1945 Cleveland Rams season

1945 Cleveland Rams season
Head Coach	Adam Walsh
Home Field	Cleveland Municipal Stadium League Park
Results
Record	9-1
Place	1st NFL Western
Playoff Finish	Won NFL Championship
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1944	1946

The 1945 Cleveland Rams season was the team's eighth year with the National Football League and the ninth and final season in Cleveland.

Off season

NFL Draft

Main article: 1945 NFL Draft

= Hall of Famer

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1	5	Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch	End	Michigan
2	16	Milan Lazetich	Tackle	Michigan
3	21	W.G. (Dub) Wooten	End	Oklahoma
4	32	Jack Zilly	End	Notre Dame
5	37	Roger Harding	Center	California
6	48	Jerry Cowhig	Back	Notre Dame
7	59	Fred Negus	Center	Wisconsin
8	70	Johnny August	Back	Alabama
9	81	Dick Huffman	Tackle	Tennessee
10	92	Vern Walters	Back	Alma
11	103	Tom Fears	End	UCLA
12	114	Joe Winkler	Center	Purdue
13	125	Jack Aland	Tackle	Alabama
14	136	Chuck Uknes	Back	Iowa
15	147	Bill Lund	Back	Case Western Reserve
16	158	Bob Barton	End	Holy Cross
17	169	Dick Hoerner	Back	Iowa
18	180	Lee Kennon	Tackle	Oklahoma
19	191	Eagle Matulich	Back	Mississippi State
20	202	Bill Griffin	Tackle	Kentucky
21	213	Leroy Erickson	Back	Oregon
22	224	Ray Evans	Tackle	Texas-El Paso
23	235	Luke Higgins	Tackle	Notre Dame
24	246	Stan Nowak	End	South Carolina
25	257	Gene Konopka	Guard	Villanova
26	268	Ray Florek	Back	Illinois
27	279	Russ Perry	Back	Wake Forest
28	290	Pat West	Back	USC
29	301	Bill Davis	Back	Oregon
30	312	Charley Compton	Tackle	Alabama

Schedule

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

NFL Western
	W	L	T	PCT	PF	PA	STK
Cleveland Rams	9	1	0	.900	244	136	W-5
Detroit Lions	7	3	0	.700	195	194	W-1
Green Bay Packers	6	4	0	.600	258	173	L-1
Chicago Bears	3	7	0	.300	192	235	W-2
Chicago Cardinals	1	9	0	.100	98	228	L-6

Regular season

Week 2: vs. Chicago Cardinals

	1	2	3	4	OT
Cardinals	0	0	0	0	0
Rams	0	7	14	0	21

at League Park, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game attendance: 10,872

CLE - Waterfield 8 yard run (Waterfield kick)
CLE - Pritko 4 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
CLE - Gillette 25 yard run (Waterfield kick)

Week 3: vs. Chicago Bears

	1	2	3	4	OT
Bears	0	0	0	0	0
Rams	14	3	0	0	17

at League Park, Cleveland, Ohio

• Game attendance: 19,580

CLE - Waterfield 8 yard run (Waterfield kick)
CLE - Pritko 25 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
CLE - FG Waterfield 28

Week 4: at Green Bay Packers

	1	2	3	4	OT
Rams	6	0	0	21	27
Packers	0	0	7	7	14

at East Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Game attendance: 24,607

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	OT
Rams	6	14	7	14	41
Bears	0	7	14	0	21

at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Game attendance: 28,273

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 paass from Reisz (Waterfield kick)

Post season

NFL Championship Game: vs. Washington Redskins

Main article: NFL Championship Game, 1945

	1	2	3	4	OT
Redskins	0	7	7	0	14
Rams	2	7	6	0	15

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH

• 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

• Adam Walsh, Coach of the Year
• Bob Waterfield, League Most Valuable Player
• Bob Waterfield, NFL leader, Touchdowns (14 – tied)

External links

• http://www.nfl.com/teams/schedule?team=STL&season=1945&seasonType=REG