The Cardinals.
As in the St. Louis Cardinals.
As in the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals before they moved to Phoenix.
It’s not likely that many people reading this are even aware there was, at one time way back in the day, a St. Louis Cardinals football team, and probably even less know that the Cardinals used to be bitter rivals of the Browns from 1963-69.
How much of a rivalry was it? Here, you take a look:
In 1963, the Browns finished 10-4 and finished second in the Eastern Conference, a game behind behind the New York Giants. The Cardinals were a game in back of Cleveland at 9-5.
In 1964, when the Browns finished 10-3-1, won the East and then captured the NFL title, the Cardinals finished just a half-game behind at 9-3-2.
In 1966, Cleveland finished tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for second in the East at 9-5. The Cardinals were again only a half-game back at 8-5-1.
In 1968, Cleveland won the East’s Century Division crown at 10-4. St. Louis was but a half-game back at 9-4-1.
So when the Browns and Cardinals played, it was a big deal. Much was riding on those games.
And, more than any other time, it was on this date 50 years ago, on Sept. 26, 1965, that the Cardinals showed just how good they were when, in Week 2, they went to Cleveland and routed the defending league champion Browns 49-13. A full house of 80,161 watched Cleveland absorb one of its most lopsided defeats ever.
The Browns led briefly, 10-7, in the second quarter on Lou Groza’s 34-yard field goal and Frank Ryan’s 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gary Collins. But it was all downhill from there as St. Louis scored four answered touchdowns over the rest of the quarter for a 35-10 halftime lead.
The Browns’ only other points in the game came on Groza’s 47-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Quarterback Charley Johnson riddled the Cleveland defense by passing for 310 yards and six – count ’em, six — touchdowns, including three to wide receiver Sonny Randle.
Ryan started the game but did not finish it, giving way to backup Jim Ninowski after one of the most miserable performances of his career in which he completed just five of 15 passes for 61 yards and the TD with four interceptions. Ninowski was intercepted twice, giving the Cardinals six picks on the day, matching Johnson’s total of TD passes.
The Browns’ only bright spots came with the fact Jim Brown rushed for 110 yards in just 17 carries, and that Collins caught six passes in all for 116 yards.
The Browns had won the league championship just nine months before, but their performance on this day made that seem like nothing more than a distant memory.
