EDITOR’S NOTE: In honoring the fact that February was Black History Month, we continue with a series on Browns Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Bobby Mitchell.

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It was at the end of Thanksgiving weekend, and after feasting on good food the previous three days, Browns fans got to do so on good football.

Once again, they were greatly satisfied. It was a lot of fun.

The home team blew out to two big leads, but had to hold on for dear life in the final momentsto edge the then Washington Redskins 42–37 on Nov. 26, 1967.

The Browns went on top 14-0 in the first quarter on Leroy Kelly’s 42-yard touchdown run and a 70-yard interception return for a TD by linebacker Johnny Brewer, who had been the tight end on Cleveland’s NFL championship team in 1964.

On the strength of a 23-yard touchdown pass by Sonny Jurgensen, who just died a month ago at age 91, to wide receiver Charlie Taylor, Washington cut the lead to 14-10.

The Browns answered back with Carl Ward’s 104-yard kickoff return for a score and Frank Ryan’s 48-yard scoring pass to Paul Warfield to balloon their advantage to 18 points at 28-10, then Jurgensen and Taylor hooked up again on a 15-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-17 at halftime.

Two touchdown runs, a one-yarder by Ernie Green in the third quarter and a 21-yarder by Kelly in the fourth quarter got the Browns ahead by 18 points again, 42-24.

Washington still wasn’t ready to give up, though. This was a team that had beaten the Dallas Cowboys 20–17 a week before, and several weeks before that had tied the Los Angeles Rams 28–28. So the Redskins could play with anybody. Jurgensen’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Mitchell and the latter Gerry Allen’s one-yard scoring runs made it 42–37 in the fourth quarter.

Washington got the ball near the end of the game and threatened to score, but the Browns defense was finally able to make a stop and secure the victory to improve their mark to 7–4 while dropping Washington to 4-5-2.

Wow! What a game!

What just happened here?

We’ll dive into it next time.

Steve King

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