Evening star., 1952-12-15
Browns Back Into Crown,
Thanks to Redskins Feat
ConerIy Leeds Giants
As Cleveland Loses
BY the Assoeioied Press

NEW YORK, Dec. 15.-The
Cleveland Browns, a gridiron pow
er ever since their organization in
1916, will play in their third
straight National Football League
championship game December %.
but whether their opponent will be
Los Angeles or Detroit is a matter
that will not be decided until next
Sunday.
The Browns, also four-time win
ners of the All-America Confer
ence championship before join
ing the NFL, backed into the
American division title yeSter-
day. They dropped a 1874 deci-
sion to the New York Giants, while
the Philadelphia Eagles. needing
a victory for a tie. also fell before
the Washington Redskins, 27-21.
The Los Angeles Rams also had
to have a victory to tie Detroit's
Lions for first place in the Ma
tional Conference and they got it
"a 1914 triumph over the Pitts
burgh Steelers before a crowd of
"a, ,130 which packed Los Angeles
Coliseum in 100-degree tempera-
ture.
Rams Equal to Occasion.
The Lions had gone half a game
ahead of the Rams with a AIS
victory over Dallas Saturday, but
the Rams were equal to the occa-
sion as they won their eighth
straight game behind the aerial
Wizardry of Norm Van Brocklin.
AS a result, next Sunday-the
date originally set for the cham
Ipionship game-will be used to de-
termine the National Conference
winner in Detroit. The leagues
title game is slated for Cleveland
a week later. A year ago, the Rams
beat the Browns for the title in
Los Angeles.
Winning Sundays divisional
playof will be a big order for the
Rams. Two of their losses were
to the Lions, 17-14 and 24-16.
The other was 37-7 drubbing by
Cleveland.
All in all. it was quite an ending
for a season in which at one time
seven of the IL teams were dead
locked for first place-four in the
National Conference and three in
the American. The weather was
rather raw in the East and Mid
west, but a total of 1882 turned
out for the last five games of the
regular season. Another 12,452 saw
Detroit and Dallas play Saturday.
Layne to Play Sunday.
The playof at Detroit will give
the Browns an extra weeks rest
before the championship game.
A look at their injured list indi-
Gates they'll need it.
Most seriously hurt against the
Giants was Dub Jones, veteran
halfback. He was forced out in
the second quarter with torn
Iligaments in his left leg. There
is possibility he won't be ready
for the big game.
Others hurt but expected to be
ready are: Lou Groza, kicking ace,
bruised or broken ribs; End Mac
Speedie. injured knee: Halfback
Ken Carpenter, strained leg
muscle: Tackle John Kissell and
Halfback Warren Lahr, bad
ankles.
Meanwhile, the Lions got some
good news today when Bobby
ILayne. their passing quarterback,
said his injured leg felt all right
and that he would be able to
play against the Rams Sunday.
He suffered a strained ligament
in his left leg against Dallas
Saturday and had to be assisted
from the field.
The Rams have their injury
worries, too. Dick Might Train)
Lane. rookie defensive back from
Scots Bluff, Nebr., suffered a
severe ankle injury against the
Steelers and his chances of play
ing Sunday are dim. Coach
Hampton Pool had counted on the
fleet Negro to cover Cloyce Box,
Detroit's great pass-catching end.
SOltau Tops Scorers.
Gordon Soltau of the San Fran
cisco Forty Miners picked up six
points via a field goal and three
conversions in yesterdays 24-14
victory over Green Bay to win,
league scoring honors with "a
points.
The Rams Dan fowler sue
ceeded the Giants Eddie Price as
the top ground gamer with 894
(See PRO FOOTBALL, AID