The 1948 Cleveland Browns season was the team's third in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). After winning the AAFC crown in 1946 and 1947, the league's first two years of existence, the Browns repeated as champions in 1948 and had a perfect season, winning all of their games.[1][2][3][4]
The season began with a number of roster moves, including the addition of
ends Mac Speedie and Dante Lavelli, the Browns followed with a string of victories leading up to a November matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams had perfect records to that point, the 49ers relying heavily on the offensive production of quarterback Frankie Albert and end Alyn Beals to win their first 10 games. The Browns beat the 49ers 14–7, and followed two weeks later with another narrow victory over San Francisco, their closest competition in the AAFC in 1948.[5]
By the end of the season, the Browns had a perfect 14–0 record and led the league's Western Division, setting up a championship-game matchup with the Bills, who had won a playoff to take the Eastern Division. Cleveland beat Buffalo 49–7 in December to win the championship and preserve its unbeaten record.
Most Valuable Player of the league alongside Albert.[12][13][14][15] Browns games were televised for the first time in 1948.[16]
The season is recognized as perfect by the
2007 New England Patriots were vying to complete a 19–0 season at the time and join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to register a perfect record.[17]
Baltimore Colts as part of an effort to balance talent among the AAFC's teams during the league's third year of play.[21]
Browns centerMike Scarry left before the season to become the head coach at Western Reserve.[22]Frank Gatski took over at the position after Scarry's retirement.[23]Don Greenwood, a halfback who featured in the team's first two seasons, retired after sustaining a serious cheekbone injury in 1947 and accepted a job as head football coach at Cuyahoga Falls High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.[24] Browns games were televised for the first time in 1948 on 84 stations across the country.[21] Only away games were shown in northeast Ohio; they were presented by Bob Neal and Stan Gee, who had announced Browns games on WGAR-AM radio in 1946 and 1947.[21]
The entry of a new ownership group of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the offseason that included Branch Rickey affected the Browns' schedule in 1948.[25] Rickey, an executive for baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers, convinced Brown to schedule a late-season road trip during which Cleveland would play three teams in eight days: the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dons and the San Francisco 49ers.[25] The plan was part of an effort to bring more attention to the AAFC and help attendance by sending its most successful team on a cross-country road trip, a strategy that had worked in baseball.[25]
Cleveland's first preseason game was a victory over the Bills in Akron. The Browns scored three touchdowns in the first quarter, first on an interception return by
fullback Marion Motley ran for a short touchdown in the third quarter to make the score 35–0, coach Paul Brown had pulled most of the team's starters.[28] Buffalo proceeded to mount a comeback, scoring one touchdown in the third quarter and two in the fourth.[28] Buffalo's final score came on a punt return received by Rex Bumgardner. As he was about to be tackled at the Cleveland 20-yard line, Bumgardner pitched the ball to teammate Bill Heywood, who ran the rest of the way for the touchdown.[28] Cleveland and Buffalo both had 12 first downs and 206 yards of rushing, but the Browns had 159 yards of passing to Buffalo's 127, helping secure the 35–21 win.[28]
Cleveland lost its second preseason game, played against the Baltimore Colts in 100-degree heat in
fullback Ollie Cline later in the period put the Browns up 10–0.[29] Baltimore responded in the second quarter with a touchdown pass by quarterback Y. A. Tittle to receiver Jake Leicht.[29] Cline ran for another touchdown soon thereafter, however, once more giving the Browns a 10-point lead.[29] Colts receiver Lamar Davis caught a 25-yard touchdown pass at the end of the second quarter.[29] Cleveland led 17–14 at halftime.[29] Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter, when Baltimore's Bus Mertes ran for a 38-yard touchdown and secured the 21–17 win.[29] A number of Cleveland players suffered injuries during the game. Graham hurt his hand, Motley strained his back and endDante Lavelli suffered a broken leg.[29][30] Lavelli's injury sidelined him for the first seven games of the regular season.[30] During the game, Baltimore players Hub Bechtol and Lew Mayne, a former Brown, tapped a phone line that went from Cleveland's press box to its sideline.[30] This allowed the Colts to listen in on coaches' conversations and anticipate the Browns' play-calling.[30]
The Browns opened the regular season with a win at home against the Los Angeles Dons.[30] The Dons had beaten the Chicago Rockets in their season opener the week before, but they struggled against the Browns.[30] Cleveland built a 19–0 lead after the first three quarters on touchdowns by Ara Parseghian and Bill Boedeker, a Lou Groza field goal and a safety.[31] The Dons, however, almost pulled off a comeback with just 30 seconds remaining in the game.[31] Los Angeles fullback John Kimbrough scored a touchdown on a short run with time ticking down, and the Dons recovered an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff.[31] Dons quarterback Glenn Dobbs then threw a long pass to end Joe Aguirre.[31] It fell incomplete, but Cleveland was called for pass interference, and the ball was placed on the Browns' nine-yard line.[31] Dobbs then threw a completion to Aguirre for a second touchdown with five seconds left to play.[31] Time expired on the ensuing kickoff, however, and Cleveland won 19–14.[31] Groza's 51-yard field goal matched a professional football record he set two years earlier.[31]
Bob Cowan 39-yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 21–7
4
CLE
Bob Cowan 40-yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 28–7
The Browns beat the Chicago Rockets in Chicago for their third straight victory.[30] The matchup was a messy one, marked by turnovers and rough play by both sides.[33] The teams combined for eight fumbles and four interceptions, and play was stopped several times to break up fights.[33] Chicago was penalized 30 yards for unnecessary roughness, while Cleveland was penalized 15 yards.[33] Despite the interruptions and frequent turnovers, Cleveland quarterback Otto Graham had his best game of the season, throwing three touchdowns and rushing for a fourth.[33] Bob Cowan caught two of the touchdowns.[33] Chicago, meanwhile, scored just one touchdown – a short pass to Elroy Hirsch from quarterback Angelo Bertelli in the second quarter.[33] Chicago successfully contained Marion Motley, Cleveland's most productive back, who finished the game with 49 yards on 14 carries.[33] The final score was 28–7.[33]
Dub Jones 43-yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 14–10
4
CLE
Bill Boedeker 2-yard rush (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 21–10
The Browns next played the Rockets for a second time in as many weeks, this time in Cleveland.
tackle Lou Rymkus was ejected from the game for hitting Jim Pearcy of the Rockets.[35] A Rockets player picked up a handful of sand from the stadium's baseball infield and threw it in Mac Speedie's face during the game, temporarily blinding him.[35] Hirsch was accidentally kicked by a Browns player and suffered a skull fracture.[36]
Edgar Jones 12-yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 14–10
The Browns won their fifth game of the season against the
Baltimore Colts on a muddy field during a rainstorm.[36] Led by quarterback Y. A. Tittle, the Colts began the scoring on the fourth play of the game with a 78-yard touchdown pass to Billy Hillenbrand.[37] A few minutes later, the Browns evened the score after a pass from Graham set up a short touchdown run by Edgar Jones.[37] The Colts retook the lead in the second quarter with a field goal by Rex Grossman and led 10–7 at the half.[37] Focusing on the running game because of the muddy conditions, the Browns scored a touchdown in the third quarter that put them in the lead for good.[37] Jones, who was returning from a rib injury, finished the day with 61 yards and two touchdowns, while Motley ran for 130 yards.[37] The slippery and windy conditions caused miscues on both sides. Tittle and Motley had fumbles, and Cleveland botched a fake field goal attempt in the second quarter.[37] The final score was 14–10.[37] While the Browns had won their first five games, the San Francisco 49ers were at the top of the AAFC's western division standings, having won all six of their games.[37]
The Browns beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the sixth game of the season.
first downs in the game, setting a team record.[38] Groza missed an extra point after one of Cleveland's touchdowns, breaking a long streak.[38] He also narrowly missed a 57-yard field goal attempt that would have set a professional football record if it were good.[38]
Mac Speedie 30-yard pass from Cliff Lewis (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 31–14
The Browns won their seventh game in a row against the Bills in Cleveland.[39] Edgar Jones scored the Browns' first touchdown on the team's third offensive play on a 35-yard pass from Graham.[39] Motley fumbled on the Browns' next possession, however, and the Bills capitalized on the mistake.[39] After several running plays brought the ball to the Browns' 22-yard line, quarterback Jim Still threw to Al Baldwin for a touchdown that evened the score.[39] A Groza field goal and a short touchdown run by Motley later in the first quarter put the Browns up by 10 points at halftime.[39] Cleveland retained the lead for the rest of the game as end Mac Speedie caught touchdown passes in the third and fourth quarters.[39] Graham ended the game with 11 completions for 189 yards and two touchdowns.[39] Speedie, who was leading the league in receiving, added seven receptions for 140 yards.[39] While the Bills lost, second-string quarterback George Ratterman, who came in for Still in the second quarter, put in a strong performance, completing 13 passes for 174 yards.[39] His totals included a touchdown throw to Lou Tomasetti in the fourth quarter, when the game was out of reach.[39]
End Dante Lavelli returned to the lineup for the Browns' week-eight game against the New York Yankees after recovering from a broken leg sustained in the preseason.[40] Lavelli's return had an immediate impact. He caught a 29-yard pass from Graham for the Browns' first touchdown in the first quarter.[41] Graham then threw two more touchdowns in the second quarter to Bob Cowan and Mac Speedie.[41] Cowan scored after catching Graham's pass behind New York's defenders and running 35 yards for the end zone.[41] Receptions by Cowan and Lavelli set up Speedie's 9-yard touchdown.[41] Lavelli caught another touchdown at the beginning of the third quarter to give the Browns a 28–0 lead.[41] Graham ran 22 yards for a fifth Browns touchdown in the fourth quarter after a pass play broke down.[41] The Yankees avoided a shutout in the final minute of the game, when end Buddy Young got behind Cleveland's defenders and caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Pete Layden.[41] The Browns had 486 total yards in the game, including 337 yards of passing.[41] While Cleveland remained undefeated, the San Francisco 49ers continued to hold the best record in the AAFC with nine straight wins to begin the season.[41]
Cleveland beat Baltimore for the second time during the regular season for its ninth straight victory.[42] A Baltimore turnover on downs early in the game set up the Browns' first score, a short touchdown run by Edgar Jones in the first quarter.[42] Baltimore's Y. A. Tittle drove deep into Cleveland territory early in the second quarter, but another turnover on downs gave the ball back to the Browns.[42] Passes from Graham to Lavelli and Speedie took the Browns to the Colts' 22-yard line, and Motley ran from there for a touchdown to make the score
14–0 at halftime.[42] Jones scored Cleveland's third touchdown to cap an 85-yard drive at the start of the third quarter.[42] Ara Parseghian ran for another touchdown in the fourth quarter.[42] The Colts avoided a shutout later in the period when Tittle threw a screen pass to Billy Hillenbrand, who ran 69 yards for a touchdown.[42] The final score was 28–7.[42] The win gave the Browns 12 victories in a row extending to the previous season, setting a new AAFC record.[42] Lou Groza missed two field goals during the game.[42]
A victory against Los Angeles in the twelfth week of the season preserved Cleveland's undefeated record.[46] The Dons began the scoring in the first quarter with a 75-yard drive engineered by quarterback Glenn Dobbs.[46] The series ended with a short touchdown run by halfback Walt Clay.[46] The Browns came back to tie the game in the second quarter after a 71-yard drive that features several completions from Graham to Lavelli.[46] Lavelli caught a 49-yard pass from Graham for the score.[46] On the next possession, Los Angeles converted a fourth down deep in their own territory, extending a long drive that ended with another touchdown by Clay.[46] Cleveland again evened the score with under two minutes left in the first half on a touchdown pass to Edgar Jones.[46] The Browns pulled away in the third quarter, when Graham ran a quarterback sneak for a touchdown.[46] Groza later kicked a 36-yard field goal, and an interception by Cliff Lewis set up a run by Tony Adamle for a final touchdown.[46] The final score was 31–14.[46] Graham twisted his knee in the fourth quarter, and Edgar Jones, Parseghian and Bob Gaudio also had injuries.[46] The Browns planned to stay at the hot springs in Boyes, California to recover as they prepared to face the 49ers for a second time in San Francisco three days later.[46]
Alyn Beals 29-yard pass from Frankie Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
SFO 21–10
3
CLE
Marion Motley 6-yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
SFO 21–17
3
CLE
Dub Jones 20-yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 24–21
3
CLE
Edgar Jones 33-yard pass from Otto Graham (Lou Groza kick)
CLE 31–21
4
SFO
Joe Perry 6-yard pass from Frankie Albert (Joe Vetrano kick)
CLE 31–28
Three days after beating the Dons, the Browns played the 49ers in San Francisco.[47] While the Browns had won their first 12 games, the rematch against the 49ers was significant because the 49ers held an 11–1 record, their only loss coming against the Browns two weeks earlier.[48] The teams were both in the AAFC's Western Division, and a loss would have put the Browns in a tie with the 49ers for the lead.[48] The teams' combined 23–1 record was the best ever for two professional squads in one game, and as of 2007, has not been surpassed.[48] Graham was initially considered doubtful for the game because of the knee injury he suffered against the Dons, but team trainer Wally Bock cleared him to play.[48] The game began with a 49ers fumble on their first play from scrimmage.[47]Tony Adamle recovered the ball, and Graham threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Lavelli on the Browns' first play.[47] A field goal by Groza later in the first quarter put the Browns up 10–0, but the 49ers came back in the second period and scored two touchdowns.[47] The first was a short run by halfback Joe Perry and the second was a pass from Albert to Beals.[47] San Francisco widened its lead in the third quarter with another touchdown catch by Beals.[47] Graham, however, engineered three drives in the space of eight minutes that gave the browns three touchdowns and a 10-point advantage.[47] Motley ran in the first score, while Dub Jones and Edgar Jones caught Graham passes for the other two.[47] The 49ers scored a touchdown in the final quarter, but the Browns won the game 31–28.[47] After the game, Paul Brown called it "Otto's greatest performance" given his injury.[47]
Monk Gafford 60-yard pass from Bob Chappuis (Hardy Brown kick)
CLE 31–21
The Browns ended their regular season with a win over the Dodgers and an undefeated record.[49] The Browns began the game by scoring 31 unanswered points.[49] The first score came on a short Dub Jones run that followed an 80-yard drive in the first quarter.[49] The next score came on a 76-yard drive in the second quarter.[49] After a pair of passes and a 14-yard run by Edgar Jones, Graham completed a long touchdown pass to Lavelli, who sped away from defender Monk Gafford on the right sideline.[49] Graham engineered another long drive just before the end of the first half, completing 18- and 20-yard passes to Speedie.[49] The 90-yard march ended with a short touchdown run by Graham, giving Cleveland a 21–0 advantage at the half.[49] Groza kicked a field goal at the beginning of the third quarter, and a fumble by Gafford on the ensuing kickoff led to a touchdown pass from Graham to Gillom, putting the Browns up by 31 points.[49] With a comfortable lead, Brown took out his starters and substituted third-string players.[49] The Dodgers proceeded to score three touchdowns, two of which came on long passes from Bob Chappuis, but the Browns won the game 31–21.[49] The win left the Browns on top of the standings in the AAFC's Western Division ahead of San Francisco, which had lost only two games, both to the Browns.[49] The perfect regular season record was the first in professional football since 1942, when the National Football League's Chicago Bears won all of their games.[49] Chicago, however, lost the NFL championship that year.[49]
The Browns won the AAFC's Western Division with their perfect record and faced the Buffalo Bills, the winners of the Eastern Division, in the AAFC championship game.[50] The Bills had tied with the Colts for the lead in the Eastern, forcing a playoff that the Buffalo won on December 12 in Baltimore.[50] The championship game took place in Cleveland in 35-degree weather and was sparsely attended.[51] The Browns were expected to win the game, having beaten the Bills twice in the regular season and possessing a significantly better record than the 7–7 Bills.[50] The scoring began with a late-first-quarter Edgar Jones touchdown run, followed by a fumble return for a touchdown by George Young in the second period that put the Browns ahead 14–0 at halftime.[51] Cleveland scored two more touchdowns in the third quarter on runs by Jones and Motley before Buffalo scored its first points.[51] Aided by a roughing the kicker penalty on the Browns, the Bills capped an 80-yard drive with a short touchdown pass from Jim Still to Al Baldwin.[51] Motley scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, however, and Lou Saban ran back an interception for a third to make the final score 49–7.[51] Motley and Edgar Jones led the Browns offense in the game, accounting for a large share of the team's offensive production.[51] Graham had an uncharacteristically quiet day, passing for just 118 yards on 11 completions.[51] The victory made the Browns the first professional team to win three league championships in a row, following AAFC titles they won in 1946 and 1947.[51] It was also the first time a professional football team finished a full season unbeaten and untied since a championship game was instituted in the NFL in 1933.[50] The Chicago Bears had finished with perfect records in 1934 and 1942, but lost the NFL championship both times.[50] The Browns had won 18 consecutive games stretching to the 1947 season, a professional record that stood until 2004.[52]
In the NFL, the
Alexis Thompson advocated a championship game between the top teams in the NFL and the AAFC, in part because he was losing money and felt an inter-league championship would draw large crowds.[53] Thompson was also a leading proponent among NFL owners of negotiation with the AAFC over a deal to ease the leagues' competition for talent, which had driven up salaries and was eating into owners' profits.[53] Thompson met with Browns owner Mickey McBride and agreed to a playoff – either one game in Yankee Stadium or a best-of-three series with games in Philadelphia, Cleveland and possibly New York.[53] Thompson's proposal was shot down by other NFL owners, however, and he was given a reprimand by commissioner Bert Bell for suggesting the NFL-AAFC championship.[53] Frustrated with his financial losses and lack of support among the owners, Thompson sold the Eagles shortly after the season ended.[53]
Season leaders and postseason
Graham finished the season with the most passing yards in the AAFC and was named the league's
Sporting News put Motley and Speedie on its first-team All-Pro list and put Graham and Willis on its second team.[52] Cleveland's top players also made All-Pro teams assembled by the New York Daily News, United Press International and the AAFC itself.[54]
The Browns' perfect season and third championship victory came during a strong year for Cleveland sports teams.
Washington Redskins and Tim Mara of the New York Giants intervened and suggested only Cleveland and San Francisco should be absorbed.[50] The AAFC continued play in 1949, but was disbanded after that season. The Browns, 49ers and Colts were merged into the NFL starting in 1950.[58]
Perfect season controversy
In winning all of their regular season games and the AAFC championship, the Browns recorded the first perfect season in professional football since the advent of NFL championships in 1933.[50] The feat has been duplicated only once since, by the Miami Dolphins in 1972.[59] When the AAFC faltered and dissolved after the 1949 season and the NFL absorbed the Browns, their new league did not recognize AAFC statistics, including the perfect season.[52] The Pro Football Hall of Fame, however, recognizes it as a perfect season.[60] In 2008, United States SenatorSherrod Brown, who represents Ohio in the United States Congress, sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asking the league to recognize AAFC championships and team records including the perfect season.[61] At the time, the New England Patriots were undefeated as they prepared for the Super Bowl against the New York Giants, a game they went on to lose.[62] Dante Lavelli also advocated for the NFL to adopt AAFC records.[63]
^"Scarry Signs 2-Year Contract at Reserve's Head Football Coach". Cleveland Plain Dealer. January 29, 1948. p. 17.
^Sauerbrei, Harold (December 23, 1948). "Browns Get Tackle Palmer of Yankees; Waive Rights to Sarkisian". Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 18.
^"Greenwood Gets Falls Grid Post". Cleveland Plain Dealer. January 24, 1948. p. 15. The 25-year-old Greenwood, who announced his retirement from the professional football ranks after a severe cheek bone injury last fall, replaces Carl Spessard now athletic director at the Falls. ... This will be Greenwood's first full time coaching spot although he assisted Ed McKeever at Cornell in the spring of 1945 and in 1946 tutored the Reserve track team.
^ abcdefgSauerbrei, Harold (August 23, 1948). "Graham Tosses Two Touchdown Passes as Browns Whip Bills, 35–21, in Akron". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Akron, O. p. 16.
^ abcdefghiSauerbrei, Harold (August 28, 1948). "Browns Upset as Tittle Passes Baltimore to 21–17 Victory in Exhibition Game". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Toledo, O. p. 14.
