Calling a great game 57 years ago

Monday was the 57th anniversary of one of the two greatest games in Browns history.

It was on Dec. 27, 1964 that the Browns, with their most complete team effort they’ve ever had, demolished the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts 27-0 at Cleveland Stadium.  The other game in that category was in 1950 when the Browns defeated the Los Angeles Rams 30-28 to win the NFL crown in their first year in the league.

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In a week when the Browns’ offensive play-calling by head coach Kevin Stefanski has come into question, that long-ago game becomes even more impressive, and relevant.

What has never gotten any run is that the Browns offensive coach, now known as offensive coordinator, that season was one of their iconic wide receivers/running backs from the early days in Dub Jones. Jones, with the help of head coach Blanton Collier, who was an offensive genius, called a tremendous game that day.

The Browns were an outstanding running team then, as they are now. Jim Brown, the greatest player in pro football history at any position, was in the next-to-last of his eight seasons and was at the height of his prowess. The Browns rushed 41 times that day, for 142 yards, with Brown doing the bulk of the work with 27 carries for 114 yards. And this was against the best defense in the game — by far. The Colts, with a star-studded cast up front, at linebacker and in the secondary, were shutting down everybody.

Jones. Who was in the second of five seasons as coordinator, and Collier used Brown’s running to soften up the Colts, bringing those safeties up toward the box, and that set up the three touchdown passes from Frank Ryan to Gary Collins, including two from 51 and 42 yards, on the wideout’s favorite route, the post pattern.

The Colts had no answer for that. They couldn’t cover in the back end and at the same time be stout against the run.

Jones and Collier knew that, so they went with the plan and had the patience to let it play out after a scoreless first half.

I’m not sure head coach Kevin Stefanski, who is the current Browns play-caller, would have the patience to stay with any plan, especially one that required both the run and pass to work in harmony, after it produced no points through the first two quarters.

By Steve King