The 1970 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 21st season with the National Football League and their 25th year in pro football overall. The Browns attempted to improve on its 10-3-1 record from 1969. The team would fail to do so, and they finished with an even 7-7 record and missed the postseason. This was the first season that the Browns would play the Cincinnati Bengals, their new arch-rival in the AFC Central. The two teams split their two meetings in the first season series.

Season summary The merger between the NFL and AFL was complete, with the leagues now playing each other in the regular season for the first time. This was the last step in a four-year process that began in January 1967 with the champions from both leagues playing in Super Bowl I.

To finish the merger, the Browns, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts, agreed to move in 1970 from the NFL to the old AFL, renamed the AFC, to balance the leagues, now called conferences (NFC and AFC), at 13 clubs each. The merger had hit a stalemate when none of the NFL teams initially wanted to jump to what many of the old-line NFL people felt was an inferior league overall.

Concerning just the Browns themselves, there was the situation involving Blanton Collier. Although no one except maybe the man himself knew it at the start of the season, this was going to be the last year for the venerable head coach. Plagued by hearing problems, the 64-year-old coach announced his retirement before the end of the 1970 season, which the Browns finished with a 7–7 record. Collier told owner Art Modell that he could no longer hear his players, and it was difficult to read their lips through new face masks that obscured their mouths. Modell tried to help by getting Collier to try new hearing aids and even sent him for acupuncture treatment, but none of it worked. Collier struggled during press conferences because he often could not hear what reporters were asking and answered the wrong questions. In eight years as coach, Collier led Cleveland to a championship and a 76–34–2 record. Nick Skorich, who came to the Browns as offensive coordinator in 1964, was named as his replacement in 1971. Collier had been in the job since 1963 and guided the Browns to the NFL championship a year later.

Paul Warfield trade to Dolphins

Realizing quarterback Bill Nelsen's aching knees were on borrowed time, the Browns had made a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins on the eve of the 1970 NFL Draft to get the rights to select the man they felt would be their passer of the future, Mike Phipps. But it came at a steep price, for they had to give up Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield in the process. That loss, coupled with Nelsen's physical condition and the unfamiliarity with the personnel on the former AFL clubs they were playing for the first time, took the starch out of what had been a good offense going back to 1963. The result was the Browns scored 65 less points than they had the year before, and 108 less than two seasons before.

Along with that, the defense, though it gave up 35 fewer points than it had in 1969, just could not make up the difference, led to the Browns finishing 7–7, only the second non-winning mark in club history. In spite of that, the season started well for the Browns, as they opened 3–1 and then were 4–2.

First Monday Night Football game The Browns beat Joe Namath and the New York Jets 31–21 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the opener in the first Monday Night Football game in history, and, three games later, edged Cincinnati 30–27 in Bengals head coach Paul Brown's first official visit to Cleveland since being fired by the Browns eight years before.

Offseason

NFL draft The following were selected in the 1970 NFL draft. 1970 Cleveland Browns draft Round Selection Player Position College Notes13Mike PhippsQuarterback Purdue121Bob McKayTackle Texas236Turkey JonesDefensive end Tennessee State247Jerry SherkDefensive tackle Oklahoma State499Ricky StevensonDefensive back Arizona5125Steve EngelRunning back Colorado6151Mike CilekQuarterback Iowa7177Craig WycinskyGuard Michigan State8203Honester DavidsonDefensive back Bowling Green9229Geoff BrownLinebacker Pittsburgh10255William YancharDefensive tackle Purdue11281Gene BennerWide receiver Maine12307Jerry SandersKicker Texas Tech13333Larry RobertsRunning back Central Missouri14359Jim TharpeLinebacker Lincoln (Mo.)15385Guy HomolyDefensive back Illinois State16410John RedebaughTight end Bemidji State17436Charles TabbRunning back McMurry

Personnel Staff / Coaches

Roster

Exhibition schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 at Los Angeles Rams L 17–30 0–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 71,559 2 vs. San Francisco 49ers W 17–10 1–1 Tampa Stadium 41,851 3 vs. Kansas City Chiefs L 13–16 1–2 Memphis Memorial Stadium 31,532 4 at Cincinnati Bengals L 24–31 1–3 Riverfront Stadium 57,112 5 Minnesota Vikings L 21–24 1–4 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,043 6 at New York Giants W 30–29 2–4 Yankee Stadium 62,461

There was a doubleheader on September 5, 1970 Cardinals vs Chargers and Vikings vs Browns.

Regular season schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap 1 New York Jets W 31–21 1–0 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 85,703 Recap 2 September 27 at San Francisco 49ers L 31–34 1–1 Kezar Stadium 37,502 Recap 3 Pittsburgh Steelers W 15–7 2–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 84,349 Recap 4 October 11 Cincinnati Bengals W 30–27 3–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,520 Recap 5 October 18 Detroit Lions L 24–41 3–2 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 83,577 Recap 6 October 25 at Miami Dolphins W 28–0 4–2 Miami Orange Bowl 75,313 Recap 7 November 1 San Diego Chargers L 10–27 4–3 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 80,047 Recap 8 November 8 at Oakland Raiders L 20–23 4–4 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 54,463 Recap 9 November 15 at Cincinnati Bengals L 10–14 4–5 Riverfront Stadium 60,007 Recap 10 November 22 Houston Oilers W 28–14 5–5 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 74,723 Recap 11 November 29 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 9–28 5–6 Three Rivers Stadium 50,214 Recap 12 at Houston Oilers W 21–10 6–6 Houston Astrodome 50,582 Recap 13 Dallas Cowboys L 2–6 6–7 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 75,458 Recap 14 December 20 at Denver Broncos W 27–13 7–7 Mile High Stadium 51,001 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 4 In the first regular-season matchup between Paul Brown's old team and his new one, the Browns beat the Bengals. Running backs Leroy Kelly and Bo Scott combined for 236 yards, and defensive tackle Walter Johnson sacked Bengals quarterback Virgil Carter for a safety.

Pro-Football-Reference.com

Standings

References

External links 1970 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference 1970 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com 1970 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com at DatabaseFootball.com

Bibliography