1970 Cleveland Browns season

NFL team season March 2014 March 2026 Cleveland Browns 1970 Blanton Collier Art Modell Harold Sauerbrei Cleveland Stadium 7–7 2nd AFC Central Did not qualify Jim Houston, LLB/MLBLeroy Kelly, RBGene Hickerson, G Browns seasons The 1970 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 21st season with the National Football League and their 25th year in pro football overall. The Browns attempted to improve on its 10-3-1 record from 1969. The team would fail to do so, and they finished with an even 7-7 record and missed the postseason. This was the first season that the Browns would play the Cincinnati Bengals, their new arch-rival in the AFC Central. The two teams split their two meetings in the first season series. Season summary The merger between the NFL and AFL was complete, with the leagues now playing each other in the regular season for the first time. This was the last step in a four-year process that began in January 1967 with the champions from both leagues playing in Super Bowl I. To finish the merger, the Browns, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts, agreed to move in 1970 from the NFL to the old AFL, renamed the AFC, to balance the leagues, now called conferences (NFC and AFC), at 13 clubs each. The merger had hit a stalemate when none of the NFL teams initially wanted to jump to what many of the old-line NFL people felt was an inferior league overall. Concerning just the Browns themselves, there was the situation involving Blanton Collier. Although no one except maybe the man himself knew it at the start of the season, this was going to be the last year for the venerable head coach. Plagued by hearing problems, the 64-year-old coach announced his retirement before the end of the 1970 season, which the Browns finished with a 7–7 record. Collier told owner Art Modell that he could no longer hear his players, and it was difficult to read their lips through new face masks that obscured their mouths.Pluto 1997 297 Modell tried to help by getting Collier to try new hearing aids and even sent him for acupuncture treatment, but none of it worked.Pluto 1997 69–70 Collier struggled during press conferences because he often could not hear what reporters were asking and answered the wrong questions.Pluto 1997 70 In eight years as coach, Collier led Cleveland to a championship and a 76–34–2 record.Browns' Blanton Says He's Retiring This Year Rochester Sentinel December 2, 1970 Nick Skorich, who came to the Browns as offensive coordinator in 1964, was named as his replacement in 1971.Name Nick Skorich New Browns' Coach https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kA40AAAAIBAJ&sjid=veAIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2732,1969226&dq=blanton+collier&hl=en September 1, 2012 Bangor Daily News January 8, 1971 Associated Press Cleveland 7 Collier had been in the job since 1963 and guided the Browns to the NFL championship a year later. Paul Warfield trade to Dolphins Realizing quarterback Bill Nelsen's aching knees were on borrowed time, the Browns had made a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins on the eve of the 1970 NFL Draft to get the rights to select the man they felt would be their passer of the future, Mike Phipps. But it came at a steep price, for they had to give up Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield in the process. That loss, coupled with Nelsen's physical condition and the unfamiliarity with the personnel on the former AFL clubs they were playing for the first time, took the starch out of what had been a good offense going back to 1963. The result was the Browns scored 65 less points than they had the year before, and 108 less than two seasons before. Along with that, the defense, though it gave up 35 fewer points than it had in 1969, just could not make up the difference, led to the Browns finishing 7–7, only the second non-winning mark in club history. In spite of that, the season started well for the Browns, as they opened 3–1 and then were 4–2. First Monday Night Football game The Browns beat Joe Namath and the New York Jets 31–21 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the opener in the first Monday Night Football game in history, and, three games later, edged Cincinnati 30–27 in Bengals head coach Paul Brown's first official visit to Cleveland since being fired by the Browns eight years before. http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/year-by-year-results/1970.html Season summary and statistics at Cleveland Browns.com March 7, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20111025153343/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/year-by-year-results/1970.html October 25, 2011 dead Offseason NFL draft The following were selected in the 1970 NFL draft. 1970 Cleveland Browns draft Round Selection Player Position College Notes13Mike PhippsQuarterback Purdue121Bob McKayTackle Texas236Turkey JonesDefensive end Tennessee State247Jerry SherkDefensive tackle Oklahoma State499Ricky StevensonDefensive back Arizona5125Steve EngelRunning back Colorado6151Mike CilekQuarterback Iowa7177Craig WycinskyGuard Michigan State8203Honester DavidsonDefensive back Bowling Green9229Geoff BrownLinebacker Pittsburgh10255William YancharDefensive tackle Purdue11281Gene BennerWide receiver Maine12307Jerry SandersKicker Texas Tech13333Larry RobertsRunning back Central Missouri14359Jim TharpeLinebacker Lincoln (Mo.)15385Guy HomolyDefensive back Illinois State16410John RedebaughTight end Bemidji State17436Charles TabbRunning back McMurry1970 NFL Draft https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1970/draft.htm Pro Football Reference 22 November 2021 Personnel Staff / Coaches 1970 Cleveland Browns Owner - Art Modell General manager - Harold Sauerbrei Equipment manager - Morrie Kono Assistant equipment manager - Bob Glenn Head coach – Blanton Collier Offensive Coordinator - Nick Skorich Offensive Line - Fritz Heisler Offensive Backs - Howard Keys Wide Receivers - Bob Nussbaumer Defensive Coordinator - Howard Brinker Defensive Line - Dick Modzelewski Linebackers - Ed Ulinski Trainer - Leo Murphy Roster 1970 Cleveland Browns 40 4 0 11 Don Gault 15 Mike Phipps y 16 Bill Nelsen 26 Reece Morrison 30 Ken Brown running back 35 Bo Scott 44 Leroy Kelly 41 Dave Jones American football 43 Fair Hooker 85 Homer Jones American football 86 Gary Collins American football 83 Chip Glass American football 89 Milt Morin 54 Fred Hoaglin C 55 Chuck Reynolds C/G 62 Joe Taffoni T 64 Jim Copeland American football G 65 John Demarie G 66 Gene Hickerson G 78 Bob McKay y T 77 Dick Schafrath T 71 Walter Johnson defensive tackle DT 72 Jerry Sherk y DT 75 Bill Yanchar y DT 80 Joe Jones defensive end y DE 81 Jack Gregory defensive end DE 88 Ron Snidow DE 50 John Garlington OLB 51 Dale Lindsey MLB 52 Billy Andrews OLB 53 Tom Beutler OLB 56 Bob Matheson MLB 82 Jim Houston OLB 20 Freddie Summers SS 24 Ernie Kellermann SS 28 Ben Davis American football CB 29 Walt Sumner CB 34 Mike Howell FS 40 Erich Barnes CB 12 Don Cockroft K/P 60 Al Jenkins American football G/T IR 27 Randy Minniear RB IR 70 Joe Righetti DT IR 23 Rickey Stevenson y no CB IR 57 Geoff Brown y no LB 36 Steve Engel American football y RB 33 Tom Schoen S 67 Craig Wycinsky y G 1970 Cleveland Browns Starters, Roster, & Players https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1970_roster.htm Pro Football Reference 22 November 2021 Exhibition schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 August 8, 1970 at Los Angeles Rams L 17–30 0–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 71,559 2 August 15, 1970 vs. San Francisco 49ers W 17–10 1–1 Tampa Stadium 41,851 3 August 22, 1970 vs. Kansas City Chiefs L 13–16 1–2 Memphis Memorial Stadium 31,532 4 August 29, 1970 at Cincinnati Bengals L 24–31 1–3 Riverfront Stadium 57,112 5 September 5, 1970 Minnesota Vikings L 21–24 1–4 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,043 6 September 12, 1970 at New York Giants W 30–29 2–4 Yankee Stadium 62,461 There was a doubleheader on September 5, 1970 Cardinals vs Chargers and Vikings vs Browns. Regular season schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 September 21, 1970 New York Jets W 31–21 1–0 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 85,703 Recap 2 September 27 at San Francisco 49ers L 31–34 1–1 Kezar Stadium 37,502 Recap 3 October 3, 1970 Pittsburgh Steelers W 15–7 2–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 84,349 Recap 4 October 11 Cincinnati Bengals W 30–27 3–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,520 Recap 5 October 18 Detroit Lions L 24–41 3–2 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,577 Recap 6 October 25 at Miami Dolphins W 28–0 4–2 Miami Orange Bowl 75,313 Recap 7 November 1 San Diego Chargers L 10–27 4–3 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 80,047 Recap 8 November 8 at Oakland Raiders L 20–23 4–4 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 54,463 Recap 9 November 15 at Cincinnati Bengals L 10–14 4–5 Riverfront Stadium 60,007 Recap 10 November 22 Houston Oilers W 28–14 5–5 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 74,723 Recap 11 November 29 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 9–28 5–6 Three Rivers Stadium 50,214 Recap 12 December 7, 1970 at Houston Oilers W 21–10 6–6 Houston Astrodome 50,582 Recap 13 December 12, 1970 Dallas Cowboys L 2–6 6–7 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 75,458 Recap 14 December 20 at Denver Broncos W 27–13 7–7 Mile High Stadium 51,001 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Season summary Week 4 In the first regular-season matchup between Paul Brown's old team and his new one, the Browns beat the Bengals. Running backs Leroy Kelly and Bo Scott combined for 236 yards, and defensive tackle Walter Johnson sacked Bengals quarterback Virgil Carter for a safety. Bengals 10 7 3 7 Browns 2 14 0 14 October 11 Cleveland Municipal Stadium • Cleveland, Ohio 1:00 p.m. 51 F • Wind 8 mph on Tommy Bell yes 1 CIN Horst Muhlmann 50 yard field goal Bengals 3–0 1 CIN Jess Phillips 2 yard run (Horst Muhlmann kick) Bengals 10–0 1 CLE Safety, Virgil Carter tackled by Walter Johnson in end zone Bengals 10–2 2 CLE Leroy Kelly 3 yard pass from Bill Nelsen (Don Cockroft kick) Bengals 10–9 2 CIN Royce Berry 58 yard fumble return (Horst Muhlmann kick) Bengals 17–9 2 CLE Milt Morin 4 yard pass from Bill Nelsen (Don Cockroft kick) Bengals 17–16 3 CIN Horst Muhlmann 27 yard field goal Bengals 20–16 4 CLE Leroy Kelly 1 yard run (Don Cockroft kick) Browns 23–20 4 CLE Bo Scott 1 yard run (Don Cockroft kick) Browns 30–20 4 CIN Speedy Thomas 16 yard pass from Virgil Carter (Horst Muhlmann kick) Browns 30–27 yes Pro-Football-Reference.com Standings References 30em External links 1970 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference 1970 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com 1970 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com 1970 Cleveland Browns at DatabaseFootball.com Bibliography Pluto Terry Terry Pluto 1997 Browns Town 1964: Cleveland Browns and the 1964 Championship Gray & Company Cleveland 978-1-886228-72-6 Cleveland Category:Cleveland Browns seasons Cleveland Browns Category:1970s in Cleveland