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1945 NFL Championship Game

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Field	Value
type	nflc
image	451216-Rams-Redskins-program.jpg
name	1945
visitor	[Washington Redskins](1945-washington-redskins-season)
home	[Cleveland Rams](1945-cleveland-rams-season)
visitor_coach	Dudley DeGroot
home_coach	Adam Walsh
visitor_conf	Eastern
home_conf	Western
visitor_abbr	WAS
home_abbr	CLE
visitor_record	8–2
home_record	9–1
visitor_qtr1	0
visitor_qtr2	7
visitor_qtr3	7
visitor_qtr4	0
visitor_total	14
home_qtr1	2
home_qtr2	7
home_qtr3	6
home_qtr4	0
home_total	15
date	December 16, 1945
stadium	Cleveland Municipal Stadium
city	Cleveland, Ohio
attendance	32,178
odds	Cleveland by 4 points
referee	Ronald Gibbs
radio	Blue
radioannouncers	Harry Wismer
HOFers	Redskins: George Preston Marshall (owner/founder), Sammy Baugh, Wayne Millner
Rams: Dan Reeves (owner), Bob Waterfield

Rams: Dan Reeves (owner), Bob Waterfield

The 1945 NFL Championship Game was the 13th National Football League (NFL) championship game. Held on December 16, the Cleveland Rams defeated the Washington Redskins 15–14 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iOZYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ooQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3652%2C730326

This was the last game before the Rams moved west to Los Angeles, California. One play which provided the Rams' margin of victory led to a significant rule change in professional football. If the title game had ended in a tie, the teams would have shared the championship.

It was the coldest NFL championship game up to that time, with a temperature of −8 F, which significantly curtailed the expected attendance and revenue.

The game

In the first quarter, the Redskins had the ball at their own 5-yard line. Dropping back into the end zone, quarterback Sammy Baugh, playing his fifth championship game in nine years, threw the ball, but it hit the goal post (which were on the goal line from through ) and bounced back to the ground in the end zone. Under the rules at the time, this was a safety, which gave the Rams a 2–0 lead.

The Rams trying to stay warm on the sideline during the 1945 NFL Championship Game.

In the second quarter, Baugh suffered bruised ribs and was replaced by Frank Filchock, who threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Steve Bagarus to give the Redskins a 7–2 lead. The Rams scored just before halftime when rookie quarterback Bob Waterfield completed 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.

Halfback Jim Gillette of the Rams breaks free for a 44-yard touchdown.

In the third quarter, the Rams increased their lead to 15–7 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 Bob 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.

But it was the first quarter safety that proved to be the margin of victory. After the game, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall was so incensed at the outcome that he became a driving force in passing a major rule change after the season - a forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete. This rule eventually became known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule" and remained in effect until , when the goal posts returned to the end line and were impossible to hit with a legal forward pass, which made the rule dead letter.

Upper deck ticket for the 1945 "World's Professional Football Championship" game held in Cleveland. Printed ahead of the game, these tickets included neither the date or the name of the Eastern Conference opponent.

Officials

Referee: Ronald Gibbs
Umpire: Harry Robb
Head linesman: Charlie Berry
Field judge: Bill Downes

The NFL had only four game officials in ; the back judge was added in , the line judge in , and the side judge in .

Player shares

Total revenue generated by the championship game totaled $164,542, which included $15,081 for radio broadcast rights, a new record. Of this total, $95,261 was allotted to the players, resulting in shares of about $1,409 per player for the victorious Rams and $902 per player for the losing Redskins.

Rams relocation to Los Angeles

Despite winning the World Championship, Rams owner Dan Reeves lost $64,000 with his franchise during the 1945 season.

These financial losses, combined with the Rams' poor home attendances and the awarding of a Cleveland franchise (Browns) in the soon to be formed All-America Football Conference (AAFC), ensured the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles in January 1946.

Game statistics

Scoring summary

Scoring Play	Score
1st Quarter
CLE – Safety, Baugh's pass from end zone hit goal post	CLE 2–0
2nd Quarter
WAS – Bagarus 38 pass from Filchock (Aguirre kick)	WAS 7–2
CLE – Benton 37 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)	CLE 9–7
3rd Quarter
CLE – Gillette 44 pass from Waterfield (kick failed)	CLE 15–7
WAS – Seymour 8 pass from Filchock (Aguirre kick)	CLE 15–14
4th Quarter
no scoring	CLE 15–14

First downs: Rams 14, Redskins 8

Yards rushing: Rams 44 carries for 180 yards, Redskins 34 carries for 35 yards

Passing: Rams 11-for-27 for 192 yards (2 TDs), Redskins 9-for-20 for 179 yards (2 TDs)

Return yardage: Rams 131, Redskins 155

Fumbles-Lost: Rams 1-1, Redskins 1–0

Penalties: Rams 6 for 60 yards, Redskins 4 for 29 yards

References

Feder, Sid. (December 16, 1945). "Rams, Redskins are primed for pro grid title game". Youngstown Vindicator.
(December 16, 1946). "Rams and Redskins set to battle for national pro gridiron title". Lewiston Morning Tribune.
Prell, Edward. (December 17, 1945). "Rams beat Redskins, 15-14, for pro title". Chicago Daily Tribune.
Hughes, Carl. (December 17, 1945). "Freak breaks win Rams pro title". Pittsburgh Press.
Kuechle, Oliver E.. (December 17, 1945). "Cleveland Rams squeak out 15-14 victory over Redskins". Milwaukee Journal.
Feder, Sam. (December 17, 1945). "Freak play brings pro grid crown to Rams". Toledo Blade.
(November 4, 2017). "The Cleveland Rams head West".
"YouTube, a Google company".
"YouTube video".
[http://goldenrankings.com/nflchampionshipgame1945.html "NFL Championship Games: 1945: Washington Redskins @ Cleveland Rams,"] Golden Football Magazine, http://goldenrankings.com/
(December 17, 1945). "Money records set in pro title game". Pittsburgh Press.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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