Back in the day — before today’s cautious preseason approach where keeping starters healthy outweighs almost everything else — winning and losing in August and early September actually mattered to NFL teams.
If you were gearing up for that game, you might still want to grab a Cleveland Browns jersey to rep your team or a Browns sideline cap to wear for the rest of preseason.
No team understood that better than the 1950 Cleveland Browns. They had a lot to prove.
And 75 years ago, they proved it — at least the first step of it.
On Sept. 4, 1950, the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-31 in Buffalo, capping their first NFL preseason with a perfect 5-0 record.
For those watching at home, now’s a good time to set up your space for the season. A Browns fleece throw blanket makes those couch sessions better, and a team-logo pint glass set adds some game-day spirit.
Before beating Pittsburgh, Cleveland had already dispatched the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Colts, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears, outscoring all five opponents by a combined 175-82.
Why was this so important? Because the Browns had just spent their first four seasons in the now-defunct All-America Football Conference (AAFC), where they dominated with:
- Four straight championships (1946–49)
- A perfect 1948 season
- A 29-game unbeaten streak from 1947–49
- An overall record of 52-4-4
They were so successful, in fact, that they effectively put the AAFC out of business, forcing it to fold after 1949. Only three of its teams — Cleveland, San Francisco, and Baltimore — were absorbed into the NFL.
But the NFL establishment wasn’t impressed. Skeptics dismissed the Browns’ dynasty as the product of weaker competition, scoffing that Cleveland wouldn’t be able to handle the “real” NFL.
That attitude lit a fire under Paul Brown and his star-studded roster, filled with future Hall of Famers. They bristled at the doubt, and they knew they had to make a statement from the very start. Winning in the preseason wasn’t optional — it was necessary.
And Cleveland delivered, running the table in August and early September before heading into the regular season.
Of course, the real story of the 1950 Browns was just beginning. Their statement in the preseason was loud, but what followed in the regular season was even louder.
We’ll revisit pieces of that remarkable year as this fall unfolds — but on, Sept. 4, 1950, the Browns showed the NFL they were ready to belong.
And here in 2025, as Cleveland heads into another season with renewed expectations after an offseason of change, that same lesson still holds true: when the football world doubts you, the only way to answer is on the field.
Steve King
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Official Cleveland Browns Apparel on Amazon
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