When Browns opponents couldn’t score any points in games in the mid-1960s, the combination of quarterback Frank Ryan of wide receiver Gary Collins scored a lot of points.
 
It was 48 years ago today, on Oct. 22, 1967, that the Browns, behind Ryan’s two touchdown passes to Collins, a strong rushing attack featuring Leroy Kelly and a stout defense, came up big in the second half and shut out the Chicago Bears before a sold-out crowd of 83,183 at Cleveland Stadium.
 
Three years before when the Browns last recorded a shutout, on Dec. 27, 1964, Ryan fired three TD passes to Collins in a 27-0 upset of the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Championship Game.
 
It had been 10 years since the Browns last blanked a team in the regular season. It happened twice in 1957 with a 24-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 10 and then a 31-0 trouncing of the Chicago Cardinals on Dec. 1.
 
The Browns scored all of their points against the Bears in the second half en route to winning their fourth game in a row to improve to 4-2.
 
Ryan threw a nine-yard TD pass to Collins in the third quarter, then in a 17-point fourth quarter to break the game wide open, Kelly ran 22 yards for a score, Lou Groza kicked a 24-yard field goal and Ryan and Collins hooked up on a six-yarder.
 
Ryan hit on 12 of 27 passes for 181 yards and the two TDs with no interceptions. Seven of those completions went to Collins for 106 yards. Running back Ernie Green added five receptions for 39 yards.
 
Kelly (111) and Green (86) combined for 197 yards rushing. Both had 18 carries.
 
With Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers out with an injury, the Cleveland defense held the Bears to just 136 total yards while recording five sacks.