1971 Cleveland Browns season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Cleveland Browns 1971 Nick Skorich Harold Sauerbrei Cleveland Stadium 9–5 1st AFC Central Lost Divisional Playoffs(vs. Colts) 3–20 RB Leroy KellyTE Milt Morin Browns seasons thumb|310px|The Browns hosting the Colts in the 1971 AFC Divisional Playoffs Game. The 1971 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 22nd season with the National Football League. After missing the playoffs the previous year, the Browns got off to a good start at 4–1 only to stumble losing four straight to fall to 4–5. However, the Browns would rebound to win the final five games of the season for the AFC Central Division title. Just as the 1967 Browns returned to the playoffs following a one-year absence, so, too, did the '71 club, which was in its first season under new head coach Nick Skorich after Blanton Collier's final team in 1970 had finished just 7–7, ending a string of three consecutive postseason berths. As was the case in 1967, the '71 Browns went 9–5 and won a division crown. They captured the AFC Central for the first time, finishing three games in front of the soon-to-emerge Pittsburgh Steelers (6–8). In the playoffs the Browns would fall in the first round 20–3 to the Baltimore Colts. Running back Leroy Kelly was on the downside of his Pro Football Hall of Fame career, but he did manage to rush for 865 yards and 10 touchdowns – still good for a 14-game season. Wide receiver Fair Hooker led the team in receptions with 45.http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/year-by-year-results/1971.html Season statistics and summary at Cleveland Browns.com 2012-03-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20111025154547/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/year-by-year-results/1971.html 2011-10-25 dead Offseason Draft 1971 NFL draft 1971 Cleveland Browns 1 14 Clarence Scott DB Kansas State yes yes 2 40 Bo Cornell LB Washington 3 66 Paul Staroba WR Michigan Played with Browns in 1972 3 68 Charlie Hall LB Houston yes 4 92 Bubba Pena G UMass Played with Browns in 1972 5 118 Stan Brown WR Purdue yes 6 142 Doug Dieken T Illinois yes yes 6 144 Jay Dixon DE Boston University 7 170 Bob Jacobs K Wyoming 8 196 Larry Zelina RB Ohio State 9 222 Wilmur Levels DB North Texas State 10 248 Steve Casteel LB Oklahoma 11 274 Mike Sikich G Northwestern yes 12 300 Tony Blanchard TE North Carolina 13 326 Thad Jamula T Lehigh 14 352 Rick Kingrea LB Tulane yes 15 378 Bill Green DB Western Kentucky 16 404 Dave Smith WR Mississippi State 17 430 Leo Dillon C Dayton nohttps://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1971_draft.htm 1971 Cleveland Browns Draftees Pro Football Reference June 12, 2022 Staff 1971 Cleveland Browns Owner - Art Modell General Manager - Harold Sauerbrei Equipment Manager - Morrie Kono Assistant Equipment Manager - Bob Glenn Head Coach – Nick Skorich Offensive Coordinator - Nick Skorich Offensive Line - Ray Prochaska Offensive Backs - Howard Keys and then Jerry Williams Wide Receivers - Bob Nussbaumer Defensive Coordinator - Howard Brinker Defensive Line - Dick Modzelewski Linebackers/Film Coordinator - Ed Ulinski Secondary - Richie McCabe Trainer - Leo Murphy Team Physician - Vic Ippolito Roster 1971 Cleveland Browns 42 3 5 16 Bill Nelsen 15 Mike Phipps 30 Ken Brown running back 33 Bo Cornell y 44 Leroy Kelly 26 Reece Morrison 35 Bo Scott 21 Stan Brown y no 86 Gary Collins American football 43 Fair Hooker 41 Dave Jones American football 25 Frank Pitts 83 Chip Glass American football 89 Milt Morin 64 Jim Copeland American football C/G 65 John Demarie G 73 Doug Dieken y T 54 Fred Hoaglin C 66 Gene Hickerson G 74 Mitch Johnson American football T 78 Bob McKay T 77 Dick Schafrath T 63 Mike Sikich y G 84 Bob Briggs American football DE/DT 81 Jack Gregory defensive end DE 71 Walter Johnson defensive tackle DT 80 Joe Jones defensive end DE 72 Jerry Sherk DT 88 Ron Snidow DE 52 Billy Andrews OLB 50 John Garlington OLB 59 Charlie Hall linebacker y OLB 82 Jim Houston OLB 58 Rick Kingrea y MLB 51 Dale Lindsey MLB 28 Ben Davis American football CB 34 Mike Howell FS 24 Ernie Kellermann SS 22 Clarence Scott y CB 20 Freddie Summers CB 29 Walt Sumner SS 12 Don Cockroft K/P 40 Erich Barnes S IR 36 Steve Engel American football RB IR 70 Joe Righetti DT IR 11 Don Gault QB 68 Bubba Pena y G 85 Paul Staroba y WR 67 Craig Wycinsky G 75 Bill Yanchar DT Exhibition schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 August 8, 1971 at San Francisco 49ers L 24–38 0–1 Candlestick Park 40,000 2 August 13, 1971 Los Angeles Rams L 5–17 0–2 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 52,503 3 August 20, 1971 at Dallas Cowboys L 15–16 0–3 Cotton Bowl 69,099 4 August 28, 1971 vs. Chicago Bears L 19–20 0–4 Notre Dame Stadium 43,568 5 September 4, 1971 New York Giants W 30–7 1-4 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 82,710 6 September 10, 1971 at St. Louis Cardinals L 13–27 1-5 Busch Memorial Stadium 46,171 There was a doubleheader on September 4, 1971 Jets vs Steelers and Giants vs Browns. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 19 Houston Oilers W 31–0 1–0 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 73,387 Recap 2 September 26 at Baltimore Colts W 14–13 2–0 Memorial Stadium 56,837 Recap 3 October 4, 1971 Oakland Raiders L 20–34 2–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 84,285 Recap 4 October 10 Pittsburgh Steelers W 27–17 3–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,391 Recap 5 October 17 at Cincinnati Bengals W 27–24 4–1 Riverfront Stadium 60,284 Recap 6 October 24 Denver Broncos L 0–27 4–2 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 75,674 Recap 7 October 31 Atlanta Falcons L 14–31 4–3 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 76,825 Recap 8 November 7 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 9–26 4–4 Three Rivers Stadium 50,202 Recap 9 November 14 at Kansas City Chiefs L 7–13 4–5 Municipal Stadium 50,388 Recap 10 November 21 New England Patriots W 27–7 5–5 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 65,238 Recap 11 November 28 at Houston Oilers W 37–24 6–5 Houston Astrodome 37,921 Recap 12 December 5 Cincinnati Bengals W 31–27 7–5 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 82,705 Recap 13 December 12 at New Orleans Saints W 21–17 8–5 Tulane Stadium 72,794 Recap 14 December 19 at Washington Redskins W 20–13 9–5 RFK Stadium 53,041 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1: vs. Houston The Browns open the regular season by blasting the Oilers, 31-0, in Nick Skorich's first game as coach. Leroy Kelly scores the Browns' first two touchdowns on 1-yard runs, and Bill Nelsen and Mike Phipps both throw a touchdown pass. The Browns intercept five passes (two by rookie Clarence Scott) and yield just 11 first downs. Week 2: At Baltimore The Browns survived a late mistake and upset the defending Super Bowl-champion Colts, 14-13 at Baltimore. After Walt Sumner intercepts a Johnny Unitas pass with five seconds left (Cleveland's fifth interception), he attempts to lateral to Scott, who never touches the ball as Baltimore's Ray Perkins recovers at the Cleveland 27. But the Colts, out of timeouts, watch the clock expire before they can get off a field-goal attempt. Week 5: At Cincinnati The Browns edge the Bengals, 27-24, at Cincinnati on Bo Scott's third touchdown - a 4-yard run with 39 seconds remaining. The win improves Cleveland's record to 4-1 and drops Paul Brown's defending AFC Central-champion Bengals to 1-4. The Browns get a break when defensive end Jack Gregory recovers a fumble at the Cincinnati 10, setting up a Nelsen-to-Scott TD pass. The players gave the game ball to Coach Howard Keys who was in the hospital with complications from cancer and died October 21, 1971. Week 7: vs. Atlanta Cleveland Browns 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns – Game summary October 31 1:00 p.m. EST Falcons 14 7 7 3 Browns 0 0 7 7 Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 76,825 63 F, relative humidity 72%, round (wind) 11 mph on CBS Don Criqui (play–by–play), Irv Cross (color commentator) and Frank Clarke (sideline reporter) First quarter ATL – Burrow 39 yard pass from Shiner (Bell kick) Falcons 7, Browns 0 ATL – Hansen 40 yard interception return (Bell kick) Falcons 14, Browns 0 Second quarter ATL – Mitchell 23 yard pass from Shiner (Bell kick) Falcons 21, Browns 0 Third quarter ATL – Butler 1 yard rush (Bell kick) Falcons 28, Browns 0 CLE – Scott 12 yard rush (Cockroft kick) Falcons 28, Browns 7 Fourth quarter ATL – Bell 27 yard field goal Falcons 31, Browns 7 CLE – Collins 24 yard pass from Nelsen (Cockroft kick) Falcons 31, Browns 14 Top passers ATL – Dick Shiner 6/9, 115 yds, 2 TD CLE – Bill Nelsen 9/19, 108 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT Top rushers ATL – Cannonball Butler 21 carr, 63 yds, 1 TD CLE – Bo Scott 11 carr, 46 yds, 1 TD Top receivers ATL – Jim Mitchell 3 rec, 35 yds, 1 TD CLE – Fair Hooker & Milt Morin 3 rec, 30 yds Turnovers ATL – 0 CLE – 4 Week 10 vs. New England The Browns snap a four-game losing streak with a 27-7 win over the Patriots at Cleveland Stadium. Kelly rushes for 113 yards and scores two touchdowns, one on a 7-yard pass from Nelsen for the game's first score. The Browns intercept four passes by New England rookie Jim Plunkett, who has trouble adjusting on a windy day. Week 12 vs. Cincinnati The Browns clinch their first AFC Central Division title with a 31-27 win over Cincinnati at Cleveland. Leroy Kelly, who surpassed the 100-yard mark for the 26th time, scores the first and last touchdowns to complement a 224-yard passing performance by Nelsen. Postseason 1971–72 NFL playoffs Round Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Divisional December 26 Baltimore Colts L 3–20 0–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 74,082 Recap Standings References External links 1971 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference 1971 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com 1971 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com 1971 Cleveland Browns at DatabaseFootball.com Cleveland Category:Cleveland Browns seasons Category:AFC Central championship seasons Cleveland Browns