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The Otto Graham machine: the Cleveland Browns story
Franchise era
1946—1955
The Otto Graham machine
Cleveland Browns
The story in one sentence
Paul Brown's integrated, innovative team won every AAFC title and then immediately captured the 1950 NFL championship.
Ten championship games in ten seasons
Otto Graham, Marion Motley and Lou Groza gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for jim brown and the 1964 title.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Cleveland dominated the AAFC, carried that standard into the NFL with Otto Graham and Jim Brown, then endured relocation and a difficult rebirth while protecting one of football's deepest civic bonds.
1946-12-22
Conference Championship: NAA vs Cleveland Browns
1947-12-14
Conference Championship: Cleveland Browns vs NAA
1950-12-24
Conference Championship: Los Angeles Rams vs Cleveland Browns
After 1955
What came next
Brown led the league in rushing eight times in nine seasons and powered Cleveland's most recent championship in 1964.
The core