1964 NFL Championship Game discussion

[74_75_78_79_]

SBIII gets all the Historic attention, but some here have said that this very game was more of a Colts-disappointment.

Such a juggernaut they seemed to be, Yet a stout-enough but seemingly not-too-special Browns team won 27-0!

What do you all think is the 'explanation' for this? Browns winning at all? Yes, still a big upset considering, but by that actual score??

The game, actually, reminds me of the '78 NFC Championship Game; '0-0' at the half but...

Was it, simply, a case of this being Shula's first ever high-stakes game and he not, really, getting 'the hang of' such an event until later on ('72/'73)?


PS - Colts at St Louis is always an interesting hypo to think of as well.

[Brian wolf]

SB III was more of a disappointment for Balt, who had more chances to score ...

First off, Unitas struggled against the wind in that 1964 game. The Browns took advantage of the wind where Boyd got burned by Collins, who also got away with some slight pushing off.

The Colts, who struggled with Matt Snell in SB III, also had a tough game against Jim Brown, who had that big 46 yrd run, that made them load the box, to open things for Collins. Its surprising that they didnt isolate Warfield against Boyd but he drew double coverage away from Collins on the other side.

Like the Jets, the Browns played excellent defense. Gino Marchetti, felt Ryan ran up the score and went after him, hurting him in the subsequent pro bowl game.

[JuggernautJ]

SBIII gets all the Historic attention...

I think that's probably justified.
The "Historic attention" is likely because of the AFL/NFL war that had been raging for almost a decade and 1968 was the first AFL win in a Championship game. While Browns/Colts was "just" a Championship game... one of, by that time, dozens.

I find it interesting that both Shula and Unitas's reputations survived these two "catastrophic" losses more-or-less unscathed.
I think they both deserve the renown they receive and their place in the Hall of Fame but these failures were memorable, also.

Frank Ryan seems to have outplayed Johnny U. in this game.
And, one must conclude from the outcome, Blanton Collier out-coached Don Shula.
Yet they are barely remembered by most casual fans while Shula and Unitas are exalted.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... 270cle.htm

[Brian wolf]

Good call Jay ... its amazing that Unitas's only championship game losses were shutouts ... 1971 AFC Champ game as well, after beating the Browns.

Collier deserves credit for winning in his first year as a HC. The Browns hadnt won the eastern division since 1957, so its not like he inherited a great team like Seifert, Tomlin or Kubiak.

[JohnH19]

1964 was Collier’s second season as HC.

[Brian wolf]

Thanks John ... youre right. Brown ran possessed in 1963 with Paul Brown gone ...