1955_Cleveland_Browns_season

1955 Cleveland Browns season

1955 Cleveland Browns season

NFL team season


The 1955 Cleveland Browns season was the team's sixth season with the National Football League. The Browns' defense became the first defense in the history of the NFL to lead the league in fewest points allowed and fewest total yards allowed for two consecutive seasons.[1]

Quick Facts Cleveland Browns season, Head coach ...

The defending NFL champion Browns were 9–2–1 in the regular season and won the Eastern Conference. They played in the NFL Championship Game for the sixth consecutive year, and repeated as champion with a 38–14 win over the Rams in Los Angeles.[2][3]

Season summary

The 1955 season began in rough fashion for the Browns, with the defending world champions losing 27–17 at home in the opener to the Washington Redskins,[4] who had their best season in a decade by finishing second in the Eastern Conference at 8–4. But once hall of fame quarterback Otto Graham got back on track, so did the Browns. With Graham, who had been lured out of retirement when the team experienced problems at that position in training camp, leading the way, the Browns then went on to win six in a row and nine of their last 11 to finish 9–2–1 and capture their sixth consecutive conference title. The Browns then blasted the host Los Angeles Rams 38–14 in the league title game,[2][3] after which Graham retired again – this time for good, ending the club's remarkable first decade of existence in which it played in the league championship contest all 10 times and won seven crowns.

The Browns really caught fire offensively in the last five games. Including the title contest, they averaged 37.8 points per outing during that span, in which they won four times and played to a 35–35 tie with the New York Giants. Also, earlier in the year, they won the important road rematch with the Redskins, 24–14.

On the season, Graham threw for 15 touchdowns with just eight interceptions for a 94.0 quarterback rating, the second-best mark of his six-year NFL career. The Browns had three receivers with 29 or more catches, combining for 18 TDs. Pete Brewster was tops in receptions with 34, with Ray Renfro leading the way in scores with eight. Also, the Browns had something they hadn't had since their first year in the NFL—that is, a big-yardage running back. Fred "Curly" Morrison rushed for 824 yards, the most by a Brown since the team joined the league in 1950, when hall of famer Marion Motley had 810 yards.[5]

Roster

1955 Cleveland Browns roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists
  • Vacant

rookies in italics

Source:

Exhibition schedule

More information Week, Date ...

Regular season

Schedule

More information Week, Date ...

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

More information NFL Eastern Conference, W ...
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

NFL Championship Game

More information Round, Date ...
  • Monday, 1 pm PST
Source:[2][3]

Awards and records

  • Led NFL, Points Scored (349)

References

  1. The Best Show in Football:The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns, p.294, Andy Piascik, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-1-58979-360-6
  2. Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 27, 1955). "Browns crush Rams, 38-14, for pro title before 87,695". Milwaukee Journal. p. 17, part 2.
  3. "87,695 fans see Browns defeat Rams, 38 to 14". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 27, 1955. p. 1.
  4. "Redskins roll over Browns, 27-17". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. September 26, 1955. p. 23.
  5. "Season summary and statictics at Cleveland Browns.com". Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2012.

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