1973 Browns Highlights

while the Cleveland Browns the 1973 schedule began at home nearly 75,000 jammed the huge lakefront stadium on a beautiful afternoon to watch the Browns play the Colts in the new season's first football game [Music] against Baltimore Mike Phipps the Browns young quarterback threw two touchdown passes to Frank Pitts to lead the offense on defense Cleveland gave rookie bird Jones a rude welcome to the NFL the quarterback was sacked five times and the Colts netted merely four yards passing the entire game [Music] Cleveland had its first win of a new season 24 to 14 the season second game was in Pittsburgh where offensive failure contributed to a sound defeat by the Steelers the next week against the Giants New York led 10 to nothing at the half then new middle linebacker Bob Babbage was turned loose for the first time [Music] the Browns shut out the Giants in the second half in Don Cockcroft kicked for field goals for the only points in a 12 to 10 comeback victory over New York the season's fourth game was with intrastate rival Cincinnati for the first time Cleveland established its ground game as Laroy Kelly paced the team by scoring twice [Music] it was the Browns fifth straight regular season victory over the Bengals next came Miami in the Monday night game determined to avenge a narrow defeat in the playoffs the year before the defense clamped down on Bob Griese and the Dolphins like a vise [Music] late in the fourth quarter the Browns trailed by a single point then one big play by mercury Morris turned the tide [Music] [Music] the Browns lost 17 to 9 and Dom Chile's team continued its inexorable march to the Superbowl but Knicks Courreges determined defense gained national stature by giving mighty Miami all it could handle in Game six in jumping to a 28 nothing Lee Cleveland gained 17 first downs to none for Euston [Music] the offense too caught fire and exploded for six touchdowns in this game Cleveland unveiled a devastating five man ground attack led by fullbacks Ken Brown and Bostock rookie Greg Pruitt added excitement in his longest appearance at halfback and Billy Lefever broke loose in his first opportunity of the year but it was the old pro Leroy Kelly who led all backs averaging six and a half yards a carry Cleveland statistics were overwhelmed they outran Houston 264 yards to 23 and outscored them 42 to 13 the next Sunday on a rainy day it took a great play by Pruitt taking off a facemask tackle in reversing his field to gain a tie with San Diego [Music] Cleveland had discovered a pint-sized new hero but the tie was a severe blow to the team for the next game was in Minnesota against the Viking despite a flu weakened defense cleveland stock fran talking tynin the Vikings at every turn late in the final period Cleveland trail three field goals to one but two sensational plays led to a Viking victory [Music] next was a rematch with Euston Greg Pruitt exploded for a long touchdown and the Browns were once again back in the race in the AFC Central but the road ahead was rugged all five remaining games were with contenders first the Raiders in Oakland then the Pittsburgh Steelers Kansas City Chiefs Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles ran the first obstacle and Cleveland's survival test was Oakland the only touchdown came when Mike Phipps hit fair hooker with a perfect pass over Willie Brown a key factor in this game was the booming punts of Don Cochran [Music] they kept the Oakland offense backed up against its own goal line most of the day in the muddy trenches of the Oakland Coliseum Cleveland's defense shut off the Raiders running attack SEC Kenny Stabler five times and shutout the NFL's number one offense until the final minutes in a bruising battle the Browns had won the first game in the rugged stretch run to the playoffs next the first place Steelers came to Cleveland for one a pro football's bitterest rivalry once again the Cleveland defense was magnificent four times they stopped frank O'Hara short of a first down and they constantly hounded and harris the pittsburgh passing attack [Music] Pittsburgh managed to score only a single touchdown the entire game and after Greg Pruitt beat Andy Russell coming out of the backfield the Browns led 14 to 7 at the half but wouldn't Pittsburgh kicked three field goals the score dissolved a 1614 late in the fourth quarter and now with just two minutes left Mike Phipps performed one of the greatest plays by any quarterback anywhere it turned certain defeat in the sudden victory for the Brown [Music] now with the ball on the 19 and one minute one second showing on the clock number 66 Jean hakusan playing in his final home game you live at the block that's from Gregg Pruitt for the coup de Gras [Music] the 21:16 Thrilla was Pittsburgh's ninth consecutive loss in Cleveland and was the Browns third straight victory it gave them a record of seven wins three losses and a tie and propel them to within half a game of first place [Music] the following week Cleveland came to Kansas City and trailed most of the game in the fourth quarter with just over six minutes to play Cleveland was behind 20 to 6 but as he had done the week before against Pittsburgh little Greg Pruitt came to the rescue in dazzling style [Music] Prewitt 65-yard touchdown brought Cleveland to life and the next time they got the ball Milt Morin running through people like a wounded water buffalo when 51 yards for a touchdown it was the sweetest tie in Cleveland's history and kept the team in the thick of the race for the central title the showdown came in Cincinnati for Cleveland to make the playoffs there was only one way they had to beat the Bengals but Isaac Curtis burned the Browns for three touchdowns and Cleveland trailed by 21 points meet in the third quarter Billy Lefever began a DRI by returning a kickoff fifty nine yards moments after on fourth down might fit through to Gloucester Richardson for Cleveland's first touchdown 99 seconds later booby Clark fumbled and Van Green went 21 yards to score it looked like another Cleveland miracle was in the making the Browns now trailed by one touchdown but a costly interference call in the Cincinnati endzone proved to be the clincher [Music] Cleveland had run out of miracles [Music] in 1973 defense was the Byward as the Browns had their best in more than a decade [Music] the man that made the difference was Bob Babbage when the hometown hero was acquired in a trade it was the end to years of searching for the right man in the middle as his strength and speed made Bob Babbage a disruptive force anywhere on the field [Music] the price was high but Bob Babbitt filled a major need for Cleveland his presence in the middle between tackles jerry shirk and Waldo Johnson made the Browns a tough team to run against [Music] the Browns have long been proud of their pair of quality defensive tackles number 71 super strong walla johnson and super quick jerry shirk number 72 shirk in his fourth season was named to the Pro Bowl the ends were free-spirited Jo Jones on the left side and steady Nick Roman on the right together they provided a strong rush on enemy quarterbacks one of the quickest linemen in the game Chuckie Jones played with the reckless abandon needed to gobble up quarterbacks Nick Roman has come a long way since his days as a free agent his fourth season was by far the best for the former Ohio State Buckeye a regular at outside linebacker for the first time John Garlington made the most of his quickness and fine pursuit to become an outstanding tackler number 59 is rugged Charlie Hall a future all-pro the head high tackle is his trademark [Music] the Browns big pride is their talented secondary the veteran is Ben Davis number 28 wise in the ways of stripping interference against a much bigger man and occasionally getting both the blocker and the runner all in one last season Davis shared cornerback duties but cliff Brooks number 23 a talented sophomore who was the Browns second-round pick in 72 coming off the bench to surprise everyone was leaned on Green number 21 at the seasons and he was a starter and teamed with number 27 Tom Darden at safety Green is a headhunter and first made his mark on the suicide squad resembling a missile seeking a place to explode when Van Green is on the field everyone knows it Green partnered safety is another hitter Tom Darton Cleveland's first draft pick two years ago continued to make the choice a sound one the big man of the backfield is Clarence Scott Cleveland's all-pro a first-round pick three years ago Scott has become one of the best quarterbacks in the game because winners are built with defense in the NFL the Browns have a strong foundation for the future offensively things didn't always go as planned in the season of 73 this was the year Mike Phipps became the great escape artists [Music] strong fast and clever with a ball tucked under his arm Fitz is the best runner at quarterback the Browns have ever had in his second season as a starter tips used all the athletic ability his lithe body possessed when he pulled off the greatest escape of all against the Steelers [Music] despite the extra dimension his running brings to the offense the young quarterbacks true value to his team is his powerful throwing arm [Music] for Mike Phipps can propel a football 60 yards through the air into the waiting arms of a receiver in 1973 Fitz continued to learn and grow as a professional quarterback his receivers were fair hooker number 43 on the left side and Frank Pitts number 25 on the right [Music] the best of them all however was the tight-end milk Morin with his fine hands and devastating power [Music] for both Scot the season was one of injury and illness another fallback humic Ennis came from Canada as they're leading runner the powerful rookie is a highly regarded prospect for 1974 getting most of the attention at fullback was number 30 hard working hard running Kenny Brown [Music] Brown used his strong legs and low profile to become the Browns leading runner in 73 [Music] [Music] Cleveland's great superstar Laroy Kelly continued at halfback for the first time the team had exceptional death behind him in Greg Pruitt and Billy Lefever 26 the two tiny backs gave the Browns their best kick returning since the days of Bobby Mitchell [Music] 'la fear has the speed to match Pruitt and the size to match Kelly his future with the Browns is a bright one but the real crowd-pleaser was super rookie Greg Pruitt Pruitt was drafted to inject speed the only question his size yet in his first season as a pro he proved with his lightning feet and firefly moves he could do it all [Music] the muscular little man from Oklahoma excelled not only as a runner but coming out of the backfield as a receiver he showed sure hands his finest day came in the big game with the Steeler it was true it's two touchdowns that beat them as the heir apparent to Leroy Kelly Greg Pruitt is the most exciting new talent in Cleveland in a long long time [Music] so the old guard changes 16 years a pro football ended for Jean Hickerson one of the greatest blockers to play the game his successor is at hand Pete Adams won a regular job before an injury ended his season the other top pick is Steve Holden a receiver with the potential to be a superstar it is these youngsters along with Greg Pruitt and Billy l'affaire last year 2nd pick Jim stange linebacker Jim Roman ischium and others like Tom Darton Clarence cotton van Green Bob Babbage Charley Hall Bob McKay Doug Deacon humic Ennis and Mike Phipps who will make the future glow and when the gates opened to the 74 season the Cleveland Browns will be recharged and rededicated to making the playoffs and climbing back on top where they belong [Music] you

Channel: Comrade Dobler

Views: 15,117

Rating: 4.8657718 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: QX9tJ7gKiEg

Length: 24min 0sec (1440 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 09 2017