With a big game looming the following week against head coach Paul Brown and the defending AFC Central champion Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns got caught looking ahead and nearly paid dearly for it on this date exactly 44 years ago, Nov. 28, 1971.
 
Trailing by four points at halftime to the lowly Houston Oilers, the Browns rallied to win 37-24 at the Astrodome to improve to 6-5 and take over sole possession of first place in the division.
 
The Browns were behind 17-13 at halftime, their only points coming on two Don Cockroft field goals of 40 and 35 yards and a one-yard touchdown run by Leroy Kelly.
 
The Browns then outscored Houston 24-7 in the second half, getting one- and four-yard TD runs by Bo Scott, Bill Nelsen’s 18-yard TD pass to wide receiver Frank Pitts and Cockroft’s third field goal of the day, a 39-yarder.
 
Pitts had three catches for 63 yards on the day. Dave Jones, a backup wide receiver, enjoyed a career day with four receptions for 66 yards. He would have just six grabs for 99 yards in his three-year NFL career, all with the Browns.
 
Kelly rushed for 107 yards in 23 carries.
 
Nelsen completed 11 of 22 passes for 162 yards and the TD, and was intercepted twice.
 
It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination, especially at the start, but the Browns got a win and that mattered as they got ready to host the Bengals.