Browns lose to Giants, 13-10

[MightyGiants]

Browns lose to Giants, 13-10

New York Giants 13, Browns 10
Yankee Stadium, New York

December 14, 1958     By Chuck Heaton
Plain Dealer Reporter


The Browns will pay a return visit to Yankee Stadium next Sunday afternoon.
Pat Summerall, veteran place-kicking specialist, made certain of that today with a 49-yard field goal with two minutes and seven seconds of play remaining as the New York Giants defeated Cleveland, 13-10, before 63,192 chilled spectators.

This second New York victory of the season over Paul Brown's club tied things up in the National Football League's Eastern Division.

So the Browns and Giants, both with 9-3 season records, must play off while the Baltimore Colts, already winners in the west, await their Dec. 28 opponents.


Recovery Ruled Out

The long boot by Summerall, through the swirling snowflakes that made a Christmas-card setting, made the Browns seem to have things locked up.

Charlie Conerly had thrown down the middle to Frank Gifford. The speedy halfback, who had passed seven yards to end Bob Schnelker for the lone Giants touchdown in the last quarter, caught the ball and then dropped it as he was hit by linebacker Galen Fiss.

Walt Michaels, Cleveland defensive signal caller, fell on the pigskin. So obvious seemed the fumble that the New York defense began dejectedly to troop on the field and a loud moan went up from the Giant partisans.

Charley Berry, the baseball umpire who was serving as head linesman, saw it differently. He called it an incomplete pass. The Giants retained the ball for the fourth down, and Summerall, who has been ailing all week with a severe charley horse, got another chance.

Big Pat, obtained in trade from the Chicago Cardinals, seemed destined to wear the game's horns after missing a 33-yard field goal in that same period. He had kicked one of 46 yards and missed from the same distance the first half.


Browns Dominate

It was a weird climax to a game dominated by the Browns through three quarters.

Jim Brown started things off with a 65-yard touchdown burst on the Browns' first play from scrimmage. Milt Plum, who went the distance at quarterback, faked the flip to Lew Carpenter and handed off to big Jim.

Brown ripped up the middle without having a hand placed on him. He simply ran away from the secondary.

That was the 18th touchdown of the season for the pro sophomore from Syracuse and equaled Steve Van Buren's National League mark.

Jim carried the ball 26 times and totaled 148 yards, but the Giants defense managed to stop him and get the ball when time was running out in the last quarter.


Groza Misses 2

Lou Groza kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second period for the Browns' other points, but The Toe also missed three. He was wide from 37 yards out in the first period and failed from 38 yards in the second.

Then, with only a couple of seconds left, Groza tried to pull the Browns even with a field-goal attempt from the Cleveland 45.

The 55-yard attempt fell some 10 yards short.

Twice in the first half, which ended with Cleveland leading, 10-3, the Browns were within steps of touchdowns.

Ray Renfro shook free to take a second quarter pass from Plum for a 51-yard gain. The flanker from North Texas seemed to have a step on Jim Patton, the safety man, but was hauled down on the New York 20.

The Browns couldn't move the ball in for the touchdown and settled for Groza's 23-yard field goal.

Then in the closing seconds of the first half, Bobby Mitchell fielded Don Chandler's punt and took off down field. The rookie from Illinois had everybody beat but the punter.

Trying to maneuver, Bobby slipped on the icy field and Chandler nailed him at the New York 31. Time was left for a field goal and Groza missed from the 38.

About midway through the third quarter came another controversial play. It was fourth down and eight yards to go on the Giants 12 when Cleveland lined up in field-goal kicking formation.

The ball was centered to Bobby Freeman, the holder for Groza, who tried to sweep his own left end.

Linebacker Harland Svare, who blocked Jim Martin's late field-goal try in New York's victory over Detroit last Sunday, wasn't fooled by the fake place kick. He tackled Freeman for a loss to the 21, and Giants took over.

It was an unusual call for the customarily conservative Paul Brown to make.

The Browns totaled 298 yards to 234 for the Giants, who won a 21-17 decision last month in Cleveland. Paul Brown's team clicked for 140 passing and 158 running.

Conerly, veteran signal caller from Mississippi, hit on 10 of 29, but it was Gifford who came through with two big aerials in the Giants' touchdown drive.

Twice Cleveland lost the ball on fumbles and both times the Giants, an opportunist eleven this season, cashed in for points.

With the Browns leading, 7-0, in the second quarter on Jim Brown's 65-yard run. Lew Carpenter fumbled on the Cleveland 39. Jim Katcavage, former University of Dayton gridder, recovered for the Giants.

The Cleveland defense, which did a fine job just about all afternoon, contained the Giants. So Coach Jim Lee Howell settled for Summerall's 46-yard field goal.

At the start of the second half, the Browns received and drove all the way to the Giants 12. That march lasted 12 minutes, but proved to be fruitless when Freeman's run from field-goal formation was stopped.

Early in the fourth period, still leading, 10-3, the Browns had the ball on their own 47. Plum was hit making the handoff, fumbled the ball and Andy Robustelli recovered on the Cleveland 45.

First play saw Gifford hit Kyle Rote for 39 yards. It's a play that has worked several times against Cleveland with the Californian rolling to the right and firing back to Rote down the other sideline.

Gifford lost a yard back to the seven and Conerly's pass into the end zone was incomplete. Then Gifford took the pitch from Conerly, moved to his right and found Schnelker, former Bowling Green star, for the touchdown. The ball just missed the outstretched hands of Kenny Konz, who made several fine saves during the game.

As Groza had after the Cleveland touchdown, Summerall added the extra point and the game was tied at 10-all with over 10 minutes left.

It was time enough for Summerall's field-goal miss, Deschaine's short punt, Berry's controversial call, Summerall's winning field goal and Groza's almost impossible final try to tie the score. That would have been as good as a victory for the Browns.

So it's back to Yankee Stadium next Sunday for the Browns with a head-to-head game for the Eastern Division title.