15. 2001 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at 2. 1951 CLEVELAND BROWNS
2. 1951 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Record: 11-1
Pythag: 10-2
Off: 3rd
Def: 1st
1st NFL American Div
Lost NFL Title Rams 24-17
HC Paul Brown
Municipal Stadium: 55 degrees
Bob Neal
Offense
QB Otto Graham All Pro 30 Nwestern
FB Marion Motley 31 Nevada
RB Ken Carpenter 25 Ore St
RB Dub Jones 27 All Pro LSU
WR Mac Speedie 31 Utah
WR Dante Lavelli 28 Ohio St
LT Lou Groza 27 Ohio St
LG Abe Gibron 26 Purdue
C Frank Gatski 32 Auburn
RG Bob Gaudio 26 Ohio St
RT Lou Rymkus 32 N Dame
Defense
LDE George Young 27 UGA
LDT John Kissell 28 B College
MG Bill Willis 30 All Pro Ohio St
RDT John Sandusky 26 Nova
RDE Len Ford 25 All Pro Mich
LLB Tony Adamle 27 Ohio St
MLB Alex Agase 29 Illinois
RLB Tommy Thompson 24 Wm&Mary
LDH Warren Lahr 28 Case Western
RDH Tommy James 28 Ohio St
S Cliff Lewis 28 Duke
K Lou Groza 27 Ohio St
P Horace Gillom 30 Nevada
KR/PR Ken Carpenter 25 Ore St
Cleveland looks for its 6th team to advance and will try to beat the Patriots again (entirely a coincidence that we have so many Browns/Pats games) to do it. The '51 squad had the best defense in football and is seeded second in region 2. 30 year old Bill Willis and 25 year old Len Ford were All Pros. Otto Graham is 30 and also an All Pro, 20 scores and 15 picks. 27 year old Dub Jones is an All Pro with 12 scores in 12 games.
15. 2001 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Record: 11-5
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 6th
Def: 6th
1st AFC East
d. Raiders Div Rnd 16-13
d. Steelers AFC Title 24-17
d. Rams Super Bowl 20-17
HC Bill Belichick OC Charlie Weis DC Romeo Crennel
Offense
QB Tom Brady 24 Mich
RB Antowain Smith 29 Houston
FB Marc Edwards 27 N Dame
WR Troy Brown 30 Marshall
WR David Patten 27 W Carolina
TE Jermaine Wiggins 26 UGA
LT Matt Light 23 Purdue
LG Mike Compton 21 WVA
C Damien Woody 24 B College
RG Joe Andruzzi 26 So Conn St
RT Greg Randall 23 Mich St
Defense
LDE Bobby Hamilton 30 So Miss
LDT Brandon Mitchell 26 Tex A&M
RDT Anthony Pleasant 33 Tenn St
RDE Richard Seymour 22 R UGA
LLB Mike Vrabel 26 Ohio St
RLB Roman Phifer 33 UCLA
LCB Ty Law 27 Mich
RCB Otis Smith 36 Missouri
SS Lawyer Milloy 28 Wash
FS Tebucky Jones 27 Syracuse
K Adam Vinatieri 29 S Dakota St
P Ken Walter 29 Kent St
KR Kevin Faulk 25 LSU
PR Troy Brown 30 Marshall
New England needs one more win to match Dallas and Green Bay with 9 teams in round 2. The 15th seeds in region 14 are the 2001 Super Bowl Champs, 6th in offense and defense. Tom Brady is 24, 18 scores and 12 picks. 29 year old Antowain Smith rushed for over 1100 yards, 30 year old Troy Brown caught 101 balls for almost 1200 yards and returned 2 punts for scores. On defense, 30 year old Bobby Hamilton and 33 year old Anthony Pleasant combined for 13 sacks.
It's the last game in region 14 - lets head to Cleveland for the kick.
1st Qtr
Patriots at the 36.
They get 2 first downs, 11 yard Antowain Smith run, 15 yards from Tom Brady to Troy Brown; but a George Young sack knocks the Pats back and they kick.
Browns at the 17. 3 and out.
Patriots at the 41.
1/10 - Smith goes for 6.
2/4 - Smith for 1
3/3 - Brady to David Patten, 14 yards and the Patriots are at the 38.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Brady finds Terry Glenn, 13 yards and the first down.
The drive ends here - Vinatieri hits the FG for the game's first points.
Browns start at the 18, they get a first down on a Ken Carpenter 8 yard run - Browns running on every play of the quarter until the final one - and on that play Otto Graham is sacked by Richard Seymour. Browns will punt to open the quarter.
2nd Qtr: Patriots 3 Browns 0
All defense so far, Browns will punt from their own 30 to open the quarter.
Patriots at the 27.
1/10 - Marc Edwards stuffed
2/10 - Brady to Brown - 17 yards to the 44.
1/10 - Smith for 5.
2/5 - Edwards stopped
1/10 - 14 for Smith - and when the Browns jump offsides on the next play, the Patriots are at the 32, first and 5.
2 sacks though end the drive - Bill Willis and Len Ford - Vinatieri hits the 53 yarder and it is 6-0.
Browns at the 27.
1/10 - 8 for Dub Jones
2/2 - 3 for Ken Carpenter
1/10 - Motley stopped at the line
2/10 - Emerson Cole for 7
3/3 - Otto Graham's first completion, 8 yards across midfield.
1/10 - 4 for Motley
2/6 - Jones stopped.
3/6 - Graham finds Dante Lavelli - 14 yards and a first down at the 29.
1/10 - Ken Carpenter busts one -- 29 yards right up the gut and into the end zone -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - Cleveland takes the 7-6 lead.
Patriots at the 25.
1/10 - 7 yards to Charles Johnson, it's a tick before the 2 minute warning.
2/3 - a yard for Smith, 2 minutes
3/3 - Brady to Faulk - just picks it up, clock rolling.
1/10 - Brady to Edwards, 7 yards and he's out of bounds at the 43.
2/3 - Brady to Faulk - 10 yards, across midfield, first down, Pats stop the clock at 1:38.
1/10 - Brady to Smith, 14 yards, Pats stop the clock again, they're at the 33, 1:24 left.
1/10 - Brady to Patten, 8 yards on the sideline, an incidental facemask gives them the first down at the 20 yard line with 1:10 to go.
The drive doesn't advance - Vinatieri hits another FG and the half ends.
Third Qtr: Patriots 9 Browns 7
3 Vinatieri FGs gives the 15th seeded Pats the lead - do they pull off the upset to end region 14?
Browns at the 35.
2 first downs - 20 yards from Graham to Mac Speedie - 14 yard Carpenter run - but a Groza FG attempt - misses - and New England keeps the lead.
Pats at the 20.
1/10 - Smith gets 6, a false start backs them up.
2/9 - 7 for Faulk.
3/2 - 13 for Faulk and the Patriots are at the 41.
1/10 - End around for Troy Brown, 3 yards.
2/7 - Brady goes deep - 34 yard strike to Patten, that takes New England to the Browns 22.
1/10 - 4 for Smith
2/6 - Brady to Glenn, 9 yards. It's a first and goal at the 9.
But - again - the Browns turn them away - another FG and it's 12-7.
Browns starting back at the 9 - a Willie McGinnest sack takes them back even furter - Browns go 3 and out and have to punt from the back of the end zone -- Troy Brown nearly takes it back - he's brought down at the Browns 10 yard line ---- but again -- again -- New England has to settle for the FG, it's 15-7 with just seconds left in the third.
Browns at the 26, a yard later it's 2nd and 9 and the qtr ends.
4th Qtr: Patriots 12 Browns 7
It's all New England - the 15th seeds in the region having the better end of this today, but they are unable to punch it in the end zone, that keeps Cleveland alive, they have a 2nd and 9 at the 27.
They do not pick it up. Patriots will start at the 34.
One first down, 13 yard run for Smith - Ford and Willis each get their second sacks of the day - that is 5 Cleveland sacks - and after the punt, it's Cleveland ball again at the 28.
1/10 - 14 for Jones
1/10 - Emerson Cole busts one -- Emerson Cole just rumbles for 55 yards -- Emerson Cole rumbles 55 yards, dragged down at the 3 yard line!
1/goal - Dub Jones rolls Into The End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - Browns now down 2 - Browns going for 2, looking to tie the score.
It's Otto Graham - he looks to run it in --- But He Is Stopped Short. The Pats keep Cleveland from the 2 point conversion and it is 15-13 Patriots, 9 minutes left in the football game, 9 more minutes in region 14.
Pats at the 27 - Tommy Thompson gets Cleveland's 6th sack - and after the 3 and out the Browns are in great shape - down 2 points, 6 and a half left - at their own 47 yard line.
3 plays later is a 3rd and 8 - and Otto Graham is Picked Off by Ty Law - Ty Law With the Huge, Huge INT, with 4 and a half left, the Pats are at their own 39 yard line, 15-13.
3 and out. Just nothing at all for the Patriots -this Browns defense not giving an inch.
Cleveland ball at the 22. 2:28 to go. Down 2 points.
1/10 Give to Jones, 4 yards.
2/6 - Graham - Lavelli, 5 yards and at the 2 minute warning it is 3rd and 1.
3/1 - Rex Bumgardner is stacked up, Browns use their second timeout here. 4th and 3.
4/3 - Graham finds Mac Speedie - 14 yards to the 42, big first down - big first down - clock running, here comes Graham.
1/10 - Dump to Carpenter, 6 and he's out of bounds, there's 1:16 left, Browns at the 48.
2/4 - Incomplete
3/4 - Incomplete
Once again, a 4th down, there's 54 seconds left in the game, Browns 4th and 4 at their own 48.
4/4 - Graham -- Lavelli - Big 15 Yard Pickup -- Browns are at the Patriot 37 yard line, clock is running, Graham spikes the ball, it is second and 10 at the New England 37 and there are 38 seconds left. A FG and the Browns win this football game.
There's a defensive hold on the next play - Browns might have had the winner there - but a hold gives them 10 more yards, 27 seconds left and Cleveland's at the 27. Still with a timeout.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Give to Motley, he loses 2 - the Browns use their final timeout - there's 8 seconds left and it's time for Groza.
Lou Groza, he missed a FG earlier - but here he comes on, looking for a 46 yard FG, it's a long one for him for sure. Game on the line.
Hold. Snap. Kick.......
NO GOOD! NO GOOD! GROZA'S KICK IS WIDE LEFT AND THE PATRIOTS UPSET THE BROWNS!
Final: Patriots 15 Browns 13
5 Vinatieri FGs for NE, 2 missed FGs for Groza - and the 15 knocks off the 2 to end region 14.
Brady: 18 for 28, 166 yds
Graham: Graham: 8 for 16, 101 yds INT
Smith: 18 carries, 83 yds
Carpenter: 12 carries, 74 yds
Patten: 4 catches, 59 yds
Lavelli: 4 catches, 51 yds
Ford/Willis: 2 sacks
Player of the Game: Adam Vinatieri
Region 14, Rnd 1 MVP: Joe Montana
When we come back:
1994 49ers v. 1974 Steelers
2011 Saints v. 1964 Packers
1987 49ers v. 2006 Chargers
1968 Cowboys v. 2001 Patriots
