The Browns upset the Colts for NFL supremacy in 1964

Life was simpler in 1964. The National Football League did not have a Super Bowl and there were no playoff games after the regular season.

Instead, there were the Western and Eastern divisions. After the 14-game regular season ended, the two division winners met in the championship game. In 1964, the Cleveland Browns hosted the Baltimore Colts.

On Dec. 14, the Times Recorder issued ticket information: “All tickets will be sold through the mail only and tickets will not be available at the usual ticket agencies. The prices set by the National Football League are $10, $8, and $6, with only a limited number of the highest priced tickets being available for mail sale because the bulk of the Browns' season tickets are in that category.”

At current Super Bowl games, a fan probably could not buy a hot dog and a beer for $10.

The favorites to win the championship were the visiting Colts, a team that finished its season with 12 wins and only 2 losses. The squad was led by future Hall of Famers Coach Don Shula and the following players: Raymond Berry, John Mackey, Lenny Moore, Jim Parker, Gino Marchetti and the great quarterback Johnny Unitas.

The underdog Browns, who won their division by a half game with a record of 10-3-1, were led by future Hall of Fame members Paul Warfield, Leroy Kelly, Gene Hickerson, Lou Groza and the fantastic running back Jim Brown.

On Dec. 24, 1964, local Browns' fans were incensed to read in the Times Recorder that an “Anonymous Pro Player” didn't give Cleveland much of a chance: “Cleveland will try to keep the ball because its defense is mediocre to poor. The Browns' bread-and-butter plays are the quick turnout pass to Warfield, the (Gary) Collins post pattern and Brown on pick-a-hole plays.”

After the championship game was completed, I would not have blamed this player for remaining anonymous.

The secretive player had this to say about the two opposing quarterbacks: “There's only one Unitas to play quarterback. Ryan is not a Unitas, but he's a great student and sticks to his game plan. You can rush Ryan. He has an unorthodox way of setting up for passes. He back-pedals and can't take inside pressure. But he's a better runner than Unitas.”

Perhaps one advantage for the Browns was the weather, for they were familiar with playing in less than optimum conditions. On the day of the game, Dec. 27, the Times Recorder stated: “The Cleveland weather bureau forecast snow flurries and a low of 20 for Saturday night, but the outlook for Sunday afternoon was mostly cloudy with a high of 28 degrees.”

The Colts had to battle a light snow and a driving wind, but the hardest task for them was moving the football against Cleveland's aroused “mediocre to poor” defense. Although Unitas completed 12 of 20 passes, he threw two interceptions and gained only 95 yards through the air. The Colts' ground game was even worse, netting just 92 yards.

Although they shut down star rookie receiver Paul Warfield, the Baltimore Colts had no answer for quarterback Frank Ryan and flanker Gary Collins. The day after the game, the Times Recorder wrote: “Ryan hit Collins for touchdowns of 18 and 42 yards in the third period and 51 yards in the fourth, giving the brilliant Cleveland receiver a championship game record of three touchdown passes caught.”

The TR article added: “Ryan noted that because the Colts concentrated on rookie Paul Warfield, he went to Gary Collins as his primary receiver. 'They were worried about (our) running game,' Ryan explained. 'So I had a lot of time to pick out targets and throw. If I had missed Gary on a couple of those throws, I would have been embarrassed'. Collins, who was awarded (a) sports car by a national magazine for his performance, agreed with Ryan that the Colts hurt themselves by concentrating on Warfield, who finished the regular season as one of the top dozen receivers.”

Lou “The Toe” Groza added field goals of 43 and 10 yards and he tacked on extra points after Collins' touchdowns. The great Jim Brown was held fairly well in check, gaining 114 yards on 27 carries. In the second half, however, he took a pitch-out from Ryan around the left side of the line. He scrambled for 46 yards before finally being tackled by Colts' safety Jerry Logan at the 18.

Cleveland's head coach, Blanton Collier, commented: “We decided to stay with our running attack to try and loosen things up for our passing. We succeeded and we also were able to take advantage of it when the Colts made a couple of mistakes.”

Cleveland fans were as surprised as the Colts at how well the defense performed. On Dec. 28 the Times Recorder wrote: “Cleveland's defense, which had surrendered more total yardage than any other team in the NFL during the regular season, was spectacular. Brown defenders intercepted two passes by Baltimore's Johnny Unitas and recovered two fumbles. The defensive standouts for the Browns, whose winning share was estimated at $8,000 each, included tackle Dick Modzelewski, linebackers Vince Costello and Galen Fiss.”

Usually the more talented team wins, but occasionally the lesser squad rises up and punches its opponent in the mouth. This is exactly what happened long ago on a snowy, windblown field along Lake Erie in Cleveland. In the Times Recorder, a score of 31-20 had been predicted, in favor of the Colts, but the Browns' much-maligned defense wasn't buying it. Final score: Cleveland Browns 27 and Baltimore Colts 0.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: The Browns claimed NFL supremacy in 1964