NFL game summary for 10/31/1971:
Atlanta's reserve quarterback, Dick Shiner, completed two of his first four passes for touchdowns to lead the Falcons to a victory over the Browns. The Falcons had a 28-0 edge before Bo Scott scored on a 12-yard reception in the third period. Atlanta intercepted four times with Don Hansen's going for a 40-yard touchdown.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 131.7 (12) | 180.2 (5) | 311.8 (10) | 18 |
| DEFENSE | 152.3 (17) | 144.0 (9) | 296.3 (15) | 18 | |
 | OFFENSE | 100.2 (22) | 176.0 (7) | 276.2 (16) | 19 |
| DEFENSE | 160.3 (19) | 118.8 (5) | 279.2 (11) | 19 |
Line: Browns by 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons (3-3-1) | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Cleveland Browns (4-3-0) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
( 7- 0) ATL Ken Burrow 39 yard pass from Dick Shiner (Bill Bell kick)
(14- 0) ATL Don Hansen 40 yard interception return (Bill Bell kick)
(21- 0) ATL Jim Mitchell 23 yard pass from Dick Shiner (Bill Bell kick)
(28- 0) ATL Cannonball Butler 1 yard rush (Bill Bell kick)
(28- 7) CLE Bo Scott 12 yard rush (Don Cockroft kick)
(31- 7) ATL Bill Bell 27 yard field goal
(31-14) CLE Gary Collins 24 yard pass from Bill Nelsen (Don Cockroft kick)
ATL CLE
First Downs: 17 10
Rushes-yards: 54-175 20-65
Yards/rush: 3.2 3.2
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 7-10-142-0 9-19-108-4
Sacked-yards: 0-0 2-20
Net pass yards: 142 88
Net yards/pass: 14.2 4.2
Total net yards: 317 153
Total plays: 64 (84% run) 41 (48% run)
Yards/play: 5.0 3.7
Fumbles-lost: 0-0 0-0
Turnovers: 0 4
Penalties-yards: 5-45 4-51
Attendance: 76,825
Passing:
ATL: Dick Shiner, 6 of 9 for 115 yards and 2 TDs; Billy Lothridge, 1 of 1 for 27 yards CLE: Bill Nelsen, 9 of 19 for 108 yards and 1 TD (4 int)
Rushing:
ATL: Cannonball Butler, 21 for 63 yards and 1 TD; Art Malone, 13 for 56 yards; Harmon Wages, 9 for 25 yards; Willie Belton, 6 for 22 yards; Sonny Campbell, 4 for 13 yards; Wes Chesson, 1 for -4 yards CLE: Bo Scott, 11 for 46 yards and 1 TD; Leroy Kelly, 9 for 19 yards
Receiving:
ATL: Jim Mitchell, 3 for 35 yards and 1 TD; Ken Burrow, 2 for 71 yards and 1 TD; John Mallory, 1 for 27 yards; Wes Chesson, 1 for 9 yards CLE: Fair Hooker, 3 for 30 yards; Milt Morin, 3 for 30 yards; Gary Collins, 2 for 36 yards and 1 TD; Bo Scott, 1 for 12 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Willie Belton, 2 for 83 yards CLE: Reece Morrison, 4 for 126 yards; Ken Brown, 2 for 42 yards
Punt returns:
ATL: Willie Belton, 2 for 16 yards CLE: Leroy Kelly, 2 for 19 yards
Interceptions:
ATL: Don Hansen, 2 for 52 yards and 1 TD; Ray Brown, 1 for 0 yards; Ken Reaves, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
ATL: Billy Lothridge, 4 for 132 yards CLE: Don Cockroft, 4 for 191 yards
Field Goals:
ATL: Bill Bell, 1/1
ATL: Dick Shiner, 6 of 9 for 115 yards and 2 TDs; Billy Lothridge, 1 of 1 for 27 yards CLE: Bill Nelsen, 9 of 19 for 108 yards and 1 TD (4 int)
Rushing:
ATL: Cannonball Butler, 21 for 63 yards and 1 TD; Art Malone, 13 for 56 yards; Harmon Wages, 9 for 25 yards; Willie Belton, 6 for 22 yards; Sonny Campbell, 4 for 13 yards; Wes Chesson, 1 for -4 yards CLE: Bo Scott, 11 for 46 yards and 1 TD; Leroy Kelly, 9 for 19 yards
Receiving:
ATL: Jim Mitchell, 3 for 35 yards and 1 TD; Ken Burrow, 2 for 71 yards and 1 TD; John Mallory, 1 for 27 yards; Wes Chesson, 1 for 9 yards CLE: Fair Hooker, 3 for 30 yards; Milt Morin, 3 for 30 yards; Gary Collins, 2 for 36 yards and 1 TD; Bo Scott, 1 for 12 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Willie Belton, 2 for 83 yards CLE: Reece Morrison, 4 for 126 yards; Ken Brown, 2 for 42 yards
Punt returns:
ATL: Willie Belton, 2 for 16 yards CLE: Leroy Kelly, 2 for 19 yards
Interceptions:
ATL: Don Hansen, 2 for 52 yards and 1 TD; Ray Brown, 1 for 0 yards; Ken Reaves, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
ATL: Billy Lothridge, 4 for 132 yards CLE: Don Cockroft, 4 for 191 yards
Field Goals:
ATL: Bill Bell, 1/1