Dec. 3, 1950 – Municipal Stadium, Cleveland
NFL newcomer Cleveland ran the ball on every single play in a 13-7 win over defending NFL champion Philadelphia.
The Browns had won all four championships from 1946-49 in the All-America Football Conference. This stone-age performance was an effort by Cleveland's innovative Hall of Fame coach, Paul Brown, to prove that he could win in the NFL without throwing a pass.
Brown, and the Browns, proved their point. But it wasn't pretty: Cleveland gained more yards on punt returns (100) than it did in total offense (68), while Hall of Fame running back Marion Motley was held to 16 yards on 12 carries.
Defense carried the day for the Browns, who took an early 7-0 lead thanks to a 30-yard interception return by cornerback Warren Lahr. Two field goals from Hall of Fame tackle/kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza (a member of
the CHFF All-Time 11) gave Cleveland a 13-0 lead in the fourth quarter.
We've since dubbed the game "The Pride Bowl," as Brown nearly let his pride get in the way of a NFL championship. Cleveland ended the season with a 10-2 record and in a tie for first place in the American Conference with the Giants. The Browns won a rare tie-breaker playoff game, and went on to beat the L.A. Rams, 30-28, in a dramatic NFL championship game.
Dec. 3, 1950 – Los Angeles Coliseum
On the same day in which the Browns did not throw a single pass, Rams receiver Tom Fears caught an NFL-record 18 passes (for 189 yards) as L.A. crushed Green Bay, 51-14.
Fears' record stood for 50 years, until Terrell Owens caught 20 passes for the 49ers in December 2000.
Dec. 3, 1961 – Bears Stadium, Denver
Denver's Al Frazier became the only player in pro football history to return a kick and a punt for touchdowns in the same quarter in an AFL game against Boston.
The Patriots held a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter when they punted to Bob McNamara, who returned the ball 9 yards before a lateral to Frazier, who raced 55 yards for the go-ahead score. Boston scored two quick touchdowns before Frazier returned the final kickoff 90 yards for a score. The Patriots won, 28-24.
Only three players in AFL/NFL history to this point had returned a punt and a kickoff for scores in the same game. Frazier was the only one to do it in a loss.
Dec. 3, 1967 – Kezar Stadium, San Francisco
Frazier remained the last player to return a punt and kickoff for TDs in the same game, until the incomparable Gale Sayers pulled off the rare feat on the same date six years later.
Chicago's Sayers returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score. It was his third kick return for a touchdown that season, tying an NFL record. Sayers returned a punt 58 yards for a score in the third quarter, and added a 15-yard TD run as the Bears won, 28-7.
Travis Williams of Green Bay set a new NFL record the following week, when he returned his fourth kickoff of the season for a TD.
The performance of Sayers and Williams was discussed earlier this week in the Cold, Hard Football Facts look at the "
Black & Blow Division."
