BROWNS COMPLETE DREAM  SEASON, BEAT RAIDERS 21-17

Rookie coach Robert Jackson took his Browns all the way to the top of the Los Angeles Electric Football League with a 21-17 win over the Oakland Raiders. The victory capped a dream season for Jackson, whose Browns went 16-1. Eric Robinson won three games on the road to get his Raiders to The Show, but they fell just short of victory. The championship game was the final game of The Show Weekend, which saw eleven games played over two days.

The Browns won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Raiders said thanks and drove down the field and kicked a 38 yard field goal. 3-0 Raiders. The Browns had a bad kick return of only 6 yards and went three and out. Raiders ball at the Cleveland 47. After a running play netted nothing, Ken Stabler threw a middle screen to Mark van Eeghen and he got a great block from Art Shell and went the distance. Blanda’s kick was good and the Raiders were up 10-0 early in the first quarter. Ken Stabler was 4 of 5 for 116 yards on the first two drives. Something happened after the Raiders scored as the Browns seemed to have awakened after that. Tim Couch was horrible early in the game. He couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, so he took off running. He lead the team in rushing as he finished with 71-yds. His scrambling helped set up their first score on a 6-yd toss to M. Jackson. The rest of the first half was a slug feast. The score was 10-7 at the half and the Raiders went cold in the second half.

After his hot start Ken Stabler was under constant pressure from Browns defensive line. He was sacked three times during the game and always on the run to hit his receivers. He finished the game 7 of 16 for 208 yards, he did have2-td passes. His last td pass went for 50-yds to Fred Biletnikoff to put the Raiders back on top 17-14. The Browns scored to take the lead 14-10 after a 10:12 drive. Couch connected with Jamal White from 6 yards out. Then Stabler hit Biletnikoff for the Raiders lead.

With six minutes and fifty one seconds left in the game, Tim Couch the game MVP hit Jackson for a 61-yd td pass. After a slow passing start he finished 17 for 33 and passed for 332-yds. His three td-passes were enough to hold off theRaiders 21-17 as the Raiders last ditch effort came up short as Fred Biletnikoff was stopped short of a first down and the Browns took a knee and the game was over. Robert Jackson and his Cleveland Browns are the new LAEFL Champions! The league has now had three different champions. Chet Haptonstall won the first title and Vince Peatros was last season’s Champion and now we have Robert Jackson. Congrats go out to Eric Robinson as he took his defeat well and looks forward to getting back to the “SHOW”.