Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Following a three-year layoff (literally taking up the entire late-'40s) from being a contender, Steve Owen had himself a 'last hurrah' before being finished after the '53 campaign. In 1950, of course, the G-men swept Cleveland during the regular season. That umbrella-D gave Brown/Graham plenty of fits including the tie-breaker game in which Cleveland did win, but by an 8-3 score. The following year, Browns swept Giants but both games real close. The umbrella again giving the defending-Champs much trouble, forcing Graham to throw 3 INTs in each game! Had G-men mustered a win in one of the two affairs, they would have been the conference champ playing the Rams instead. And then you have '52 when they fell to 7-5; but they sweep Cleveland as they did in '50 just the same (yes, Browns had things wrapped up going into the finale).

Pretty much a "so close and yet so far" with each of those two teams. Perhaps another title, or two, in the Owen Era left on the table. Despite both Lombardi and Landry being the coordinators, NYG's '56 League Championship team may very well be a less-stronger team than both '50 & '51. Comparing both of them with other champs from the decade like the Lions, Rams, and Colts I feel is warranted. Best defense of the '50s, maybe?

Thoughts?

In the 1950 merger of the NFL and the AAFC, the Giants were given the choice of any 6 players from the disbanded 1949 AAFC New York Yankees. The Giants took defensive players tackle Arnie Weinmeister (maybe the best defensive lineman in pro football at the time) and 3 very good defensive backs in Tom Landry, Harmon Rowe, and Otto Schellbacher. These players along with the other two players and the players taken in the dispersal draft of AAFC players not only gave the Giants the talent to make the umbrella defense work, but turned the Giants into a defensive powerhouse for two or three years. Cleveland may have gone undefeated in 1950 if not for that.

In 1952, the Browns, having their worst season up to that point, would have had to beat the Eagles in a playoff after their loss to the Giants in their regular season final game except that Philadelphia lost to Washington in their last game that year.

I think Steve Owen's name has to be mentioned in there somewhere for some credit. I also think John Cannady and Emlen Tunnell helped make the defense work as well.

Steve Owen is considered one of the great NFL coaches of the 30's and 40's along with guys like George Halas, Curly Lambreau, Ray Flaherty, and Earl "Greasy" Neale in the 40's. After meeting with Neale in 1950, Owen invented the "Umbrella Defense" in order to contain the Cleveland Browns passing game. It really helped to have the new players that the Giants got from the AAFC Yankees. The Giants record was 6 and 6 in 1949.

I agree, the AAFC guys were good pickups, just wanted to add additional context.

Any idea why they Giants didn't go after Spec Sanders or Buddy Young? And why did they even get 6 "first dibs" picks?

Spec Sanders missed the 1949 season due to an injury. Sanders had been a single wing tailback, and the Giants used the T formation. Also, the Giants had Eddie Price as a fullback and Choo Choo Roberts as a speedy halfback. Steve Owens was a defensive specialist and wanted to build up his defensive unit, and he did.

After many teams losing money during the NFL-AAFC wars, the NFL was concerned about survival of the teams and the league. The New York franchise (Giants) was thought to be a key to the league surviving and prospering, so having a strong team in New York was thought to be of everyone's benefit. The Mara family (Giants owners) did not want the AAFC Yankees in the NFL, but agreed to keep the weak Bulldogs franchise in New York instead. So, the AAFC Yankees were disbanded and the Giants and Bulldogs (Yanks in 1950) got to split up most of the AAFC Yankees players.

That is how I believe things were then.

Thanks - if I was one of the other teams, I think I would have been upset the Giants were getting that deal.

Cleveland ended up winning anyway, but Tom Landry remained a thorn in Cleveland's side for years afterward. Landry studied Paul Brown for hours on end to find the best ways to defense the Browns and invented the "flex defense" to contain Jim Brown and Cleveland's running game. I am sure that Landry learned some things from Steve Owen.

Saban wrote:Cleveland ended up winning anyway, but Tom Landry remained a thorn in Cleveland's side for years afterward. Landry studied Paul Brown for hours on end to find the best ways to defense the Browns and invented the "flex defense" to contain Jim Brown and Cleveland's running game. I am sure that Landry learned some things from Steve Owen.

Well, if that's true, it didn't work very well. Landry introduced the flex defense in 1964, so Brown only played it against 4 times. In those 4 games, he rushed for 488 yards on 76 carries for a 6.2 YPC.

Landry used the "Flex" with the Giants when he was defensive coach with the Giants during the late 50's. I have read that in different places