The 1945 Cleveland Rams season was the team's eighth year with the National Football League and the ninth and final season in Cleveland. Led by the brother tandem of head coach Adam Walsh and general manager Chile Walsh, and helmed by future Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Waterfield, the Rams franchise finished 9-1 before winning its first NFL Championship by defeating the Washington Redskins, 15-14, at Cleveland Stadium. Other stars on the team included receiver Jim Benton and back Jim Gillette, who gained more than 100 yards in the title game.
One month after winning the championship, team owner Dan Reeves, frustrated by continuing financial losses and anxious of the startup in the coming year of the All-America Football Conference Cleveland Browns, moved the team to Los Angeles, marking the first and still only time an NFL champion has played the following season in another city.
Off season
NFL Draft
Main article:
1945 NFL DraftSchedule
| Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Results |
Venue |
Attendance |
| Final score |
Team record |
| 1 |
Bye Week |
| 2 |
September 30, 1945 |
Chicago Cardinals |
W 21–0 |
1–0 |
League Park |
10,872 |
| 3 |
October 7, 1945 |
Chicago Bears |
W 17–0 |
2–0 |
League Park |
19,580 |
| 4 |
October 14, 1945 |
at Green Bay Packers |
W 27–14 |
3–0 |
East Stadium |
24,607 |
| 5 |
October 21, 1945 |
at Chicago Bears |
W 41–21 |
4–0 |
Wrigley Field |
28,273 |
| 6 |
October 28, 1945 |
at Philadelphia Eagles |
L 14–28 |
4–1 |
Shibe Park |
38,149 |
| 7 |
November 4, 1945 |
at New York Giants |
W 21–17 |
5–1 |
Polo Grounds |
46,219 |
| 8 |
November 11, 1945 |
Green Bay Packers |
W 20–7 |
6–1 |
League Park |
28,686 |
| 9 |
November 18, 1945 |
at Chicago Cardinals |
W 35–21 |
7–1 |
Comiskey Park |
18,000 |
| 10 |
November 22, 1945 |
at Detroit Lions |
W 28–21 |
8–1 |
Briggs Stadium |
40,017 |
|
| 11 |
December 2, 1945 |
Boston Yanks |
W 20–7 |
9–1 |
League Park |
18,470 |
|
Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Regular season
Week 2: vs. Chicago Cardinals
Week Two: Cleveland Rams vs. Chicago Cardinals – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rams |
0 |
7 |
14 | 0 | 21 |
at League Park
- Date: September 30
- Game attendance: 10,872
| Game information |
- First quarter
- Second quarter
- CLE – Waterfield 8-yard run (Waterfield kick)
- Third quarter
- CLE – Pritko 4 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
- CLE – Gillette 25-yard run (Waterfield kick)
- Fourth quarter
|
Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Three: Cleveland Rams vs. Chicago Cardinals – Game summary
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rams |
14 |
3 |
0 | 0 | 17 |
at League Park
- Date: September 30
- Game attendance: 19,580
| Game information |
- First quarter
- CLE – Waterfield 8-yard run (Waterfield kick)
- CLE – Pritko 25 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
- Second quarter
- Third quarter
- Fourth quarter
|
Week 4: at Green Bay Packers
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Rams |
6 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
27 |
| Packers |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
at East Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin
CLE – Benton 17 pass from Waterfield (kick failed)
GB – Comp 1 run (Hutson kick)
GB – Fritsch 3 run (Hutson kick)
CLE – Colella 6 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Greenwood 1 run (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Colella 5 run (Waterfield kick)
Week 5: at Chicago Bears
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
| Rams |
6 |
14 |
7 |
14 |
41 |
| Bears |
0 |
7 |
14 |
0 |
21 |
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
CLE – Greenwood 11 run (kick failed)
CLE – Colella 3 run (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Gehrke 10 run (Waterfield kick)
CHI – Margarita 1 run (Gudauskas kick)
CHI – Margarita 42 pass from Luckman (Gudauskas kick)
CHI – Gallameau 2 run (Gudauskas kick)
CLE – Greenwood 8 run (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Benton 21 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
CLE – Colella 18 pass from Reisz (Waterfield kick)
Post season
NFL Championship Game: vs. Washington Redskins
NFL Championship Game
|
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
| Redskins |
0 |
7 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
| Rams |
2 |
7 |
6 | 0 | 15 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium
- Date: December 16, 1945
- Game weather: −8 °F (−22 °C)
- Game attendance: 32,178
In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5-yard line. Dropping back into the end zone, quarterback Sammy Baugh threw, but the ball hit the goal post (which at the time were on the goal line instead of at the back of the end zone) and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was ruled as a safety and thus gave the Rams a 2–0 lead.
In the second quarter, Baugh suffered bruised ribs and was replaced by Frank Filchock. Filchock threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Steve Bagarus to give the Redskins a 7–2 lead. But the Rams scored just before halftime when rookie quarterback Bob Waterfield threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jim Benton. Waterfield's ensuing extra point was partially
blocked, with the ball teetering on the crossbar, but it dropped over to give Cleveland a 9–7 lead.
In the third quarter, the Rams increased their lead when Jim Gillette scored on a 44-yard touchdown reception, but this time the extra point was missed. The Redskins then came back to cut their deficit to 15–14 with Seymour's 8-yard touchdown catch from Filchock. In the fourth quarter, Washington kicker Joe Aguirre missed two field goals attempts, of 46 and 31 yards, that could have won the game.
Awards and records
Footnotes
- ↑ Jack Cavanaugh, Giants Among Men. New York: Random House, 2008, pg. 57
External links
Roster
Bold denotes player on the roster on the official NFL roster at the end of 1945 season.[1]
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- ↑ George Strickler (ed.), The National Football League Record and Rules Manual, 1946. New York: National Football League, 1946; pg. 110.