| 1967 Cleveland Browns season | |
|---|---|
| General manager | Harold Sauerbrei |
| Head coach | Blanton Collier |
| Home stadium | Cleveland Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–5 |
| Division place | 1stNFL Century |
| Playoffs | LostEastern Conference Championship Game (atCowboys) 14–52 Lost NFLPlayoff Bowl (vs.Rams) 6–30 |
| Pro Bowlers | Walter Johnson, DT Paul Wiggin, DE Dick Schafrath, LT Ernie Green, FB Bill Glass, DE Leroy Kelly, HB Gene Hickerson, G |
The1967Cleveland Browns season was the team's 18th season with theNational Football League.The Browns were back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. They finished 9–5, the same as in 1966, but this time, it was good enough for them to get in as they won theCentury Division championship in the first year of play after the NFL split the Eastern and Western conferences into two divisions each. The division race was not close, as the Browns finished two games ahead of the runner-up New York Giants (7–7), their old arch rival in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Running Back Leroy Kelly went over 1,000 yards rushing for the second straight time, getting 1,205 to go along with 11 touchdowns, while Ernie Green, now out of the shadow of Jim Brown, went over 700 yards for the second year in a row, getting 710. Quarterback Frank Ryan, the architect of the 27–0 1964 NFL title game victory over the Baltimore Colts, was in his last full season as a starter. He had 20 TD passes and 16 interceptions. But Ryan, with his body, especially his shoulder, beat up, gave way toBill Nelsen early the next year.
The 52–14 playoff loss toDallas in theEastern Conference title contest caused Browns head coach Blanton Collier to re-shape his team at other positions as well, as new players were brought in to replace some of the fading stars who had carried the club for years. For instance, this was the last season for Hall of Fame place-kickerLou Groza, who retired for the second time – this time for good – after making 11 of 23 field-goal tries. Groza, the last member of the original Browns from the team's inception in 1946, would retire after 21 seasons. Groza was replaced the next season byDon Cockroft.
The following were selected in the1967 NFL/AFL draft.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Bob Matheson | Linebacker | Duke | |
| 2 | 46 | Larry Conjar | Running Back | Notre Dame | |
| 3 | 55 | Don Cockroft | Kicker | Adams State | |
| 3 | 72 | Eppie Barney | Flanker | Iowa State | |
| 4 | 83 | Carl Ward | Defensive Back | Michigan | |
| 4 | 98 | Joe Taffoni | Tackle | Tennessee-Martin | |
| 6 | 152 | John Demarie | Guard | LSU | |
| 7 | 177 | Bill House | Tackle | Youngstown State | |
| 8 | 205 | Bill Devrow | Defensive Back | Southern Mississippi | |
| 9 | 230 | Cecil Dowdy | Linebacker | Alabama | |
| 10 | 255 | Jim Copeland | Center | Virginia | |
| 11 | 282 | Bill Sabatino | Defensive Tackle | Colorado | |
| 12 | 308 | Charlie Fowler | Guard | Houston | |
| 13 | 333 | Billy Andrews | Linebacker | Southeastern Louisiana | |
| 14 | 360 | Floyd Rogers | Tackle | Clemson | |
| 15 | 386 | Dennis Williamson | Defensive Back | Wisconsin-Whitewater | |
| 16 | 411 | Don Williams | End | Akron | |
| 17 | 439 | Ben Davis | Defensive Back | Defiance |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 5 | vs.Philadelphia Eagles atCanton | L 13–28 | 17,500 |
| 2 | August 13 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 14–42 | 27,482 |
| 3 | August 19 | atLos Angeles Rams | L 17–24 | 36,942 |
| 4 | August 25 | atAtlanta Falcons | L 31–34 | 52,240 |
| 5 | September 2 | Green Bay Packers | L 21–30 | 84,236 |
| 6 | September 10 | atMinnesota Vikings | W 42–14 | 40,012 |
There was a doubleheader on September 2, 1967 Falcons vs Vikings and Packers vs Browns.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | Dallas Cowboys | L 14–21 | 0–1 | 81,039 |
| 2 | September 24 | atDetroit Lions | L 14–31 | 0–2 | 57,383 |
| 3 | October 1 | atNew Orleans Saints | W 42–7 | 1–2 | 77,045 |
| 4 | October 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 21–10 | 2–2 | 82,949 |
| 5 | October 15 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 20–16 | 3–2 | 77,813 |
| 6 | October 22 | Chicago Bears | W 24–0 | 4–2 | 83,183 |
| 7 | October 29 | atNew York Giants | L 34–38 | 4–3 | 62,903 |
| 8 | November 5 | atPittsburgh Steelers | W 34–14 | 5–3 | 47,131 |
| 9 | November 12 | atGreen Bay Packers | L 7–55 | 5–4 | 50,074 |
| 10 | November 19 | Minnesota Vikings | W 14–10 | 6–4 | 68,431 |
| 11 | November 26 | Washington Redskins | W 42–37 | 7–4 | 72,798 |
| 12 | December 3 | New York Giants | W 24–14 | 8–4 | 78,594 |
| 13 | December 10 | atSt. Louis Cardinals | W 20–16 | 9–4 | 47,782 |
| 14 | December 17 | atPhiladelphia Eagles | L 24–28 | 9–5 | 60,658 |
The Browns clinch their first Century Division title with a 20-16 victory atSt. Louis. One touchdown comes on an 18-yard interception return by linebackerJim Houston and the game ends when St. Louis tight endJackie Smith catches a 41-yard pass and is dragged down at theCleveland 18 yard line.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | December 24 | atDallas Cowboys | L 14–52 | 0–1 | Cotton Bowl | 70,786 | Recap |
| Playoff Bowl | January 7 | Los Angeles Rams | L 6–30 | 0–2 | Miami Orange Bowl | 37,102 |
| NFL Century | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Cleveland Browns | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 5–1 | 7–3 | 334 | 297 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 5–1 | 7–3 | 369 | 379 | W1 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 6 | 7 | 1 | .462 | 1–4–1 | 4–5–1 | 333 | 356 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 0–5–1 | 1–8–1 | 281 | 320 | W1 |
| 1967 Cleveland Browns roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends | Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
| Taxi Squad
rookies in italics | |||
| 1967 Cleveland Browns staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Coaching staff
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Strength & conditioning
| |||||