The 1956 Cleveland Browns season was the team's eleventh season, and seventh season with the National Football League.
1956 Cleveland Browns season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Paul Brown |
Home field | Cleveland Stadium |
Local radio | WGAR |
Results | |
Record | 5–7 |
Division place | T-4th Eastern |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | Don Paul, CB Walt Michaels, LB Frank Gatski, C Pete Brewster, LE Mike McCormack, OT |
This was the first season in which the Browns missed the playoffs, and its first season with a losing record. The Browns lost seven games in 1956, after having lost a total of only 17 over the previous ten seasons combined.
Exhibition schedule
editGame | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 10 | vs. College All-Stars at Chicago | W 26–0 | 75,000 | ||
2 | August 19 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 17–28 | 38,741 | ||
3 | August 24 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 6–17 | 40,175 | ||
4 | September 1 | Green Bay Packers | L 20–21 | 15,456 | ||
5 | September 7 | at Detroit Lions | L 0–17 | 48,105 | ||
6 | September 15 | vs. Detroit Lions at Akron | L 14–31 | 28,201 | ||
7 | September 21 | at Chicago Bears | W 24–14 | 56,543 |
Regular season
editSchedule
editWeek | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 30 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 7–9 | 0–1 | Comiskey Park | 20,966 | Recap | ||
2 | October 6 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 14–10 | 1–1 | Forbes Field | 35,398 | Recap | [1][2] | |
3 | October 14 | New York Giants | L 9–21 | 1–2 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 60,042 | Recap | ||
4 | October 21 | at Washington Redskins | L 9–20 | 1–3 | Griffith Stadium | 23,322 | Recap | ||
5 | October 28 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–24 | 1–4 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 50,358 | Recap | ||
6 | November 4 | at Green Bay Packers | W 24–7 | 2–4 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 28,590 | Recap | ||
7 | November 11 | Baltimore Colts | L 7–21 | 2–5 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 42,404 | Recap | ||
8 | November 18 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 16–0 | 3–5 | Connie Mack Stadium | 25,894 | Recap | ||
9 | November 25 | Washington Redskins | L 17–20 | 3–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 22,878 | Recap | ||
10 | December 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 17–14 | 4–6 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 20,645 | Recap | ||
11 | December 9 | at New York Giants | W 24–7 | 5–6 | Yankee Stadium | 27,707 | Recap | ||
12 | December 16 | Chicago Cardinals | L 7–24 | 5–7 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 25,312 | Recap | ||
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. |
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Season recap
editWeek 1 at Chicago
editThe post Otto Graham era begins with a 9-7 loss to the Cardinals in Chicago. Cleveland's only score comes on a 46-yard touchdown pass from George Ratterman to Ray Renfro in the first quarter. But Pat Summerall's third field goal, a nine-yarder with 29 seconds remaining, won it for the Cardinals and broke a twelve-game losing streak to the Browns.[3] The Cardinals later won the season finale.
Standings
editNFL Eastern Conference | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
New York Giants | 8 | 3 | 1 | .727 | 7–3 | 264 | 197 | W1 | |
Chicago Cardinals | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 7–3 | 240 | 182 | W1 | |
Washington Redskins | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 5–5 | 183 | 225 | L2 | |
Cleveland Browns | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 4–6 | 167 | 177 | L1 | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 4–6 | 217 | 250 | W1 | |
Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 3–7 | 143 | 215 | L3 |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
NFL Western Conference | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 8–2 | 363 | 246 | W2 | |
Detroit Lions | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 300 | 188 | L1 | |
San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 5–5 | 233 | 284 | W3 | |
Baltimore Colts | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 3–7 | 270 | 322 | W1 | |
Los Angeles Rams | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 291 | 307 | W2 | |
Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 264 | 342 | L2 |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
References
edit- ^ Livingston, Pat (October 7, 1956). "Steelers bow, 14-10". Pittsburgh Press. p. 1, section 4.
- ^ "Browns edge Pitt Steelers". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. October 7, 1955.
- ^ "Grid Cardinals upset champion Browns, 9-7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. October 1, 1956. p. 25.
External links
edit- 1956 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference (profootballreference.com)
- 1956 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com
- 1956 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com
- 1956 Cleveland Browns at DatabaseFootball.com