In 1950, the NFL welcomed three teams — the Baltimore Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns from the All America Football Conference — to its environs. The Browns, led by Paul Brown, had been the AAFC’s dominant franchise, winning all four league championships, so the NFL decided to pit Brown’s team against the Philadelphia Eagles, the league’s two-time defending NFL champs.
It was supposed to be an upbraiding for the new kids, but it was the exact opposite. Brown directed Otto Graham, his Hall of Fame quarterback, to exploit holes in the middle of Philly’s defense, and Graham put up a stat line that wouldn’t be out of place for a quarterback in 2021 — 21 completions in 38 attempts for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Browns won their NFL opener, 35-10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xOgmjbfF4s&t=120s
Eagles head coach Earle “Greasy” Neale made some noise before the December 3 rematch about the Browns leaning more on finesse than power, comparing them to a basketball team. This was a major miscalculation on Neale’s part. In that 13-7 Browns victory, Paul Brown’s team ran the ball 41 times, gaining just 68 yards, but still winning on a 30-yard pick-six by Warren Lahr, and two field goals by Hall-of-Famer Lou “The Toe” Groza.
The Browns did not technically throw a single pass, though two attempts were called back due to penalties. Brown told his players that they were specifically not to throw a pass as long as the game was tied, or the Browns had the lead. A rainy day and a muddy field advanced the wisdom of Brown’s strategy, but one gets the sense that Brown was going there no matter what the weather was.
In your face, Greasy.
The Browns won the 1950 NFL championship, 30-28, against the legendary “point-a-minute” Los Angeles Rams, and Brown’s approach was exactly what it should have been: Lean on your quarterback. Graham out-dueled Bob Waterfield, completing 22 of 33 passes for 298 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
Paul Brown was one of football’s greatest coaches and thinkers, and one of the primary reasons why is that he understood that not only is there more than one way to win a game, but that your ultimate success should be based on adjusting your approach for situation and opponent. There are not types or archetypes to which a franchise must adhere; there is only the next game, and the specific plan for winning that game.
Bill Belichick has always been a keen observer of Brown’s approach, and he’s always been a week-to-week adjuster, which is where Belichick’s game plan against the Bills on Monday night comes in.
In monsoon conditions, the Patriots threw the ball just three times — the fewest by any team since the 1974 Bills beat the Jets, 16-12, in a similar Buffalo weather disaster. Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson attempted two passes in that game, completing none, and having two interceptions called back by penalty. New England ran the ball against these Bills 46 times for 222 yards and a touchdown. They ran the ball when it didn’t work early on. They ran the ball when the schemed kicked in, and things got really dicey for Buffalo’s defense. They ran the ball no matter what, because that’s how Belichick saw a specific path to victory.
Could it have backfired? Sure. Did it? Nope. Here’s why.