The Browns have played two postseason games against arch rivals on today’s date, Dec. 21, through the years, one of which ended well and the other not so well.

 

Let’s take a look in chronological order:

 

*1958 – New York Giants 10, Browns 0 – Eastern Conference playoff — at Yankee Stadium – Just as they had done in 1950, the Browns and Giants finished the regular season tied for first place in the conference, thus necessitating a playoff to determine which team would advance to the NFL Championship Game. But unlike 1950, when Cleveland won a hard-fought 8-3 decision, it was New York that prevailed this time in another defensive struggle.

The Browns were 9-3, with two of the losses coming to the Giants, including one by 13-10 the week before at Yankee Stadium in the regular-season finale, thus keeping them from winning the conference title for the second straight year, and the eighth time in nine seasons. The game was won on a 49-yard field goal by Pat Summerall in a snowstorm as New York rallied from a 10-3 halftime deficit.

 

So the Browns went back to New York for another chance, but this time, the Giants were more dominant, holding the great Jim Brown, in his second season, to what would turn out to be his worst day as a pro with but eight yards in seven carries. It was a great strategy because Brown had killed the Giants twice already that year. He had rolled to 148 yards in 26 attempts the previous week, and 113 yards in 13 tries on Nov. 2 at Cleveland when the Giants rallied to win 21-17 after being behind 17-7 at halftime.

 

So the Browns didn’t score a point in the second half against the Giants in any of the three games. It’s hard to win games that way.

 

But the Giants didn’t score in the second half, either. Quarterback Charlie Conerly scrambled 10 yards for a TD in the first quarter, and Summerall, who would go on to a long career as a TV broadcaster of NFL games, kicked a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter.

 

Just like Brown, Cleveland quarterbacks Milt Plum and Jim Ninowski were held in check, combining to hit on just 10 of 27 passing attempts for 114 yards with three interceptions.

 

The Giants went on to lose 23-17 to the Baltimore Colts in the first overtime game in NFL postseason history. It is also known as “The Greatest Game” in league annals for the way it elevated the NFL, especially as a TV sport.

 

What would have happened had the Browns played in that title game? We’ll never know.

 

*1968 – Browns 31, Dallas Cowboys 20 – Eastern Conference Championship Game – at Cleveland – The Cowboys had beaten the Browns four times since 1966, including by a whopping 52-14 count in the ’67 conference title game.

 

The way the Browns looked at it, enough was enough. They needed to start controlling this series again, as they had from 1960 through the first half of ’66. And they took a big step in that direction with the help of a dominant second half.

 

The teams were tied 10-10 at halftime, with Cleveland’s points coming on a 38-yard field goal by rookie Don Cockroft and Bill Nelsen’s 45-yard TD pass to running back Leroy Kelly.

 

On the first play of the second half, right linebacker Dale Lindsey turned the game around when he stepped in front of a Don Merredith pass and returned it 27 yards for a TD and a 17-10 lead. That jump-started the Browns and served as a punch to the gut of the Cowboys.

 

The Browns, who had captured the Century Division crown with a 10-4 record, scored another touchdown in the third quarter on a second Kelly TD, this one on a 35-yard run, to push the advantage to 24-10.

 

Ernie Green, at the end of his outstanding seven-year career in Cleveland, scored on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter to make it 31-13 and seal the deal.

 

Kelly rushed for 87 yards and caught two passes for 46 yards. Wide receiver Paul Warfield had four receptions for 86 yards, while tight end Milt Morin added four catches for 47 yards.

 

Nelsen, who took over as the starter from Frank Ryan early in the season, completed 13 of 25 passes for 203 yards and that TD with an interception.

 

The Browns had finally vanquished the Capitol Division champion Cowboys and were headed to the NFL title game.