Nov. 15, 1964 - Jim Brown kept adding to his achievements today and the Cleveland Browns kept their course steady in pursuit of the Eastern Conference title by whipping the Detroit Lions, 37-21.
Jim rushed for 147 yards to raise his season total to 1,081, the sixth time he had reached the 1,000‐yard mark in eight pro seasons, and he raised his career mark to 10,403, increasing his NFL record. He also scored twice. A crowd of 83,064 watched the game at Municipal Stadium.
But Jim’s success was only part of the Browns’ success story as they earned their first regular‐season triumph over the Lions in six games. Cleveland beat Detroit in the 1954 championship game.
Though Brown scored the first touchdown of the game and Lou Groza, as usual, converted, Cleveland had to rally to win. An 8‐yard pass from Frank Ryan to Paul Warfield in the third period put the Browns in front to stay, 27-21. A field goal by Groza, his third of the game, and a 65-yard return of an intercepted pass by Walter Beach in the fourth quarter put the game out of the Lions’ reach.
“We went into the game determined to play gambling, aggressive football,” Cleveland coach Blanton Collier said afterward.
A big turning point in the game, although a lost decision for the Browns, was the idea to go for yardage on fourth down when Cleveland was on Detroit’s 22-yard line.
“We were leading 27-21 at the time, and a field goal by Groza would have put us way ahead,” said Collier, “but we decided to go for six points. We failed, but it seemed to fire up our defense unit.”
Earlier, the Browns had gambled on an onside kick when they scored a touchdown to ahead 27-21. Detroit recovered the ball on the 30, but the Browns held and forced them to punt. “This was another key maneuver that fired up the team,” Collier said.
Coach George Wilson of the Lions said he believed the Browns could beat the Baltimore Colts, leaders in the Western Division. “Unless Unitas has a particularly hot day,” Wilson added.
In the four games remaining, the Browns only have to win two to clinch the Eastern Division championship.
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