As the Cleveland Browns look to lock up a playoff spot for the 2023 season, we wanted to give you a look back at prior games where a win would open the playoff door.
1972 was a monumental year for the NFL as the undefeated Dolphins magically won the Super Bowl with an unblemished record. But their foe in the divisional round, Cleveland, almost shot that season down. How did the Browns get to this spot? So glad you asked!
Almost a Central Title for the Browns
Don for the win in the mud!
The Browns faced the Steelers,who were beginning to create their dynasty, late in the 1972 season. Cleveland, a game behind Pittsburgh, needed a win to force a tie atop the AFC Central Division. And in the rain, wind and mud of Municipal Stadium with over 83,000 screaming fans in attendance, Don Cockcroft booted a 26 yard field goal in the waning seconds for the 26-24 win.
November 19, 1972#Steelers make their way to Cleveland to play the #Browns in a muddy affair.
Gerry Mullins TD@francoharrishof 75 yard TD
Phipps leads the #Browns down the field in the dying minutes to set up a Cockroft field goal to win the game 26-24. pic.twitter.com/mDqtghH0TB— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) November 19, 2023
The next week saw the Brownies defeat OJ Simpson and the Buffalo Bills for a Pittsburgh rematch. That game was a mess for the Nick Skorich coached Browns who lost 30-0 and were basically now hoping to hold onto their wild card berth.
The weird part of 1972 wasn’t just the Dolphins, it was that in the 14 game regular season, Cleveland was in the driver’s seat the last three weeks of the season. Only Kansas City and Paul Brown’s Bengals were close behind.
KC needed to win their last three for their final 8-6 record, but Cincinnati was only a game behind the Browns on December 9th. Paul Brown again had an opportunity to mess up his former club’s chances at Riverfront Stadium.
Browns (8-4) v Bengals (7-5)
The gametime temp was 38 degrees but there was high humidity. Vegas favored the Bengals (-4.0) but they were in the midst of a QB issue. Ken Anderson and Virgil Carter often flip-flopped in games started.
Week 13, 1972#Browns #Bengals
Phipps 10-24-151-2-1
Carter 7-16-95-0-2
Frank Pitts (4-77-1) makes great play on a 50 yard TD pic.twitter.com/Xpci8YtR9k— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) October 29, 2021
Anderson started the key rivalry game but did not finish it due to being injured early on. A suffocating defense led by Cleveland’s defensive line of Walter Johnson, Jerry Sherk, Bob Briggs and Rich Jackson sacked the future Bengals Hall of Fame QB three times, forcing Brown and QB coach, Bill Walsh, to turn again to Carter.
But before the injury, an Anderson bomb to Chip Myers that looked to give the Bengals a touchdown, was called back due to holding. A huge break for the Browns. That was the second TD called back due to penalties! One word there…FATE!
2nd Quarter
After a scoreless first frame, Frank Pitts grabbed a 50 yard touchdown pass from Mike Phipps to open the scoring for the Browns. Phipps was hit as he lofted a wobbly pass to the speedy wide out. A nice jump by Pitts was followed by three Cincinnati defenders all hitting Pitts simultaneously and the only ones to go down were the three defenders!!! On the TD play, Phipps was injured on the toss, so the next Browns series went to Bill Nelsen. In fact, Phipps lay unconscious on the Riverfront astroturf!
Concussion protocol in the NFL in 1972 #Browns #Bengals pic.twitter.com/nmYxOsWzn4
— Spider Lockhart (@SpiderLock43) October 25, 2019
Watch this video for the motionless Phipps.
Conjuring up old memories, on their next drive, Nelsen handed off to Leroy Kelly who had his Hall of Fame guard, Gene Hickerson, escort him into the endzone. Kelly’s five yard run put the Browns up 14-0.
But Carter led the Bengals on a drive that ended with his scamper around the right end to get Cincy’s first seven points. That seemed to wake up the home team as they scored the next 10 points to take a 17-14 lead. Halfback with fullback size and speed Essex Johnson’s 9 yard scamper and Horst Muhlmann’s 31 yard field goal put the Bengals squad up early in the third quarter.
FUMBLE!
The Bengals defense held the Browns and now had a chance to add more points to the board after the Browns punt. Lemar Parrish mishandled a Cockcroft punt and the Browns quickly turned this mistake into 7 points. In fact, four Cleveland scores were set up by Bengals turnovers/mistakes.
Lemar Parrish From Bengals.com
Phipps, back under center in the second half, tossed a perfect ball to Fair Hooker, who outsmarted corner back Ken Riley and jumped to grab the pass. Cleveland stretched their lead out to four again, 21-17. The Browns cashed in on their next series with a 27 yard Cockcroft field goal.
The third quarter scoring wasn’t completed as Carter directed a drive ending with a one yard plunge by Doug Dressler. The run by the Bengals fullback knotted the contest at 24 as the fourth quarter began.
Interception for the win!
Don Cockcroft, who had his greatest season in 1972, split the uprights in the fourth for a 27 yarder that upped the tally to 27-24 Browns. Now it was the defense’s turn to shut the door.
With four minutes to go in the game, Virgil Carter began a drive hoping to spoil Cleveland’s playoff hopes. With 55 seconds remaining and the Bengals at the seven yard line of the Browns, Carter faked a hand off then rolled right. He was looking for his favorite target on the day, wide receiver Chip Myers. Myers had snagged a game high eight catches for 116 yards.
Bill Andrews, from TheAdvocate.com/baton_rouge
But linebacker Billy Andrews, selected in the 13th round of the NFL’s 1967 draft, tipped the pass upwards to himself, grabbing the ball thus ending the Bengals playoff chances. This game-saving play made the Browns the leader in the wild card hunt, all but clinching the playoffs.
Screenshot from the YouTube video of Andrews saving INT!
1972 Highlights of the Browns v Bengals clinching regular season victory.
Cleveland then jetted to Miami and almost pulled off the unbelievable upset to end the Dolphins undefeated season. But the trade that brought Phipps to the Browns gave the Dolphins their edge. That Paul Warfield story is for another day.
Thanks to Pro Football Reference, The Football Database, and Bengals.com for their statistics and references.
And thanks to YouTube.com for the screenshots from these 1972 games.
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