1965 Cleveland Browns season

NFL team season March 2014 March 2026 Cleveland Browns 1965 Blanton Collier Harold Sauerbrei Cleveland Stadium 11–3 1st NFL Eastern Lost NFL Championship(at Packers) 12–23 Paul Wiggin, DEGene Hickerson, GFrank Ryan, QBJohn Wooten, GJim Houston, LBGary Collins, FLDick Schafrath, LTJim Brown, FB Browns seasons The 1965 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 16th season with the National Football League. With an NFL-best 11–3 mark, the 1965 team finished just a shade better than the year before (10–3–1) and, just as they had in 1964, the Browns returned to the NFL Championship Game; however, this time, they lost 23–12 to the Green Bay Packers in the last title contest held before the advent of the Super Bowl. It would be the first of three straight NFL crowns for the Packers, who went on to win the first two Super Bowls as well. With his partner at wide receiver, 1964 rookie sensation Paul Warfield, missing almost all of the season with a broken collarbone, Gary Collins stepped up and led the Browns with 10 touchdown receptions, just less than half of the team's total of 23. Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, in what would turn out to be his final year before his unexpected retirement in the offseason, rushed for 1,544 yards, 98 more than the year before, and exceeded his TD total by 10, scoring 17 times. Quarterback Frank Ryan, who had thrown 25 TD passes in both 1963 and 1964, had just 18 in 1965 with 13 interceptions. His yardage was down considerably, too, to 1,751, as was his rating (75.3). The Browns had a stretch in which they won nine of ten games, something the 1964 team did not come close to matching. And whereas the 1964 team needed to capture its regular-season finale to clinch the Eastern Conference title, the 1965 Browns claimed the championship with several weeks left, which explains why they were clobbered 42–7 in the next-to-last game by a Los Angeles Rams team that finished last in the Western Conference at 4–10; The Browns rested many of their starters and were just trying to get out of that game with no injuries. Thus, the Browns could have very easily been 12–2. However, there was no such explanation for the Browns' only other one-sided loss, a 49–13 home decision to the St. Louis Cardinals. Although the Cards finished tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for next-to-last place in the East at 5–9, they were arguably the Browns' fiercest rival throughout the entire 1960s. Offseason NFL draft 1965 Cleveland Browns draft Round Selection Player Position College Notes217Jim GarciaTacklePurdue222Gerry BussellDefensive backGeorgia Tech227Walter JohnsonDefensive tackleCal State-Los Angeles332Bo ScottRunning backOhio State341Bobby MaplesLinebackerBaylor569Bill IrwinTackleMississippi672Arnie SimkusTackleMichigan683Corwyn AldredgeWide receiverNorthwestern State (LA)797Dale LindseyLinebackerWestern Kentucky8111Mike HowellDefensive backGrambling9125Gary LaneQuarterbackMissouri10139Pat ScreenQuarterbackLSU11153Ollie CordillBackMemphis State12167Justin CanaleGuardMississippi State13181Henry PickettBackBaylor14195Dan SimrellQuarterbackToledo15209Larry GagnerTackleFlorida16223Mel AnthonyFullbackMichigan17237John BoyetteTackleClemson18251Dick ArringtonGuardNotre Dame19265Ed OrazenGuardOhio State20279Frank GoldbergLinebackerCentral Michigan 1964 NFL Draft Listing – Pro-Football-Reference.com Pro-Football-Reference.com https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1964.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20090623063749/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1964.htm June 23, 2009 live July 19, 2009 mdy Exhibition schedule Week Date Opponent Result Score Record Stadium Attendance Time Network Local TV Radio 1 August 6, 1965 (Fri) vs. College All-Stars (at Chicago) W 24–16 1–0 Soldier Field 68,000 9:00 PM EDT ABC WJMO-AM 2 August 15, 1965 at San Francisco 49ers W 37–21 2–0 Kezar Stadium 22,000 4:00 PM EDT WEWS-TV WJMO-AM 3 August 22, 1965 at Los Angeles Rams W 21–19 3–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 29,508 4:00 PM EDT WEWS-TV WJMO-AM 4 August 29, 1965 at Detroit Lions W 28–14 4–0 Tiger Stadium 28,803 1:30 PM EDT WEWS-TV WJMO-AM 5 September 4, 1965 (Sat) Green Bay Packers L 14–30 4–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,118 9:00 PM EDT WJMO-AM 6 September 11, 1965 (Sat) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers at (Akron) W 28–16 5–1 Rubber Bowl 23,162 8:00 PM EDT WERE-AM Notes: time a a All times in North American Eastern Time. There was a doubleheader on September 4, 1965, Giants vs Lions and Packers vs Browns. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Score Record Stadium Attendance Time Network Radio 1 September 19, 1965 at Washington Redskins W 17–7 1–0 District of Columbia Stadium 48,208 1:30 PM EDT CBS WJMO-AM 2 September 26, 1965 St. Louis Cardinals L 13–49 1–1 Cleveland Stadium 80,161 1:30 PM EDT CBS WJMO-AM 3 October 3, 1965 at Philadelphia Eagles W 35–17 2–1 Franklin Field 60,759 1:30 PM EDT CBS WJMO-AM 4 October 9, 1965 Pittsburgh Steelers W 24–19 3–1 Cleveland Stadium 80,187 8:00 PM EDT Sports Network Incorporated (SNI) WERE-AM 5 October 17, 1965 Dallas Cowboys W 23–17 4–1 Cleveland Stadium 80,432 1:30 PM EDT CBS WERE-AM 6 October 24, 1965 at New York Giants W 38–14 5–1 Yankee Stadium (I) 62,864 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 7 October 31, 1965 Minnesota Vikings L 17–27 5–2 Cleveland Stadium 83,505 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 8 November 7, 1965 Philadelphia Eagles W 38–34 6–2 Cleveland Stadium 72,807 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 9 November 14, 1965 New York Giants W 34–21 7–2 Cleveland Stadium 82,426 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 10 November 21, 1965 at Dallas Cowboys W 24–17 8–2 Cotton Bowl 76,251 4:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 11 November 28, 1965 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 42–21 9–2 Pitt Stadium 42,757 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 12 December 5, 1965 Washington Redskins W 24–16 10–2 Cleveland Stadium 77,765 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 13 December 12, 1965 at Los Angeles Rams L 7–42 10–3 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 49,048 4:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM 14 December 19, 1965 at St. Louis Cardinals W 27–24 11–3 Busch Stadium I 29,348 2:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM Notes: time a a All times in North American Eastern Time. (UTC–4 and UTC–5 starting October 24) Playoffs Round Date Opponent Result Score Stadium Attendance Time Network Local Radio National Radio 1965 NFL Championship Game January 2, 1966 at Green Bay Packers L 12–23 Lambeau Field 50,852 2:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM CBS Notes: time a a All times in North American Eastern Time. Personnel Roster 1965 Cleveland Browns roster Quarterbacks 11 Jim Ninowski 13 Frank Ryan Running backs 32 Jim Brown 36 Charley Scales 44 Leroy Kelly 48 Ernie Green Wide receivers 27 Walter Roberts 42 Paul Warfield 85 Clifton McNeil 86 Gary Collins P 87 Tom Hutchinson Tight ends 41 Ralph Smith 83 Johnny Brewer Offensive linemen 56 John Morrow C 60 John Wooten G 62 Dale Memmelaar G/C 66 Gene Hickerson G 70 John Brown T 73 Monte Clark T 77 Dick Schafrath T Defensive linemen 69 Jim Kanicki DT 71 Walter Johnson DT 74 Dick Modzelewski DT 80 Bill Glass DE 81 Jim Garcia DE 84 Paul Wiggin DE Linebackers 35 Galen Fiss OLB 38 Stan Sczurek OLB 50 Vince Costello MLB 51 Dale Lindsey MLB 67 Sid Williams OLB 82 Jim Houston OLB Defensive backs 20 Ross Fichtner SS 23 Larry Benz FS 24 Bobby Franklin CB/S 30 Bernie Parrish CB 34 Mike Howell CB/S 40 Erich Barnes CB 49 Walter Beach CB Special teams 76 Lou Groza K Taxi squad -- Bill Byrne G 37 Jamie Caleb RB -- Ernie Kellermann S -- David Lee P -- Archie Roberts QB Reserve list 78 Frank Parker DT (IR) 7px rookies in italics https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1965_roster.htm 1965 Cleveland Browns Starters, Roster, & Players Pro-Football-Reference.com Staff/coaches 1965 Cleveland Browns staff Front office Majority owner/CEO & president – Art Modell Minority owner – Al Lerner General manager – Harold Sauerbrei Coaches Head coach – Blanton Collier Offensive coaches Quarterbacks/Running Backs/Tight Ends - Dub Jones Offensive line – Fritz Heisler Offensive backfield and ends – Paul Bixler  Defensive coaches Defensive line – Nick Skorich Linebackers – Ed Ulinski Strength & Conditioning Athletic Trainer - Leo Murphy Equipment Manager - Morris Kono Standings See also The Fortune Cookie – scenes were filmed during the 27–17 loss to the Vikings on October 31. References External links 1965 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference 1965 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com 1965 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com 1965 Cleveland Browns at DatabaseFootball.com Season Results at Cleveland Browns.com Cleveland Category:Cleveland Browns seasons Cleveland Browns Category:1960s in Cleveland