The 1946

1946 in sports

-American football:* All-America Football Conference begins play. Cleveland Browns win the championship by beating New York Yankees 14-9.* Chicago Bears win the NFL crown by defeating the New York Giants 24-14 in New York.-Association football:England...

 Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 season marked the team's inaugural season in the All-America Football Conference

All-America Football Conference

The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...

. The Browns, coached by Paul Brown

Paul Brown

Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...

, ended their first season in the league with a record of 12–2, winning the Western Division. Led by quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 Otto Graham

Otto Graham

Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...

 and fullback

Fullback (American football)

A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...

 Marion Motley

Marion Motley

Marion Motley was a professional football player, a fullback for the Cleveland Browns, and briefly for the Pittsburgh Steelers.-Early years:...

, the team advanced to the AAFC Championship Game, and defeated the New York Yankees

New York Yankees (AAFC)

The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...

, 14–9.

The Browns started off the season strong, winning their first seven games, four of them at home. The team outscored their opponents 180 to 34. The Browns opened the season, and kicked-off the AAFC's first game, against the Miami Seahawks

Miami Seahawks

The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...

. The Browns dominated the Seahawks, winning 44–0. Following the team's seven-game winning streak, the Browns faced the San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

 at home, losing their first game, 34–20. The Browns traveled to Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 where they were defeated by the Los Angeles Dons

Los Angeles Dons

The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 that played in the Los Angeles Coliseum....

, 17–16. The short-lived losing streak would be broken when the Browns avenged their loss to the 49ers in San Francisco

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

 by defeating the 49ers, 14–7. The Browns would go on to win their final five games of the season, including a 66–14 blow-out of the Brooklyn Dodgers

Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC)

The Brooklyn Dodgers was an American Football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. The team is unrelated to the Brooklyn Dodgers that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943...

, outscoring their opponents 207 to 52.

Dante Lavelli

Dante Lavelli

Dante Bert Joseph "Gluefingers" Lavelli was an American football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League from 1946 to 1956...

 lead the league in receiving with 843 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Lou Groza

Lou Groza

Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....

 lead the league in points-scored with 84 on 13 field goals

Field goal (football)

A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...

 and 45 point-after attempts. Lou Rymkus

Lou Rymkus

Louis Joseph Rymkus was a football player and coach in the National Football League who was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and also served as the first head coach of the American Football League's Houston Oilers for 1960, winning the league's first championship, but being...

 played the entire season on offense and defense with a serious knee injury that required surgery at year's end.

The team played all of their home games in Cleveland Stadium

Cleveland Stadium

Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...

. The Browns drew their largest home crowd on October 20 against the Los Angeles Dons

Los Angeles Dons

The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 that played in the Los Angeles Coliseum....

, bringing in over 71,000 fans.

1946 AAFC championship game

The Cleveland Browns advanced to the AAFC's first ever league championship on December 22, 1946, at Cleveland Stadium

Cleveland Stadium

Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...

. The team competed against the New York Yankees

New York Yankees (AAFC)

The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...

, the strongest team in the AAFC's Eastern Division, with a record of 10–3–1. Scoring was minimal in the championship game, with the Browns edging out the Yankees, 14–9. Fullback Marion Motley

Marion Motley

Marion Motley was a professional football player, a fullback for the Cleveland Browns, and briefly for the Pittsburgh Steelers.-Early years:...

 scored first for the Browns in the second quarter on a two-yard touchdown run, following by quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 Otto Graham

Otto Graham

Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...

's 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver

Wide receiver

A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...

 Dante Lavelli

Dante Lavelli

Dante Bert Joseph "Gluefingers" Lavelli was an American football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference and National Football League from 1946 to 1956...

 in the fourth quarter.

Pre-season results

Week	Date	Opponent	Results		Stadium	Attendance
			Score	Record
1	1946	Brooklyn Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) The Brooklyn Dodgers was an American Football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. The team is unrelated to the Brooklyn Dodgers that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943...	W 35–20	1–0	Rubber Bowl Rubber Bowl The Rubber Bowl is a stadium in Akron, Ohio primarily used for American football. From 1940 to 2008, it served as the home field of the University of Akron's Zips football team...	35,964

Regular season results

Week	Date	Opponent	Results		Stadium	Attendance
			Score	Record
1	September 6, 1946	Miami Seahawks Miami Seahawks The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...	W 44–0	1–0	Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...	60,135
2	September 13, 1946	@ Chicago Rockets Chicago Rockets The Chicago Rockets was an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets...	W 20–6	2–0	Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...	51,962
3	September 22, 1946	@ Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Bills (AAFC) The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...	W 28–0	3–0	War Memorial Stadium War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo) War Memorial Stadium is the name of a stadium that formerly stood in Buffalo, New York. The stadium was on a rectangular block near the downtown area. Its main entrance was at Jefferson Avenue to the east and Best Street to the south...	30,302
4	September 29, 1946	New York Yankees New York Yankees (AAFC) The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...	W 24–7	4–0	Cleveland Stadium	57,084
5	October 6, 1946	Brooklyn Dodgers Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) The Brooklyn Dodgers was an American Football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. The team is unrelated to the Brooklyn Dodgers that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943...	W 26–7	5–0	Cleveland Stadium	43,713
6	October 12, 1946	@ New York Yankees	W 7–0	6–0	Yankee Stadium	34,252
7	October 20, 1946	Los Angeles Dons Los Angeles Dons The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 that played in the Los Angeles Coliseum....	W 31–14	7–0	Cleveland Stadium	71,134
8	October 27, 1946	San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...	L 34–20	7–1	Cleveland Stadium	70,385
9	November 3, 1946	@ Los Angeles Dons	L 17–16	7–2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...	24,800
10	November 10, 1946	@ San Francisco 49ers	W 14–7	8–2	Kezar Stadium Kezar Stadium Kezar Stadium is a stadium located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. It is the former home of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, and of the San Francisco Dragons of MLL. It also served as the home of the...	41,061
11	November 17, 1946	Chicago Rockets	W 51–14	9–2	Cleveland Stadium	60,457
12	November 24, 1946	Buffalo Bisons	W 42–17	10–2	Cleveland Stadium	37,054
13	December 3, 1946	@ Miami Seahawks	W 34–0	11–2	Miami Orange Bowl Miami Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...	9,038
14	December 8, 1946	@ Brooklyn Dodgers	W 66–14	12–2	Ebbets Field Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...	14,600

Final standings

Western Division
	W	L	T	PCT
Cleveland Browns	12	2	0	.857
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...	9	5	0	.643
Los Angeles Dons Los Angeles Dons The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 that played in the Los Angeles Coliseum....	7	5	2	.500
Chicago Rockets Chicago Rockets The Chicago Rockets was an American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During the 1949 season, the team was known as the Chicago Hornets...	5	6	3	.357

Post-season results

Week	Date	Opponent	Results		Stadium	Attendance
			Score	Record
Championship game	December 22, 1946	New York Yankees New York Yankees (AAFC) The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...	W 14–9	1–0	Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...	40,469