NFL 100: A Spotlight
The Cleveland Browns had some glimpses of good football in 2018, not so much in 2019. However, there was at one point when the Browns were one of the dominant teams in the NFL. A time when they had stability at quarterback, an offense that was scary, a defense to match and most importantly they won division titles and NFL championships. Let's take a look at the 1950's Browns.
The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1944 and became one of the charter franchises in the newly-minted All-American Football Conference. The new league would start operations in 1946 and would continue to operate until 1949, the year when league agreed to a merger with the NFL. The Browns would dominate every season while in the AAFC.
Unlike the more successful American Football League, the AAFC would let three of its seven teams join the NFL after the two leagues agreed to merge. The AFL would let all ten of their franchises join the league after the AFL and NFL agreed to a merger. The teams that would join the NFL from the AAFC were: Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts (this version of the Colts would exist for only one season in 1950 but a different iteration of the Colts would begin in 1953).
Many of the experts expected the Cleveland Browns to fail in 1950 as many NFL people felt that the AAFC was a minor league compared to the established NFL. After all, the NFL had survived its roughest stretch of existence due to World War II and was coming out of the war with its feet intact and looked to a brighter future. Most of the top athletes during this era were still playing baseball, or boxing. Once the Browns entered the NFL, the American consciousness would start to shift.
The Browns during the 1950's would enjoy some of the best football ever seen in the history of the NFL. They would win the NFL championship in 1950, 1954 and 1955. They would win the conference championship every year from 1950 to 1955, as well as 1957. One of the craziest statistics is that they won their division every year from 1946 to 1955. You have to remember this was during a time when the NFL had lesser teams, the rules were less, and defenses could literally do anything. The 1950's Browns were really and truly the first great dynasty in the NFL.
They had great players during those years. Such players like Otto Graham, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley and Bill Willis (Motley and Willis were two of the earliest African-American players to play professional football). The man who coached those players stands above all others, Paul Brown.
Paul Brown was the franchise's first head coach and where the team got their name from. He would coach those championship years for the Browns. What I think Brown brought to the table was turn the coaching profession into a science. He controlled everything in a player's daily schedule. From practice, watching game film, to forcing players to not have sex after Tuesday or signing players regardless of race. The topic of race never resonated with him, if he was good at playing the game, Brown would stop at nothing to sign him. Many coaches like Chuck Noll, Don Shula, and Bill Walsh used Brown's system.
Week 11 Recap
Pittsburgh 7, Cleveland 21: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The game was an old-fashioned black and blue football game, but it was overshadowed by two players: a player who instigated the fight, and a player who lost his cool in the moment. Mason Rudolph was the one who instigated the fight would finish the game with 221 yards passing with a touchdown but threw for four interceptions. Pittsburgh's running game didn't do much as Jalen Samuels was the leading rusher with 26 yards, James Conner had only 10. Baker Mayfield continued to play it safe and finished the game with 193 yards passing with two touchdowns. Mayfield would run it in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Nick Chubb would have a good day on the ground with his 92 yards from the ground. Overall, I think Mason Rudolph should get some punishment for instigating the fight between him and Myles Garrett. Don't get me wrong, I think Garrett deserves the blame for it as well.
All-time series: Steelers lead series 75-59-1
Next week: Pittsburgh: @ Cincinnati; Cleveland: vs Miami
TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1
Houston 7, Baltimore 41: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The match-up between DeShaun Watson and Lamar Jackson was well... not what was expected from the final result. Watson douldn't do much against the Ravens defense, finishing the day with 169 yards passing with an interception. He couldn't do much on the ground with 12 yards rushing. Carlos Hyde was the Texans leading rusher with 65 yards. Penalties and turnovers didn't help much for Houston as they took three penalties and two turnovers. Lamar Jackson had a fine day with 222 yards passing with four touchdowns and would ran for 86 yards. Gus Edwards was the leading rusher with 116 yards with a touchdown. Just another day in the office for Lamar Jackson.
All-time series: Ravens lead 9-2
Next week: Houston: vs Indianapolis (Thursday); Baltimore: @ LA Rams
TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1
Denver 23, Minnesota 27: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
It was a game of two halves: the "Vikings did squat while the Broncos played aggressive football" and the "Vikings got back to playing better football while the Broncos did squat." Brandon Allen did well enough, finishing the day with 240 yards passing with a touchdown while throwing an interception late in the first half. Philip Lindsey was the leading rusher for Denver with 67 yards while Andy Janovich ran it in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Kirk Cousins was sluggish in the first half but would turn it up in the 2nd half, finishing the game with 319 yards with three touchdowns. Denver did well containing Dalvin Cook, holding the runningback to 26 yards but would get a touchdown in the game. Broncos did fine, but forgot to put the foot on the gas after halftime.
All-time series: Vikings lead 8-7
Next week: Denver: @ Buffalo; Minnesota: Bye
TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1
Jacksonville 13, Indianapolis 33: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
Nick Foles returned to the Jaguars after getting injured in Week 1. Foles did fine in the game, with his 296 yards passing with two touchdowns while throwing an interception. Leonard Fournette didn't see a lot of action from the ground with eight carries for 23 yards, probably because that the Jags defense couldn't stop Indy. Jacoby Brissett returned and had a meager day with his 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It would be the Colts running game that would shine best as Marlon Mack and Johnathan Williams would both run for 109 and 116 yards rushing respectively, with Mack getting the rushing touchdown. It would be the first time that Indy had two 100+ yard rushers in a game since 1985.
All-time series: Colts lead 24-13
Next week: Jacksonville: @ Tennessee; Indianapolis: @ Houston (Thursday)
TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1
New Orleans 34, Tampa Bay 17: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints had a wake up call last week, losing to Atlanta and in a competitive NFC, they needed a win. Drew Brees threw the ball for 228 yards with three touchdowns. Alvin Kamara ran the ball for a good amount of 75 yards. Jameis Winston reverted back to his wild ways, finishing the game with 313 yards passing with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Winston was the leading rusher with 23 yards in the game.
All-time series: Saints lead series 35-21
Next week: New Orleans: vs Carolina; Tampa Bay: @ Atlanta
TW: 4-1; CV: 4-1
NY Jets 34, Washington 17: TW: Redskins; CV: Jets
Well I took a chance on Washington, and it backfired, such my luck. Sam Darnold had one of his better games this season with 293 yards passing with four touchdowns and an interception. Le'Veon Bell had a decent day with 59 yards rushing with a touchdown. Dwayne Haskins had a better game than some of his previous starts this season, finishing with 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Adrian Peterson wouldn't be able to get much of a ground game going with only 26 yards rushing on nine carries.
All-time series: Redskins lead series 8-4
Next week: NY Jets: vs Oakland; Washington: vs Detroit
TW: 4-2; CV: 5-1
Dallas 35, Detroit 27: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys defense had a rough game but Dak Prescott saved the day. Prescott threw for 444 yards with three touchdowns in the game, a pretty good game for him for sure. Ezekiel Elliot didn't get much on the ground with 45 yards but would run it in for a touchdown. Michael Gallup had 148 receiving yards. Jake Driskel started in place of Matthew Stafford and did okay with his 209 yards with two touchdown. Driskel would run for 51 yards with a touchdown. Bo Scarborough was the leading rusher for the Lions with 55 yards. With Philadelphia's loss, the Cowboys have a 1-game cushion in the division.
All-time series: Cowboys lead 17-12
Next week: Dallas: @ New England; Detroit: @ Washington
TW: 5-2; CV: 6-1
Buffalo 37, Miami 20: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills did what they were expected to, they beat a bad team. Josh Allen did well in this game with 256 yards with three touchdowns. Devin Singletary had a good day on the ground with 75 yards but wouldn't score a touchdown. Ryan Fitzpatrick had 319 yards passing but wouldn't get a passing touchdown in the game. Oddly enough, both Jakeem Grant and Kalen Ballage would score a touchdown each but could only put up 7 and 9 yards rushing respectively. Grant would also score a touchdown on a 101-yard kickoff return, his fourth overall kick-six in his career. Buffalo is 7-3 for the first time since 1999.
All-time series: Dolphins lead 61-50-1
Next week: Buffalo: vs Denver; Miami: @ Cleveland
TW: 6-2; CV: 7-1
Atlanta 29, Carolina 3: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Where was this Atlanta team earlier in the year? Matt Ryan had a better game than what he had last week as he finished the game with 311 yards passing with a touchdown but improved in that he didn't throw an interception. Brian Hill didn't get too much on the ground as he put up 30 yards rushing. Kyle Allen looked very mortal in this game as he threw for 325 yards but would throw four interceptions. Christian McCaffrey had a good day on the ground and air with 70 rushing yards and 122 receiving yards. What's wrong with Carolina?
All-time series: Atlanta leads 31-18
Next week: Atlanta: vs Tampa Bay; Carolina: @ New Orleans
TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2
Arizona 26, San Francisco 36: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers kept this one close but you have to give credit to Arizona when its due. Kyler Murray threw the ball for 150 yards with two touchdowns while running the ball for 67 yards with a touchdown. Kenyan Drake would get 67 yards as well. Jimmy Garoppolo was quite interesting in this game. He threw for 424 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, the only blemish was the two picks. It was another game where the running game was quiet as Tevin Coleman ran for 14 yards. San Francisco's offense needs to get better if they want to beat Green Bay next week.
All-time series: 49ers lead 31-26
Next week: Arizona: Bye; San Francisco: vs Green Bay
TW: 7-3; CV: 8-2
Cincinnati 10, Oakland 17: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Bengals remain winless while the surprise Raiders keep on winning. Ryan Finley started again for the Bengals, and he finished the game with 115 yards passing with an interception. Joe Mixon would score the only touchdown for the Bengals while compiling 86 yards rushing. Derek Carr did fine in the game with 292 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It was another 100+ yard game for Josh Jacobs who has already broken the Raiders rookie rushing record. Jacobs finished the game with 112. His 4 100-yard games this season broke the record set by Marcus Allen. Not too bad.
All-time series: Raiders lead 21-11
Next week: Cincinnati: vs Pittsburgh; Oakland: @ NY Jets
TW: 8-3; CV: 9-2
New England 17, Philadelphia 10: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Super Bowl rematch was more of a defensive battle than the actual championship game these two teams played back in February 2018. Tom Brady looked alright but threw the ball for 216 yards for zero touchdowns. Julian Edelman did manage to throw a touchdown pass for 15 yards. Sony Michel was able to muster 33 yards from the ground. Carson Wentz had similar numbers like Brady but threw for 214 yards with a touchdown, a pass from Wentz to Dallas Goedert. Miles Sanders was the leading rusher for the game with 38 yards rushing. Don't really know how good the Patriots can be without a solid offensive line.
All-time series: Eagles lead 8-7
Next week: New England: vs Dallas; Philadelphia: vs Seattle
TW: 9-3; CV: 10-2
Chicago 7, LA Rams 17: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The game was what I had expected it to be. It was pretty ugly and both quarterbacks didn't do very well. Mitchell Trubisky had 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It might've been an end of an era for Trubisky as Chase Daniel was put into the game. Tarik Cohen had 39 yards rushing for the game. Jared Goff finished the game with 173 yards passing with an interception. Todd Gurley would be the focal point of the offense, as Sean McVay would say, as Gurley finished with 97 yards rushing with a touchdown. Malcolm Brown had 15 yards for the game with a touchdown in the game as well. The Rams stay alive.
All-time series: Bears lead 54-37-3
Next week: Chicago: vs NY Giants; LA Rams: vs Baltimore
TW: 10-3; CV: 11-2
Kansas City 24, LA Chargers 17: TW: Chargers; CV: Chiefs
The game was just as ugly as the Sunday night game. Five total turnovers from both teams, granted that four of them are from the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes wasn't his normal self but was more of manager with 182 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Mahomes was the leading rusher with 59 but Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy scored for touchdowns in the game. Philip Rivers really looked not good in this game, throwing the ball 52 times and threw for 353 yards passing with a touchdown and 4 interceptions. Melvin Gordon did fine in the game with the ground as he racked up 69 yards rushing. Just imagine how the game could've changed when Rivers had lesser interceptions. I feel the Chargers are done.
All-time series: Chiefs lead 62-56-1
Next week: Kansas City: Bye; LA Chargers: Bye
TW: 10-4; CV: 12-2
The Records (By Week & Year):
Cardinal Viking:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019:
Week 1: 11-4-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 9-6
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 10-4
Week 8: 11-4
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 2-11
Week 11: 12-2
Overall: 97-64-1
My record:
2012: 164-90-2
2013: 162-92-1
2014: 172-83-1
2017: 164-92
2018: 156-98-2
2019:
Week 1: 12-3-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 11-5
Week 4: 8-7
Week 5: 5-10
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 7-7
Week 8: 14-1
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8
Week 11: 10-4
Overall: 99-62-1
See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 12 Picks post!
-Tom
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