10. 1960 CLEVELAND BROWNS at 3. 1978 NFC CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
3. 1978 NFC CHAMPION DALLAS COWBOYS
Record: 12-4
Pythag: 13-3
Off: 1st
Def: 3rd
1st NFC East
d. Falcons Div Rnd 27-20
d. Rams NFC Title 28-0
Lost Steelers Super Bowl 35-31
d. '89 Broncos 27-3 (PotG-Randy White)
d. '54 Lions 24-7 (PotG-Tony Dorsett)
HC: Tom Landry OC: Dan Reeves, DC: Ernie Stautner
Frank Gleiber/Verne Lunquist/Brad Sham
Texas Stadium 60 degrees
Offense
QB Roger Staubach (36 Navy) 25 TD/16 INT 55.9% 7.7 y/a 212.7 y/g 84.9 1 td rush
RB Tony Dorsett (24 Pitt) 1325 yds 4.6 y/a 37 ctch 378 yds 10.2 y/c 9 td
FB Robert Newhouse (28 Houston) 584 yds 4.2 y/a 20 ctch 176 yds 8.8 y/c 10 td
WR Tony Hill (22 Stanford) 46 ctch 823 yds 17.9 y/c 6 td
WR Drew Pearson (27 Tulsa) 44 ctch 714 yds 16.2 y/c 3 td
TE Billy Joe DuPree (28 Mich St) 34 ctch 509 yds 15 y/c 9 td
LT Pat Donovan (25 Stanford)
LG Herbert Scott (25 Va Union)
C John Fitzgerald (30 B College)
RG Tom Rafferty (24 Penn St)
RT Rayfield Wright (33 F Valley St)
Defense
LDE Too Tall Jones (27 Tenn St) 9.5 scks
LDT Jethro Pugh (34 Eliz City St) sck
RDT Randy White (25 Maryland) All Pro 16 scks
RDE Harvey Martin (28 Tex A&M Comm) 14.5 scks int
LLB Hollywood Henderson (25 Langston) 2.5 scks
MLB Bob Breunig (25 Ariz St) int sck
RLB DD Lewis (33 Miss St) 2.5 scks
LCB Benny Barnes (27 Stanford) 5 int
RCB Aaron Kyle (24 Wyoming) 3 int
SS Charlie Waters (30 Clemson) 4 int .5 scks
FS Cliff Harris (30 Ouachita Baptist) All Pro 4 int sck
K Rafael Septien (25 Louisiana)
P Danny White (26 Ariz St)
KR/PR Butch Johnson (24 UC Riverside)
Dallas had the top offense in '78, Staubach's 36, 26 total scores and 16 picks. He was the top rated passer in the NFL. 1700 combined yards from scrimmage for 24 year old Tony Dorsett. Both Cowboys All Pros are on the third ranked defense, 25 year old Randy White, 30 year old Cliff Harris. Dallas held the '89 Broncos to 8 first downs in rnd 1. The defense again led the way in round 2, keeping the '54 Lions to an early TD
10. 1960 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Record: 8-3-1
Pythag: 9-3
Off: 1st
Def: 4th
2nd NFL East
Did not make playoffs
d. '03 Patriots 50-14
HC: Paul Brown
Offense
QB Milt Plum (25 Penn St) 21 td/5 int 60.4% 191.4 y/g 9.2 y/a 110.4 2 td rush
RB Bobby Mitchell (25 Illinois) 506 yds 4.6 45 ctch 612 yds 13.6 y/c 11 td
RB Jim Brown (24 Syracuse) All Pro 1257 yds 5.8 y/a 19 ctch 204 yds 10.7 y/a 11 td
WR Ray Renfro (31 N Texas) 24 ctch 378 yds 15.8 y/a 4 td
WR Rich Kreitling (24 Illinois) 16 ctch 316 yds 19.8 y/ 3 td
WR Gern Nagler (28 S Clara) 36 ctch 616 yds 17.1 y/ 3 td
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) int 9 scks
LDT Bob Gain (31 Kentucky) 1 int 1.5 scks
RDT Floyd Peters (24 S Francisco St) sck
RDE Jim Marshall (23-R Ohio St) 2.5 scks
LLB Galen Fiss (29 Kansas) int
MLB Vince Costello (28 Ohio)
RLB Walt Michaels (31 Wash&Lee) sck
LCB Bernie Parish (24 Florida) 6 int td
RCB Jim Shofner (25 TCU) 8 int
LS Don Fleming (23-R Florida) 5 int
SS Bobby Franklin (24 Ole Miss) 8 int
K/P Sam Baker (31Ore St)
PR Bobby Mitchell (25 Illinois)
KR Jim Brown (24 Syr)
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. Cleveland stomped the '03 Patriots in round 1, hanging 50 points on them. In rnd 2, they went into Minnesota and beat the '70 Vikings, Jim Brown rushing for 184 yds.
Cleveland's the 10th seed, they're headed to play the 3rd seeded Cowboys - but that Jim Brown/Bobby Mitchell combo makes them a +2.5 favorite. Lets go to Texas Stadium.
1st Qtr:
Dallas starts at the 17.
1/10 - Robert Newhouse takes the first play 49 yards to the Browns 34.
1/10 - Nothing for Dorsett.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Roger Staubach picks it up -- 20 yards to Butch Johnson.
1/10 - Give to Newhouse and he just barrels his way Into the End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - 5 plays, 83 yards -- the Cowboys are into the endzone.
Browns muff the kick and start at the 8.
1/10 - Milt Plum is sacked by Randy White.
2/14 - Milt Plum is sacked by Harvey Martin IN THE END ZONE -- it's a safety - Dallas quickly up 9-0.
Dallas to start at the Browns 46 after the free kick.
1/10 - Give to Dorsett -- AND HE IS GONE -- HE IS GONE -- TONY DORSETT ROMPING 46 YARDS TO THE END ZONE - TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - we are less than 3 minutes into the game and the Dallas Cowboys lead 16-0!!
Browns at the 35.
1/10 - Jim Brown 4 yards.
2/6 - Plum to Bobby Mitchell, 9 yard gain.
But the drive ends here - Dallas has it again at their own 20.
3 amd out. Browns at their own 42. 3 and out.
Cowboys at their own 20.
1/10 - Dorsett buried for a big loss.
2/15 - Staubach to Dorsett - Dorsett shaking, baking -- Dorsett out to the 42.
1/10 - Staubach going over the top --- Staubach finds Drew Pearson --- 37 yards - big, big shot - Dallas is up 16 and at the 21.
1/10 - Newhouse---- he goes for 11, Dallas first and goal at the 10.
1/goal - Dorsett -- Dorsett Unstoppable -- TONY DORSETT IS INTO THE ENDZONE -- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - Dallas with the 23-0 lead!!!
Browns at the 26.
On 3rd and 4 - Milt Plum is CRUNCHED - between Harvey Martin and Randy White - the ball pops into the air -- snatched by Hollywood Henderson -- AND HE RUNS IT BACK -- INTO THE END ZONE --- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - Dallas has scored 30 first quarter points -- The Dallas Cowboys have 30 first quarter points!!!
Browns at the 19 as the quarter ends.
2nd Qtr: Cowboys 30 Browns 0
This is already over; Dallas has just blown the doors clean off here in the first qtr -- they will almost certainly take this semi-final and move to the region 3 finals.
1/10 - 2 for Mitchell.
2/8 - 14 for Brown.
That's all. Cowboys will take over at the 26.
1/10 - 15 for Dorsett. That's all. Browns at the 31.
3 and out. Cowboys at the 43.
1/10 - Preston Pearson carries, stopped at the line.
2/10 - Newhouse gets 1.
3/9 - Billy Joe Dupree with his first catch, it's a first down, Dallas at the Browns 37, a false start makes it 1st and 15.
1/15 - Newhouse pounds out a 19 yard gain.
1/10 - There Goes Tony Dorsett! There goes Tony Dorsett! 23 yards Into The End Zone -- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - 23 yard TD run for Dorsett - with 5 minutes left in the half, it is 37-0.
Browns at the 29.
1/10 - Milt Plum finds Leon Clarke for 6.
2/4 - Brown gets 6.
1/10 - Brown gets 1.
2/9 - Plum to Mitchell, he goes for 13.
1/10 - Mitchell for 1
2/9 - Plum to Brown - it's 16 yards to the 28.
1/10 for Brown
2/8 - Charlie Waters PICKS OFF MILT PLUM - At the 2 minute warning, Dallas regains the ball at their own 24.
1/10 - Staubach play action to Newhouse, it's 13 yards.
1/10 - Staubach downfield to Pearson, 20 yards and Dallas is at the Browns 43.
1/10 - Dorsett for 3.
2/7 - Incomplete
3/7 - Staubach to Dorsett, its 10 yards to the 30.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Dorsett stopped in the backfield, Dallas stops the clock at 22 seconds.
3/14 - Staubach to Tony Hill, 18 yards, Dallas stops the clock again, first down at the Browns 17.
1/10 - Staubach -- END ZONE -- TONY HILL --- TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - 17 yards from Staubach to Hill -- 17 yards, 44-0, Dallas romping, absolutely romping today.
Jim Brown takes the kick back to the Cowboy 40 yard line - and Sam Baker hits a 57 yard FG to end the half.
3rd Qtr: Cowboys 44 Browns 3
The biggest half in the tournament to date, the '78 Cowboys hang 44 in the first half.
Cleveland gets the ball first, they pick up 3 first downs, hold the ball for 5 minutes, but eventually turn it over on downs.
Dallas starts at their 34, 3 runs and they punt.
Browns at their own 45.
1/10 - Big run for Mitchell, 19 to the Dallas 36.
1/10 - Plum finds Gern Nagler - 10 yards.
1/10 - 1 for Brown
2/9 - Prentice Gautt busts a 24 yard run, knocked out at the 1.
1/goal - Jim Brown Into the End Zone --- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - less than 6 minutes left in the third and it's 44-10.
Dallas starts at the 14, they take the rest of the quarter to get to the Browns 24, it's 3rd and 7 as the qtr ends.
4th Qtr: Cowboys 44 Browns 10
Region 3 semis coming to an end - the third seeded Cowboys winning the bottom half of the region.
Dallas picks up the first down - and a couple plays later Dorsett is into the end zone on a 4 yard run - TOUCHDOWN COWBOYS - 13 minutes left and Dallas is up 51-10.
Browns start at the 32, 4 plays and they turn it over on downs.
Dallas ball at the Cleveland 41. Glenn Carano in at QB, they run the ball 3 times and punt it into the endzone. 8 minutes left, touchback.
They keep the ball for 4 minutes, getting 3 first downs, Randy White and Harvey Martin each getting sacks, they have 3 apiece, Browns again turn the ball over on downs, Cowboys taking possession at their own 27. Carano remains in at QB, he'll throw one pass over the rest of the game, Dallas never gives the ball up.
Final: Cowboys 51 Browns 10
Not as close as that; Dallas just lays it on the Browns.
Staubach: 15 for 20 212 yds TD
Plum: 10 for 20, 114 yds INT
Dorsett: 22 carries, 144 yards, 3 catches, 48 yds, 4 TD
Newhouse: 15 carries, 173 yds TD
Brown: 18 carries, 59 yds TD
Hill: 3 catches, 35 yds, TD
Mitchell: 4 ctches, 57 yds
Martin/White: 3 sacks
Player of the Game: Tony Dorsett
