Cleveland Browns: Best game of each decade 1940s-1990s

1964  Browns vs Colts – The Browns last championship

The Cleveland Browns made it back to the Championship game in 1964 after having been in a slump for several years with their superstar coach Paul Brown, not making the NFL Championship game since 1957. After a 7-6-1 season in 1962, with Jim Brown gaining fewer than 1,000 yards, hotshot owner Art Modell fired his iconic coach, and replaced him with Blanton Collier.

1962 was a terrible year, as Brown had traded up to draft Ernie Davis, superstar runner from Syracuse like Jim Brown, but Davis was diagnosed with leukemia and died a year later. That is hardly the coach’s fault, and no doubt the Browns would have had the best backfield in history had Davis not been stricken, but the coach was fired anyway.

Amazingly, Collier righted the ship, going 10-4 in 1963 and 10-3-1 in 1964. Brown once again put up astonishing yardage totals and Dr. Frank Ryan had Pro Bowl year in 1964, leading the NFL in touchdown passes.

But as good as the Browns were in 1964, the Baltimore Colts seemed to be better, leading the NFL in points scored behind superstar quarterback Johnny Unitas, throwing to the likes of Jimmy Orr and future Hall-of-Famer Raymond Berry.

In addition the Colts had a roster full of running backs, led by another future Hall of Famer in Lenny Moore. Despite no single running back gaining as many as 600 yards, together the Colts’ running-back-by-committee rushed for an amazing  2,007 yards, which was almost as many as the Browns with 2,163 .The Colts defense gave up the fewest number of points in the NFL, 67 fewer than the Browns.

The Browns probably deserved to be seven point home underdogs based on the numbers.

The NFL Championship was played in the snow in Cleveland Municipal Stadium, with a stiff wind blowing in from the lake. Perfect field conditions for Clevelanders. The wind slowed down the passing attack for both teams, and the cold wet football was hard to hang on to, with both teams committing turnovers in the first half. Both teams had chances in the first half but did not convert, resulting in a scoreless tie at halftime.

In the second half, with the wind at their backs, the Browns finally got a field goal from kicker Lou “The Toe” Groza.  Then in the next possession, Jim Brown took a pitchout and ran 36 yards to the Colts’ 18 yard line. Ryan found Gary Collins in the end zone and the Browns took a formidable 10 point lead.

The Colts squibbed a punt, and the Browns took the ball at the Colts 39 yard line.  After losing three yards, Ryan again went to the air and hit Collins with a 42 yard strike.

In the fourth quarter, the Colts continued to sputter. Groza connected on another field goal making it 20-0. Later in the quarter the math professor fired a 51 yard touchdown bomb, again to Collins and the Browns sealed the victory 27-0.

As usual, Jim Brown was magnificent, gaining 114 yards by himself versus 92 for the entire Colt Team. Through the air, Unitas threw for only 95 yards and two INTs. Meanwhile Ryan dominated Unitas statistically with 206 yards passing, three touchdowns and only one pick. The three touchdown receptions by Gary Collins set a new NFL Championship record.