1953 Cleveland Browns season
| 1953 Cleveland Browns season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Paul Brown |
| Home field | Cleveland Stadium |
| Local radio | WTAM |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–1 |
| Division place | 1st Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Lost NFL Championship (at Lions) 16–17 |
The 1953 Cleveland Browns season was the team's fourth season with the National Football League. Their start of eleven wins before losing their last game was the closest to a true perfect season in the NFL until the 1972 Miami Dolphins. After that fifteen-point loss at Philadelphia,[1] the Browns met the Detroit Lions in the NFL Championship Game for the second straight year; the Lions won again, this time by a point at home.[2][3]
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 23 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 20–7 | 1–0 | Kezar Stadium | 36,273 |
| 2 | August 28 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 9–27 | 1–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 21,440 |
| 3 | September 4 | at Detroit Lions | T 24–24 | 1–1–1 | Briggs Stadium | 39,985 |
| 4 | September 7 | vs. Baltimore Colts | W 23–21 | 2–1–1 | Rubber Bowl | 20,000 |
| 5 | September 11 | at Chicago Bears | W 20–14 | 3–1–1 | Wrigley Field | 36,796 |
| 6 | September 19 | Green Bay Packers | W 21–13 | 4–1–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 22,336 |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 27 | at Green Bay Packers | W 27–0 | 1–0 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 22,604 | [4] |
| 2 | October 4 | at Chicago Cardinals | W 27–7 | 2–0 | Comiskey Park | 24,374 | [5] |
| 3 | October 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 37–13 | 3–0 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 45,802 | [6][7] |
| 4 | October 18 | at Washington Redskins | W 30–14 | 4–0 | Griffith Stadium | 33,963 | [8] |
| 5 | October 25 | at New York Giants | W 7–0 | 5–0 | Polo Grounds | 30,773 | [9] |
| 6 | November 1 | Washington Redskins | W 27–3 | 6–0 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 47,845 | [10] |
| 7 | November 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 34–16 | 7–0 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 35,592 | [11] |
| 8 | November 15 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–21 | 8–0 | Cleveland Muncipal Stadium | 80,698 | [12] |
| 9 | November 22 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 20–16 | 9–0 | Forbes Field | 32,904 | [13] |
| 10 | November 29 | Chicago Cardinals | W 27–16 | 10–0 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 24,499 | [14] |
| 11 | December 6 | New York Giants | W 62–14 | 11–0 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 40,235 | [15] |
| 12 | December 13 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 27–42 | 11–1 | Connie Mack Stadium | 38,654 | [16] |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
In the first-ever regular season meeting between Cleveland and Green Bay, the Browns rolled up 376 yards and Otto Graham completed 18 of 24 yards to highlight a 27–0 season opening win in at the new County Stadium in Milwaukee.[17] The Browns yield 159 yards and allow the Packers to penetrate Cleveland territory just four times.
Graham scores the game's only touchdown on a 4-yard run in the second period as the Browns beat the Giants, 7-0, on a muddy Polo Grounds field. Graham, who attempts only five passes as the inclement conditions, scores after an offsides penalty on Lou Groza's missed field goal attempt gives the Browns a critical first down.
The undefeated Browns make life miserable for Redskins quarterback Eddie LeBaron by intercepting four passes in a 27-3 win at Cleveland Stadium. Tommy James ties his own Browns record with three as Cleveland scores 24 points off turnovers.
A Cleveland Stadium crowd of 80,698 watches the Browns dispatch longtime rival San Francisco, 23–21. With the Browns leading 10–0, Graham is knocked out of bounds by defensive back Fred Bruney and elbowed in the face by linebacker Art Michalik, who opens a gash that requires 15 stitches and nearly incites a riot. Graham returns for the third quarter wearing a clear plastic protective bar in front of his face, a device that will evolve into today's face mask. Showing little effect from his injury, Graham leads the Browns to 13 second half points and the victory.
The Browns improve to 11–0 by winning a 62–14 laugher over the Giants at Cleveland Stadium. George Ratterman starts in place of Graham and completes 15-of-27 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Graham plays briefly and completes 3-of-4 passes, two for touchdowns. Pete Brewster catches seven passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns in the most productive game of his career.
Standings
| NFL Eastern Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Cleveland Browns | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 9–1 | 348 | 162 | L1 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 6–3–1 | 352 | 215 | W1 | |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 6–3–1 | 208 | 215 | L1 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 5–5 | 211 | 263 | W2 | |
| New York Giants | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 3–7 | 179 | 277 | L2 | |
| Chicago Cardinals | 1 | 10 | 1 | .091 | 0–10 | 190 | 337 | W1 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
NFL Championship Game
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 27 | at Detroit Lions | L 16–17 | 0–1 | Briggs Stadium | 54,577 | [18] |
Awards and records
References
- ^ "Eagles upset Cleveland, 42-27". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 14, 1953. p. 24.
- ^ a b Sell, Jack (December 28, 1953). "Lions retain NFL title; edge Browns, 17-16". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 12.
- ^ a b "Lions capture pro title 17-16". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press, Associated Press reports. December 28, 1953. p. 2B.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers - September 27th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns at Chicago Cardinals - October 4th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Browns beat Eagles, 37-13". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. October 11, 1953. p. 1C.
- ^ "Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns - October 10th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins - October 18th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns at New York Giants - October 25th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Washington Redskins at Cleveland Browns - November 1st, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns - November 8th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns - November 15th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers - November 22nd, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Chicago Cardinals at Cleveland Browns - November 29th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "New York Giants at Cleveland Browns - December 6th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles - December 13th, 1953". ProFootball Reference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Larson, Lloyd (September 28, 1953). "Browns' machine crushes Packers under 27-0 count". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 2, part 2.
- ^ "Championship - Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions - December 27th, 1953". ProFootballReference.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
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