 The Rams trying to stay warm on the sideline. | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 16, 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Cleveland by 4 points[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Ronald Gibbs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 32,178 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hall of Famers | |||||||||||||||||||
| Redskins: George Preston Marshall (owner/founder), Sammy Baugh, Wayne Millner Rams: Dan Reeves (owner), Bob Waterfield | |||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Blue | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Harry Wismer | ||||||||||||||||||
Cleveland
Location in the United States
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 Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.[3][4][5][6][7]
This was the last game before the Rams moved west to Los Angeles, California.[8] 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.[1]
It was the coldest NFL championship game up to that time, with a temperature of −8 °F (−22 °C),[8][9] which significantly curtailed the expected attendance and revenue.[1][2]
- ^ a b c Feder, Sid (December 16, 1945). "Rams, Redskins are primed for pro grid title game". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. D3.
- ^ a b "Rams and Redskins set to battle for national pro gridiron title". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. December 16, 1946. p. 11.
- ^ Prell, Edward (December 17, 1945). "Rams beat Redskins, 15-14, for pro title". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 21.
- ^ "32,178 fans see Cleveland win pro grid crown by downing Washington, 15-14". Youngstown Vindicator. Ohio. Associated Press. December 17, 1945. p. 10.
- ^ Hughes, Carl (December 17, 1945). "Freak breaks win Rams pro title". Pittsburgh Press. p. 20.
- ^ Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 17, 1945). "Cleveland Rams squeak out 15-14 victory over Redskins". Milwaukee Journal. p. 6, part 2.
- ^ Feder, Sam (December 17, 1945). "Freak play brings pro grid crown to Rams". Toledo Blade. Ohio. Associated Press. p. 22.
- ^ a b "The Cleveland Rams head West". November 4, 2017.
- ^ Howard Roberts (1953). "Cleveland Before Brown". The Story of Pro Football. Rand McNally & Company. pp. 95–96. LCN 53-9336.