1965 Cleveland Browns season

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.

1965 Cleveland Browns season
Head coachBlanton Collier
Home fieldCleveland Stadium
Local radioWERE
Results
Record11–3
Division place1st NFL Eastern
Playoff finishLost NFL Championship (at Packers) 23–12

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

Round Overall Player Position School/Club Team
217Jim GarciaTacklePurdue
222Gerry BussellDefensive backGeorgia Tech
227Walter JohnsonDefensive tackleCal State-Los Angeles
332Bo ScottRunning backOhio State
341Bobby MaplesLinebackerBaylor
569Bill IrwinTackleMississippi
672Arnie SimkusTackleMichigan
683Corwyn AldredgeWide receiverNorthwestern State (LA)
797Dale LindseyLinebackerWestern Kentucky
8111Mike HowellDefensive backGrambling
9125Gary LaneQuarterbackMissouri
10139Pat ScreenQuarterbackLSU
11153Ollie CordillBackMemphis State
12167Justin CanaleGuardMississippi State
13181Henry PickettBackBaylor
14195Dan SimrellQuarterbackToledo
15209Larry GagnerTackleFlorida
16223Mel AnthonyFullbackMichigan
17237John BoyetteTackleClemson
18251Dick ArringtonGuardNotre Dame
19265Ed OrazenGuardOhio State
20279Frank GoldbergLinebackerCentral Michigan

[1]

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 2416 10 Soldier Field 68,000 9:00 PM EDT ABC WJMO-AM
2 August 15, 1965 at San Francisco 49ers W 3721 20 Kezar Stadium 22,000 4:00 PM EDT WEWS-TV WJMO-AM
3 August 22, 1965 at Los Angeles Rams W 2119 30 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 29,508 4:00 PM EDT WEWS-TV WJMO-AM
4 August 29, 1965 at Detroit Lions W 2814 40 Tiger Stadium 28,803 1:30 PM EDT WEWS-TV WJMO-AM
5 September 4, 1965 (Sat) Green Bay Packers L 1430 41 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,118 9:00 PM EDT WJMO-AM
6 September 11, 1965 (Sat) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers at (Akron) W 2816 51 Rubber Bowl 23,162 8:00 PM EDT WERE-AM

Notes:


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 177 10 District of Columbia Stadium 48,208 1:30 PM EDT CBS WJMO-AM
2 September 26, 1965 St. Louis Cardinals L 1349 11 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 80,161 1:30 PM EDT CBS WJMO-AM
3 October 3, 1965 at Philadelphia Eagles W 3517 21 Franklin Field 60,759 1:30 PM EDT CBS WJMO-AM
4 October 10, 1965 Pittsburgh Steelers W 2419 31 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 80,187 8:00 PM EDT Sports Network Incorporated (SNI) WERE-AM
5 October 17, 1965 Dallas Cowboys W 2317 41 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 80,432 1:30 PM EDT CBS WERE-AM
6 October 24, 1965 at New York Giants W 3814 51 Yankee Stadium (I) 62,864 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
7 October 31, 1965 Minnesota Vikings L 1727 52 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,505 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
8 November 7, 1965 Philadelphia Eagles W 3834 62 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 72,807 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
9 November 14, 1965 New York Giants W 3421 72 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 82,426 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
10 November 21, 1965 at Dallas Cowboys W 2417 82 Cotton Bowl 76,251 4:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
11 November 28, 1965 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 4221 92 Pitt Stadium 42,757 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
12 December 5, 1965 Washington Redskins W 2416 102 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 77,765 1:30 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
13 December 12, 1965 at Los Angeles Rams L 742 103 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 49,048 4:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM
14 December 19, 1965 at St. Louis Cardinals W 2724 113 Busch Stadium I 29,348 2:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM

Notes:

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 1223 Lambeau Field 50,852 2:00 PM EST CBS WERE-AM CBS

Notes:

Personnel

Roster

1965 Cleveland Browns roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Rookies in italics

[2]

Staff/Coaches

1965 Cleveland Browns staff
Front Office

Coaches

Offensive Coaches

  Defensive Coaches

Strength & Coditioning

  • Athletic Trainer - Leo Murphy
  • Equipment Manager - Morris Kono

Standings

NFL Eastern Conference
W L T PCT CONF PF PA STK
Cleveland Browns 11 3 0 .786 11–1 363 325 W1
Dallas Cowboys 7 7 0 .500 6–6 325 280 W3
New York Giants 7 7 0 .500 7–5 270 338 L1
Washington Redskins 6 8 0 .429 6–6 257 301 W1
Philadelphia Eagles 5 9 0 .357 5–7 363 359 L1
St. Louis Cardinals 5 9 0 .357 5–7 296 309 L6
Pittsburgh Steelers 2 12 0 .143 2–10 202 397 L7

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References

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