Saturday, September 16, 1950
Browns 35, Philadelphia Eagles 10
Municipal Stadium (71,237)
Center Frank Gatski handled the middle of the offensive line for the Browns.
Dub Jones got the scoring started for the Browns with a 59 yard touchdown. In the first quarter.
1950 Program cover from the Browns first NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Don Phelps with Blanton Collier, and Tommy James. Phelps had a punt return TD called back in the game.
Horace Gillom handled the punting duties for the Browns in 1950 and also played running back and wide receiver.
Lin Houston started at guard for the Browns in 1950.
Mac Speedie and Len Ford in action the last week of the preseason against Pittsburgh.
Mac Speedie led the team with 7 receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Otto Graham runs over the goal line for a touchdown against New York in the first round of the playoffs.
Offensive tackles Lou Rymkus and Lou Groza anchored the offensive line for the Browns.
Paul Brown diagraming plays in the weeks leading up to the big game.
The Browns practice a blocking drill during the season.
Trainer Leo Murphy with Forrest Grigg in the pre-season. Grigg filled in for Lou Groza kicking 5 extra points.
Trainer Leo Murphy with Rex Bumgardner and Paul Brown. Rex finished the scoring with a 2 yard touchdown run.
Marion Motley runs a sweep in the NFL Championship Game at the end of the 1950 season.
The Browns exploded into the NFL with an astonishing performance that resulted in a blowout victory over the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on their own home field on what would prove to be an historic Saturday night. Though a punt return for a touchdown by the Browns' Don Phelps a minute into the game was called back on a penalty (and cost the Browns the services of kicker Lou Groza, who was injured on the play), the upstarts from the All-America Conference quickly proved they were a match for the champs, soaring to a 14-3 halftime lead on a pair of Otto Graham touchdown passes. The first - the Browns' initial score in the NFL - was a 59-yard strike down the middle to wide-open RB Dub Jones to give Cleveland a lead it would not relinquish. Graham, having a marvelous night, added a third touchdown pass to cap the first series of the third quarter and then ran for another in the fourth as the Browns turned the "World Series of football" into a blowout. They totaled 448 yards for the game as Graham threw for 346, including seven completions to WR Mac Speedie for 109 yards. The Eagles, playing without injured star RB Steve Van Buren, turned the ball over five times, yet the Browns had their share of mistakes, coughing up the ball four times themselves while committing twelve penalties for 98 yards.
1 2 3 4
Browns 7 7 7 14 = 35
Eagles 3 0 0 7 = 10
PHI-Patton 15-yd. FG
CLE-D.Jones 59-yd. pass from Graham (Grigg kick)
CLE-Lavelli 26-yd. pass from Graham (Grigg kick)
CLE-Speedie 13-yd. pass from Graham (Grigg kick)
CLE-Graham 1-yd. run (Grigg kick)
PHI-Pihos 17-yd. pass from Mackrides (Patton kick)
CLE-Bumgardner 2-yd. run (Grigg kick)
Passing
CLE: Graham 21-38-346 3 TD 2 INT
PHI: Thompson 8-24-73 0 TD 2 INT, Mackrides 3-8-45 1 TD 1 INT
Rushing
CLE: D.Jones 6-72, Motley 11-48, Bumgardner 4-18, Graham 3-3
PHI: Ziegler 17-57, Scott 13-46, Craft 4-28, Myers 5-12, Mackrides 2-2, Parmer 2-2, Thompson 1-1
Receiving
CLE: Speedie 7-109, D.Jones 5-98, Lavelli 4-76, Bumgardner 3-37, Motley 2-26
PHI: Pihos 4-51, Myers 2-29, Ferrante 3-24, Ziegler 2-14
Text reproduced from The Browns Bible:The Complete Game-By-Game History of the Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, The Kent State University Press
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