1964 NFL CHAMPION CLEVELAND BROWNS at 1961 NEW YORK GIANTS
16. 1964 NFL CHAMPION CLEVELAND BROWNS
Record 10-3-1
Pythag: 10-4
1st NFL East
Off: 2nd
Def: 5th
d. Colts NFL Title 27-0
HC: Blanton Collier, DC: Howard Brinker
Offense
QB Frank Ryan (28 Rice)
HB Ernie Green (26 Louisville)
FB Jim Brown (28 Syracuse) All Pro
WR Gary Collins (24 Maryland)
WR Paul Warfield (22-R Ohio St)
TE Johnny Brewer (27 Ole Miss)
LT Dick Schafrath (27 Ohio St) All Pro
LG John Wooten (28 Colorado)
C John Morrow (31 Michigan)
RG Gene Hickerson (29 Wyoming)
RT John Brown (25 Syracuse)
Defense
LDE Paul Wiggin (30 Stanford)
LDT Dick Modzelewski (33 Maryland)
RDT Jim Kanicki (23 Michigan St)
RDE Bill Glass (29 Baylor)
LLB Jim Houston (27 Ohio St)
MLB Vince Costello (32 Ohio)
RLB Galen Fiss (33 Kansas)
LCB Bernie Parrish (28 Florida)
LS Larry Benz (23 Nwestern)
FS Bobby Franklin (28 Ole Miss)
K Lou Groza (40 Ohio St)
P Gary Collins (24 Maryland)
KR Walter Roberts (22 San Jose St)
PR Leroy Kelly (22 Morgan St)
Couple of 10-3-1 teams meeting in the play in game for Region 2; Cleveland wasn't quite the regular season team New York was, 2nd in offense, 5th in defense, but where the Giants got blown out in the title game - the Browns cruised; 27-0 over the Colts. Paul Brown's not on the Cleveland sideline, but 28 year old Jim Brown is in the backfield with 1446 yards rushing. Gary Collins and Paul Warfield, in his rookie season, combined for 17 scores.
16. 1961 NEW YORK GIANTS
Record 10-3-1
Pythag: 11-3
1st NFL East
Off: 2nd
Def: 1st
Lost NFL Title Packers 37-0
HC: Allie Sherman, DC: Harland Svare
Yankee Stadium: 50 degrees
Marty Glickman/Joe Hasel /Al DeRogatis
Note - game temperature is a factor plugged into the simulation, I get it by averaging each of the home games played by the home team that season; home team is chosen by better seed, in the case of play in games, it's a coin flip. The Giants won this coin flip, so we're going to Yankee Stadium. Local announcers for home team are given; I could do both teams for separate broadcasts, but that would be silly.
Offense
QB YA Tittle (35 LSU)
FB Alex Webster (30 NC St)
RB Bob Gaiters (23 N Mexico St)
WR Del Shofner (27 Baylor) All Pro
WR Joe Walton (26 Pitt)
WR Kyle Rote (33 SMU)
LT Rosey Brown (29 Morgan St) All Pro
LG Darrell Dess (26 NC St)
C Ray Wietecha (33 Nwestern)
RG Jack Stroud (33 Tennessee)
RT Greg Larson (22-R Minnesota)
Defense
LDE Jim Katcavage (27 Dayton) All Pro
LDT Dick Modzelewski (30 Maryland)
RDT Rosey Grier (29 Penn St)
RDE Andy Robustelli (36)
LLB Cliff Livingston (31 Arnold)
MLB Sam Huff (27 W Virginia)
RLB Tom Scott (31 UVA)
LCB Erich Barnes (26 Purdue) All Pro
RCB Dick Lynch (25 N Dame)
LS Dick Nolan (29 Maryland)
RS Jimmy Patton (28 Mississippi) All Pro
K Pat Summerall (31 Arkansas)
P Don Chandler (27 Florida)
KR Bob Gaiters (23 N Mex St)
PR Bill Stits (30 UCLA)
Here's Allie Sherman and the '61 Giants; 2nd in offense, 1st in defense; they got blown out in the title game or they wouldn't be relegated to the play in game. Tittle's 35, 17 scores, 12 picks, he'll look for Del Shofner, 27 year old All Pro end with his 11 scores. Barnes/Lynch/Patton in the secondary combined for 24 picks. Sam Huff's in his prime as is Rosey Brown. The Giants are ready to go.
We're all ready to go. Let's head to Yankee Stadium for the kickoff to the Region 2 Play in Game - the winner will turn right around and head to Soldier Field, 1985, for a date with the 2nd overall seed in the tournament, the Bears.
First Quarter
The Browns open at the 32.
1/10 - Jim Brown's first carry of the tournament goes for 6.
2/4 - Brown's stopped at the line.
3/4 - Frank Ryan throws a pick. The All Pro corner, Erich Barnes, returns it to th Cleveland 40 and the Giants are in business.
3 plays get 8 yards and Pat Summerall misses a long FG. Less than 4 minutes into the game, Cleveland has the ball back at their own 39.
1/10 - Nothing for Brown.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Ryan's flushed - manages to scramble for a 12 yard pickup and a first down at the New York 49.
1/10 - Brown for 9.
2/1 - Brown for 2 and the first down.
1/10 - Ernie Green gets a carry, he goes for a yard.
2/9 - Green stopped at the line.
3/9 - An end around to Warfield is sniffed out and the Browns punt. It's shanked - and the Giants will start at their own 36. 6:18 left.
1/10 - YA Tittle's first completed pass is to Kyle Rote for 1 16 yard gain to the Brown 48.
The next 3 plays gain 5 yards and the Giants kick, Cleveland starts at the 11 with 3:36 left.
3 and out including a Jim Catcavage sack. Cleveland punts on the last play of the quarter, Giants start at their own 46.
Second Quarter
Defensive minded first quarter, neither side able to generate offense; Giants start a new possession near midfield.
1/10 - Tittle to Del Shoftner for 10.
1/10 - Alex Webster runs for 2
2/8 - Bob Gaiters runs for 15 and the Giants are at the 27
1/10 - Joel Wells stacked up
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Tittle to Kyle Rote for 11 and New York reaches the 16, 11:28 left.
1/10 - Tittle to Joe Walton for 6.
2/4 - Webster for 3.
3/1 - Tittle to the end zone for Gaiters - knocked away by Bernie Parrish
4/1 - Giants have 4th and short at the 7 - Sherman's conservative, it's 1961, it's a short FG for Summerall to give New York the 3-0 lead.
Cleveland will open at the 25. 9:47 left.
1/10 - 22 yard run for Brown
1/10 - Green is stacked up.
2/10 - Brown gets 2
3/8 - Ryan finds Gary Collins for 16 - the Browns at the New York 16.
1/10 - Sweep to Green - he gets a little daylight and is Popped by Sam Huff - the ball is loose and the Giants recover the fumble. New York takes over at their own 31, 6:54 left.
3 and out.
Browns open at the 28. 4:50.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Ryan to Collins for 11.
1/10 - Brown gets 1
2/9 - Brown gets 7
3/2 - Ryan to Paul Warfield for 10 yards - first down, Cleveland to the Giants 43 at the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Leroy Kelly for 2. Timeout.
2/8 - Incomplete
3/8 - Incomplete - and the Giants will get the ball back with 1:36 left after the punt at their own 11.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Gaiters for 11, New York stops the clock
1/10 -Webster for 14 and the Giants reach the 39.
1/10 - Tittle to Rote for 6 and the second Giants timeout.
2/4 - Tittle to Shofner for 7 - first down at the Browns 48, 32 seconds left. Out of bounds.
1/10 -Gaiters busts one -- 33 yards right up the gut - Giants all the way to the Cleveland 15 and they use their final time out.
1/10 - Tittle to Webster to the 8 yard line - Tittle has to run to the line and spike the ball just before the end of the half - Summerall with the chip shot makes it 6-0 at the half.
Third Quarter
Defense here in the first half; neither team with much of a passing game today. Toughminded 1960s football here in the play in game. Giants start at the 30.
3 and out.
Browns to start at the 39, 12:41.
1/10 - Brown is stacked up.
2/10 - Kelly gets 1
3/9 - Ryan finds Warfield, tapdancing on the sideline for a 15 yard pickup.
1/10 - 5 for Brown
2/5 - 8 for Brown - Cleveland's got a first down at the NY 32.
1/10 - Green gets 4.
2/6 - 1 for Brown
3/5 - Charlie Scales gets his first carry - its a 2 yard gain, but the Browns are forced to try a 42 yard Lou Groza FG - it's good - and the Giants lead is 6-3. 7:20 left in the third.
Giants start at the 36.
3 and out.
So Cleveland takes possession at the 24. 5:33.
1/10 - 7 for Brown.
2/3 - Green gets 3 and the first.
1/10 - Brown for 2N
2/8- Ryan is flushed, gets back to the line.
3/8- Incomplete.
Another punt - Giants will take over at their own 39, 2:42 left.
1/10 - Joel Wells gets his first carry, 16 yards.
1/10 - Tittle finds Walton for 8.
2/2 - Tittle finds Walton for 6 and another first down, Giants down to the 31.
1/10 - Webster gets 2 and that's the end of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Giants lead is 6-3, second and 8 at the Browns 29.
2/8 - Tittle finds Shofner for 11, Cleveland then is backed up 5 on an offsides.
1/5 - Bill Glass sacks Tittle for a loss of 6.
2/11 - Tittle to Webster for 8.
3/3 - Alex Webster following Rosey Brown - Webster -- is going to burst into the endzone! TOUCHDOWN GIANTS -- New York goes up 13-3; Cleveland will get the ball at their own 38; 12:42 to play.
3 and out. Big stop here and New York regains with a 10 pt lead. 24 yard line, 10:37 left.
1/10 - Webster loses 2.
2/12 - Tittle finds Rote for 12 - clock keeps moving.
1/10- Tittle to Shofner for 24 - that's a huge play, New York all the way to the Browns 39; with just 8:24 left and a 10 pt lead, the Giants are in good shape today.
1/10 - Gaiters gets 2.
2/8 - Gaiters gets 2
3/8 - Incomplete; so the Giants are in between; 3rd and 6 at the Browns 35 - it would be a 52 yard FG for Summerall....Allie Sherman decides to go for it.
Gutsy call here, Sherman looking for the killshot.
3/8 - He gets it - Tittle finds Kyle Rote for 16 yards - Giants at the Browns 19 and that's a first down. That's as far as it goes, 3 plays gain 6 yards and Summerall kicks a 30 yard it's 16-3 Giants Cleveland opens at their 28, 4:44 left and needing 2 scores.
1/10 - Ryan passes to Jim Brown, he makes his way for 24.
1/10 - Ryan to Collins for 20. Just like that Cleveland's at the New York 28 yard line.
But that's it - they go all 4 downs and lose a total of a yard on Katcavages second sack. New York regains possession -- but two plays later Wells turns it over on a fumble. Cleveland's got the ball back with 2:20 left. ---- and two plays later Erich Barnes intercepts his second pass of the day - the Giants take the ball back at their own 26 with just over 2 minutes left and they're able to kill the rest of the clock for the final score.
Final: GIANTS 16 BROWNS 3
Defense only in this one; turnovers, field goals - the Giants are the team left standing.
Tittle: 15-21 157 yards
Ryan: 8-17 98 yds 2 INT
Gaiters 10 carries, 75 yards
Brown: 19 carries, 87 yards
Rote: 5 catches, 64 yds
Warfield: 4 catches, 27 yds
Katcavage - 2 sacks
Erich Barnes - 2 picks
Player of the Game - ERICH BARNES
