1950 Cleveland Browns season
Encyclopedia
The 1950
Cleveland Browns
season was the team's first season with the National Football League
after playing the previous four years in the All-America Football Conference, which folded after the 1949 season. The Browns' first NFL game was against the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Eagles
. The overwhelming consensus at the time was that the Eagles would blow the Browns off the field; there were still many who thought the Browns were merely the dominant team in a minor league. However, the Browns were determined to prove they belonged. They shredded the Eagles' vaunted defense for 487 yards of total offense en route to a 35–10 blowout.
Otto Graham
, Marion Motley
and Dante Lavelli
, the Browns picked up right where they left off in the AAFC. After going 10–2 in the regular season, the Browns defeated the New York Giants
8–3 in a playoff game and then beat Cleveland's previous NFL tenants, the Rams (who were now in Los Angeles), 30–28, in the NFL Championship game. Since the NFL does not recognize the AAFC's records, this technically makes the Browns the most successful expansion team in league history. However, the 1950 Browns were not an expansion team in any sense of the term.
, were making their second straight appearance in an NFL title game.
1950 NFL season
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was the team's first season with the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
after playing the previous four years in the All-America Football Conference, which folded after the 1949 season. The Browns' first NFL game was against the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The overwhelming consensus at the time was that the Eagles would blow the Browns off the field; there were still many who thought the Browns were merely the dominant team in a minor league. However, the Browns were determined to prove they belonged. They shredded the Eagles' vaunted defense for 487 yards of total offense en route to a 35–10 blowout.
Regular season
Behind a potent offense that included future Hall of FamersPro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
, Marion Motley
Marion Motley
Marion Motley was a professional football player, a fullback for the Cleveland Browns, and briefly for the Pittsburgh Steelers.-Early years:...
and Dante Lavelli
Dante Lavelli
Dante Bert Joseph "Gluefingers" Lavelli was an American football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League from 1946 to 1956...
, the Browns picked up right where they left off in the AAFC. After going 10–2 in the regular season, the Browns defeated the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
8–3 in a playoff game and then beat Cleveland's previous NFL tenants, the Rams (who were now in Los Angeles), 30–28, in the NFL Championship game. Since the NFL does not recognize the AAFC's records, this technically makes the Browns the most successful expansion team in league history. However, the 1950 Browns were not an expansion team in any sense of the term.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 16, 1950 | at Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 35–10 |
| 2 | September 24, 1950 | at Baltimore Colts | W 31–0 |
| 3 | October 1, 1950 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 6–0 |
| 4 | October 7, 1950 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 30–17 |
| 5 | October 15, 1950 | Chicago Cardinals | W 34–24 |
| 6 | October 22, 1950 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 17–13 |
| 7 | October 29, 1950 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 45–7 |
| 8 | November 5, 1950 | at Chicago Cardinals | W 10–7 |
| 9 | November 12, 1950 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
W 34–14 |
| 10 | November 19, 1950 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 20–14 |
| 12 | December 3, 1950 | Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 13–7 |
| 13 | December 10, 1950 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 45–21 |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division | December 17, 1950 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 8–3 |
| Championship | December 24, 1950 | Los Angeles Rams | W 30–28 |
Standings
| NFL American Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933-69 The Eastern and Western Divisions of the National Football League, renamed the American and National Conferences in 1950 and then the Eastern and Western Conferences in 1953, were organized as a result of the disputed NFL championship of 1932... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Cleveland Browns | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 310 | 144 | W-6 |
| New York Giants 1950 New York Giants season The 1950 New York Giants season was the 26th season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Standings:-See also:*List of New York Giants seasons... |
10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 268 | 150 | W-6 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers 1950 Pittsburgh Steelers season -Schedule:-Standings:- Week 1 : New York Giants :at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania* Game time:* Game weather:* Game attendance: 24,699* Referee:* TV announcers:Scoring Drives:... |
6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 180 | 195 | W-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles 1950 Philadelphia Eagles season The 1950 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 18th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 11–1, winning only six games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.-Off Season:... |
6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 254 | 141 | L-4 |
| Chicago Cardinals 1950 Chicago Cardinals season The 1950 Chicago Cardinals season was the 31st season the team was in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 6-5-1, winning only five games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.-Schedule:... |
5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 233 | 287 | L-1 |
| Washington Redskins 1950 Washington Redskins season The 1950 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 4-7-1 record from 1949.-Schedule:-Standings:... |
3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 232 | 326 | L-1 |
Roster
| Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen Defensive Linemen |
Linebackers Defensive Backs Special Teams |
Reserve Lists
|
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NFL Championship Game
The Browns had been the AAFC's most dominant team, winning all four of its championships. The Rams, who left Cleveland after the 1945 season for Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, were making their second straight appearance in an NFL title game.
- First Quarter
- LA-Davis 82 yard pass from WaterfieldBob WaterfieldRobert "Bob" Stanton Waterfield was an American football player.Waterfield attended Van Nuys High School, in Van Nuys, California and went on to play college football for UCLA. In 1943 he led the Bruins to the Pacific Coast Conference football championship...
(Waterfield kick) - LA-HoernerDick HoernerLester Junior "Dick" Hoerner was an American football player. He played fullback for the University of Iowa in 1942 and 1946 and for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947 to 1951...
3 yard run (Waterfield kick) - Cle-Dub Jones 31 yard pass from GrahamOtto GrahamOtto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
(GrozaLou GrozaLouis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
kick)
- LA-Davis 82 yard pass from Waterfield
- Second Quarter
- Cle-LavelliDante LavelliDante Bert Joseph "Gluefingers" Lavelli was an American football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League from 1946 to 1956...
35 yard pass from Graham (conversion pass failed)
- Cle-Lavelli
- Third Quarter
- Cle-Lavelli 39 yard pass from Graham (Groza kick)
- LA-Hoerner 1 yard run (Waterfield kick)
- LA-BrinkLarry BrinkLawrence Raymond Brink is a former American football defensive lineman who played seven seasons in the National Football League.-Early life and education:...
6 yard fumble return (Waterfield kick)
- Fourth Quarter
- Cle-BumgardnerRex BumgardnerRex Bumgardner is a former running back in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, and the Cleveland Browns. He was drafted in the 1948 NFL Draft out of West Virginia....
14 yard pass from Graham (Groza kick) - Cle- Groza 16 yard field goal
- Cle-Bumgardner