1963: Giants Dominate Browns in Key Eastern Showdown

The Cleveland Browns seemed poised to take control of the NFL Eastern Conference race as they hosted the New York Giants on October 27, 1963. The Browns were undefeated at 6-0 and had looked very good in defeating the Giants at Yankee Stadium two weeks earlier. Under first-year Head Coach Blanton Collier, they had the league’s top rusher in FB Jim Brown, who was leading the NFL with 931 yards on the ground and had compiled 209 yards from scrimmage in the previous meeting with the Giants. QB Frank Ryan was also leading the NFL with a completion percentage of 62.1.

The Giants, coached by Allie Sherman, had topped the Eastern Conference in each of the last two years but, at 4-2, were in danger of falling out of contention unless they could derail Cleveland. 37-year-old QB Y.A. Tittle (pictured above) had been a sensation since arriving from San Francisco in 1961 and had a fine receiving corps led by split end Del Shofner. The veteran group of running backs included FB Alex Webster and HB Hugh McElhenny. The defense also had a well-seasoned core that was anchored by MLB Sam Huff and included such stalwarts as DEs Andy Robustelli and Jim Katcavage, DT Dick Modzelewski, cornerbacks Dick Lynch and Erich Barnes, and FS Jim Patton.

There were 84,213 fans at Municipal Stadium, the second-largest crowd for a regular season game to date in the history of the huge venue. The tone was set on the second play from scrimmage when Jim Brown fumbled after picking up seven yards and Sam Huff recovered for the Giants at the Cleveland 30. Four plays later, Don Chandler kicked a 29-yard field goal to give New York the early lead.

On the next play following the kickoff, Frank Ryan threw a pass that was intercepted by Jim Patton and the Giants again took possession in Cleveland territory. They immediately capitalized when Y.A. Tittle threw to Del Shofner for a 23-yard touchdown. Chandler added the extra point and less than three minutes into the game, the visitors were ahead by 10-0. Cleveland had run only three offensive plays.

The Browns went three-and-out on their next series and were forced to punt. The Giants, taking over at their 14, put together an 86-yard drive in 15 plays. Tittle completed seven passes along the way, two of which converted third downs, including one to TE Aaron Thomas for 19 yards in a third-and-10 situation and another to TE Joe Walton for 13 yards on a third-and-six play. Hugh McElhenny and Alex Webster ran effectively and Tittle finished the series off with a six-yard scoring pass to McElhenny. New York’s lead was 17-0 after a quarter of play.

The Browns again had to punt and once more New York responded by putting points on the board. This time the Giants moved the ball 34 yards in eight plays capped by Chandler booting a 34-yard field goal. Tittle again came through with a third down completion to keep the drive going, connecting with Shofner for 16 yards to the Cleveland 31 on a third-and-seven play.

Another short series by the Browns was followed by another New York scoring drive. Tittle completed four more passes, Cleveland was flagged for pass interference on one he didn’t complete, and Chandler kicked another field goal, this time from 33 yards. The Giants had scored on every first half possession and took a commanding 23-0 lead into halftime. The statistics were as lopsided as the score - New York had outgained the Browns by 195 yards to 35 and Cleveland had run just 20 plays.

The Giants kept pouring it on as the third quarter began. McElhenny took the second half kickoff 51 yards and they ended up with a fourth Chandler field goal, of 42 yards. The Browns still remained stymied on offense and punted, and New York remained unstoppable. The offense put together another methodical scoring drive that ended with Webster running the last two yards for a TD.

The outcome was not in doubt in the fourth quarter as the Giants finally failed to score on a possession. After reaching the Cleveland 37, Tittle’s deflected pass was intercepted. Jim Ninowski was now at quarterback for the Browns, but had no better luck at moving the team until his second series, after Chandler missed on a 44-yard field goal attempt. Ninowski threw to split end Tom Hutchinson for 70 yards and two plays later finally got the Browns on the board with a 10-yard touchdown pass to end Rich Kreitling. However, Groza’s extra point attempt was blocked by Huff. The final score was a resounding 33-6 win for the Giants.

New York had a huge lead in total yards (387 to 142) and first downs (26 to 6). The Giants sacked Cleveland’s quarterbacks four times and Cleveland turned the ball over on three occasions, to just the one late and insignificant turnover suffered by New York. The Giants only punted twice, both coming in the final period.

Y.A. Tittle completed 21 of 31 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns with one intercepted. Del Shofner (pictured at left) had 7 catches for 108 yards and a TD. Alex Webster rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and Hugh McElhenny also ran for 53 yards, on 13 attempts, while contributing a TD on his lone pass reception. Don Chandler helped out with his four field goals in five attempts.

For the Browns, Frank Ryan was successful on only one of 9 throws for a startling minus six passing yards and was intercepted once. Jim Ninowski hit on 4 of 11 passes for 120 yards and a TD with one picked off. Jim Brown was held to just 40 yards on 9 carries and had the critical early fumble. He was also ejected after getting into an altercation with New York LB Tom Scott, who was also tossed, in the game’s last minute. Tom Hutchinson, thanks to the long reception in the fourth quarter, had two catches for 97 yards to lead the club.

The Giants continued on to win their next four games and lost only once more on the way to once again topping the Eastern Conference with an 11-3 record. However, they lost to the Bears in the NFL title game, falling short for the third straight time. Cleveland won the next week at Philadelphia but then lost two straight, faltering down the stretch and ending up in second place at 10-4.

Y.A. Tittle broke his own NFL record with 36 touchdown passes and also led the league in overall passing (104.8 rating in current system), completion percentage (60.2), yards per attempt (8.6), and percentage of TD passes (9.8, tied with Frank Ryan). Del Shofner ranked third in pass receiving yards (1181) and fourth in pass receptions (64). Don Chandler led the NFL in scoring (106 points) and was third in field goals (18) and first in extra points (52).

1964: Giants Trade Sam Huff to Redskins

The New York Giants had largely dominated the NFL Eastern Conference from 1956 through ’63, coming in first in six of those eight seasons and winning one championship. The string had begun under Head Coach Jim Lee Howell, who retired following the 1960 season, and continued under his successor, Allie Sherman. While the offense, guided by QB Y.A. Tittle, had been highly productive from 1961 to ’63, it was the strong and savvy defensive unit that had consistently made the Giants a contender.

Thus, it was shocking on April 10, 1964 when New York traded one of the key players on the defense, MLB Sam Huff, along with rookie defensive lineman George Seals to the lowly Washington Redskins for DE Andy Stynchula, HB Dick James, and a fifth round draft choice for 1965. Coming after the retirement of DE Andy Robustelli and trade of DT Dick Modzelewski to Cleveland, the deal was a shock to fans and players alike.

“It’s kind of like getting hit with a bomb,” said Huff in reaction. “It’s so unexpected I haven’t gotten over the shock.”

As Huff pointed out at the time of the trade, the Giants defense had been not only effective but a close-knit unit as well. The 6’1”, 230-pound West Virginia native had been one of the most visible and popular members of that platoon since joining the club as a third-round draft pick in 1956. With deceptive speed and great strength, he had been selected to four straight Pro Bowls from 1958 to ’61, was a consensus first-team All-Pro on two occasions, and received some first-team All-Pro recognition in two others. Moreover, he had appeared on the cover of TIME magazine and gained additional notoriety from a television documentary that aired in 1960 called “The Violent World of Sam Huff.” While there were complaints that Huff received more publicity than he was due and was not the equal of contemporary middle linebackers such as Detroit’s Joe Schmidt or Green Bay’s Ray Nitschke, he was a fan favorite, prone to making big plays, durable, and unquestionably talented – his one-on-one battles with the two greatest fullbacks of the era, Cleveland’s Jim Brown and Jim Taylor of the Packers, were particularly noteworthy.

However, Huff was 29 at the time of the trade and the defense was already developing holes during the offseason. Robustelli’s apparent retirement and the Modzelewski trade created concerns regarding the line, making Andy Stynchula attractive. A star at Penn State, the 6’3” and 250-pound Stynchula had played at defensive end in four years with the Redskins but was versatile enough to play tackle.

In addition, the running backs were aging and injuries had plagued the group in 1963. The 30-year-old Dick James (pictured at right) was an all-purpose halfback who had been with the Redskins for eight seasons and returned kicks as well as appeared in the backfield. He had never gained more than 384 yards rushing in a season – and never carried the ball more than 105 times – but was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1961. It was hoped he could provide needed depth.

“We felt we had to strengthen both our defensive line and our offensive backfield, and the price came high,” explained Sherman.

For Washington, it was the second major deal in ten days, following the exchange of QB Norm Snead for QB Sonny Jurgensen of Philadelphia. Head Coach/GM Bill McPeak was looking to obtain proven veterans in the hope of winning immediately – he was facing a “win-or-else” edict. In three seasons under his guidance, the Redskins had gone 9-30-3.

Linebacker had been a problem area for the Redskins, and together with Jimmy Carr, a defensive back that they intended to convert to outside linebacker who was obtained in the trade with the Eagles, Huff offered a major upgrade. Rod Breedlove, the starting RLB in ’63, was to compete with Bob Pellegrini and Allen Miller for the LLB starting spot (veteran John Reger was picked up prior to the season and filled the position capably). The 275-pound George Seals had been chosen by the Giants in the fourth round of the ’64 draft out of Missouri and was considered to be a defensive line prospect, replacing the departed Stynchula.

Hopes that Allie Sherman’s deal-making would put the Giants over the top in 1964 were shattered as the team collapsed instead. Andy Robustelli came out of retirement for one more year as a player-coach, but like many of his aging teammates on both sides of the ball, was no longer a stellar performer. Lou Slaby, in his first season after spending’63 on the taxi squad, filled in surprisingly well at middle linebacker, but was not of Huff’s caliber (and did not prove long-lasting). Stynchula started but, likewise, did not remind anyone of Modzelewski. Dick James was the primary punt returner, averaging 7.3 yards on his 21 returns, and ran back 23 kickoffs for a 22.4-yard average, but gained just 189 yards on 55 carries (3.4 avg.) and caught 12 passes for 101 more.

New York fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 2-10-2 record and Sherman’s trades were heavily criticized, especially since Modzelewski helped to solidify the defensive line for the Browns, who went on to win the ’64 NFL Championship, and Huff was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Indeed, Huff provided both the outstanding play and leadership that had been anticipated. He intercepted passes in each of the first three games and the defense overall improved from last (14^th) in the NFL in 1963 to seventh. They also defeated the Giants for the first time in seven seasons. While Washington was still a losing team, the record was an improved 6-8 (Bill McPeak was able to hold on for another year).

The Giants were unable to fully right the ship during the remainder of Sherman’s coaching reign, which ended following the 1968 season. The club had three 7-7 records during that time, but the trades of the 1963-64 offseason haunted him to the end. Andy Stynchula handled some of the placekicking as well as starting on the defensive line in 1965, his last in New York. He was dealt to the Colts prior to the 1966 season. Dick James didn’t make it that far as he was rendered expendable by a rising group of young running backs (called the “Baby Bulls” and led by HB Steve Thurlow and FB Ernie Wheelwright) and finished up his career in Minnesota in ’65.

Sam Huff played another three years for the Redskins, retired following the 1967 season, and then was coaxed back into action for one last year in 1969 when Vince Lombardi arrived as head coach and general manager. He played well with Washington, perhaps partly motivated by the bitterness that he maintained toward the Giants organization for trading him – reportedly, he called the field goal unit onto the field to add a final three-point nail in New York’s coffin near the end of a wild 72-41 Washington victory in 1966.

Huff was eventually enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, gaining admission in 1982. While arguments persisted as to how much the publicity he received in New York enhanced his reputation, there could be no question that his departure was keenly felt by the Giants defense and his play in Washington remained at a high level.

As footnotes, George Seals was moved to offensive tackle in 1964 and then was traded to Chicago just before the ’65 season, where he played for seven years and appeared both at guard on offense and tackle on defense. The 1965 fifth round draft choice that the Giants obtained along with Stynchula and James was used to take Frank Lambert, an end/punter out of Mississippi who spent two years as a punter for the Steelers.

1966: Redskins Defeat Giants 72-41 in Highest Scoring NFL Game

The New York Giants team that played the Washington Redskins at DC Stadium on November 27, 1966 was far below the caliber of the Giants teams that had won three consecutive Eastern Conference titles from 1961-63. For that matter, it was far less impressive than the squad that finished 7-7 in 1965.

The Giants, under Head Coach Allie Sherman, stood at 1-8-1 coming into the game, with the only win having come over the Redskins at Yankee Stadium five weeks earlier. Washington was 5-6 after having lost the last three contests under first year Head Coach Otto Graham, the Hall of Fame quarterback.

What transpired was a thoroughly wild game, filled with turnovers and big plays. The final score was 72-41, the highest total in NFL history at 113 points. Redskins HB A.D. Whitfield had three touchdowns on the day, leading all players, including a 63-yard run in the first quarter plus a one-yard run and five-yard pass reception from QB Sonny Jurgensen that started the scoring onslaught. Rookie safety Brig Owens scored two TDs for Washington, on a 62-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter and 60-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. Split end Charley Taylor also added two TDs to the Redskins total, on passes covering 32 and 74 yards from Jurgensen. The special teams contributed a touchdown as DB Rickie Harris ran a punt back 52 yards in the fourth quarter.

31-year-old flanker Bobby Mitchell, who hadn’t played running back since leaving Cleveland for Washington after the 1961 season, got in on the action when Coach Graham told him to play halfback (against his wishes). The second time he carried the ball, he ran 45 yards for a score.

The team statistics were surprisingly even. In fact, the Giants outgained the Redskins (389 total yards to 341) and had more first downs (25-16). Washington led 34-14 at the half, and yet had -5 net passing yards (at that point Jurgensen had completed just four of nine passes for a mere five yards). But turnovers continually put the Giants in a hole. They turned the ball over six times, five of them by interceptions, with the fumble recovery and one of the interceptions by Owens (he had three) directly leading to scores and three of the pickoffs giving the offense good field position for short scoring drives.

All in all, Jurgensen recovered from the poor first half to put up respectable numbers, if rather ordinary (for him), completing 10 of 16 passes for 145 yards with three TDs and no interceptions (backup Dick Shiner had his lone pass picked off). Whitfield, not surprisingly, was the top rusher with 74 yards on just six carries. Mitchell was second with 54 yards on his two rushes. The eccentric HB Joe Don Looney had the most carries, 10, and gained 46 yards, including a nine-yard score. Charley Taylor accounted for most of the pass receiving offense, with six catches for 124 yards and the two TDs.

As for the Giants, Gary Wood and Tom Kennedy split the quarterback duties. Kennedy completed 13 of 21 passes for 165 yards with a TD and three interceptions, while Wood was successful on 7 of 12 passes for 146 yards with two touchdowns and two picked off. Wood’s two TD passes provided the big plays for New York; they covered 41 yards to HB Joe Morrison and 50 yards to the speedy split end, Homer Jones. Three Giants had over 80 yards receiving – Morrison, with 98 on four catches; Jones, who had 85 yards on a team-leading 6 receptions; and TE Aaron Thomas, who accumulated 82 yards on 4 catches including a touchdown.

Washington placekicker Charlie Gogolak (pictured) tied a record with nine extra points (he missed one), while his brother Pete, kicking for the Giants, added another five. He also topped off the scoring with a controversial 29-yard field goal with the Redskins leading 69-41 with seven seconds left in the game.

The Giants surrendered the ball on their own 23 yard line after QB Kennedy threw the ball away on a fourth down pass, having lost track of the downs (not that it mattered at that point). LB Sam Huff, the Redskins defensive captain, shouted for the field goal team to go in (guard Vince Promuto also claimed to have done likewise). Huff still harbored bad feelings toward the Giants for the trade that sent him to Washington after the 1963 season, while Promuto, a native New Yorker who had been with the Redskins since 1960, had endured too many games early in his career when the Giants, in their contending years, had run up big scores. It was payback time, and there were Washington players who wanted to exact every bit of revenge that they could. Regardless of who called for the coup-de-grace field goal, it allowed the Redskins to pass the 70 points scored by the Rams in a 1950 game and lay claim to the highest total in a regular season contest.

It was the ultimate humiliation for the Giants, who were on the way to the bottom of the Eastern Conference in ’66, finishing with a franchise-worst 1-12-1 record. Washington concluded the season at 7-7, putting them in fifth place in the East.

While this was not one of his better passing days, Sonny Jurgensen ended up leading the NFL in passing attempts (436) and completions (254) as well as yards (3209). Charley Taylor led the league in pass receptions for the first of two consecutive years with 72. Charlie Gogolak went over the 100-yard scoring mark, ranking third in the NFL with 105 points and 22 field goals. Homer Jones of the Giants had an outstanding season for a terrible team, catching 48 passes for 1044 yards (an average gain of 21.8) with 8 TDs.