12. 1982 AFC CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS at 4. 1953 CLEVELAND BROWNS
4. 1953 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Record: 11-1
Pythag: 10-2
Off: 4th
Def: 1st
1st NFL East
Lost NFL Title Lions 17-16
d. '21 Patriots 27-24
HC: Paul Brown
Municipal Stadium: 45 degrees
Offense
QB Otto Graham (32 All Pro Nwestern) 11td/9 int 64.7% 10.6 y/a 226.8 y/g 99.7 6 rush td
RB Chick Jagade (27 Indiana) 344 yds 4 y/c 20 ctch 193 yds 4 td
RB Ken Carpenter (27 Ore St) 195 yds 4.2 y/c 9 ctch 109 yds 5 td
RB Billy Reynolds (22 Pitt) 313 yds 4.3 y/c 9 ctch 120 yds 3 td
WR Pete Brewster (23 Purdue) 32 ctch 632 yds 19.8 y/c 4 td
WR Dante Lavelli (30 Ohio St) 45 ctch 783 yds 17.4 y/c 6 td
LT Lou Groza (29 All Pro Ohio St)
LG Abe Gibron (28 Purdue)
C Frank Gatski (34 All Pro Auburn)
RG Chuck Noll (21-R Dayton)
RT John Sandusky (28 Nova)
Defense
LDE Doug Atkins (23-R Tenn)
LDT Don Colo (28 )Brown
MG Bill Willis (32 All Pro Ohio St)
RDT Derrell Palmer (31 TCU)
RDE Len Ford (27 All Pro Mich) int
LLB Walt Michaels (24 Wash&Lee) int td
RLB Tommy Thompson (26 All Pro Wm&Mry) 2 int
LCB Warren Lahr (30 Case West) 5 int
RCB Tommy James (30 Ohio St) 5 int td
LS Ken Gorgal (24 Purdue) 4 int
RS Ken Konz (25 LSU) 5 int
K Lou Groza (29) All pro Ohio St
P Horace Gillom (32 Nevada)
KR Ken Carpenter (27 Ore St)
PR Billy Reynolds (22 Pitt)
The '53 Browns had the top defense in the league with 3 All Pros, 32 year old Bill Willis, 27 year old Len Ford, 26 year old Tommy Thompson. The offense is just okay - 32 year old Otto Graham is an All Pro, 17 scores, 9 picks. 2 linemen are also All Pros, Lou Groza's 29, Frank Gatski's 34. The Browns are going to run the ball over and over again in this one. They beat the '21 Pats in OT on a 54 yard Groza FG.
12. 1982 AFC CHAMPION MIAMI DOLPHINS
Record: 7-2
Pythag: 7-2
Off: 10th
Def: 2nd
1st AFC East
d. Patriots WC 28-13
d. Chargers Div Rnd 34-13
d. Jets AFC Title 14-0
Lost Super Bowl Redskins 27-17
d. '52 Lions 21-16
HC Don Shula, DC Bill Arnsbarger
Offense
QB David Woodley (24 LSU) 5 td/8 int 54.7% 6 y/a 120 y/g 63.5 2 rush td
RB Tony Nathan (26 Alabama) 233 yds 3.5 y/a 16 ctch 114 yds td
FB Andra Franklin (23 Nebraska) 701 yds 4 y/a 3 ctch 9 yds 7 td
WR Jimmy Cefalo (26 Penn St) 17 ctch 356 yds 20.9 y/c td
WR Duriel Harris (28 N Mex St) 22 ctch 331 yds 15 y/c td
TE Joe Rose (25 Cal) 16 ctch 182 yds 11.4 y/a 2 td
LT Jon Giesler (26 Michigan)
LG Bob Kuechenberg (35 N Dame)
C Dwight Stephenson (25 Alabama)
RG Ed Newman (31 Duke)
RT Eric Laasko (26 Tulane)
Defense
LDE Doug Betters (26 Nevada) 4 scks
NT Bob Baumhower (27 Alabama) 3.5 scks
RDE Kim Bokamper (28 S Jose St) 3.5 scks
LOLB Bob Brudzinski (27 Ohio St) int 4.5 scks
LILB AJ Duhe (27 LSU) int 2 scks
RILB Earnest Rohne (29 Henderson) int sck
ROLB Larry Gordon (28 Ariz St) int 3 scks
LCB Don McNeal (24 Alabama) 4 int
RCB Gerald Small (26 S Jose St) 2 int
SS Glenn Blackwood (25 Tex) 2 int 2 scks
FS Lyle Blackwood (31 TCU) 2 int sck
K Uwe Von Schamann (26 Okla)
P Tom Orosz (23 Ohio St)
KR Fulton Walker (24 W Virginia)
PR Tommy Vigorito (23 UVA) td
Here's a 12th seed, the strike shortened AFC Champs from '82 with the 2nd best defense in the league, the Killer Bees front 4 combined for 16.5 sacks in a 9 game season. 24 year old David Woodley is the QB of a mediocre offense that might struggle to move the ball against the best defense from '53. 7 total scores, 8 picks. 23 year old fullback Andra Franklin scored 7 times in 9 games. The Dolphins have already stepped into the 50s, knocking off the '52 Lions in rnd 1.
Miami's on the road, but the extra 30 years have the oddsmakers favoring them by a point. Let's go to Cleveland for the kick.
1st Qtr
Browns starting at the 6 yard line.
3 and out, Kim Bokamper sacks Otto Graham. After the punt, Dolphins in Cleveland territory at the 42.
1/10 - Andra Franklin 8 yard run
2/2 - David Woodley to Duriel Harris, 8 yards and a first down at the Brown 26.
Miami's drive ends there - and they miss the FG.
Back to Cleveland at the 31.
1/10 - Ray Renfro 1 yard run
2/9 - Graham to Dub Jones -- he's got a step - Jones goes 19 yards to the Miami 49
1/10 - Nothing for Renfro
2/10 - Chick Jagade 11 yard run to the 38.
1/10 - Graham to Dante Lavelli, 6 yards to the 32.
2/4 - Graham finds Horace Gillom, 8 yards to the 24
The drive ends - Groza hits the FG and Cleveland is on the board first.
Dolphins at the 26.
1/10 - Tony Nathan 2 yards
2/8 - Nathan 1 yard
3/7 - Woodley to Nat Moore, 16 yards to the 45 yard line.
1/10 - 3 for Franklin
2/7 - Franklin 1
3/6 - Woodley to Bruce Hardy, Hardy's got it -- Hardy is Stripped by Walt Michaels -- Cleveland Ball - Browns Ball - Browns recover the fumble they are at their own 44, 1 minute left in the qtr.
2 plays net 4. It's 3d and 6.
2nd Qtr: Browns 3 Dolphins 0
Cleveland made a FG and Miami didn't. That's where we are - 3rd down for Cleveland around midfield.
3/6 - Graham to Lavelli, 13 yards to the 39.
The drive again stalls - here's Groza, making another FG. 6-0.
Dolphins at the 28.
1/10 - Franklin for 10.
1/10 - Nathan for 8
2/2 - Franklin for 6 and the Dolphins cross midfield.
And that ends the drive - touchback after the punt. 9 left in the half. 6-0 Browns
1/10 - 7 for Jagade
2/3 - Billy Reynolds picks it up.
1/10 - Give to Ray Renfro -- and he breaks it -- 55 yards - Renfro roooollllllllling to the Miami 16 yard line!
1/10 - Graham - Ken Carpenter, Carpenter breaks a tackle -- Ken Carpenter Is Gonna Go Into the End Zone --- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS -- 16 yards from Graham to Carpenter and Cleveland is up 13-0.
Miami at the 28. 7 minutes left in the half here in chilly Cleveland.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Woodley to Harris for 9
3/1 - Franklin...Busts It -- 31 yards....31 yards to the 32 yard line.
1/10 - Tommy Vigorito for 3
2.7 - Woodley to Harris, 10 yard game, Miami at the 19.
1/10 - Nothing for Franklin
2/10 - Woodley --- End Zone -- Jimmy Cefalo....TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS -- it takes just 7 plays for Miami to go 72 yards and it is 13-7 Browns
Big run for Carpenter, he takes it to the 40.
1/10 - There goes Renfro Again --- Ray Renfro 46 yards, one play to the 14!
1/10 - Nothing for Reynolds
2/10 - Graham -- End Zone --- Pete Brewster --- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS - 70 seconds later, Cleveland is back in the endzone and it is 20-7 Cleveland.
Miami starts at the 26 at the 2 minute warning and they go 3 and out - Bill Willis getting a sack - the Browns get it back but go nowhere and it is halftime
3rd Qtr: Browns 20 Dolphins 7
Strong half for the Browns - Ray Renfro with a couple of huge runs - if Cleveland holds on, they will host the Saints in the first region 6 semi.
Miami at the 29.
3 and out.
Browns at the 37.
1/10 - Graham scrambles for 7
2/3 - Incomplete
3/3 - Graham to Brewster, 16 yards to the Miami 40.
1/10 - Renfro 6 yards
2/4 - Reynolds picks it up - it's getting tough now for Miami, Browns first down at the 29 up two TDs
1/10 - Graham scrambling for 11
1/10 - Renfro 1 yard
2/9 - Dub Jones goes for 6
3/3 - Give to Reynolds -- and he shoooooots up the middle....Into the End Zone...TOUCHDOWN BROWNS --- Cleveland just rolllllllling, it's 27-7 with 8 minutes left in the third.
Miami at the 25 and they again go 3 and out. Miami's in trouble here.
Browns at the 32.
1/10 - 2 for Jagade
2/8 - Graham 16 to Brewster, Browns at midfield.
1/10 - Graham to Lavelli for 5
2/5 - Incomplete
3/5 - Graham to Jones---- Jones with blockers, Jones with a convoy -- Dub Jones will be knocked out of bounds at the 1 yard line! The Browns with first and goal!
1/goal - Nothing for Jagade
2/goal - Nothing for Jagade
3/goal - Incomplete
Cleveland's going for it. Up 27-7, less than 2 minutes to play in the third.
4/goal - Otto Graham dive -- Into the End Zone --- TOUCHDOWN BROWNS --- Graham is in the end zone and it is 34-7, Cleveland is putting a thumping on Miami and they will stay home for the first region 6 semi.
Touchback
3 and out. Billy Reynolds big return - the Browns are at the Cleveland 34 yard line and that's where the Browns will take over as the 4th qtr begins.
4th Qtr: Browns 27 Dolphins 7
It's a beatin', Browns headed to the regional semi
1/10 - Reynolds 16 yard run to the 18.
2 plays later, Otto Graham is Picked Off In the End Zone by Lyle Blackwood, it's a touchback.
1/10 - Franklin runs for 16 - Miami's down 20, gonna be a tough haul - they don't get another first down, turning it over on downs - Cleveland taking over at the Miami 42.
They go 3 and out - with 7 minutes left, Miami ball at the 14.
Miami will take the next 3 minutes to get to midfield - but again, they turn it over on downs, Cleveland ball at the 42 - they go 3 and out, Miami uses all 3 of its timeouts - Miami gets the ball back at the 25, Tom Catlin picks off David Woodley and the Browns are able to run the clock out.
Final: Browns 34 Dolphins 7
Cleveland clamps down on Miami and they move to the regional semi.
Graham: 14 for 19 165 yds 2TD/int
Woodley: 9 for 25 85 yds TD/INT
Renfro: 13 carries, 119 yds
Franklin: 20 carries, 140 yds
Brewster: 3 ctches, 43 yds TD
Harris: 4 ctches 49 yds
Player of the Game: Ray Renfro
