teams bitten by snakes

[Todd Pence]

The 1980 Steelers missed two extra points in divisional losses, costing them a chance to defend their two-time Super Bowl title. If they had won both games, they would have finished a game ahead of Cleveland and taken their playoff spot with either a division title or a wild card spot.

[sheajets]

2002 Miami Dolphins. 9-5 with a division title in their grasp they go to Minnesota to play a bad Viking team...lead the game heading into the 4th but end up losing on a 53 yard field goal by 43 year old Gary Anderson...the last 50+ yarder he would ever kick. The ball seemed to maybe get 8 feet off the ground and wobbled its way through in the ugliest of fashions. Earlier Miami I believe had a chance to go up 21-17 but Chris Carter drops a TD pass in the endzone and they kick a FG.

The next week the Dolphins go to New England and blow a 24-13 lead with about 2:40 to play and lose in OT

[Saban1]

I believe that the Cleveland Browns could be said to be snake bit during the late 1950's and 1960. I will go year by year here starting with 1956.

1956: The Browns started out the season with 2 quarterbacks, George Ratterman and Vito "Babe" Parilli. Both had season ending injuries after 3 or 4 games (a career ending injury for Ratterman). Ratterman started the season, but only lasted 4 games (knee injury). Parilli took over and only lasted 3 full game ending with a shoulder separation. The retired Otto Graham was missed in more ways than one.

Free agent Tommy O'Connell started at quarterback the rest of the year. Cleveland won more than they lost with O'Connell at quarterback, and this boded well for the 1957 season.

1957: Cleveland started off well with O'Connell at quarterback, but Tommy injured his ankle about a month before the end of the regular season. Rookie Milt Plum took over at quarterback. The Browns did well enough to win the conference championship, thanks to O'Connell, a rookie named Jim Brown, and a league leading defense.

Just before the championship game, quarterback Plum pulled a hamstring and a rusty O'Connell started the title game against Detroit. O'Connell had a terrible game and some other things went wrong as a revenge minded Lions team slaughtered the Browns by the score of 59 to 14. This was sweet revenge for Detroit for the 56 to 10 championship game loss against these same Browns three years earlier.

1958: This year was a real killer for the Cleveland Browns, who played very well for most of the season and Jim Brown setting rushing records. It seemed like most of the Giants game were close from that year on with the Giants getting that big break or call and winning.

The first Giants game seemed to be a win for Cleveland when a roughing the kicker penalty turned the game around in the Giants favor. In their second game in which the Browns needed a win or tie to clinch a championship game appearance, the Giants won with a 50 yard field goal in a snowstorm 13 to 10. There was a controversial non-call which apparently would have won the game for the Browns if called correctly.

The Giants played the Detroit Lions in the 2nd from last regular season game in which a loss would have eliminated the Giants from playoff contention. The Detroit Lions, who were bitter rivals with the Browns, and were out of playoff contention in the west, appeared to have basically thrown the game. With Detroit ahead 17 to 12, the Lions, with a 4th down and very long, decided to run with the ball in punt formation. The punter, Yale Lary, seemed to run almost straight sideways and out of bounds. It did not look like he was even trying to make a first down. After a couple of other suspicious things that happened, the Giants won the game, 19 to 17, to stay alive in the Eastern Conference race.

These things resulted in a playoff in New York, which the Browns lost and finished 2nd in the east.

1959: Despite the disappointing end to the 1958 season, Cleveland started out pretty well in 1959 winning 6 of their first 8 games (including a 10 to 6 loss to the Giants), and Cleveland and New York were tied for first place. Cleveland then lost their next 2 game, both by the same score of 21 to 20, which all but eliminated the Browns from championship contention in the east.

With the Browns all but out of it, Cleveland went to New York and got slaughtered by the Giants, 48 to 7. The game really didn't matter because the Giants would have won the eastern Conference even if the Browns won that game.

1960: The Browns finished second in the east that year with an 8-3-1 record. The Philadelphia Eagles won the conference title with a 10 and 2 record. Cleveland wins the conference title if they beat the Eagles twice, and they almost did. The Browns won their first game 41 to 24 and it looked like they would also win their second game. Leading 28 to 27, Cleveland intercepted a pass near the end of the game. Pass interference was called, which put the Eagles in field goal range. They kick a good one and Philadelphia won, 30 to 28. I am still not sure what the interference was.

Anyway, I think you could call the Cleveland Browns of 1956-60 snake bit, the very definition. About the only sports team that compares over a period of years is the early 50's Brooklyn Dodgers.

[Saban1]

I made an error on my last post on this thread. In the 1960 game against Philadelphia, the final score was 31 to 29, and not 30 to 28 as reported earlier. With Cleveland leading 29 to 28 as time was almost running out, the Browns intercepted a Van Brocklin pass, but interference was called. The Eagles then kicked the game winning field goal. That loss cost Cleveland a championship game appearance against the Green Bay Packers in 1960, assuming everything else stayed the same.

[SixtiesFan]

I made an error on my last post on this thread. In the 1960 game against Philadelphia, the final score was 31 to 29, and not 30 to 28 as reported earlier. With Cleveland leading 29 to 28 as time was almost running out, the Browns intercepted a Van Brocklin pass, but interference was called. The Eagles then kicked the game winning field goal. That loss cost Cleveland a championship game appearance against the Green Bay Packers in 1960, assuming everything else stayed the same.

Thanks for mentioning how close the Browns came to being in the 1960 NFL Championship game. I posted in another thread that a Packers-Browns 1960 title game was one I would have liked to have seen.

[BD Sullivan]

I made an error on my last post on this thread. In the 1960 game against Philadelphia, the final score was 31 to 29, and not 30 to 28 as reported earlier. With Cleveland leading 29 to 28 as time was almost running out, the Browns intercepted a Van Brocklin pass, but interference was called. The Eagles then kicked the game winning field goal. That loss cost Cleveland a championship game appearance against the Green Bay Packers in 1960, assuming everything else stayed the same.

With that game, like the 1958 contest that wasn't to be, played at Cleveland Stadium.

[7DnBrnc53]

2000 Washington Redskins. An 8-8 team that was basically a reliable FG kicker from a 10-6 or 11-5 record.

Three of their losses came primarily through missed field goals:

13-12 against Arizona with a 33 yard miss from Kris Heppner (though a fumble going into the endzone that went the other way for a TD didn't help either)

23-20 against Philadelphia with a 44 yard attempt by Eddie Murray missing late

9-7 against the Giants with misses by Murray from 39 and 49 yards

If they win twice, they're the last WC over the Rams (H2H tiebreaker) and facing New Orleans- who had never won a playoff game- in the Superdome. Washington's defense was MUCH better than the Rams' that year

If they win all three, they're a 4 seed and hosting a game at FedEx Field.

This was a year the NFC and the NFL was wide-open- that Redskin team actually fared well against the top teams that year (beat Baltimore, played Tennessee tough and might have won if not for a pick-six late in the first half, beat the Giants/Eagles on their turf)

That was my NFC Super Bowl pick that year.

[Saban1]

I believe that the Cleveland Browns could be said to be snake bit during the late 1950's and 1960. I will go year by year here starting with 1956.

1956: The Browns started out the season with 2 quarterbacks, George Ratterman and Vito "Babe" Parilli. Both had season ending injuries after 3 or 4 games (a career ending injury for Ratterman). Ratterman started the season, but only lasted 4 games (knee injury). Parilli took over and only lasted 3 full game ending with a shoulder separation. The retired Otto Graham was missed in more ways than one.

Free agent Tommy O'Connell started at quarterback the rest of the year. Cleveland won more than they lost with O'Connell at quarterback, and this boded well for the 1957 season.

1957: Cleveland started off well with O'Connell at quarterback, but Tommy injured his ankle about a month before the end of the regular season. Rookie Milt Plum took over at quarterback. The Browns did well enough to win the conference championship, thanks to O'Connell, a rookie named Jim Brown, and a league leading defense.

Just before the championship game, quarterback Plum pulled a hamstring and a rusty O'Connell started the title game against Detroit. O'Connell had a terrible game and some other things went wrong as a revenge minded Lions team slaughtered the Browns by the score of 59 to 14. This was sweet revenge for Detroit for the 56 to 10 championship game loss against these same Browns three years earlier.

1958: This year was a real killer for the Cleveland Browns, who played very well for most of the season and Jim Brown setting rushing records. It seemed like most of the Giants game were close from that year on with the Giants getting that big break or call and winning.

The first Giants game seemed to be a win for Cleveland when a roughing the kicker penalty turned the game around in the Giants favor. In their second game in which the Browns needed a win or tie to clinch a championship game appearance, the Giants won with a 50 yard field goal in a snowstorm 13 to 10. There was a controversial non-call which apparently would have won the game for the Browns if called correctly.

The Giants played the Detroit Lions in the 2nd from last regular season game in which a loss would have eliminated the Giants from playoff contention. The Detroit Lions, who were bitter rivals with the Browns, and were out of playoff contention in the west, appeared to have basically thrown the game. With Detroit ahead 17 to 12, the Lions, with a 4th down and very long, decided to run with the ball in punt formation. The punter, Yale Lary, seemed to run almost straight sideways and out of bounds. It did not look like he was even trying to make a first down. After a couple of other suspicious things that happened, the Giants won the game, 19 to 17, to stay alive in the Eastern Conference race.

These things resulted in a playoff in New York, which the Browns lost and finished 2nd in the east.

1959: Despite the disappointing end to the 1958 season, Cleveland started out pretty well in 1959 winning 6 of their first 8 games (including a 10 to 6 loss to the Giants), and Cleveland and New York were tied for first place. Cleveland then lost their next 2 game, both by the same score of 21 to 20, which all but eliminated the Browns from championship contention in the east.

With the Browns all but out of it, Cleveland went to New York and got slaughtered by the Giants, 48 to 7. The game really didn't matter because the Giants would have won the eastern Conference even if the Browns won that game.

1960: The Browns finished second in the east that year with an 8-3-1 record. The Philadelphia Eagles won the conference title with a 10 and 2 record. Cleveland wins the conference title if they beat the Eagles twice, and they almost did. The Browns won their first game 41 to 24 and it looked like they would also win their second game. Leading 28 to 27, Cleveland intercepted a pass near the end of the game. Pass interference was called, which put the Eagles in field goal range. They kick a good one and Philadelphia won, 30 to 28. I am still not sure what the interference was.

Anyway, I think you could call the Cleveland Browns of 1956-60 snake bit, the very definition. About the only sports team that compares over a period of years is the early 50's Brooklyn Dodgers.

I guess that the snake bites didn't end for the Cleveland Browns in 1960. In 1961, the Browns got a new owner named Art Modell.

Also, the rival New York Giants acquired Y.A. Tittle, Del Shofner, and Erich Barnes in trades. This just about made the Giants a cinch to win the Eastern Conference title for the next 2 or 3 years.

[SixtiesFan]

I believe that the Cleveland Browns could be said to be snake bit during the late 1950's and 1960. I will go year by year here starting with 1956.

1956: The Browns started out the season with 2 quarterbacks, George Ratterman and Vito "Babe" Parilli. Both had season ending injuries after 3 or 4 games (a career ending injury for Ratterman). Ratterman started the season, but only lasted 4 games (knee injury). Parilli took over and only lasted 3 full game ending with a shoulder separation. The retired Otto Graham was missed in more ways than one.

Free agent Tommy O'Connell started at quarterback the rest of the year. Cleveland won more than they lost with O'Connell at quarterback, and this boded well for the 1957 season.

1957: Cleveland started off well with O'Connell at quarterback, but Tommy injured his ankle about a month before the end of the regular season. Rookie Milt Plum took over at quarterback. The Browns did well enough to win the conference championship, thanks to O'Connell, a rookie named Jim Brown, and a league leading defense.

Just before the championship game, quarterback Plum pulled a hamstring and a rusty O'Connell started the title game against Detroit. O'Connell had a terrible game and some other things went wrong as a revenge minded Lions team slaughtered the Browns by the score of 59 to 14. This was sweet revenge for Detroit for the 56 to 10 championship game loss against these same Browns three years earlier.

1958: This year was a real killer for the Cleveland Browns, who played very well for most of the season and Jim Brown setting rushing records. It seemed like most of the Giants game were close from that year on with the Giants getting that big break or call and winning.

The first Giants game seemed to be a win for Cleveland when a roughing the kicker penalty turned the game around in the Giants favor. In their second game in which the Browns needed a win or tie to clinch a championship game appearance, the Giants won with a 50 yard field goal in a snowstorm 13 to 10. There was a controversial non-call which apparently would have won the game for the Browns if called correctly.

The Giants played the Detroit Lions in the 2nd from last regular season game in which a loss would have eliminated the Giants from playoff contention. The Detroit Lions, who were bitter rivals with the Browns, and were out of playoff contention in the west, appeared to have basically thrown the game. With Detroit ahead 17 to 12, the Lions, with a 4th down and very long, decided to run with the ball in punt formation. The punter, Yale Lary, seemed to run almost straight sideways and out of bounds. It did not look like he was even trying to make a first down. After a couple of other suspicious things that happened, the Giants won the game, 19 to 17, to stay alive in the Eastern Conference race.

These things resulted in a playoff in New York, which the Browns lost and finished 2nd in the east.

1959: Despite the disappointing end to the 1958 season, Cleveland started out pretty well in 1959 winning 6 of their first 8 games (including a 10 to 6 loss to the Giants), and Cleveland and New York were tied for first place. Cleveland then lost their next 2 game, both by the same score of 21 to 20, which all but eliminated the Browns from championship contention in the east.

With the Browns all but out of it, Cleveland went to New York and got slaughtered by the Giants, 48 to 7. The game really didn't matter because the Giants would have won the eastern Conference even if the Browns won that game.

1960: The Browns finished second in the east that year with an 8-3-1 record. The Philadelphia Eagles won the conference title with a 10 and 2 record. Cleveland wins the conference title if they beat the Eagles twice, and they almost did. The Browns won their first game 41 to 24 and it looked like they would also win their second game. Leading 28 to 27, Cleveland intercepted a pass near the end of the game. Pass interference was called, which put the Eagles in field goal range. They kick a good one and Philadelphia won, 30 to 28. I am still not sure what the interference was.

Anyway, I think you could call the Cleveland Browns of 1956-60 snake bit, the very definition. About the only sports team that compares over a period of years is the early 50's Brooklyn Dodgers.

I guess that the snake bites didn't end for the Cleveland Browns in 1960. In 1961, the Browns got a new owner named Art Modell.

Also, the rival New York Giants acquired Y.A. Tittle, Del Shofner, and Erich Barnes in trades. This just about made the Giants a cinch to win the Eastern Conference title for the next 2 or 3 years.

Thanks for your summary. To me, the most interesting thing about pro football in the early 60's was the Browns-Giants rivalry. I was in elementary-junior high school. No internet, constant TV, only newspaper and magazine articles, one game a week on TV.

Lombardi's Packers were heavily publicized, but I never liked them. Y.A. Tittle became a national sports star with the Giants during 1961-63. Those Giant teams had a lot to do with pro football's rising popularity.

[Saban1]

SixtiesFan: The Giants really had everything once they got Tittle, Shofner, and Barnes to go along with what they already had. Their defense was still tough with Huff, Robustelli, Katcavage, Scott, Lynch, Patton, and now Barnes, and other good ones.

Their offensive line was one of the best with guys like Brown, Dess, Wietecha, and Stroud, with Webster, Gifford (62 and 63), Rote(61), and the versatile Morrison to catch and run with the ball. Who could beat them in the east?