Pro Football History.com Blog
April 13th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
In yesterday’s article, we began looking at the coaching career wins leaders to begin a career. No one started hotter out of the gate than Jim Caldwell of the Indianapolis Colts, but his time in the limelight was short-lived. After a brief, dominating run through two seasons, the bottom fell out from the Colts when a neck injury sidelined quarterback Peyton Manning, leading to his firing at the end of the season.
George Seifert was the next coach to take the crown, guiding the 49ers dynasty to new heights and leading the transition from one hall of famer quarterback, Joe Montana, to another hall of fame quarterback, Steve Young. Seifert’s run was similarly short-lived as Caldwell’s, who was soon surpassed by Paul Brown of the eponymous Cleveland Browns. This is where we begin today’s blog, mid-Brown’s dynasty at 101 games into Brown’s NFL career.
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In this cart above, each column represents the “Ones” digit, while each row represents the “Tens” digit into a coach's career.
Game 101-238 - Paul Brown’s Domination
In yesterday’s article, we talked about Brown taking over the career leaders spot at 33 games into his career, amidst a remarkable run in the AAFC that led to four straight championships. His success lasted much longer than just the AAFC, with him holding the undisputed top spot from games thirty-three until 218.
So, what made him so good? Today, we look at the countless inventions and strategies that Brown implemented throughout his career, and how it shaped the modern NFL that we know and love today.
- Inventions
Brown is credited with many inventions, both on and off the field. One merely cosmetic invention that he helped implement is the modern facemask. In the earlier days of the NFL, helmets had no facemask to protect players.
While players started wearing some form of a facemask as in the 1930s, Brown would help develop and patent the material that led to the initial single-bar facemask that debuted in 1954. From there, further development has shaped the helmet into what we know and recognize today. This modern football helmet also has a radio-receiver in it to help facilitate communication between the quarterback and the coaching staff. Guess who was one of the first coaches to trial this technology. Paul Brown.
During the 1956 season, Brown worked with a local electronics salesman to help fashion a device to radio in plays to his offense. While there were issues and controversy with his initial implementation of the receiver, NFL commissioner Bert Bell eventually banned the technology.
- Strategies
Brown also took an academic approach to his coaching as well. This included the fact that he was one of the first coaches to study game films, of both his team and of the opponents. He was not just collecting tendencies through film; he was also the first coach to place an assistant coach in the press box during the game to collect information to then relay this back to the entire coaching staff.
Oh, and regarding the coaching staff? Brown was the first head coach to hire a full-time coaching staff when he was hired to lead the Cleveland Browns. It’s no wonder that the Browns left everyone in the dust during the four-year run of the AAFC.
While we may not be able to visualize what the NFL looked like before Brown, it also extends to what types of plays may have been called. One such play that seems almost rudimentary to imagine a game without is the draw play - faking a pass play and then handing it off to a running back.
The End of Paul Brown's Reign
All good things must end though, and Brown’s run in Cleveland ended in 1962. Brown re-emerged in Cincinnati a few years later, but the magic was gone. He lost his status as the record-holder to Don Shula during his first season in Cincinnati, a 3-11 campaign that was his worst NFL season to date. At 160 games into a coaching career, Brown had company at the top, with Shula passing him at Game 161.
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By Stephen Juza,
April 12th, 2025
Last week, the NFL Competition Committee voted to recognize statistics from the All-American Football Conference (AAFC) as their own. While the AAFC was only around for a mere four years before having the top teams absorbed into the NFL (while the rest of the teams were divided up amongst the remaining teams), this act does reshape some aspects of the NFL record book.
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One notable inclusion is Paul Brown’s early dominance with the Cleveland Browns. Four seasons that lead to four championships in the AAFC before continuing the team’s dominance into the NFL. Few coaches have seen that amount of early success, so in today’s blog we thought we would look at the coaching career wins leader through the first X number of games in their career, starting with the first 100 games of their career.
In this cart above, each column represents the “Ones” digit, while each row represents the “Tens” digit into a coach's career.
Games 1-14: Jim Caldwell Sets the Standard
Lots of coaches start their career with a win streak. In fact, 180 coaches to date have won their first-ever NFL game as a head coach. As the weeks continue, the list of undefeated coaches shrinks by about half, until we have our first ever sole career wins leader at 9-0 to start his career in Jim Caldwell.
Caldwell may have started his head coaching career in about as great of circumstances as possible. The long-time quarterbacks coach for the Colts inherited a winning team from Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy, with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning behind center. With an offense loaded to the brim with talent, and a defense full of playmakers, Caldwell’s first season was record-breaking. The 2009 Colts started the season incredibly hot, eventually getting to 14-0 before the question that always follows a playoff-clinching win. Would Caldwell rest key players down the stretch?
The answer would be “yes”. While Manning and others sat considerable portions of the final two games, the offense was dismal behind backup quarterback Curtis Painter, who completed eight of twenty eight passes in the final two games of the season. The Colts would ultimately drop both games, ending Caldwell’s record of 14 wins to start the season as the mark to beat for any coach. While the season started hot for the Colts, it unfortunately ended in disappointment at the hands of the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl.
Games 16-30: George Seifert Takes the Crown
While Caldwell sat the starters for the final two games of the 2009 season, his run as the wins leader ended at 15 games into his career when others caught up. While a total of six coaches have started their coaching career 14-2, George Seifert emerges as the next record holder by his 20th game.
If Caldwell started in great circumstances, that may pale in comparison to the team that Seifert took over. Seifert inherited a team that had just won the Super Bowl (with three wins in the prior eight years). While Seifert had been the team’s defensive coordinator during their run, the offensive talent was loaded: Joe Montana at quarterback, throwing passes to Jerry Rice and Dwight Clark, and handing the ball off to Roger Craig. No matter which direction the opposing defense looked, All-Pro or Hall of Famers were making plays.
Seifert started his head coaching career with a Super Bowl victory in his first season, followed by a loss in the conference championship in his second, at one point reaching 27 wins in his first 30 games. But a loss in Week 15 to the Saints would allow the next coach to step up and tie Seifert’s remarkable pace to begin his career.
Games 31-100: Paul Brown’s Sustained Dominance
While Seifert may have had the best two seasons to start a career, it pales in comparison to the sustained success of Paul Brown. With the incorporation of the AAFC record books into NFL history, the league recognizes the Cleveland Browns success during the late 40s. With that recognition, Paul Brown holds the record of career wins through X games from 33 games through the end of the chart (100 games).
Last week, we wrote how the Browns dominance over the fledgling league partly led to the downfall of the AAFC. Four seasons, four championships. But the Browns dominance didn’t end there. Even after the Browns joined the NFL (game 53 in the above chart), Brown and the Browns kept the winning vibes going, winning three NFL championships in the first decade in the NFL. Not only that, they appeared in every championship game from 1950-1955. Overall, there would be only a single losing season for Brown in Cleveland, a 5-7 showing in 1956.
Over the next week, we will continue the deep dive into the career wins record through X game into a coaches career.
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By Stephen Juza,
April 5th, 2025
This last week, the NFL announced that statistics from the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) would now be incorporated into their official record books. While this short-lived league only lasted for four years in the aftermath of World War 2, it produced some revolutionary football that impacted the NFL history books. Now, the statistics from those four years will be incorporated into the NFL books for good. In the upcoming blog series, we look at several ways the integrated history books now are influenced by the addition of the AAFC records.
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But first, what was the AAFC?
The Founding of the All American Football Conference
In 1944, in the midst of WWII, the idea for a new rival league to the NFL was created. This was not the first time people had tried to start a competing league to the NFL - but it was arguably the first successful league. In fact, there were two other rival leagues that were beginning the very same year. However, both the United States Football League and the Trans-America Football League would fold the next year.
Not the AAFC, however. Waiting until after the war ended, the new league and their eight teams began play in the fall of 1946. There were many reasons why the AAFC was better positioned than the failed competitor leagues.
With the war ending, many young men were returning to the USA after serving overseas. Some of these men played in military teams, and despite having college eligibility, could have opted for professional teams instead. The rapid influx of potential players allowed for the increase in competitive teams, almost overnight.
Additionally, commercial air travel was now an option, allowing the league to spread out. Earlier leagues, such as the Ohio Valley League (1925-1929) or the American Football League (1934) basically had to have teams that were accessible in a day by road or by train. Even the NFL from just a decade before only had teams as far west as Green Bay, and as far south as Philadelphia. From the very beginning, the AAFC put a team in Miami and San Francisco.
1946: League Play Begins
While there were many successes for the league right out of the gate, it was not smooth sailing for everyone. While the first season was played with the Miami Seahawks, it was a disastrous initial, and only, season for the franchise. Hurricanes, poor performance, and dismal ticket sales led to the team’s bankruptcy after only one season. However, outside of Miami, there was a lot to celebrate for the new league.
The Cleveland Browns were the definition of excellence for the brief run of the AAFC. They played the first ever game in AAFC history, a 44-0 dismantling of the Miami Seahawks that set the standard for the Browns success. Cleveland went on to win the AAFC championship that season, defeating the New York Yankees 14-9.
But beyond the Browns, many of the teams had stronger attendance than comparable NFL teams, which initially bid the upstart league well. Unfortunately, there was a major competition gap between the best teams (e.g. Cleveland) and the worst teams (e.g. Miami). This would eventually help to lead to the demise of the league.
1947: Financial Struggles Emerge
As with the early NFL days, financial success was not a given. The Miami Seahawks folded after a single season, and several teams played in front of an increasing number of empty seats during the league’s second season. But the top of the league remained strong and stable, with the Cleveland Browns winning the championship again over the New York Yankees. No team in either league drew more fans than the Cleveland Browns as residents turned out to support their championship-winning team.
1948: Cleveland Continues to Dominate
One of the issues with the AAFC was that the top of the league may have been too good relative to the competition. By the time the third season rolled around, the Browns had won both championships over the Yankees, and nothing would change in 1948. Their main rival in the Western division was the San Francisco 49ers, finishing second to the Browns each year (and thus out of the postseason). However, they hoped 1948 would be different.
Both the Browns and the 49ers entered their Week 10 showdown undefeated. A record 82,769 fans as the 49ers kick returner fumbled the opening kickoff, leading to a Browns touchdown a mere three plays later on an Otto Graham QB keeper. The 49ers would rebound, scoring a touchdown on their next drive, but the Browns would deliver the decisive points to win on their first drive of the second half, a 14-7 defensive struggle.
By the end of the 14-game schedule, the Browns would emerge victorious each game, logging only the third perfect season in pro football history.
1949: League Dissolution and the NFL Merger
Financial struggles were plaguing both leagues, and serious talks of merging with the NFL ramped up. One of the sticking points was how many teams were going to join the league. While the top of the AAFC was very strong, the bottom of the league left a lot to be desired. Not only that, but there were several teams in the AAFC that were in direct geographical competition with the NFL.
Chicago already had two NFL teams (Cardinals and the Bears), they didn’t want a third (Hornets) from the AAFC. Same with New York (Giants and the Bulldogs) sharing the same space with the Yankees (AAFC). In Los Angeles, the NFL had the Rams. They didn’t also need the Dons. However, the league would have happily taken the Browns and the 49ers.
The final deal also included bringing the Baltimore Colts over in the merger, while the Dons merged with the Rams. The remaining teams folded, a footnote in the history of professional football. Meanwhile, with the merger deal behind them, the final AAFC championship game took place, with the Browns beating their new NFL companion, the 49ers, 21-7.
Initial Impact on NFL History
Cleveland felt they could compete with the best of the NFL, and they quickly proved it. After winning all four AAFC championships, they continued their winning ways with three NFL championships in their first six years in the new league. In addition, they won their conference championship seven of their first eight years in the NFL.
The 49ers were clearly the second best team in AAFC history, but they did not have the same immediate success when they joined the NFL like the Browns. It took them more than 20 years before they won their first playoff game in their new league, but that was still a better result than the third team included in the merger - the Baltimore Colts.
The team that the NFL didn’t want to take showed almost right away why they should have folded with the other teams. Having never achieved a winning record in the AAFC, the Colts continued their losing ways in 1950, their first and only NFL season. The team finished 1-11, dead last in the league, and they folded due to financial pressure, becoming the last team to ever be contracted by the NFL.
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By Stephen Juza,
March 20th, 2025
The 2025 NFL draft is just over a month away, and the Titans are on the clock for the first overall pick. Coming off a 3-14 season where it felt like nothing could go right, they have numerous holes to fill on their roster. Head coach Brian Callahan has a tall task on rebuilding a team that has finished last in the division the last two years. Who may be joining former second round pick Will Levis on the Titans roster come April 24th?
While we are waiting for Roger Goodell to take the stage in Green Bay to announce the draft picks, Kiwi NFL fans can go participate in online sports betting Nz all offseason long. For fans traveling to Green Bay to experience the draft in person, who are the top candidates to be announced as the newest Titan? Let’s look at the team’s top options for April.
Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Should the Titans feel comfortable moving forward with Levis as their quarterback, they could look to shore up their defensive pressure by taking one of the top pass rushers of the draft in Abdul Carter. Only two teams in the NFL sacked the quarterback less than the Titans did in 2024, and the lack of pressure resulted in the 30th ranked defense in the league. Carter would be crucial for the Titans to compete in the division that also has former rookie of the year C.J. Stroud at quarterback for the Titans.
Carter had an accolade filled year for the Nittany Lions. He was named a first team All-American, Big Ten defensive player of the year, and defensive lineman of the year. On top of those awards, he was named a finalist for the Bednarik Award (given to the top defender in the country) and the Lombardi Award (top offensive or defensive lineman. Carter shined for Penn State en route to a loss in the playoff semifinals against Notre Dame, and would instantly bolster any line in the NFL, and could be a great pick for the Titans.
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
If new Titans general Mike Borgonzi decides that Will Levis is not the right quarterback for the future, they could be looking at Cam Ward out of Miami. Borgonzi has witnessed first-hand the transformative impact the quarterback can have for a franchise. He has spent the last several years in Kansas City, with a front office seat to one of the all time greats in Patrick Mahomes. In the last two years, the Titans offense has ranked 27th in points and will need to see some dramatic improvement to compete for the division.
If the team decides to go with Ward, they would hope he will bring record-setting abilities to Nashville. In 2024, Ward set the single season touchdown record for Miami (39), and across his entire career threw for an NCAA-record 158 touchdowns. Ward won the Davey O’Brien award last year, given to the top quarterback in college football, and was named first team All-American en route to a 10-3 season for the Hurricanes.
Trading down in the draft
It’s rare that a team is one player away from competing when they have the first overall draft pick, and trading the pick to a QB needy team and using the haul could fill several holes across the team. With plenty of opportunities to improve the 27th ranked offense of the 30th ranked defense, the Titans need several impact players to really move the needle in 2025.
But why would they decide to trade the pick? In a weaker quarterback class, they may feel better with Levis than any of the rookies to choose from, and the overwhelming majority of first picks are quarterbacks. As the most important position on the field, teams who feel they are a player away could take the risk to jump up in the draft.
Conclusion
While Borgonzi has a big decision ahead in the next month, fans in New Zealand are able to make lower-stakes decisions for a NRL sports bet all year long.
Regardless of who the team chooses, they have a tough road ahead back to contending for the division. Far ahead of the competition are the Texans. They have won the last two division titles since drafting Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson, Jr. in 2023. The remaining teams in the division are struggling with their quarterback, their coach, or both.
While there are always teams that are capable of going worst to first in a division, I would not be willing to bet on the Titans doing it this year. They have too many holes, and the top end talent may not be there in April to provide the instant spark to right the ship.
March 11th, 2025
The NFL is packed to the rafters with excitement, skill, and jaw-dropping moments. Over the years, fans have seen unforgettable games where underdogs shocked everyone by upending the hopes of favorites. These upsets are part and parcel of what makes football so exciting to watch.
From proving "unbeatable" teams wrong, to showing the strength of smaller teams, these games teach us about unexpected wins and never giving up. Let’s look back at four of the biggest NFL upsets and what made them so noteworthy.
Super Bowl III (1969): Jets Sink the Colts
Few upsets are as iconic as Super Bowl III, when Joe Namath and the New York Jets stunned the heavily favored Baltimore Colts. The Jets were the underdogs by a whopping 18 points and came from the upstart AFL, which many doubted could compete with the NFL’s top-tier teams.
Namath’s infamous “guarantee” that his Jets would win was initially dismissed as bravado. But backed by a strong defensive performance, he led New York to a 16-7 victory, shocking the football world and earning the AFL much-needed respect.
This wasn’t just a win for the Jets—it was a victory for the league itself and played no small part in the eventual full AFL-NFL merger. It’s also a reminder to bettors that successful betting on NFL games can come down to much more than the numbers - sometimes even the most outlandish bet can provide returns (but research is still key).
And the takeaway? Never underestimate a confident quarterback and a fired-up defense.
Patriots vs. Rams (Super Bowl XXXVI, 2002): The Birth of a Dynasty
The St. Louis Rams—nicknamed “The Greatest Show on Turf” boasted one of the most effective offenses in NFL history. Led by MVP Kurt Warner, the Rams entered the 2002 Super Bowl as 14-point favorites, and with good reason. They had dominated the season with speed, creativity, and power.
Enter a young Tom Brady and his New England Patriots—a team most football fans saw as nothing more than placeholders - far from serious contenders.. But the Patriots’ defense stifled the Rams' explosive plays, and Brady delivered in the clutch, setting up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
This shocking 20-17 victory not only crowned the Patriots as champions but also marked the beginning of what would become the Brady-Belichick dynasty. It’s a case study in perseverance and strategy—two factors that allow teams to defy even the most stacked rosters and prove NFL news headlines wrong.
Giants Ruin Perfection (Super Bowl XLII, 2008): 18-1 Belongs to NY
The 2007 New England Patriots were trying to make history. They entered Super Bowl XLII with an unblemished 18-0 record and had shattered offensive records all season. They were poised to be crowned the greatest team in NFL history.
But the New York Giants, led by Eli Manning, had other plans. Clinging to a strategy of relentless defense and just enough offense, the Giants pulled off one of the most exhilarating finishes in football history. Manning’s miraculous escape-and-heave to David Tyree (the now-famous “Helmet Catch”) will forever epitomize this upset. Final score? 17-14.
Jaguars Shock the Broncos (1996 Divisional Round)
Back in ’96, the Jacksonville Jaguars were just a second-year franchise, and nobody expected a deep playoff run. Facing the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional game, sportsbooks had the Broncos favored by a hefty 12 points, supported by Hall-of-Fame quarterback John Elway.
But the Jaguars stunned the Mile High crowd with an impressive 30-27 win, led by quarterback Mark Brunell’s escapability and a calm rushing attack. Up until that game, the Jaguars weren’t even considered contenders.
This game solidified their place in franchise history as giant slayers and proved that anything is possible, even for an inexperienced squad. For NFL fans, it was an awe-inspiring moment that had the league buzzing for weeks.
The Magic of the Underdog
What makes these upsets so compelling is the unpredictability of the NFL. On any given Sunday—or Super Bowl day—the unthinkable can happen. Underdogs might lack elite rosters, but football is a game where grit, strategy, and inspired play often triumph over sheer talent.
For sports enthusiasts, NFL insights help us learn from these historic moments. For bettors, such games highlight that calculated risks can result in incredible stories and even better returns.
Which game stands out in your memory as the ultimate underdog moment? Share your favorite upsets in the comments below, and if you’re considering your next wager, remember—the most exciting bets are often on the unexpected.