 The changes paid off . In 1963 , the team finished 10 – 4 , and Jim Brown broke the NFL 's single @-@ season rushing record with 1 @,@ 863 yards . Brown was also voted the league 's Most Valuable Player . Cleveland , however , finished a game behind the New York Giants and did not reach the championship game . The Browns had started out 6 – 0 but faltered after racial divisions cropped up within the team . Some black players believed white teammates were getting to play ahead of them because of their race . Toward the end of the season , Collier met with the team 's leaders and told them the racism had to stop . After the season , he traded away players he thought were sowing discord and opened up a dialogue with those who remained to stamp out the tension . 
