1947 Cleveland Browns Season - Preseason

Preseason

Cleveland held its training camp at Bowling Green University, as the team did the year before. The Browns played one preseason game in late August against the Baltimore Colts, a new AAFC team formed to replace the Miami Seahawks after that team folded. Cleveland started the game slowly, failing to score in the first quarter. The Browns scored their first points on a drive in the second period. A 14-yard run by fullback Marion Motley set up a 25-yard touchdown throw by quarterback Otto Graham to end Mac Speedie. Cleveland scored three more touchdowns in the game, all of them following Colts passes the Browns intercepted. One of them was a pass by Graham to end Dante Lavelli in the third quarter, and another was a rush by halfback Edgar Jones. Paul Brown pulled most of the Browns' starters from the game as the team built up a three-touchdown lead. Backup end Bob Cowan scored a fourth Cleveland touchdown in the final quarter on a pass from backup quarterback Ermal Allen, and the Browns won 28–0. Following the victory, the Browns faced the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season opener at Cleveland Stadium to begin their defense of the AAFC championship.