top of page
Search

Browns Dominate Cowboys, 41-24, in Dallas

Sept. 22, 1963 - Jimmy Brown wrecked the Dallas defense with 71 and 62-yard scampers and Frank Ryan picked the Cowboys’ secondary apart with his passes to lead the Browns to a 41-24 victory in Dallas today. Brown rolled up an amazing 232 yards in all to keep Cleveland scoring drives alive when he wasn’t twisting away for touchdowns to build his two-game total fo 394 yards and five touchdowns. Ryan, meanwhile, threw 17 and 4-yard scoring passes to end Gary Collins and blended in a seven-yard run for still another touchdown as the Browns kept up the terrific offensive pace they set in ripping Washington apart 37-14 in last week’s opener. Ryan hit 11 of 18 passes for 188 yards and had two intercepted, compared with 15 of 26 for 209 yards by the Dallas quarterback shuttle of Don Meredith and Eddie LeBaron. Don Perkins, who picked up 99 yards as the Cowboys’ top gainer, scored two of the Cowboys’ touchdowns, while Frank Clarke hauled in a 23-yard pass from LeBaron for the other. The turning point was a third-down pass play for a first down. With 10 minutes remaining and the Browns leading, 27-24, and Cleveland in a third and 16 situation on their own 37, Ryan rifled one up the middle to rookie Tom Hutchinson. On the next play, Ryan hit halfback Ernie Green on an aerial that carried Cleveland to the Cowboy 11, and the Browns scored three plays later. “I took the play into the game,” Hutchinson explained. “I was lucky to get in there with it. I was sent in to give Gary Collins a rest.” Ryan said he “knew I had to get a first down on it because of the way Dallas was coming back.” Cleveland had led, 24-7, earlier in the game. Browns coach Blanton Collier agreed that this particular play “was the biggest of them all.” Collier was ready to give his entire team a bow, however. “There is only one Jimmy Brown,” Collier said. “I also was especially pleased with the offensive line surge. Dallas coach Tom Landry woefully admitted that after that critical play, “the chips were really down. That was the ball game.”


© 2024 by Joe Rubenstein

bottom of page