Cleveland
Cleveland Browns on Thanksgiving? Here’s how they did over the years
S.Martinez3 months ago
CLEVELAND, Ohio – This Thanksgiving – Thursday, Nov. 23 – marks the 34th consecutive year the Cleveland Browns have not played on the holiday. Maybe that’s a good thing, considering they have never won on Thanksgiving since the Super Bowl became a thing. The Browns have played, and lost, on the holiday in 1966, 1982 and 1989. Here’s a glimpse at the games and the previous results of other professional football teams from Cleveland playing on the holiday:Dallas 26, Cleveland 14 - Nov. 24: The Browns did all their scoring in the second quarter against the Tom Landry-coached Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl. Leroy Kelly ran for a one-yard touchdown and Ernie Green caught a 16-yard pass from Frank Ryan, with Lou Groza converting the point-after attempts. But that was all the Browns could muster. The Browns were without defensive starters Bill Glass, Vince Costello and Johnny Brewer; all were injured in the previous game four days earlier. Danny Villanueva kick four field goals while Groza missed three. Ryan would finish 12 of 26 for 190 yards while Dallas’ “Dandy” Don Meredith went 16 of 24 for 131 yards and a touchdown. Don Perkins rushed for 111 yards. The Cowboys were a 3.5-point favorite in the game that drew 80,259 people – a Cotton Bowl record. High temperature that day was in the 70s in Dallas while Cleveland saw a high of 60. The game was the first appearance on Thanksgiving for the Cowboys, one of the teams that traditionally plays on the holiday to this day.Aftermath: Cleveland would finish 9-5. Less than two months later, Green Bay would defeat Kansas City in what was known as the AFL–NFL World Championship Game – which later would be considered Super Bowl I.What else happened that day: In Cleveland, a 75-year-old man is shot and killed and a 16-year-old injured after someone fired a gun from a bus on the East Side. ... Nine people are hurt in a two-car collision in Rocky River. ... Benedictine beats South High, 32-6, in the 36th annual Plain Dealer Championship football game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium (student tickets cost 60 cents). ... New York City is dealing with a savage blanket of smog that is believed to be responsible for scores of deaths. In 1982, the Cowboys hosted the Browns.The Plain DealerDallas 31, Cleveland 14 - Nov. 25: The teams clashed again with Landry still at the helm of the Cowboys. This time the game was a late-afternoon affair at Texas Stadium. Sam Rutigliano coached the Browns, who got all of their points in the fourth quarter. Paul McDonald tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Dino Hall and Mike Pruitt rushed for a two-yard score, but the 6.5-point favorite Cowboys were too much as Dallas gained 299 yards on the ground, thanks mostly to Tony Dorsett (116) and Ron Springs (73). It was the most rushing yards Cleveland let up all season. Dallas’ Danny White was 13 of 22 for 215 yards and two TDs. McDonald, a left-hander, split time at quarterback with Brian Sipe. It was 40 degrees in Dallas with a high of 37 in Cleveland.Aftermath: The Browns finished third in the AFC Central at 4-5. Because of the strike-shortened season, the Browns made the playoffs but lost a Wild Card game to the Los Angeles Raiders, 27-10. The Plain Dealer’s Hal Lebovitz closed his column on the game by writing: “Where do they go from here? Nowhere I’m afraid. Sorry, folks, I wish I could be more optimistic, but my mother taught me to be honest.”What else happened day: A Bulgarian man is arrested in connection with the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. ... Larry Holmes is preparing to defend his World Boxing Heavyweight championship title against Randy “Tex” Cobb (Holmes would win the mismatch in a unanimous decision.) In 1989, the Cleveland Browns traveled to Detroit.The Plain DealerDetroit 13, Cleveland 10 - Nov. 23: The Browns did all their scoring in the second quarter, withMatt Bahr kicking a 35-yard field goal and Barry Redden scoring on a 38-yard run – his only rush of the day. The home-team Lions ruined a fine outing from Cleveland quarterback Bernie Kosar, who went 28 of 38 for 296 yards. Detroit running back Barry Sanders, on his way to a rookie-of-the-year award, rushed 28 times for 145 yards on a sprained ankle. The Browns – led by coach Bud Carson - entered the game in the Pontiac Silverdome as a seven-point favorite. High temperature that day in Detroit and Cleveland was 30 degrees, though Cleveland also had several inches of snow.Aftermath: The Browns finished 9-6-1, first in the AFC Central. They played four overtime games in 1989 and made the playoffs, beating Buffalo, 34-30 in a divisional matchup before losing to Denver, 37-21, in the conference championship.What else happened day: Euclid’s Robert Smith wins Ohio’s Mr. Football award for the second consecutive year. The first repeat winner of the award, Smith would go on to Ohio State and an eight-year career with the Minnesota Vikings. ... Prague protests hit 300,000 two weeks after the Berlin Wall fell. Previous Cleveland professional football teams fared pretty well on Thanksgiving before 1966:Nov. 27, 1924: Cleveland Bulldogs 53, Milwaukee Badgers 10, at Canton.Nov. 26, 1925: Kansas City Cowboys 17, Cleveland Bulldogs 0, at Hartford, Connecticut.Nov. 24, 1927: Cleveland Bulldogs 30, New York Yankees 19, at Yankee Stadium.Nov. 22, 1945: Cleveland Rams 28, Detroit Lions 21, at Briggs Field.Nov. 27, 1947*: Cleveland Browns 27, Los Angeles Dons 17, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.Nov 25, 1948*: Cleveland Browns 31, Los Angeles Dons 14, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.Nov. 24, 1949*: Cleveland Browns 14, Chicago Hornets 6, at Soldier Field. * The Browns were in the All-America Football Conference. Here’s a list of all professional football games played on Thanksgiving Day. Related coverage: Halftime performers announced for 3 Thanksgiving Day NFL games Related coverage• Gambling 101: Everything you need to know about sports betting in Ohio • Get ready for some football – wagering, that is: A guide to betting Get a jumpstart on the weekend. Sign up for Cleveland.com ’s weekly “In the CLE” email newsletter, your essential guide to the top things to do in Greater Cleveland. It will arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings - an exclusive to-do list, focusing on the best of the weekend fun. Restaurants, music, movies, performing arts, family fun and more. . Cleveland.com newsletters are free. Like cool local food + drinks photos and videos? Follow on Instagram .
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