Game story from Plain Dealer Browns history database. Browns' only loss in first seven 1964 games was at home to the Steelers, 23-7. Pittsburgh wasn't a contender, but this was a key win for a Cleveland team on its way to the NFL title.
(Left to right) Defensive backs Bobby Franklin, Ross Fichtner, Larry Benz and Bernie Parrish helped the Browns top the Steelers in a key 1964 game. Another important Browns DB was Walter Beach.By Mike Peticca
Plain Dealer Reporter
Cleveland, Ohio -- Beginning in 1950, when the All-America Football Conference folded -- partly due to the Browns' championship monopoly -- and Cleveland joined the National Football League, the Browns dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cleveland won 21 of 27 games between the teams until Nov. 10, 1963, when the Steelers edged the Browns, 9-7, in Pittsburgh, as then reported by The Plain Dealer Browns beat writer, the late Chuck Heaton. The loss was quite costly, as the Browns finished one-half game behind the New York Giants in the Eastern Conference.
The next time the teams met, in Cleveland on Saturday night, Oct. 10, 1964, Pittsburgh routed the Browns, 23-7, as reported by Heaton. The loss was the first of the season for the Browns, after three wins and a tie.
The Steelers controlled those games with the running of Hall of Famer John Henry Johnson, who gained a combined 331 yards in 57 carries. By contrast, Browns Hall of Famer Jim Brown averaged 5.8 yards a run in the contests, but had just 27 carries.
So although the Browns were 5-1-1 and the Steelers 3-4 going into their meeting on Nov. 1, 1964, the Browns went into Pittsburgh knowing they had to play well to maintain control of the Eastern Conference title chase.
The Plain Dealer's Browns history database features PD stories on every Browns regular season and playoff game in the team's history. Click on to the highlighted game result for The Plain Dealer game stories. Click on to highlighted dates for the game box score and names for player's career histories, both via Pro-Football-Reference.com.
The Browns won the Eastern Conference championship and the NFL title in 1964. Chuck Heaton's Plain Dealer game story on the Browns' 30-17 win at Pittsburgh on Nov. 1, 1964 includes his comments on the Browns' offensive production, highlighted by Jim Brown becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 career yards, and:
The Browns' defense and Larry Benz in particular, probably deserved equal billing.
Ripped apart by the Steelers in Cleveland, the defenders certainly are able to hold their heads high after this one. Pittsburgh was permitted only 251 yards, 165 on the ground and a net total of 86 passing.
ED BROWN found the target with only eight of his 23 passes. The Steelers' quarterback was thrown five times for losses totaling 42 yards. On numerous other occasions, he was forced to get rid of the football in a hurry.
This pressure helped the defensive backs and Benz took advantage of it. The former Cleveland Heights High School star, recovered from a hip injury which had him on the bench when the Giants visited Cleveland a week ago, intercepted two passes.