Blanton's Browns

Great players, great coaches, great fans, and a great stadium—the 1965–69 Cleveland Browns

Two very exciting games in Cleveland Browns history—their upset of the Baltimore Colts in 1964 and the Monday Night Football game on September 21, 1970, when they beat Joe Namath and the New York Jets—bookend this in-depth look at a highly successful era in the franchise’s history. During the five years from 1965–69, the Browns qualified for the postseason four times, played in three NFL championship games, and twice came within a game of the Super Bowl.

Roger Gordon presents the narrative of the team along with personal profiles of players like Hall of Famers Paul Warfield, Leroy Kelly, Gene Hickerson, and Lou Groza. And, of course, there was the team’s—and possibly the NFL’s—greatest Hall of Famer, Jim Brown, albeit in 1965 only. Headed by Coach Blanton Collier, the Browns had an impressive record, remaining first or second in their division, and yet fell just short in the playoffs.

Longtime Browns fans who remember this era will be eager to revisit it, and younger fans will learn about a very successful time in team history. Gordon connects the characters and stories of this era into the full franchise timeline, up to and including the modern day.