7. 1960 CLEVELAND BROWNS at. 10. 2003 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
7. 2003 SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Record: 14-2
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 12th
Def: 1st
1st AFC East
d. Titans Div Rnd 17-14
d. Colts AFC Title 24-14
d. Panthers Super Bowl 32-29
HC: Bill Belichick, OC: Charlie Weis, DC Romeo Crennel
Gillette Stadium
Gil Santos/Gino Cappelletti
Offense
QB Tom Brady (26 Michigan)
RB Kevin Faulk (27 LSU)
WR Deion Branch (24 Louisville)
WR Troy Brown (32 Marshall)
TE Christian Fauria (32 Colorado)
TE Daniel Graham (25 Colorado)
LT Matt Light (25 Purdue)
LG Damien Woody (26 B College)
C Dan Koppen (24-R B College)
RG Joe Andruzzi (28 So Conn St)
RT Tom Ashworth (26 Colorado)
Defense
LDE Bobby Hamilton (32 S Miss)
LDT Ted Washington (35 Louisville)
RDT Richard Seymour (24 UGA) All Pro
RDE Willie McGinest (32 USC)
LLB Roman Phifer (35 UCLA)
MLB Tedy Bruschi (30 Arizona)
RLB Mike Vrabel (28 Ohio St)
LCB Ty Law (29 Mich) All Pro
RCB Tyrone Poole (31 F Valley St)
SS Rodney Harrison (31 W Illinois) All Pro
FS Eugene Wilson (23-R Illinois)
K Adam Viatieri (31 S Dak St)
P Ken Walter (31 Kent St)
KR Bethel Johnson (24 A&M)
PR Troy Brown (32 Marshall)
One Rnd 2 game left to set up in region 3; the 7th seed is the '03 Super Bowl Champion; already the 4th Belichick team to play (2-1) big negative disparity between their actual record (14-2) and the pythag (11-5) so the Pats were maybe a little lucky - best defense in football, but the offense is just middling so they're here in the 7th seed. 3 All Pros on defense, Richard Seymour is 24, he had 8 sacks and in the secondary, Ty Law is 29, Rodney Harrison 31, they combined for 9 picks. 28 year old Mike Vrabel led the team with 9 sacks. On offense 26 year old Tom Brady had 24 combined scores and a dozen picks.
10. 1960 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Record: 8-3-1
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 1st
Def: 4th
2nd NFL East
Did not make playoffs
HC: Paul Brown
Offense
QB Milt Plum (25 Penn St)
RB Bobby Mitchell (25 Illinois)
RB Jim Brown (24 Syracuse) All Pro
WR Ray Renfro (31 N Texas)
WR Rich Kreitling (24 Illinois)
WR Gern Nagler (28 S Clara)
LT Dick Schafrath (23 Ohio St)
LG Jim Ray Smith (29 Baylor) All Pro
RG Gene Hickerson (25 Ole Miss)
RT Mike McCormack (30 Kansas)
Defense
LDE Paul Wiggin (26 Stanford)
LDT Bob Gain (31 Kentucky)
RDT Floyd Peters (24 S Francisco St)
RDE Jim Marshall (23-R Ohio St)
LLB Galen Fiss (29 Kansas)
MLB Vince Costello (28 Ohio)
RLB Walt Michaels (31 Wash&Lee)
LCB Bernie Parish (24 Florida)
RCB Jim Shofner (25 TCU)
LS Don Fleming (23-R Florida)
SS Rich Mostardo (22-R Kent St)
K/P Sam Baker (31Ore St)
KR/PR Bobby Mitchell (25 Illinois)
We've seen the '64 Browns lose; back up 4 years and we get our first Paul Brown team. Best offense in football, 25 year old Milt Plum had 23 combined scores and just 5 picks. 25 year old Bobby Mitchell had a dozen scores running/catching/returning/and even threw for a 13th. 24 year old Jim Brown is an All Pro, 1257 yards rushing in a dozen games. The 28 year old LG Jim Ray Smith was also an All Pro. The defense is okay, 24 year old corner Bernie Parrish, 25 year old Jim Shofner, 23 year old Don Fleming combined for 19 picks.
Paul Brown v Bill Belichick. Let's head to Gillette Stadium for the kick.
First qtr
Pats start at the 26.
They'll pick up a first down on a 16 yard pass from Tom Brady to Deion Branch - that's as far as it goes, Jim Marshall picking up a sack.
Browns at their own 27.
1/10 - Jim Brown gets the carry, 1 yd.
2/9 - Milt Plum finds Gern Nagler for 10 and the first.
1/10 - Brown for 1
2/9 - Mitchell for 2 - a defensive holding call will give the Browns a first down at their own 46.
1/10 - Mitchell for 1, a pass interference call gives the Browns another first down across midfield.
1/10 - Mitchell gets 2 and a face mask takes on 15 - that's - bang, bang, bang - three first downs on defensive penalties and now Cleveland's at the 32.
1/10 - 4 for Brown
2/6 - Plum to Feed Murphy for a 20 yard gain, first and goal.
1/goal - Brown is stopped
2/goal - Plum finds Ray Renfro in the endzone -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - Milt Plum 8 yards to Ray Renfro - the Browns are in the endzone - they miss the XP, Patriots get the ball at their own 24, 6:09 left.
3 and out.
Browns at the 39.
1/10 - Brown for 1.
2/9 - Brown busts a 32 yarder, all the way to the Pats 28.
1/10 - Bobby Mitchell for 14.
1/10 - Mitchell is stopped.
2/10 - Brown for 1.
3/9 - Plum looking to the end zone - Rich Kreitling is there - TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - Cleveland has scored twice in the last 2 minutes - 2 Milt Plum TD passes and now it's 13-0.
Patriots at the 19. Two plays get nothing as the quarter ends.
2nd Qtr
Browns having their way early on - a quick 2 score lead on 2 Plum scores.
3rd and 10 for New England at their own 19.
They get 2 and punt.
Good starting position, Browns at their own 44.
1/10 - Prentice Gautt gets a carry, goes for 2.
2/8 - And there goes Jimmy Brown - Brown explodes between Hickerson and McCormack, and no one is going to catch him -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - Jim Brown goes for 54 - and look what we have here, the Browns are on the road against a Super Bowl Champion from 40+ years in the future and they are all over them. 20-0
Pats at the 37. 3 and out.
Browns at the 23, on the second play, Milt Plum is picked off by Rodney Harrison, the Pats are in business at the Browns 25.
1/10 - Kevin Faulk for 7.
2/3 - Antowain Smith for the first.
1/10 - Brady to Troy Brown for 9.
2/1 - Incomplete
3/1 - Brady to the end zone - Deion Branch -- TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS - it's 20-6, Patriots kick to Bobby Mitchell --
AND HE IS GOING TO GO! BOBBY MITCHELL IS GOING TO GO! Mitchell takes the kick 85 yards back for a TOUCHDOWN BROWNS and it's 27-7, Patriots to take over at their own 36, 7:02 left.
3 and out.
Browns at the 22. 4:51 left. Already up 27-7.
1/10 - Gautt gets a carry and goes for 37 huge yards across midfield.
1/10 - 14 for Jim Brown to the 27.
1/10 - 6 for Bobby Mitchell.
2/4 - 6 for Brown and Cleveland is at the 15 at the 2 minute warning.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Plum finds Leon Clarke -- he forces his way into the end zone -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - the Cleveland Browns are just pummeling the '03 Champs - 34-7.
Wow - an annhiliation; a team from 1960 that didn't make the playoffs goes on the road and is beating the brakes off of the 2003 Super Bowl Champs.
Patriots at the 28. 1:39. They'll pick up a first down on a 12 yard pass from Brady to Troy Brown, but punt - Browns getting the ball back at their own 45 yard line with just 28 seconds left.
Plum gains 30 yards through the air on completions to Renfro and Clarke and Cleveland gets a FG at the gun - they go into the locker room at the half in front of a stunned New England crowd, 37-7
Third Qtr
This first half is the biggest surprise of the tournament; it's a 7/10 game so it's not that the Patriots were prohibitive favorites, but you could not have anticipated a team from 40+ years prior walking into New England and hanging 37 points on the best defense from 2003. in the first half.
Browns with the ball at the 23.
1/10 - Brown goes for 11.
1/10 - Bobby Mitchell for 41 - the Patriots with no ability at all to stop this Cleveland ground game today.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Mitchell for 5.
3/5 - Plum finds Nagler for 8 and its a first down at the Patriot 12 yard line.
1/10 - And Jim Brown powers his way home -- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - 77 yards in less than 3:30 to start the second half and the Cleveland Browns lead 44-7, this stadium is emptying out in a hurry.
Patriots at the 28, 1st and 20 after a holding call.
1/20 - Brady to Faulk for 8.
2/12 - Incomplete
3/12 - Brady to Branch for 22 - Pats into Browns territory, an offsides gets them to the 37.
1/10 - Brady to Larry Centers for 8.
2/2 - Kevin Faulk for 22 - it's a first and goal.
1/goal - Brady to Kevin Givens - the Patriots are into the end zone TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS and it's 44-14.
Browns have a 1st and 5 way out at their own 46 after a long return by Mitchell and a penalty; on the third play - Plum throws a short pass to Mitchell out of the backfield - he picks up blockers and outraces the entire Patriots defense TOUCHDOWN BROWNS for a 53 yard TD. - Cleveland scores in less than a minute - they miss the XP but the Browns have scored
again and with 6:48 still left in the third qtr Cleveland has a 50-14 lead - it is an all time pounding, a pounding by the 1960 Browns.
Patriots will start at their own 27, 3 and out.
Browns at midfield, another good Mitchell return - The Browns run the ball 7 straight times, picking up a first down - but punting from the Patriot 38.
Patriots at their own 12, on the second play Kevin Faulk runs for 15 - and that's a first down as the quarter ends.
4th Qtr
What more is there to say? The 1960 Cleveland Browns have had their way in every phase of the game and lead 50-14 as we go to the 4th qtr. 1st and 10 at the 34.
The next 3 plays lose a dozen yards, Walt Michaels picking up a sack. Browns take over at their own 44.
3 runs later and a punt. It's muffed, Patriots take over near midfield with 12:11 left.
They'll get a first down on a 14 yard pass to Troy Brown - but two sacks later, by Paul Wiggin and Floyd Peters, and the Patriots are back around midfield and punting.
Browns start at their own 40, Plum is now out of the game, replaced by a young Lenny Dawson. 3 and out.
Patriots start at their own 16. 7:08 left.
They string together a few first downs, Smith gains 25 on the ground on a couple carries, Brady hits first down strikes to Smith, Givens, Bethel Johnson.
But the drive ends with an interception by Bernie Parrish in the endzone - the Browns take over at their own 10, 3:45 left.
That's it - the Patriots never get the ball back, nothing but runs including Bobby Mitchell hitting a home run, a 50 yard gain - the game ends with Dawson in victory formation.
Final: Browns 50 Patriots 14
The biggest statement made in the tournament to date; a non playoff team from 1960 on the road against the 2003 Super Bowl Champion Patriots and the Browns could have picked the score. This really enlarges the possibilities of outcomes in each game and for the entire tournament.
Plum: 10 for 15, 161 yds, 4 TD/1 INT
Brady: 19 for 30, 203 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Brown: 21 carries, 140 yds, 2 TD
Mitchell: 12 carries, 130 yds, 1 catch, 53 yds, 1 TD
Faulk: 13 carries, 54 yds
Renfro: 2 catches, 28 yds, 1 TD
Branch: 4 catches, 52 yds, 1 TD
Player of the Game: Bobby Mitchell
