1971 Cleveland Browns season

1971 Cleveland Browns season
Head Coach	Nick Skorich
Home Field	Cleveland Stadium
Results
Record	9–5–0
Place	1st AFC Central
Playoff Finish	Lost AFC Divisional Playoffs
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1970	1972

The 1971 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 22nd season with the National Football League.

After missing the playoffs the previous year, the Browns got off to a good start at 4–1 only to stumble losing 4 straight to fall to 4–5. However, the Browns would rebound to win the final 4 games of the season and a Central Division title. In the playoffs the Browns would fall in the first round 20–3 to the Baltimore Colts.

Exhibition schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	August 8, 1971	at San Francisco 49ers	L 38–24	40,000
2	August 13, 1971	vs. Los Angeles Rams	L 17–5	52,503
3	August 20, 1971	at Dallas Cowboys	L 16–15	69,099
4	August 28, 1971	vs. Chicago Bears at South Bend, Indiana	L 20–19	43,568
5	September 4, 1971	New York Giants	W 30–7	82,710
6	September 10, 1971	at St. Louis Cardinals	L 27–13	46,171

Regular season schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 19, 1971	Houston Oilers	W 31–0	73,387
2	September 26, 1971	at Baltimore Colts	W 14–13	56,837
3	October 4, 1971	Oakland Raiders	L 34–20	84,285
4	October 10, 1971	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 27–17	83,391
5	October 17, 1971	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 27–24	60,284
6	October 24, 1971	Denver Broncos	L 27–0	75,674
7	October 31, 1971	Atlanta Falcons	L 31–14	76,825
8	November 7, 1971	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 26–9	50,202
9	November 14, 1971	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 13–7	50,388
10	November 21, 1971	New England Patriots	W 27–7	65,238
11	November 28, 1971	at Houston Oilers	W 37–24	37,921
12	December 5, 1971	Cincinnati Bengals	W 31–27	82,705
13	December 12, 1971	at New Orleans Saints	W 21–17	72,794
14	December 19, 1971	at Washington Redskins	W 20–13	53,041

Playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
Divisional	December 26, 1971	Baltimore Colts	L 20–3	74,082

Standings

AFC Central
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Cleveland Browns	9	5	0	.643	285	273	W-5
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	8	0	.429	246	292	L-1
Houston Oilers	4	9	1	.308	251	330	W-3
Cincinnati Bengals	4	10	0	.286	284	265	L-3