Sunday, September 21, 1969
Browns 27, Philadelphia Eagles 20
Franklin Field (60,698)
1969 Browns team photo.
Tight end Milt Morin snagged two catches for 38 yards on the day.
Rookie Ron Johnson, seen here with Blanton Collier saved the day rushing for 118 yards in relief of Leroy Kelly.
Ron Johnson and the rest of the 1969 Browns being introduced during the preseason.
Paul Warfield catches a ball of the fingertips of an Eagels defender.
Mike Howell (34) intercepts a pass deflected by Walt Sumner (29) to ensure the victory.
Gary Collins lands on his head after catching a Bill Nelsen pass for 19 yards in the third quarter.
Erich Barnes deflected a field goal attempt at the crossbar during the game.
Don Cockroft kicked two field goals and added three extra points for the Browns.
Dale Lindsey sacking Eagles quarterback George Mira in the third quarter.
As this cartoon in the next days paper indicated, the Browns suffered many injuries in the season opener.
Despite losing RB Leroy Kelly to a pulled hamstring in the opening minutes, the Browns overwhelmed the Eagles on opening day with superior depth and a strong defense. Three plays after Kelly was sidelined, QB Bill Nelsen hit WR Gary Collins for a 35-yard touchdown pass that gave the visitors a lead they would not relinquish. Rookie RB Ron Johnson, playing in his first NFL game, filled in marvelously for Kelly, picking up 118 yards on 17 carries and scoring a pair of touchdowns, including a 48-yard scamper in the third quarter to put the Browns up 27-7. Though Johnson would go on to much success with the New York Giants in the 1970s, this would be the only 100-yard game of his one-year Cleveland career. All three of the Eagles' touchdowns were freakish - one set up after Cleveland DB Erich Barnes deflected a field-goal attempt at the crossbar and the Eagles recovered to give them a first down at the Cleveland 2, another on an interception return, and the third in the final minute after Philadelphia recovered an onside kick. The Eagles recovered another onside kick moments later and had a final opportunity to tie, but DB Mike Howell intercepted Philly QB Norm Snead to secure the Cleveland win.
1 2 3 4
Browns 7 6 14 0 = 27
Eagles 0 7 0 13 = 20
CLE-Collins 35-yd. pass from Nelsen (Cockroft kick)
CLE-Cockroft 22-yd. FG
PHI-Woodeshick 1-yd. run (Baker kick)
CLE-Cockroft 37-yd. FG
CLE-R.Johnson 1-yd. run (Cockroft kick)
CLE-R.Johnson 48-yd. run (Cockroft kick)
PHI-Scarpati 34-yd. interception return (kick failed)
PHI-Hawkins 41-yd. pass from Snead (Baker kick)
Passing
CLE: Nelsen 11-26-177 1 TD 2 INT, Morrison 1-1-16 0 TD 0 INT, Rhome 1-1-3 0 TD 0 INT
PHI: Snead 11-24-148 1 TD 2 INT, Mira 1-7-20 0 TD 0 INT
Rushing
CLE: R.Johnson 17-118, Morrison 16-48, Kelly 3-9, Nelsen 1-(-2)
PHI: Woodeshick 14-63, Keyes 3-10, Mira 2-10, Wilson 3-5, Snead 2-0
Receiving
CLE: Collins 3-58, Morin 2-38, Morrison 2-32, Hooker 2-21, R.Johnson 2-21, Glass 1-17, Warfield 1-9
PHI: Hawkins 4-92, Ballman 3-45, Jackson 2-17, Keyes 1-11, Wilson 1-6, Woodeshick 1-(-3)
Text reproduced from The Browns Bible:The Complete Game-By-Game History of the Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, The Kent State University Press
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