Won AAFC Championship over New York Yankees (14-9).

Aftermath:

The Browns won all four AAFC titles with Graham behind center. He was the league MVP in 1947 as he led the AAFC in completion percentage (60.6), passing yards (2753), TD passes (25), and yards per attempt (10.2), and co-MVP with San Francisco’s Frankie Albert in ’48, a season in which he once more led the AAFC in passing yards (2713) while tossing another 25 TD passes and Cleveland went undefeated. Graham led the league in passing yards (2785) once again in 1949, and while no MVP was awarded by the league, he was a consensus first-team All-AAFC selection. The Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 and kept up their winning ways by achieving another championship. Graham was selected to the Pro Bowl that year and was also named league MVP by UPI in 1951, although Cleveland lost the title game. In ’52, he led the NFL in pass attempts (364), completions (181), yards (2816), and TD passes (20) as well as interceptions (24). Cleveland again lost the title game but won the championship games following the 1954 and ’55 seasons (the latter after Graham was coaxed out of retirement to play one more year) and he led the league in completion percentage in each of his last three years as well as yards (2722) and yards per attempt (10.6) in 1953, and TD percentage (8.1) and yards per attempt (9.3) in ’55. Altogether, over 10 seasons (four in the AAFC, 6 in the NFL) Graham averaged 9.0 yards per attempt (a record 8.6 in the NFL alone) while throwing for 23,584 yards (10,085 in AAFC, 13,499 in NFL) with 174 TDs (86 in AAFC, 88 in NFL). He also ran for 882 yards and scored 44 TDs, with a high of 8 in 1954. Graham was a league MVP twice and first-team All-league honoree three times in the AAFC as well as three-time MVP with four first-team All-league selections in the NFL and was chosen for the first five Pro Bowls. Perhaps most significantly of all, he quarterbacked Cleveland to a championship game in all ten years, winning seven of them. The Browns retired his #14 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

--

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

1943: College All-Stars Thrash Redskins in Game at Northwestern

The tenth College All-Star Game was held on August 25, 1943 and was the first to be played at a venue other than Soldier Field in Chicago. The Wednesday night contest was held instead in nearby Evanston at Dyche Stadium of Northwestern University with 48,471 fans in attendance.

The NFL Champions, the Washington Redskins, were heavy favorites coming into the game. They had a new head coach in Dutch Bergman but capable returning veterans in tailback Sammy Baugh, HB Wilbur Moore, FB Bob Seymour, end Bob Masterson, and tackle Willie Wilkin.

Harry Stuhldreher, former member of Notre Dame’s “Four Horsemen” backfield and now head coach at Wisconsin, coached the All-Stars and prepared them well, running a simple but effective offense. The team was chosen by coaches rather than a nationwide newspaper poll, as in past years, and included future pro stars in Indiana end Pete Pihos, tackle Al Wistert of Michigan, Stanford center Vic Lindskog, Northwestern tailback Otto Graham, HB Charley Trippi of Georgia, and FB Pat Harder from Wisconsin (pictured above).

There was a heavy rain as the game started and it was hot and muggy for the remainder of the contest, which seemed to wear the Redskins down more than the collegians. The Redskins had first possession and drove from their 35 to the All-Star 38 in seven plays before being stopped and coming up empty.

The next Washington series ended with a punt by Sammy Baugh from his own 21 and HB Bob Steuber from Missouri picked up the bouncing ball and returned it 50 yards behind outstanding blocking for the first touchdown of the game. Pat Harder added the extra point.

The All-Stars got another break when Bob Seymour fumbled and Al Wistert recovered at the Washington 48. But after advancing 20 yards in four plays, highlighted by an Otto Graham pass to Pete Pihos for 12 yards, Harder fumbled and end Bob Masterson recovered for the Redskins to end the threat.

Washington then put together a 70-yard drive that stretched into the second quarter. Baugh completed two passes for first downs along the way and ended the series with a touchdown pass to end Joe Aguirre that covered six yards. Masterson kicked the extra point to tie the score. It would prove to be the high point for the pro champs.

Late in the second quarter, the All-Stars scored again. A penalty on a Washington punt gave the collegians good starting field position at their 42 and, with Tulsa’s passing tailback Glenn Dobbs now in the game, they went to the air. Dobbs was sacked on first down but completed five passes, including one to Washington State back Bob Kennedy for 19 yards and another to Harder for 14. The last was also to Harder, a short toss that ended up covering 36 yards for a TD. Harder again added the point after and the All-Stars took a 14-7 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Redskins advanced to the All-Star 17, but a second down pass intended for Bob Seymour in the end zone was instead intercepted by Otto Graham (pictured at left), who made a spectacular play with a 97-yard interception return for another touchdown. Harder failed to add the PAT, but the rejuvenated All-Stars were ahead by 20-7.

Washington would never seriously threaten again.  In the fourth quarter, Harder scored a second TD on a 30-yard run to put the game away. Graham kicked the extra point and the All-Stars won in convincing fashion by a final score of 27-7.

Washington had the edge in total yards (325 to 212), with 273 of that total coming through the air, and first downs (16 to 9). However, the Redskins turned the ball over five times, three of them by interception, to two suffered by the collegians.

Pat Harder led the All-Stars in rushing with 53 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns, and also played well at linebacker on defense. Sammy Baugh completed 21 of 41 passes for Washington.

It was the first win for the All-Stars since 1938, also over the Redskins, and the third since the series began in 1934 (there had been two ties). Washington went on to top the Eastern Division for the third time in four years but lost the NFL Championship game to the Bears.

Pat Harder and Otto Graham both appeared in the 1946 College All-Star Game (during World War II restrictions on participation were lifted, which allowed underclassmen to appear, and several players played in multiple games). They moved on to successful pro careers, and both would return to the College All-Star Game as members of NFL Championship clubs (Harder with the Cardinals and Lions, Graham with the Browns). Graham would later coach the All-Stars for ten games of the series that lasted until 1976, two of which they won.

1953: Lions Rally to Edge Browns and Repeat as NFL Champs

The NFL Championship game on December 27, 1953 featured a rematch of the previous year’s participants, the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. The Lions won that contest and were looking to repeat as champions against the Cleveland team that was now appearing in its eighth straight title game (four in the All-America Football Conference, four in the NFL).

Detroit, coached by Buddy Parker, still featured fiery QB Bobby Layne (pictured above) surrounded by a capable group on offense and a rugged defense, and had added outstanding rookies that included tackles Charlie Ane and Ollie Spencer plus G Harley Sewell on offense and LB Joe Schmidt on defense. The Lions went 10-2 in winning the Western Conference, including victories in their last six contests.

The Browns, under the guidance of the innovative Paul Brown, had new ownership but continued to win with an almost machine-like consistency. QB Otto Graham remained the key to the offense, and while star end Mac Speedie defected to Canada, end Dante Lavelli was still available and two second-year players, end Pete Brewster and HB Ray Renfro, picked up the slack. FB Harry "Chick" Jagade was the successor to the fading Marion Motley and the defense gave up the fewest points in the league (162). Star MG Bill Willis was back in action, having missed the previous month due to injury. Cleveland topped the Eastern Conference with an 11-1 record, not losing until the season finale when they had already wrapped up first place. Despite losing to the Lions the previous year, the Browns were the favorites coming into the rematch.

There were 54,577 fans in attendance at Briggs Stadium, where the field was slippery in some spots. In the first play from scrimmage, the Browns were penalized back to their 19 yard line. Following a carry by Chick Jagade, LB LaVern Torgeson forced Otto Graham to fumble and MG Les Bingaman recovered for the Lions at the Cleveland 12. Detroit kept the ball on the ground, with Bobby Layne converting a fourth-and-one situation via a quarterback sneak and, after HB Bob “Hunchy” Hoernschemeyer gained nothing, HB Doak Walker dove for a touchdown from one yard out and then kicked the extra point.

With the help of a penalty, the Browns had good field position near midfield to start their next series. However, Graham overthrew an open receiver on a third down play and Cleveland had to punt. The Lions lost star end Leon Hart with a knee injury and Jim Doran (pictured below), who normally played on defense and had caught only six passes all year, took his place. Doran made his presence known by making a catch for a gain of 27 yards, but after reaching the Cleveland 46, Detroit had to punt, as did Cleveland again in turn.

The Browns got a break on defense late in the opening period when DE Len Ford recovered a fumble by Hoernschemeyer at the Detroit six. The Lions didn’t let down on defense, but in the first play of the second quarter, the Browns came close to a TD when Dante Lavelli dropped a pass in the end zone. Lou Groza kicked a 13-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.

The Lions punted again following their next series but got the ball back when HB Dub Jones fumbled and DE Sherwin Gandee recovered at the Cleveland 25. Detroit couldn’t take advantage of the turnover, as Layne was sacked for a loss of 12 yards on third down and Walker was wide to the left on a 45-yard field goal attempt.

The teams exchanged punts and then interceptions. DHB Jim David picked off a Graham pass and returned it to the Cleveland 20, which set up the next Detroit score. The Lions came close to a touchdown on a trick play when Layne threw a lateral to Walker, who ran to his right, drawing the defense, and then passed it back to Layne for an apparent TD. However, the play was nullified by a 15-yard penalty and Walker ended up kicking a field goal from 23 yards.

With 1:15 left in the first half, QB George Ratterman came in for Graham after Jagade returned the kickoff 29 yards to the Cleveland 49. Ratterman was sacked for a 13-yard loss but also completed a screen pass to Jagade for 19 yards to the Detroit 44. As the seconds ticked away, Groza attempted a 51-yard field goal, but it missed and the score remained 10-3 in favor of the Lions at halftime.

On Cleveland’s first possession of the third quarter following an interception by safety Ken Gorgal, the Browns advanced 51 yards in eight plays. Jagade ran nine yards off tackle for a TD and Groza’s conversion tied the score at 10-10.

Such remained the situation until, in a series that extended into the fourth quarter, the Browns moved the ball effectively and Groza booted another field goal, this time from 15 yards, to put the visitors in front by 13-10.

Detroit followed up with a 14-play possession that reached the Cleveland 26. Layne completed passes to ends Dorne Dibble and Cloyce Box and ran the ball three times himself, but the Lions came up empty when Walker missed a field goal try from 33 yards. With Jagade running well, the Browns advanced from their 20 to the Detroit 33. Groza kicked a 43-yard field goal and the visitors were further ahead by 16-10.

The situation was looking dire for the Lions as they got the ball with four minutes remaining to play and down by six points. But Layne directed the home team on an 80-yard drive in which he completed three passes to Doran. The first came on the initial play of the series and picked up 17 yards, the second converted a third-and-10 situation with an 18-yard gain, and the last was on a perfect pass from Layne after the receiver had sprinted past DHB Warren Lahr into the end zone, making the catch for a 33-yard touchdown. Walker (pictured below) added the all-important extra point to put Detroit in the lead with the clock now down to 2:08. On the ensuing series, rookie DB Carl Karilivacz intercepted a hurried Graham toss to seal the 17-16 win for the Lions. Several fights broke out in the remaining time and Detroit’s Dibble was ejected.

The Lions led in total yards (293 to 191), almost completely grounding Cleveland’s vaunted passing attack (nine net yards), and had the edge in first downs also (18 to 11). Each team turned the ball over four times.

Bobby Layne completed 12 of 25 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown while being intercepted twice. He also rushed for 44 yards on 9 carries. Jim Doran had an outstanding performance as he caught four passes for 95 yards and scored the game-deciding TD (he had none during the regular season). Cloyce Box also had four catches, for 54 yards. Bob Hoernschemeyer rushed for 51 yards on 17 carries.

Otto Graham had an uncharacteristically dreadful performance in which he was successful on just two of 15 throws for 20 yards with no TDs while giving up two interceptions. George Ratterman completed his only pass for 18 yards. Chick Jagade gained 102 yards on 15 rushing attempts that included a score and also had one pass reception for 18 yards, which made him Cleveland’s most productive receiver as well as top rusher. Lou Groza was successful on three of four field goal attempts, tying the then-NFL championship game record.

Detroit’s Coach Parker praised the “terrific team effort” and singled out Jim Doran, saying “Sure, we had to have the touchdown. But that pass he leaped for and got on Cleveland’s 45 made it all possible. It was third down and gave us enough yardage for a first down to keep the ball.”

“Nobody will lose a tougher one,” said Paul Brown in the quiet Cleveland locker room. “We worked five months and lost it all in two minutes.”

As strong as the Browns were, the once-invincible team had now become the first in NFL history to lose three consecutive title games. The clubs met for a third time in the 1954 Championship game, and this time Cleveland thrashed the Lions, gaining a measure of revenge and ending Detroit’s hopes of topping the NFL for a third straight year.

1951: Long TD Pass Propels Rams Over Browns for NFL Championship

The Cleveland Browns had yet to fail to win a league championship in five years of existence and were looking to make it six straight as they faced the Los Angeles Rams for the NFL title on December 23, 1951. Head Coach Paul Brown’s team dominated the All-America Football Conference for four years before joining the NFL in 1950 and winning there as well.  While FB Marion Motley was showing signs of wear, QB Otto Graham was still an outstanding and mobile passer and had productive targets in ends Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli. After losing to ex-AAFC rival San Francisco in the opening game, the Browns didn’t lose again, finishing atop the American Conference with an 11-1 record.

One of those wins was over Los Angeles, the same team that the Browns had faced for the NFL Championship the previous year. LA had the league’s most explosive offense, with the quarterback combination of Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin (pictured above), fullbacks “Deacon Dan” Towler and Dick Hoerner, and ends Tom Fears and Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch contributing to a NFL-record 5506 total yards. The defense was less formidable, but benefited from the arrival of rookie DE Andy Robustelli, who joined a line that included All-Pro DE Larry Brink and MG Stan West. Head Coach Joe Stydahar’s team put together an 8-4 tally in winning the highly-competitive National Conference.  

There were 57,522 fans in attendance at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The Browns moved well on their opening possession, despite LA’s seven-man defensive front, but Lou Groza missed a 23-yard field goal attempt. Following a scoreless first quarter, the Rams put together a 55-yard drive in 12 plays that ended with Dick Hoerner plowing over for the last yard and a touchdown. Bob Waterfield added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

The Browns got on the board when Groza made up for the short miss with a 52-yard field goal, setting a new NFL Championship game record as he broke the previous mark by a full ten yards. Before the half was over, Cleveland drove to another score as Otto Graham completed three straight passes, to Mac Speedie for 14 yards, Marion Motley down the middle for 23, and the last to HB Dub Jones for a 17-yard TD. Groza kicked the point after and the defending champs took a 10-7 lead into halftime.

Graham faced heavy pressure from Larry Brink and Andy Robustelli throughout the contest, and in the third quarter the two combined on a big defensive play for the Rams. With the ball at the Cleveland 35, Brink hit Graham hard and forced a fumble. Robustelli recovered and ran to the one. From there, Dan Towler hit the line twice without success before finally breaking through for a touchdown. Waterfield’s conversion put the home team ahead by 14-10.

In the fourth quarter, the Rams drove to the Cleveland one but came up empty when they had to give the ball up on downs. They again drove inside the ten, but while the tough Browns defense again held, the Rams didn’t fail to score this time as Waterfield kicked a 17-yard field goal to increase LA’s lead to 17-10. The Browns fought back, advancing 70 yards in 10 plays as Graham had a 34-yard run and HB Ken Carpenter scored a two-yard TD. Groza converted to tie the score at 17-17.    

At this point Norm Van Brocklin relieved Waterfield at quarterback and he promptly threw deep for end Tom Fears, who gathered the ball in between two defenders and sprinted to the end zone for a 73-yard touchdown. It was the biggest play of the game, and Waterfield again added the PAT to put the Rams back in front by seven points.

Cleveland responded by advancing into Los Angeles territory, but facing fourth-and-two at the 42, Jones caught a short pass from Graham and was hit hard by hard-charging safety Norb Hecker for a two-yard loss, forcing the Browns to give up the ball. Late in the game, the Rams had a chance to add to their lead, but Waterfield missed on a field goal attempt. It had no effect as Los Angeles held on to win by a final score of 24-17.

The statistics bore out the closely-fought nature of the game. The Rams had the edge in total yards (334 to 325) while Cleveland accumulated more first downs (22 to 20). The Browns turned the ball over four times, to three turnovers suffered by LA, and the Rams, reflecting the outstanding play of their defensive ends, recorded all five of the game’s sacks.

Bob Waterfield completed 9 of 24 passes for 125 yards, giving up two interceptions, while Norm Van Brocklin was four-of-six for 128 yards with the long touchdown. Tom Fears (pictured at left) had four catches for 146 yards and a TD and “Crazylegs” Hirsch contributed four receptions for 66 yards. Dan Towler topped LA’s rushers with 36 yards on 16 carries that included a touchdown.

For the Browns, Otto Graham was successful on 19 of 40 throws for 280 yards and a TD, but gave up three interceptions. He also ran for a team-leading 43 yards on five attempts. Mac Speedie caught 7 passes for 81 yards and Dante Lavelli added four receptions for 65 yards. Dub Jones, in addition to a modest rushing total of 12 yards on 9 carries, had four catches for 62 yards that included a score.

Of the long game-winning touchdown pass, Tom Fears said that it was “the best thrown pass I’ve ever caught. He laid it right in there full stride.”

The Rams tied for first with Detroit in 1952, lost a playoff to determine the National Conference champion, and next appeared in the postseason in 1955. While often fielding contending teams over the years, the NFL Championship in 1951 was the only one the franchise achieved while based in Los Angeles (they won a NFC title in 1979, but lost the ensuing Super Bowl. Other NFL titles were while the team was in Cleveland in 1945 and St. Louis in 1999). The loss for the Browns, while putting a chink in the armor of their title-game invincibility, did not signal a decline. Cleveland continued to top its conference in each of the next four seasons, losing the next two Championship games before winning again in 1954 and ’55.

1947: Browns Defeat Yankees for Second AAFC Championship

The second Championship game of the All-America Football Conference on December 14, 1947 featured the same two teams as the first, the Cleveland Browns and New York Yankees. The Browns had beaten New York in four of five meetings thus far in the AAFC’s two-year existence, which included the ’46 title game and the first regular season matchup in ’47 in Cleveland. They rallied to overcome a 28-0 deficit and salvage a tie a few weeks earlier in New York.

The powerful Browns, coached by the innovative Paul Brown, had compiled a 12-1-1 record in topping the Western Division once again. QB Otto Graham (pictured above) was named MVP by the league and was the AAFC’s top passer while end Mac Speedie, with 67 catches and 1146 yards, was the preeminent receiver and had an able counterpart in end Dante Lavelli. FB Marion Motley rushed for 889 yards with an impressive 6.1-yard average. The league’s highest-scoring team, Cleveland was equally tough on defense.

New York, under the direction of Head Coach Ray Flaherty, operated a single-wing offense that featured tailback Spec Sanders, the AAFC’s leading rusher (1432 yards) and scorer (19 touchdowns, 114 points). Diminutive and fast HB Buddy Young added another 712 yards on the ground and the line was good on both sides of the ball. The Yankees put together an 11-2-1 record in topping the Eastern Division.  

There were 61,879 fans in attendance at Yankee Stadium on a cold day with the temperature near freezing. The turf was frozen, which seemed to affect the home team more than the visitors from Cleveland, and the teams agreed to wear cleats rather than sneakers.

The Yankees had the first possession and quickly found that Cleveland had made defensive adjustments to prevent a repeat of New York’s 28-point first half performance in the previous meeting. Late in the first quarter, following an exchange of punts, the Browns put together a 67-yard drive that was highlighted by a 51-yard carry by Marion Motley and culminated in a touchdown on a quarterback sneak by Otto Graham, who had also completed five of his first six passes. Lou Groza kicked the extra point.

The Yankees came right back as the game headed into the second quarter. Buddy Young (pictured at left) and Spec Sanders spearheaded an advance that reached the Cleveland five yard line before stalling, primarily as a result of the poor footing, and Harvey Johnson kicked a 12-yard field goal. Cleveland had two more chances to score, but Groza missed two field goals and the score remained 7-3 at halftime.

In the third quarter, DHB Tom Colella intercepted a Sanders pass and returned it to the New York 41. Motley ran for 16 yards, tosses by Graham to HB Edgar “Special Delivery” Jones and HB Lewis Mayne picked up another 19 yards and, three plays later, Jones ran four yards for a TD. Lou Saban, who had booted 10 extra points during the regular season, successfully converted.

As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Yankees drove to the Cleveland 18, but Young fumbled a lateral and Saban recovered at the 31. Another New York series highlighted by a 22-yard carry by Sanders reached the 23 but was blunted by a penalty for unnecessary roughness that moved the Yankees out of range for a score. Cleveland held on to win by a final score of 14-3.

The Browns had the edge in total yards (284 to 212) and first downs (15 to 13). The Yankees turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by Cleveland. The Browns gained 172 yards on the ground, with 109 generated by FB Marion Motley (pictured below) on 13 carries. Otto Graham completed 14 of 21 passes for 112 yards, giving up no interceptions, and also ran the ball four times for 21 yards and a touchdown. Mac Speedie had four pass receptions for 25 yards and Dante Lavelli gained 37 yards on his three catches.

Suffering from a bad ankle, Spec Sanders was held to just 40 yards on 12 carries and failed to score a touchdown for the first time all season. He also completed 7 of 17 passes for 89 yards and was intercepted once. Buddy Young rushed for 69 yards on 16 attempts and caught two passes for a team-leading 25 yards, but fumbled twice.

“Neither team could play its best on that field,” said Paul Brown. “However, we tried to take advantage of the conditions by creating one-against-one situations on our pass patterns, and this worked pretty well on Otto Graham’s flat tosses.”

“I can’t overemphasize how much that slick footing cost us,” summed up Coach Flaherty for the Yankees.

The Browns went on to an even better season in 1948, compiling a perfect 14-0 record and winning a third AAFC Championship. They met Buffalo, not the Yankees, for the title as New York dropped to 6-8 and a third place finish in the Eastern Division.

1967: Kelly & Browns Overcome Late Charge by Jurgensen & Redskins

The Cleveland Browns were 6-4 and, in this first season in which the NFL conferences were broken down into divisions, at the top of the Century Divison of the Eastern Conference as they hosted the Washington Redskins on November 26, 1967. Head Coach Blanton Collier’s Browns had an outstanding running tandem in HB Leroy Kelly (pictured at right) and FB Ernie Green. Despite assorted injuries, Frank Ryan was still an effective quarterback and had excellent receivers in split end Paul Warfield and flanker Gary Collins.

The Redskins were coached by an ex-quarterback, Otto Graham, and boasted an outstanding aerial game that generated lots of points. QB Sonny Jurgensen was an accomplished passer and had a receiving corps of split end Charley Taylor, flanker Bobby Mitchell, and TE Jerry Smith that was top rate. However, the running game was far less impressive and the defense could give up points as readily as the offense could score. Washington had a mediocre 4-4-2 record but was coming off of two straight wins.

There were 72,798 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. The Browns had the first possession and moved methodically and mostly on the ground with Leroy Kelly and Ernie Green carrying the load. Finally, Kelly took a flip from Frank Ryan and sped 42 yards for a touchdown to conclude the 10-play series. The venerable Lou Groza, in his 21^st year at age 43, added the extra point.

Washington responded by advancing into Cleveland territory as Sonny Jurgensen completed four passes, but another was deflected by DE Paul Wiggin and LB Johnny Brewer (pictured at left) intercepted and returned it 70 yards for a TD. Groza’s PAT put the Browns ahead by 14-0.

The Redskins advanced quickly to midfield on their next possession. HB Gerry Allen ran around end for a 30-yard gain, and he and FB A.D. Whitfield combined for another 11 yards. Jurgensen threw to Charley Taylor for eight yards to reach the Cleveland 31, but the drive stalled there and, trying to convert a fourth-and-two situation, Jurgensen was sacked by Brewer.

The Browns punted to finish out the opening period and Washington started off the second quarter by going 59 yards in five plays. Jurgensen connected with Jerry Smith for 14 yards on a third-and-seven play and then threw to Taylor for a 23-yard touchdown. Gene Mingo converted and the home team’s lead was cut to 14-7.

Ryan threw to Paul Warfield for 23 yards as the Browns reached their 45 on the next series, but on the next play Green fumbled the handoff and CB Rickie Harris recovered for the Redskins. Jurgensen completed two passes to Whitfield, the second for 24 yards to the Cleveland 20, but three incompletions were followed by a 27-yard Mingo field goal. However, the Browns quickly expanded their margin again when DB Carl Ward returned the ensuing kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown. Groza’s point after made the tally 21-10.

Jurgensen again passed the Redskins into Cleveland territory, thanks to two completions to Bobby Mitchell, but after Allen was thrown for a loss on a running play, Taylor dropped a pass and, on third-and-12, Jurgensen was sacked to force the visitors to punt. It took the Browns just four plays to score again, with Ryan passing to Warfield (pictured below) down the left sideline for a 48-yard TD. Groza again converted and Cleveland was up by 28-10.

With less than four minutes remaining in the first half, Jurgensen came out passing on Washington’s next series. Five of them hit the mark, with the last to Taylor for a 15-yard touchdown. Mingo’s successful extra point again made it an 11-point contest. There was time enough for the Browns to make one last try to add points before halftime, and Kelly gained 30 yards on a sweep to near midfield. However, Groza’s field goal attempt from 42 yards was short and the score remained 28-17 at the intermission.

The Redskins had a short series and punted to start off the third quarter. Cleveland advanced 68 yards in six plays, the big one a swing pass by Ryan to Kelly that gained 48 yards to the Washington 21. A pass into the end zone drew a penalty for face-guarding and Green ran for the final yard and a TD. Groza’s extra point made the home team’s lead 35-17.

In response, the Redskins drove 75 yards. The hardly-nimble Jurgensen scrambled for 21 yards to convert a third-and-nine situation and he had back-to-back pass completions to Whitfield for 21 and 11 yards to reach the Cleveland 20. Now it was the turn of the Browns to make a penalty on a pass into the end zone, in this instance a pass interference call on DB Ben Davis, and Allen ran for a one-yard TD. Mingo converted and once more the margin was 11 points at 35-24.

The Browns had to punt on the next series after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved them out of field goal range and Washington punted in turn. Cleveland was on the move as the game moved into the fourth quarter, helped along by the running of Kelly and Green and a 20-yard gain on a pass from Ryan to Gary Collins. Kelly ran for a 21-yard touchdown and Groza’s PAT staked the Browns to a big 42-24 margin.

The Redskins struck back quickly. On the fourth play of the ensuing series, Jurgensen went long for Mitchell and the result was a 48-yard TD. Mingo’s kick made the score 42-31. The teams then traded punts before Washington put together another scoring drive. Jurgensen completed four straight passes, two of them to Taylor (pictured below), and one to Whitfield for 12 yards to the Cleveland one, from where Allen went over for the touchdown. Mingo’s extra point attempt was partially blocked and hit the crossbar, thus keeping it a five-point margin.

There were less than three minutes remaining in the game and Kelly ran for 18 yards on Cleveland’s next play from scrimmage, but the Browns could get no more first downs and punted. With the clock down to 1:33, Jurgensen went to the air, completing passes to Jerry Smith for 17 and 21 yards and to Taylor for 19 to the Cleveland 25. But that was as close as the Redskins were able to get. The next three passes were incomplete, with one of them barely deflected by CB Erich Barnes in the end zone, and DE Bill Glass flattened Jurgensen on fourth down to effectively end the contest. Cleveland held on to win by a final score of 42-37.  

Washington had the edge in total yards (481 to 424) and first downs (33 to 19). Most of those yards came through the air as the Redskins generated 373 net passing yards, although Cleveland accumulated 203 yards on the ground. The Browns also recorded five sacks, to two by Washington, and each team turned the ball over one time apiece. Cleveland was penalized 10 times, at a cost of 148 yards, to six flags for 49 yards thrown on the Redskins. Ultimately, the interception and kickoff returns for touchdowns were the keys for the Browns.

Leroy Kelly rushed for 163 yards on 20 carries that included two touchdowns and also gained another 44 yards on two pass receptions. Frank Ryan didn’t go to the air often, completing 11 of 17 passes, but they were good for 233 yards and a TD while none were intercepted. Paul Warfield caught three passes for 96 yards and a score and Gary Collins contributed three receptions also, for 58 yards.

For the Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen had a huge performance in defeat, going to the air 50 times and completing 32 for 418 yards with three touchdowns against one interception. Three receivers went over a hundred yards, with Charley Taylor leading as he caught 11 passes for 123 yards and two TDs. Bobby Mitchell gained 106 yards on his 6 receptions that included a score and A.D. Whitfield accumulated 102 yards on 8 catches out of the backfield. Whitfield also rushed for 28 yards on 14 carries while Gerry Allen led the club with 59 yards on 14 attempts that included two short touchdowns.

The win kept the Browns a game ahead of the Giants in the Century Division and they stayed on top with a final record of 9-5. However, they were pulverized by the Cowboys in the Eastern Conference playoff. Washington ended up at 5-6-3 for third place in the Capitol Division.

Leroy Kelly passed the thousand-yard threshold for the second straight year with his fine performance against the Redskins and went on to lead the NFL in rushing with 1205 yards on 235 carries (5.1 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection and also was named to the Pro Bowl.

Sonny Jurgensen (pictured at right) set new NFL records with 508 pass attempts, 288 completions, and 3747 yards (Joe Namath threw for 4007 yards in the AFL). He also led the league in TD passes (31) and passing overall (87.3 rating) and was chosen to the Pro Bowl. The 418-yard performance against Cleveland ended up being the third-highest of his Hall of Fame career.

Charley Taylor was a consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl choice as he led the NFL with 70 pass receptions, which were good for 990 yards and nine TDs. Indeed, he, Jerry Smith, and Bobby Mitchell placed first, second, and fourth, respectively, among the league’s pass receiving leaders.

1967: Eagles Win Back-and-Forth Opener Over Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles were coming off of a 9-5 record in 1966 and had some new faces on the roster as they hosted the Washington Redskins on September 17, 1967. Head Coach Joe Kuharich had developed a reputation for being willing to deal since taking over the reins in ’64. In the most recent offseason, flanker Gary Ballman (pictured above) was obtained from the Steelers and star TE Mike Ditka of the Bears, who had worn out his welcome in Chicago following a contract dispute, was brought in to replace retired TE Pete Retzlaff. QB Norm Snead, who came to the Eagles from Washington in 1964 in a controversial trade for QB Sonny Jurgensen, had suffered through a miserable ’66 season and was benched for the last several games in favor of Jack Concannon and King Hill, but Concannon was traded to the Bears for Ditka, Hill was injured during the preseason, and Snead was now back firmly in the starting job and looking to rebound.

With the Redskins in town for the opening game, coached by Otto Graham for the second year, Snead once more faced Sonny Jurgensen, and the ex-Eagle had a Pro Bowl year in ’66 in which he threw for 3209 yards and 28 touchdowns for the 7-7 club. Charley Taylor, shifted from halfback to split end, led the NFL in pass receptions and, together with flanker Bobby Mitchell and TE Jerry Smith, was part of a formidable receiving corps. The running game was far less impressive, however, and FB Ray McDonald had been chosen in the first round of the draft to address that issue. There were questions regarding the defense, but star MLB Sam Huff was back for his 12^th season as well as a rising talent in OLB Chris Hanburger.

60,755 fans were in attendance at Franklin Field. Things started off with a bang for the Redskins when rookie flanker John Love returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Charlie Gogolak added the extra point and the visitors were ahead by 7-0 after less than 20 seconds of play.

The Eagles responded by going 80 yards in five plays on their initial series. Norm Snead (pictured below) threw to Mike Ditka for eight yards, FB Tom Woodeshick rushed for a total of five yards on two carries, and, after an illegal procedure call backed the Eagles up, HB Israel “Izzy” Lang ran 13 yards around end for a first down. Snead then went long for Gary Ballman, and it resulted in a 59-yard touchdown. Sam Baker successfully converted to tie the score.

Washington had to punt on its next possession, but got the ball back two plays later when Snead fumbled while being sacked and DE Bill Briggs recovered at the Philadelphia 13. Helped by a holding penalty, the Eagles were able to keep the visitors out of the end zone and Washington settled for a 30-yard Gogolak field goal to move back into the lead.

The Eagles moved the ball effectively on the ground, with Lang and Woodeshick carrying, but Lang fumbled and Sam Huff recovered at his own 38. A few plays later, FB A.D. Whitfield fumbled the ball back and Philadelphia put together a seven-play, 58-yard series. Lang had runs of 12 and 19 yards and Snead completed two passes, the second of which was for a 10-yard TD to Ballman. Baker’s extra point made the score 14-10 in favor of the Eagles.

Heading into the second quarter, Washington put together a promising drive as Sonny Jurgensen completed four passes for 45 yards, but Gogolak was short on a 37-yard field goal attempt. Philadelphia again moved the ball well, starting off with a Snead throw to Ditka for 25 yards, but after reaching Washington territory, a holding penalty and sack moved the Eagles back and they had to punt. The Redskins advanced 73 yards in six plays, four of them pass completions by Jurgensen. The longest was to split end Charley Taylor for 35 yards to the Philadelphia 13 and, two plays later, HB Joe Don Looney ran five yards for a touchdown. Gogolak added the PAT and Washington was now in front in the see-saw battle by a score of 17-14.

Following a 33-yard kickoff return by split end Ben Hawkins, there were just over three minutes left in the half as the Eagles started their next series. On a third-and-eight play, Snead connected with Woodeshick for 30 yards and, two plays later, Ballman caught a pass for a 22-yard gain to the Washington two. Snead scored on a quarterback sneak two plays after that, and with Baker’s kick, Philadelphia took a 21-17 lead into halftime.

The Eagles found themselves trapped deep in their own territory on the first series of the third quarter, and Baker’s punt from his end zone was short and gave the Redskins possession at the Philadelphia 33. Jurgensen immediately threw to Taylor for 10 yards and a first down, but after the possession bogged down at the 18, Gogolak’s 25-yard field goal attempt was blocked by LB Harold Wells.

Philadelphia again had to punt after a short series and this time the visitors didn’t come up empty. The Redskins drove 55 yards in seven plays, the biggest a Jurgensen throw to Taylor that picked up 36 yards. Jurgensen’s third completion of the series was to Jerry Smith for a four-yard TD and, adding Gogolak’s PAT, Washington was again in the lead by 24-21.

The Eagles came out throwing when they got the ball back, with Snead completing three passes before Woodeshick took a handoff on a draw play and broke away for a 40-yard touchdown. Baker converted and the five-play, 63-yard series had Philadelphia back again in front by a score of 28-24.

It was Jurgensen’s turn to fill the air with passes when Washington regained possession, and he connected with Bobby Mitchell for a 43-yard gain to the Philadelphia 32. Throws to Taylor and Smith picked up 12 yards apiece, but three straight passes into the end zone from the 12 yard line fell incomplete and the Eagles blocked another Gogolak try for a field goal on the final play of the period.

The Eagles went three-and-out on their next series and punted and, starting from their own 26, the Redskins again moved down the field. Looney and Ray McDonald ran well and Jurgensen completed three passes. But after reaching the Philadelphia eight, Love, in place of the injured Gogolak, missed on a 15-yard field goal attempt.

The teams traded punts before the Eagles added an insurance score. Snead fired long for Ben Hawkins and it was complete for a 68-yard gain to the Washington six. Three plays later, Woodeshick ran for a one-yard TD, Baker converted, and the home team was in front by 11 points with less than three minutes remaining on the clock. Jurgensen again went to the air and, at one point, completed five straight throws, but after reaching the Philadelphia 33, he was sacked on a fourth down play to effectively end the game. The Eagles came away winners by the score of 35-24.

Philadelphia compiled more total yards (426 to 388) although the Redskins had the edge in first downs (21 to 18). Each team recorded three sacks and the Eagles turned the ball over twice, to one suffered by Washington. The Redskins were hurt by a combined four missed field goals out of five attempts.

Norm Snead completed 18 of 27 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Gary Ballman had four catches for 105 yards and both receiving TDs while Ben Hawkins, thanks to his long catch in the second half, gained an even 100 yards on 5 receptions. Mike Ditka also caught 5 passes, for 42 yards. Izzy Lang rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries and Tom Woodeshick was right behind with 74 yards, also on 13 attempts, with two touchdowns.

For the Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen (pictured below) was successful on 25 of 46 throws for 324 yards and a TD while having none picked off. Charley Taylor caught 8 of those passes for 144 yards and Jerry Smith also hauled in 8 receptions, for 81 yards and a score. Bobby Mitchell contributed 6 catches for 82 yards. Ray McDonald led the rushers by gaining 47 yards on 8 carries.

The Eagles got off to a 3-1 start before dropping four of their next five games on the way to a 6-7-1 record, which placed second in the Capitol Division of the Eastern Conference. Washington ended up third at 5-6-3.

Norm Snead had his most productive season as a passer for the Eagles, throwing for 3399 yards and 29 touchdowns while giving up 24 interceptions. Gary Ballman continued to perform well and caught 36 passes for 524 yards (14.6 avg.) and six TDs, but Mike Ditka missed five games with injuries and ended up with just 26 receptions for 274 yards and two scores. It was Ben Hawkins, in his second year, who broke out in a big way and led the NFL with 1265 yards on his 59 catches (21.4 avg.) that included 10 touchdowns.

Sonny Jurgensen went on to another big season, leading the league in pass attempts (508), completions (288), yards (3747), and TDs (31). Charley Taylor again led the circuit in pass receptions (70) and Jerry Smith (67) and Bobby Mitchell (60) ranked second and fourth. Ray McDonald proved to not be the answer at fullback, however, gaining just 223 rushing yards.

MVP Profile: Otto Graham, 1955

Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

Age:  34 (Dec. 6)

10^th season in pro football & with Browns

College: Northwestern

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 205

Prelude:

A single-wing tailback in college, Graham chose to sign with the Browns of the new AAFC rather than the NFL Detroit Lions, who had drafted him in the first round in 1944, after coming out of the Navy. An outstanding athlete, he first played pro basketball before joining the Browns for the 1946 season. Mobile and an accurate passer, Graham threw for 1834 yards as a rookie and led the AAFC with 17 TD passes as the Browns won the league championship. He was the league’s MVP for the first time in ’47 as he led the AAFC in overall passing as well as completion percentage (60.6), yards (2753), TD passes (25), and yards per attempt (10.2). Graham was co-MVP with San Francisco’s Frankie Albert in ’48, a season in which he once more led the AAFC in passing yards (2713) while tossing another 25 TD passes and the Browns went undefeated. The Browns won the AAFC title for the fourth straight year in 1949, and Graham led the league in passing yards (2785) and yards per attempt (9.8). While no MVP was awarded by the league, he was a consensus first-team All-AAFC selection. Graham and the Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 and kept up their winning ways by achieving another championship. Graham was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was named league MVP by UPI in ’51 as the Browns went 11-1, although they lost the Championship game to the Rams. In 1952, Graham led the league in pass attempts (364), completions (181), yards (2816), and TD passes (20), as well as interceptions (24), and was once again named to the Pro Bowl. He received MVP honors from UPI again in ’53 after leading the league in passing yards (2722), yards per attempt (10.6), and completion percentage (64.7) and, while the Browns lost the NFL Championship game for a third straight year, they returned to the top in 1954 as Graham again led the NFL in completion percentage (59.2). He retired at that point, although when the Browns had difficulty in the 1955 preseason, he was coaxed back into action for one more year.

1955 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 185 [10]

Most attempts, game – 31 at NY Giants 11/27

Completions – 98 [8, tied with Charlie Conerly]

Most completions, game – 17 at NY Giants 11/27

Yards – 1721 [6]

Most yards, game – 319 at NY Giants 11/27

Completion percentage – 53.0 [1, tied with Bobby Layne]

Yards per attempt – 9.3 [1]

TD passes – 15 [3]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at NY Giants 11/27, vs. Chi. Cardinals 12/11

Interceptions – 8 [12]

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Washington 9/25, at Philadelphia 11/13

Passer rating – 94.0 [1]

300-yard passing games – 1

200-yard passing games – 2

Rushing

Attempts – 68

Yards – 121

Yards per attempt – 1.8

TDs – 6 [4, tied with Ed Modzelewski & Lew Carpenter]

Scoring

TDs – 6 [17, tied with four others]

Points – 36

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at LA Rams)

Pass attempts – 25

Pass completions – 14

Passing yardage – 209

TD passes – 2

Interceptions – 3

Rushing attempts – 9

Rushing yards – 21

Average gain rushing – 2.3

Rushing TDs – 2

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: UPI, Sporting News

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News, Sporting News

2^nd team All-NFL: NEA

Browns went 9-2-1 to finish first in the NFL Eastern Conference while leading league in scoring (349 points) and touchdowns (45). Won NFL Championship over Los Angeles Rams (38-14).

Aftermath:

Graham retired for good following the 1955 season. Altogether, over 10 seasons (four in the AAFC, 6 in the NFL) he averaged 9.0 yards per attempt (a record 8.6 in the NFL alone) while throwing for 23,584 yards (10,085 in AAFC, 13,499 in NFL) with 174 TDs (86 in AAFC, 88 in NFL). He also ran for 882 yards and scored 44 TDs, with a high of 8 in 1954. Graham was a first-team All-league selection three times in the AAFC as well as three more times in the NFL and was chosen for the first five Pro Bowls. Perhaps most significantly of all, he quarterbacked Cleveland to a championship game in all ten years, winning seven of them. The Browns retired his #14 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). 

MVP Profile: Otto Graham, 1953

Quarterback, Cleveland Browns

Age:  32 (Dec. 6)

8^th season in pro football & with Browns

College: Northwestern

Height: 6’1”   Weight: 200

Prelude:

A single-wing tailback in college, Graham chose to sign with the Browns of the new AAFC rather than the NFL Detroit Lions, who had drafted him in the first round in 1944, after coming out of the Navy. An outstanding athlete, he first played pro basketball before joining the Browns for the 1946 season. Mobile and an accurate passer, Graham threw for 1834 yards as a rookie and led the AAFC with 17 TD passes as the Browns won the league championship. He was the league’s MVP for the first time in ’47 as he led the AAFC in overall passing as well as completion percentage (60.6), yards (2753), TD passes (25), and yards per attempt (10.2). Graham was co-MVP with San Francisco’s Frankie Albert in ’48, a season in which he once more led the AAFC in passing yards (2713) while tossing another 25 TD passes and the Browns went undefeated. The Browns won the AAFC title for the fourth straight year in 1949, and Graham led the league in passing yards (2785) and yards per attempt (9.8). While no MVP was awarded by the league, he was a consensus first-team All-AAFC selection. Graham and the Browns moved to the NFL in 1950 and kept up their winning ways by achieving another championship. Graham was selected to the Pro Bowl. He was named league MVP by UPI in ’51 as the Browns went 11-1, although they lost the Championship game to the Rams. The Browns reached the NFL title game and lost again in 1952, and Graham led the league in pass attempts (364), completions (181), yards (2816), and TD passes (20), as well as interceptions (24), and was once again named to the Pro Bowl.

1953 Season Summary

Appeared in all 12 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 258 [8]

Most attempts, game – 32 at Washington 10/18

Completions – 167 [2]

Most completions, game – 20 vs. Philadelphia 10/10

Yards – 2722 [1]

Most yards, game – 328 vs. Philadelphia 10/10

Completion percentage – 64.7 [1]

Yards per attempt – 10.6 [1]

TD passes – 11 [7]

Most TD passes, game – 3 at Chi. Cardinals 10/4

Interceptions – 9 [15, tied with Adrian Burk]

Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Pittsburgh 11/8, at Philadelphia 12/13

Passer rating – 99.7 [1]

300-yard passing games – 2

200-yard passing games – 9

Rushing

Attempts – 43

Yards – 143

Yards per attempt – 3.3

TDs – 6 [5, tied with Joe Arenas & Y.A. Tittle]

Scoring

TDs – 6         

Points – 36

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship at Detroit Lions)

Pass attempts – 15

Pass completions – 2

Passing yardage – 20

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 2

Rushing attempts – 5

Rushing yards – 9

Average gain rushing – 1.8

Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: UPI

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, NY Daily News

Browns went 11-1 to finish first in the Eastern Conference. Lost NFL Championship to Detroit Lions (17-16).

Aftermath:

Cleveland won the Championship games following the 1954 and ’55 seasons (the latter after Graham was coaxed out of retirement to play one more year) and Graham led the league in completion percentage in each of his last three years as well as TD percentage (8.1) and yards per attempt (9.3) in ’55. Altogether, over 10 seasons (four in the AAFC, 6 in the NFL) Graham averaged 9.0 yards per attempt (a record 8.6 in the NFL alone) while throwing for 23,584 yards (10,085 in AAFC, 13,499 in NFL) with 174 TDs (86 in AAFC, 88 in NFL). He also ran for 882 yards and scored 44 TDs, with a high of 8 in 1954. He was a first-team All-league selection three times in the AAFC as well as three more times in the NFL and was chosen for the first five Pro Bowls. Perhaps most significantly of all, he quarterbacked Cleveland to a championship game in all ten years, winning seven of them. The Browns retired his #14 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).