1959 Cleveland Browns season

1959 Cleveland Browns season
Head coach	Paul Brown
Home field	Cleveland Stadium
Results
Record	7–5–0
Division place	T-2nd NFL Eastern
Playoff finish	did not qualify

The 1959 Cleveland Browns season was the team's tenth season with the National Football League. Future Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown rushed for 1,329 yards, leading the league for the third straight year, and 14 touchdowns. QB Milt Plum, who was drafted by the Browns in the 1957 draft with Brown would emerge as a solid quarterback. The Browns had been looking for a replacement for Otto Graham ever since the Hall of Famer retired—for the second time—following the 1955 season. They finally found him when Plum, a second-round draft pick in 1957, threw for 14 TDs with just six interceptions. However, the Browns would finish just 7–5 in 1959, the second in what would turn out to be a string of six straight seasons in which the Browns had decent to very good teams without qualifying for the postseason. The 7–5 record was also the second worst record since head coach Paul Brown's tenure with the team.

Exhibition Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	August 12, 1959	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 34–20	27,432
2	August 22, 1959	vs. Detroit Lions at Akron	L 9–3	22,654
3	August 30, 1959	at San Francisco 49ers	L 17–14	24,737
4	September 5, 1959	at Los Angeles Rams	W 27–24	55,883
5	September 13, 1959	at Detroit Lions	L 31–28	33,435
6	September 19, 1959	Chicago Bears	W 33–31	25,316

Regular Season Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 26, 1959	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 17–7	33,844
2	October 4, 1959	at Chicago Cardinals	W 34–7	19,935
3	October 11, 1959	New York Giants	L 10–6	65,534
4	October 18, 1959	Chicago Cardinals	W 17–7	46,422
5	October 25, 1959	Washington Redskins	W 34–7	42,732
6	November 1, 1959	at Baltimore Colts	W 38–31	57,557
7	November 8, 1959	Philadelphia Eagles	W 28–7	58,275
8	November 15, 1959	at Washington Redskins	W 31–17	32,266
9	November 22, 1959	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 21–20	68,563
10	November 29, 1959	San Francisco 49ers	L 21–20	56,854
11	December 6, 1959	at New York Giants	L 48–7	68,436
12	December 13, 1959	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 28–21	45,952

Standings

NFL Eastern Conference
	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
New York Giants	10	2	0	.833	8–2	284	170	W4
Philadelphia Eagles	7	5	0	.583	6–4	268	278	L1
Cleveland Browns	7	5	0	.583	6–4	270	214	W1
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	5	1	.545	6–4	257	216	W1
Washington Redskins	3	9	0	.250	2–8	185	350	L5
Chicago Cardinals	2	10	0	.167	2–8	234	324	L6

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

External links

• Season summary and stats at Cleveland Browns.com