MVP Otto Graham and some Cleveland Brown buddies celebrate their 4th NFL Championship since 1950.

1955 NFL Season: 

CURRENTLY UNPLAYED: 

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Week 13: NFL CHAMPIONSHIP

13 Cleveland 37 at Green Bay 10
The 1955 NFL Championship game matched the defending champions from Cleveland against a surprising young Green Bay team that was playing in their first playoff game since the 40s. On paper, Cleveland (11-1) seemed to have an advantage with the number one overall offense and the number one overall defense. Green Bay (9-2-1) led the league in scoring with 331 points and the boasted the number one rushing attack in the league.

Unfortunately, the game did not live up to the matchup on paper. Cleveland scored first on a 37 yard strike from Otto Graham to Dante Lavelli, capping an 84 yard drive which include 2 holding penalties. Green Bay got on the board at the start of the 2nd quarter after Val Walker's interception set them up at the Brown's 24. The 12yd field goal made it 7-3, but that was as close as the Packers would get. A Graham to Renfro connection of 43 yards setup a Groza field goal on Cleveland's next possession, giving the Brown's a 10-3 lead. After a 3 and out, Don Paul fielded the Green Bay punt at his own 33 and weaved 67 yards through Packer defenders to put his team up 17-3. Cleveland got into the endzone two more times before the end of the first half as the score ballooned to 31-3 by halftime. Graham hit Darrell Brewster from 35 yards out for one score and he found Ray Renfro alone on a blown coverage that resulted in a 40 yard score.

Green Bay scored their only touchdown in the third quarter on a Rote to Ferguson pass from 15 yards out. Two Groza field goals in the second half made the final 37-10. Sportswriters named Otto Graham the hero of the game. Graham, who led the league in passing during the regular season, completed 13 of 20 for 249 yards with 1 interception and 3 touchdown passes. The goat horns went to Green Bay quarterback Tobin Rote. Rote made first team All-Pro during the regular season, and had a league high 24 touchdown passes. But today, he only managed 8 completions in 23 attempts for 84 yards, and he was intercepted twice.

Commish Chad Weyenberg:  cweyenberg@comcast.net