In 1950 the Cleveland Browns were new to the National Football League (NFL) after the All-America Football Conference folded. In the Browns’ first NFL game, they trounced the defending league champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, by the score of 35 to 10.

In that historic contest, Browns quarterback Otto Graham shredded the Eagles’ defense by passing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. When the teams met again on December 3 in Cleveland, the Eagles were hoping to avenge the previous loss.

Heavy rains made the Cleveland Stadium field a muddy mess on game day. Paul Brown, the owner and coach of th...