1968 NFL Championship Browns vs Colts

[Music] this was the arena Cleveland's Municipal Stadium December 29th 1968 for the 80,000 plus who attended there were many signs at the 1968 championship game would be one of the most memorable in history the last title game played here was between the same two teams and Cleveland shut out the Colts 27 like the Colts this year Cleveland had not been led by its first string quarterback Frank Ryan but by Bill Nelson who led them to the Eastern Conference tight Cleveland also had a super runner Leroy Kelly who had been unstoppable in every game and was the key to their offense their defense was led by a strong young line and an old warrior past defender II rich Barnes Barnes would guard this man Willie Richardson and his successor failure would be a key to the outcome of the game Richardson would not be looking to Johnny Unitas for his receptions but to hurl Morrow the NFL's most valuable player far as the Colts warmed up they had no idea that what was to occur would not be a memorable contest but rather an execution things got off to a foreboding start for the Browns Lou Michaels opening kickoff was mishandled by Ben Davis then barely returned ten yards before being rocked to the ground by one of the Colts bomb squad [Music] what followed was a scoreless first corner but one which set much of the tone for the entire game the Colts had a contained we Roy Kelly to stop the Browns and from the outset it was clear that Kelly and the Browns great offensive line was in for a long day the Colts defensive line and it's quick linebackers had been almost invincible against the rush all year but they saved their biggest effort for the biggest game of the season and stopped Kelly on almost every attempt from moving through the middle or around the end quarterback bill Nelson was forced to throw early and often when he did Baltimore secondary covered well Colt defenders were helped by a strong pass rush which pressured Nelson all day and on four occasions smothered him for losses [Music] Nelson did have some success passing in the first quarter mainly to his favorite receiver Paul Warfield number 42 who escaped the Colts complex zone defense twice but never touch the ball again in the game but even though Nelson did complete four passes in the quarter one good for 22 yards to his big tight end milk Morin the cleveland drives were bogged down by costly errors and execution [Music] backfield in motion penalties nullified some key plays while another 42 yard field goal attempt was stopped by huge Bubba Smith who jumped high to block it and the Colts set forced the first big break of the game 1 which coach Collier said was the turning point of the game but for the Colts the turning point of the game came on their first series when they found that they could run and run well on the Browns defense and the man who did most of the legwork was number 41 Tom Matty the all-purpose back that was to have one of his greatest days Perle Morrow went to the air soon after his running game was established but the cokes first drive ended with this interception by Ben Davis late in the quarter however morals aerial game went into high gear he mixed his targets well calling first on number 28 Jimmy or and then on his speedy flanker Willie Richardson number 87 who made his first catch of the game but the ground game was the key to Baltimore's success today and behind great blocking Maddy rolled down field on this play watch number 45 fullback Jerry Hill helped spring Maddy for 12 more as the scoreless quarter end [Music] now at the 21 Morrow went for Richardson on third down but the ball was overthrown and the Colts had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from strong toad Lou Michael it was three nothing Colts early in the second quarter [Music] the game was not really as close as the score the Browns would only cross midfield once in the half and seemed extremely flat much of the reason however was due to smith miller Bracy and company who helped flatten them even more [Music] even their pet plays like this screen - Kelly did not break for long gains and the Colts again took over with good field position on their 40 one of Marla's pet plays is an end-around a John Mackey and it started the next scoring drive Mackey is almost a personification of the Colts invincibility it has been a major reason for their great success [Music] so has veteran Jimmy or or a sideline pattern put the ball in the brown 17 from the eight watch center bill carry clear an alley for Jerry Hill who went to the one this is the kind of blocking cult runners received all day [Music] Maddi bounced in for the score and now midway through the quarter it was ten nothing as Baltimore continued to gather momentum [Music] the Browns mounted to drive from deep in their territory Nelson was now sending his back south and Charlie Haraway was on the end of this pass but Bracy and Smith stopped another of Cleveland's pet plays a draw to Kelly who seemed to be hampered by a muddy field which negated his Quick Start then shinik and gar bats corralled her away on a sweep as Cleveland gained only 37 yards rushing in the half [Music] on third and seven Nelson went deep to tight-end Moret but all pro free safety Rick Volk made a great play cutting in front of foreign at the last second Baltimore's defense had made what seemed like another key break the break was quickly reversed by Cleveland when Mackey took a screen pass and after rumbling 26 yards fumble and orig Barnes recovered [Music] on any other day this would have sparked Nelson in the brows but today was a special day for Cleveland one they would make a special effort to forget on the very next play Mike Curtis intercepted a while throw by Nelson and this time the Colts moved swiftly in for their third score of the quarter [Music] Tom Madi was slowly piling up yards and honors here he added 12 to his mounting total then he ran through and around the Browns defense on a Leroy Kelly type run that ended in his second touchdown of the game [Music] on the last play watch the Colt line knife down potential tacklers as Maddy showed everyone that he is far from the garbage runner some have labeled him seven more nails went into the coffin as it was now 17 nothing there was still time for a last minute beat the clock score before half-time however the only clock Cleveland would be would be the one to the showers again a costly motion penalty nullified elongate and as the first 30 minutes ran out on this pass to Kelly it was evident that the Browns were facing a superior team to the one they beat in Baltimore and that one wasn't exactly week [Music] the cults took a 17-point lead into the locker room while coach Tyler must have felt much colder than he looked the Colts already were feeling the warm Sun of Miami Beach now only 30 minutes and a plane ride away [Music] [Applause] the Browns who won many games this year in the second half began today's with their longest drive of the day Leroy Kelly fought his way through blue jerseys then bill Nelson hit Gary Collins on a look-in pass for a 13-yard first down and Collins first reception from Baltimore's 33-yard line Charlie haraway broke loose on this rambling romp with several cults hanging on to put the Browns in scoring position for only the second time all day another look at the run shows the jolting style and strength the 215 pound fullback who has filled in well for the injured Ernie Green [Music] however the Browns were called for illegal procedure and this run as were so many vital Cleveland gains was nullified when a third and twenty pass was incomplete Don Cochran was forced to go for a 50-yard field goal which was why the momentum soon returned to the Colts Earl Morrill untouched by enemy hands all day had to hustle on this play but despite the pressure managed to get the pass off complete to Tom Mitchell then came one of the crucial plays of the game off a play-action Morel heaved the ball skyward toward awaiting Willie Richardson who out jumped six foot three he rich Barnes for a spectacular catch that put the ball on the Cleveland five another look at this bomb amply displays Richardson's famed leaping ability as he became a hero for the second week in a row [Music] Tom Madi hurled into the end zone that increased the margin to 24 nothing and all but ended Cleveland's hopes for a comeback the play from the end zone camera reveals a key block by number 45 Gerry hill [Music] hoping to generate some spark in his team coach Blanton Collier sent Frank Ryan into the game at quarterback to replace film else on his very first play Ryan lost the handle on the center snap and Don shinik gracefully fell on the ball for a Colts recovery on the Browns 20 the ground camera shows Ryan never had a good grip on the ball the game was slipping even further away from the Cleveland coach and his tea Tom Madeon an option pass decided to run rather than throw and he managed to get a few extra yards on a play in which the Browns lost their big defensive tackle number 69 Jim Kenickie who was injured when hit by his own man the other half of the Baltimore running tombow Jerry Hill then drove over left guard for 13 yards in another first down as the third quarter end [Music] morals on target pass to Mackey in the end zone was ruined by Jim Houston who seemed to distract the coal tight end who was one-on-one with the linebacker Baltimore settled for 3 points on Moo Michaels field goal from the 10-yard line score now Baltimore 27 Cleveland nothing [Music] Ryan went to the man Bill Nelson utilized so well this year milk Lauren who hauled it in for nine yards [Music] but just when they seem to be on the verge of success Cleveland's storm Ryan was hit from the blindside by Fred Miller Kelly picked up the loose ball and for a moment appeared to be heading places on a freelance basis [Music] let's take a look at this extraordinary play from the ground camera as former star quarterback Ryan continued to be plagued by ill fortune Ryan came right back to more and over the middle for another first down but another pass to the untied end wasn't as profitable on a third and long yardage situation Ryan was decked by ordell Bracy who played perhaps his finest game of the season at defensive end the Browns threat was in a repeat of this play shows at number 85 a jumpin Roy Hilton obstructed the quarterbacks view those tactics by the six six defensive end enabled Bracy to get to ride then Baltimore ate up most of the remaining time in the fourth quarter using the abilities of a native Clevelander and a showbiz personality Tom Maddy and Timmy Brown Willie Richardson once again made the big play on this successful crossover pattern good for 28 important yards they repeat reveals an excellent fake to set back Brown drew the Cleveland defense in and left Richardson in a one-on-one situation with this defender [Music] the Cleveland defense asserted itself for the first time in a while when number 56 first-year middle linebacker Bob Matheson personally took charge of the next two plays he stopped Brown for a negligible game then knife through Dan AB Terry Cole on a screen right [Music] Lou Michaels went for the field goal and missed but the Browns were called offside and instead Baltimore had a first down as once again penalty Sanford Cleveland's effort [Music] former eagle Tim Braun was quick to accept the gift as he scampered over right tackle for the TD to climax a time-consuming drive to bring the score to a whopping 34 nothing [Music] on the touchdown behind number 62 Glen wrestler Brown put the light out on the Browns hopes they had the ball once more before it was officially over but again they failed to move the football [Music] the final score was Baltimore 34 Cleveland nothing in a game that closely paralleled the championship contest of 1964 in both games one team thoroughly dominated the other with a shutout and once again the teams were coached by a teacher and his former pupil Don Shula served with Collier at Kentucky Tom Madi and scoring three touchdowns tied an NFL championship game record which the Browns Gary Collins achieved in the 64 game but today the Colts did it with their incomparable defense would shut out a team averaging 30 points per game finally the Colts took revenge for the frustrating defeat of 64 and the earlier loss this season while erasing the memory of last year that ended without reward this year the rewards may never end [Music]

Channel: PAL 6363

Views: 41,181

Rating: 4.8499999 out of 5

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Id: Jts0sTv_8Nw

Length: 28min 1sec (1681 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 06 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/quakerorts]

It's in slo-mo so I recommend watching at 1.25x speed, which also, in my opinion, makes the music cooler too.