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1952 Cleveland Browns season
1952 Cleveland Browns season
Owner	Mickey McBride
General manager	Paul Brown
Head coach	Paul Brown
Home field	Cleveland Stadium
Local radio	WTAM
Results
Record	8–4
Division place	1st NFL American
Playoff finish	Lost NFL Championship; (vs. Lions) 7–17
	← 1951; Browns seasons; 1953 →;

The 1952 Cleveland Browns season was the team's third season with the National Football League and seventh season overall. They were 8–4 in the regular season and won the American Conference.^[1]^[2] Cleveland hosted the NFL Championship Game, but lost 17–7 to the Detroit Lions.^[3]^[4]

Exhibition schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	August 23	at Green Bay Packers	W 21–14	1–0	City Stadium	22,215
2	August 29	Chicago Bears	W 14–7	2–0	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	37,976
3	September 6	vs. Detroit Lions	L 21–28	2–1	Archbold Stadium	26,000
4	September 13	vs. San Francisco 49ers	L 31–35	2–2	Rubber Bowl	30,119

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 28	Los Angeles Rams	W 37–7	1–0	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	57,832	Recap
2	October 4	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 21–20	2–0	Forbes Field	27,923	Recap
3	October 12	New York Giants	L 9–17	2–1	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	51,858	Recap
4	October 19	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 49–7	3–1	Shibe Park	27,874	Recap
5	October 26	Washington Redskins	W 19–15	4–1	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	32,496	Recap
6	November 2	at Detroit Lions	L 6–17	4–2	Briggs Stadium	56,029	Recap
7	November 9	Chicago Cardinals	W 28–13	5–2	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	34,097	Recap
8	November 16	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 29–28	6–2	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	34,973	Recap
9	November 23	Philadelphia Eagles	L 20–28	6–3	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	28,948	Recap
10	November 30	at Washington Redskins	W 48–24	7–3	Griffith Stadium	22,679	Recap
11	December 7	at Chicago Cardinals	W 10–0	8–3	Comiskey Park	24,541	Recap
12	December 14	at New York Giants	L 34–37	8–4	Polo Grounds	41,610	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Saturday night (October 4)^[5]

Game summaries

Week 1

The Browns avenged their December championship game loss to Los Angeles with a 37–7 romp over the Rams at Cleveland Stadium. The Browns took a 23–0 halftime lead and never headed. Ken Carpenter rushed for 145 yards on 16 carries and the Browns defense limited Rams quarterbacks Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield to a combined six completions in 27 attempts.

Week 4

Despite being without injured wide receiver Dante Lavelli and Carpenter and then losing defensive end Bob Gain to a broken jaw, the Browns had little problem pounding the Eagles 49–7 in Philadelphia. It is Cleveland's 5th win over Philadelphia in as many meetings. Otto Graham threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns and even backup quarterback George Ratterman got into the act, throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Horace Gillom.

Week 6

In the first-ever regular season meeting between the Detroit Lions and the Browns, the Lions won 17–6, at Briggs Stadium. The Lions led 10–6, when a Graham pass intended for Ray Renfro was picked off by Detroit's Jack Christiansen. On the Lions next play from scrimmage, Bob Hoernschemeyer ran for 41 yards, setting up a Bobby Layne to Leon Hart touchdown pass.

Week 10

The Browns took a one-game lead in the Eastern Conference with a 48–24 win at Washington. Chick Jagade ran for 127 yards on 16 carries, including a 17-yard touchdown scamper on a draw play. Carpenter also had a big day returning punts including one for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Week 12

Needing a win in the season finale to clinch the American Conference Title, the Browns (8–3) traveled to the Polo Grounds in New York City, but lost to the Giants, 37–34. Charlie Conerly fired four touchdown passes for the Giants while Graham threw three interceptions.^[1] The Browns clinched anyway when Washington upset Philadelphia.

Standings

NFL American Conference
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Cleveland Browns	8	4	0	.667	7–3	310	213	L1
Philadelphia Eagles	7	5	0	.583	6–4	252	271	L1
New York Giants	7	5	0	.583	5–4	234	231	W1
Pittsburgh Steelers	5	7	0	.417	4–5	300	273	L1
Chicago Cardinals	4	8	0	.333	3–7	172	221	L2
Washington Redskins	4	8	0	.333	4–6	240	287	W2

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

NFL Championship Game

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
Championship	December 28	Detroit Lions	L 7–17	0–1	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	50,934	Recap

Source:^[3]^[4]

Roster and coaching staff

**1952 Cleveland Browns roster**
Quarterbacks 60 Otto Graham 16 George Ratterman Halfbacks 90 Rex Bumgardner 84 Ken Carpenter 44 Sherman Howard 82 Tommy James 86 Dub Jones 80 Warren Lahr 94 Don Phelps 15 Bert Rechichar 96 Don Shula		Fullbacks 70 Emerson Cole 72 Chick Jagade 76 Marion Motley Ends 83 Pete Brewster 53 Len Ford 59 Horace Gillom 56 Dante Lavelli 26 Ray Renfro 58 Mac Speedie 52 George Young		Guards 64 Abe Gibron 32 Lin Houston 34 Walt Michaels 68 Ed Sharkey 65 Joe Skibinski 30 Bill Willis Tackles 74 Bob Gain 46 Lou Groza 79 Jerry Helluin 45 John Kissell 42 Derrell Palmer 49 John Sandusky Centers 22 Frank Gatski 20 Hal Herring 24 Tommy Thompson				Assistants Blanton Collier (Backfield) Weeb Ewbank (Tackles) Howard Brinker (Ends) Rookies in italics (5) 36 Active, 0 Inactive
NFL American Conference CHC CLE NYG PHI PIT WAS National Conference BAL CHB DET GB LA NYY SF

References

^ ^a ^b "Browns lose to Giants, yet cop flag". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 15, 1952. p. 22.
^ "NFL summary". Pittsburgh Press. December 15, 1952. p. 23.
^ ^a ^b "Lions trip Browns, 17-7, for NFL crown". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 29, 1952. p. 2, part 2.
^ ^a ^b Sell, Jack (December 29, 1952). "Lions defeat Browns for NFL title, 17-7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18.
^ Livingston, Pat (October 5, 1952). "Browns' surge nips Steelers, 21-20". Pittsburgh Press. p. 41.