New England’s first two drives were three-and-outs with nothing but run plays, and a total of four yards gained. They ran the ball no matter what, because that’s how Belichick saw a specific path to victory.Ĭould it have backfired? Sure. They ran the ball when the schemes kicked in, and things got really dicey for Buffalo’s defense. They ran the ball when it didn’t work early on. New England ran the ball against these Bills 46 times for 222 yards and a touchdown.
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Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson attempted two passes in that game, completing none, and having two interceptions called back by penalty.
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In monsoon conditions, the Patriots threw the ball just three times - the fewest by any team since the 1974 Bills beat the Jets, 16-12, in a similar Buffalo weather disaster. There are not types or archetypes to which a franchise must adhere there is only the next game, and the specific plan for winning that game.īill Belichick has always been a keen observer of Brown’s approach, and he’s always been a week-to-week adjuster, which is where Belichick’s game plan against the Bills on Monday night comes in. Paul Brown was one of football’s greatest coaches and thinkers, and one of the primary reasons why is that he understood that not only is there more than one way to win a game, but that your ultimate success should be based on adjusting your approach for situation and opponent. Graham out-dueled Bob Waterfield, completing 22 of 33 passes for 298 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. The Browns won the 1950 NFL championship, 30-28, against the legendary “point-a-minute” Los Angeles Rams, and Brown’s approach was exactly what it should have been: Lean on your quarterback. A rainy day and a muddy field advanced the wisdom of Brown’s strategy, but one gets the sense that Brown was going there no matter what the weather was. Brown told his players that they were specifically not to throw a pass as long as the game was tied, or the Browns had the lead. The Browns did not technically throw a single pass, though two attempts were called back due to penalties. In that 13-7 Browns victory, Paul Brown’s team ran the ball 41 times, gaining just 68 yards, but still winning on a 30-yard pick-six by Warren Lahr, and two field goals by Hall-of-Famer Lou “The Toe” Groza.
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This was a major miscalculation on Neale’s part. The Browns won their NFL opener, 35-10.Įagles head coach Earle “Greasy” Neale made some noise before the December 3 rematch about the Browns leaning more on finesse than power, comparing them to a basketball team. Brown directed Otto Graham, his Hall of Fame quarterback, to exploit holes in the middle of Philly’s defense, and Graham put up a stat line that wouldn’t be out of place for a quarterback in 2021 - 21 completions in 38 attempts for 346 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. It was supposed to be an upbraiding for the new kids, but it was the exact opposite. The Browns, led by Paul Brown, had been the AAFC’s dominant franchise, winning all four league championships, so the NFL decided to pit Brown’s team against the Philadelphia Eagles, the league’s two-time defending NFL champs. In 1950, the NFL welcomed three teams - the Baltimore Colts, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns from the All America Football Conference - to its environs.