Taylor's career coincided with that of Jim Brown, who shattered several rushing records over the course of his nine-year career with the Cleveland Browns. The only season in which Brown did not win the rushing title was 1962, when he finished fourth in rushing yards as Taylor finished first. Taylor was a four-time runner-up to Brown for the rushing title (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964), and when he retired was the second-leading rusher in NFL history behind Brown. Because of this, and to his dismay, Taylor was often considered the league's second-best running back. He used this as motivation throughout his career. The Packers and Browns met three times in that span, all Green Bay victories, primarily due to Taylor's efforts. The last of those meetings was the 1965 NFL Championship Game, which turned out to be Brown's last game.