Frankie Albert

Joe Perry

Johnny Strzykalski

Dub Jones

• The AAFC teams, most of whom had survived but not thrived for two years, backed off on signing the top available players. As a result, most of the All-Americans ended up in the NFL.
• The league handled a potential catastrophe in Baltimore in deft fashion. Colts owner Robert Rodenberg, unprepared for the loss of $166,000 in 1947 after replacing the Miami Seahawks, threw in the towel and turned his club back to the league. Baltimore's civic leaders enlisted a number of prominent citizens to contribute to the $25,000 purchase price, making the Charm City the second after Green Bay to sell stock in the team to any citizens who wished to buy.
• To help the Colts and the Chicago Rockets, another marginal franchise, the AAFC owners agreed to a "lead-lease" program whereby stronger clubs gave some of their players to the weaker teams. Cecil Isbell's Colts picked up twelve players, including five outstanding linemen. Of special help were two QBs, veteran Charlie O'Rourke from the Los Angeles Dons and LSU rookie Y. A. Tittle from Cleveland. After going 2-11-1 in '47, Baltimore improved to 7-7 to tie the Buffalo Bills for the Eastern Championship. However, the Bills copped the victory 28-17 in a game that ended with Baltimore fans mobbing the officials after a controversial call turned the tide against their team.
• The East race was wide open because the two-time defending champions, the New York Yankees, were hit hardest by the league's lend-lease program, losing eight players, more than any other team. A team that produced over 5,000y of offense in '47 gained less than 3,000 in '48. After the Yanks started 1-3, impatient owner Dan Topping forced Coach Red Flaherty and two assistants to resign. The team improved but finished 6-8, one game behind Baltimore and Buffalo.

• Buck Shaw's San Francisco 49ers were an offensive juggernaut, generating 5,767y, a pro football record at the time. QB Frankie Albert threw for 1,990y and ran for another 349. RB Joe Perry began his Hall of Fame career with 563y (7.3 ypc) but trailed Johnny Strzykalski who churned out 915 on the ground and gained another 485 receiving for an even 1,400y from scrimmage.
• The Niners pulverized opponents, winning ten games by over 200 points, 460-253. The Bay team would have been the talk of the league except for the fact that they couldn't defeat the titans from Cleveland, losing 14-7 in Ohio and 31-28 at home (despite the fact that the Browns were playing their third game in eight days).
  
• Paul Brown's team, winners of both AAFC championships so far, outdid themselves in '48, going undefeated and untied in 14 games. Brown wasn't bothered by losing some players to the weaker teams because the core of his offense returned - "cool, imperturbable" QB Otto Graham, massive FB Marion Motley and fleet HB Edgar Jones, and quick WRs Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie. In fact, the Browns improved on that side of ball when they acquired HB William "Dub" Jones from Brooklyn for draft choice Bob Chappuis.

The title game between Cleveland and Buffalo failed to generate much interest.

• The Browns had thumped the Bills 42-13 in Buffalo and 31-14 in Cleveland during the regular season.
• Cleveland fans, still riding high from the Indians' World Series victory in October, had no doubt their football team would add another trophy to the city's cache.
• So the Browns ruled as 14-to-17-point favorites to become the first pro football to go through a regular season and playoff unbeaten. The anticipated victory would be the club's 18th in a row and 24th without defeat.
• Cleveland enjoyed an off week while the Bills battled the Colts for the Eastern championship. As a result, the Browns reported no significant injuries while Buffalo would likely play without HBs Bill Gompers and Al Akins and E Marty Comer.
• Five Browns learned that they had been selected All-Conference while three more made the second team.
• The Bills boasted two fine offensive performers in QB George Ratterman, who threw for 2,577y, and HB Chet Murtryn, who compiled 1,617y from scrimmage running and receiving. 32-year-old FB Lou Tomasetti had also enjoyed his best season as a pro, rushing for 716 and 213 more receiving.
• While Red Dawson's Buffalo offense was nearly equal to the Browns' (360 points to 389), the defense was nowhere near as competent as Cleveland's (358 points to just 190).
• The league announced that a tie game would not be broken by overtime, and the teams would be declared co-champions.
• As usual, the Municipal Stadium gridiron was covered all week by a tarpaulin underlaid with straw. The playing field would be dry and soft.
• Ticket sales indicated widespread apathy by Browns' fans, and only 25,000 were expected.
• The game was broadcast on a special six-state, eighteen-station network.
  
  
  An article that appeared in newpapers the morning of the game quoted George Halas, owner-coach of the Chicago Bears, as saying something should be done to settle pro football's cold war. Reportedly one of the few NFL owners making money and previously a staunch opponent of any compromise with the new league, Halas revealed that he had discussed the general pro football picture with Dan Topping, owner of the New York Yankees of the AAFC, and Ben Lindheimer, chairman of the AAFC's executive committee. As individuals, we had a meeting of minds on the subject, but nothing can be done until the league officially takes up a discussion of the matter. Many fans concluded from the report that an AAFC-NFL merger would take place before the '49 season.

 
Cleveland Plain-Dealer cartoon day of championship game

George Ratterman

Jim Still

• Quarter 3
  On the second play, James struck again, returning this INT 16y to the Bills 22.
  Motley gained 4, Graham connected with Lavelli for 9, then Otto pitched to Edgar Jones in the corner of the EZ. Browns 21 Bills 0 with 2:02 elapsed.
  Ratterman's bad day turned worse when he had to leave the game with an injured shoulder. His stat line showed only 5 completions in 18 attempts for 24y.
  Several minutes later, Cleveland started another drive after Schneider fumbled while fair-catching a punt. T Lou Rymkus recovered at the Bills 43.
  Five plays later, Motley got away for 29y and six points. Browns 28 Bills 0
  The visitors finally got on the board thanks to a roughing the kicker penalty that kept a drive alive. Starting from their 20, the Bills faced 4th down at the 31. Jim Still punted, but the 15y penalty presented the visitors with a first down on their 46. Still hit with two nice passes, one to Bumgardner for 26 and the other to E Bill O'Connor for 19, the latter putting the pigskin on the 10. From there, Still threw to Alton Baldwin, who got his fingers on the ball, fumbled it, then regained possession with a desperation lunge in the EZ. Browns 28 Bills 7
  Dub Jones took the kickoff and traveled 46y to the Bills 29. That started Cleveland's only TD drive that didn't develop from an INT or fumble.

• Quarter 4
  The swirling snow made the simplest football tasks difficult.
  After Dub gained 2y around E, Motley, "the Negro fullback" as articles consistently referred to him, with the defense massed in the center, spun off a tackler and bounced around the outside for 31y and his second TD. Browns 35 Bills 7 less than a minute into the period.
  Coach Brown emptied his bench and called off the passing game. Yet his team still scored.
  Next it was Tommy Colella's turn to snare a pass. Starting from their 40, the Browns moved to pay dirt. Ollie Cline entered the game and rambled 20y on a trap. But he was injured on the place and replaced by Motley who soon gained 24. After Ara Parseghian (future Notre Dame coach) ran for 4 and Dean Sensanbaugher for 1, the Bills were penalized for offside. Marion then completed the drive by running wide around LE from the 5. Browns 42 Bills 7
  An unlikely source capped off the scoring for the Browns in the final minute when spectators lined the field and pelted the players with snowballs. After the Bills received the kickoff, captain and LB Lou Saban intercepted a short toss in the left flat and rambled 39y for the final TD, the first of his pro career. As he reached the EZ, he started to throw the ball into the bleachers, then changed his mind, and clutched it firmly as he trotted to the bench. The ball would undoubtedly go in his trophy case. Browns 49 Bills 7