The 1947 Cleveland Browns season was the team's second season with the All-America Football Conference. The Browns were coached by Paul Brown, and ended their season with a record of 12–1–1, winning the Western Division for the second straight year. The team was once again lead by quarterback Otto Graham and fullback Marion Motley, who paved the way for the team's second straight AAFC Championship Game win against the New York Yankees, winning 14–3. The team's top draft choice was fullback Dick Hoerner.[1]
| 1947 Cleveland Browns season | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Paul Brown |
| Home Field | Cleveland Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–1–1 |
| Place | 1st AAFC Western |
| Playoff Finish | Won AAFC Championship (2) |
| Timeline | |
| Previous season | Next season |
| 1946 | 1948 |
The Cleveland Browns opened the season on a strong note, defeating the Buffalo Bills, 30-14, and went on to win their first five games. The Browns lost only their second home game in two years to the Los Angeles Dons when the Dons came into Cleveland and defeated the Browns, 13–10. Attendance would fall off by nearly half the next week when the Chicago Rockets visited Cleveland.[1] The Browns only won by three points, establishing another five-game winning streak. The team would then suffer their first tie in franchise history when the Browns and the Yankees tied, 28–28, in Yankee Stadium. However, the Browns would rebound and win their final two games of the season, ending the season with a blow-out victory over the Baltimore Colts, 42–0.
Otto Graham would be awarded the league's MVP trophy following the season while leading the league in passing with 2,753 yards and 25 touchdown passes. Wide receiver Mac Speedie would end the season leading the league in receiving with 1,146 yards and six touchdown receptions.
The Browns played all of their home games in Cleveland Stadium. The team drew their largest crowd of the season versus the Yankees on October 5, bringing in over 80,000 fans.[1]
1947 AAFC Championship Game[]
For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Browns and the New York Yankees faced off in the AAFC Championship Game. The result would be the same as it was in 1946, with the Browns defeating the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, 14–3. Quarterback Otto Graham drew first blood for the Browns when he ran for a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Running back Edgar Jones would provide the Browns with their second touchdown in the third quarter, a four-yard run.
Pre-season results[]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Stadium | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||
| 1 | 1947 | Baltimore Colts | W 28-0 | 1–0 | Rubber Bowl | 35,106[1] |
Regular season results[]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Stadium | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||
| 1 | September 5, 1947 | Buffalo Bills | W 30-14 | 1–0 | Cleveland Stadium | 63,263[1] |
| 2 | September 12, 1947 | @ Brooklyn Dodgers | W 55–7 | 2–0 | Ebbets Field | 18,876[1] |
| 3 | September 21, 1947 | Baltimore Colts | W 28-0 | 3–0 | Cleveland Stadium | 44,257[1] |
| 4 | September 26, 1947 | @ Chicago Rockets | W 41–21 | 4–0 | Soldier Field | 18,450[1] |
| 5 | October 5, 1947 | New York Yankees | W 26-17 | 5–0 | Cleveland Stadium | 80,067[1] |
| 6 | October 12, 1947 | Los Angeles Dons | L 13–10 | 5–1 | Cleveland Stadium | 63,124[1] |
| 7 | October 19, 1947 | Chicago Rockets | W 31-28 | 6–1 | Cleveland Stadium | 35,266[1] |
| 8 | October 26, 1947 | @ San Francisco 49ers | W 14–7 | 7–1 | Kezar Stadium | 54,483[1] |
| 9 | November 2, 1947 | @ Buffalo Bills | W 28–7 | 8–1 | War Memorial Stadium | 43,167[1] |
| 10 | November 9, 1947 | Brooklyn Dodgers | W 13–12 | 9–1 | Cleveland Stadium | 30,279[1] |
| 11 | November 16, 1947 | San Francisco 49ers | W 37–14 | 10–1 | Cleveland Stadium | 76,504[1] |
| 12 | November 23, 1947 | @ New York Yankees | T 28–28 | 10–1–1 | Yankee Stadium | 70,060[1] |
| 13 | November 27, 1947 | @ Los Angeles Dons | W 27–17 | 11–1–1 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 45,009[1] |
| 14 | December 7, 1947 | @ Baltimore Colts | W 42–0 | 12–1–1 | Memorial Stadium | 20,574[1] |
Post-season results[]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Stadium | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||
| Championship game | December 12, 1947 | @New York Yankees | W 14-3 | 1–0 | Yankee Stadium | 61,879[1] |
Final standings[]
| Western Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT[2] | |
| Cleveland Browns | 12 | 1 | 1 | .857 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 8 | 4 | 2 | .571 |
| Los Angeles Dons | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 |
| Chicago Rockets | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 |
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 "History: 1947". Cleveland Browns official Web site. Archived from the original on 2006-10-21. http://web.archive.org/web/20061021102212/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/results/1947_stats.php. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
- ↑ Winning percentage does not factor in ties.