1950 NFL Championship Game

1950 NFL Championship Game
Los Angeles Rams Cleveland Browns 28 30 1 2 3 4 Total Los Angeles Rams 14 0 14 0 28 Cleveland Browns 7 6 7 10 30
Date	December 24, 1950
Stadium	Cleveland Municipal Stadium
City	Cleveland, OH
Attendance	29,751
TV/Radio in the United States
TV Network	ABC
TV Announcers	Harry Wismer, Red Grange
Timeline
Previous game	Next game
1949	1951

The 1950 National Football League championship game was the 18th NFL title game. The game was played on December 24, 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio's Municipal Stadium.

Background

The 1950 season in the NFL brought some changes to the league. First the NFL had added three teams from the All-America Football Conference. The NFL realigined the Eastern and Western Divisions into the American Conference and National Conference. For the first time both division/conference races resulted in ties at the end of the regular season, resulting in two playoff games. In the American Conference, the Cleveland Browns (who had joined the NFL from the AAFC) defeated the New York Giants, while in the National Conference the Los Angeles Rams beat the Chicago Bears.

The Browns had been the AAFC's most dominant team, winning all four of its championships. The Rams, who left Cleveland after the 1945 season for Los Angeles, were making their second straight appearance in an NFL title game. ^[1]

Game summary

• First Quarter
  • LA-Davis 82 yard pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick) 7-0 LA
  • LA-Hoerner 3 yard run (Waterfield kick) 14-0 LA
  • Cle-Jones 31 yard pass from Graham (Groza kick) 14-7 LA
• Second Quarter
  • Cle-Lavelli 35 yard pass from Graham (conversion pass failed) 14-13 LA
• Third Quarter
  • Cle-Lavelli 39 yard pass from Graham (Groza kick) 20-14 CLE
  • LA-Hoerner 1 yard run (Waterfield kick) 21-20 LA
  • LA-Brink 6 yard fumble return (Waterfield kick) 28-20 LA
• Fourth Quarter
  • Cle-Bumgardner 14 yard pass from Graham (Groza kick) 28-27 LA
  • Cle- Groza 16 yard field goal 30-28 CLE

Final statistics

Source:The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football, (1973), p. 109, Macmillan Publishing Co. New York, NY, LCCN 73-3862

Statistical comparison

	Cleveland Browns	Los Angeles Rams
First downs	22	22
First downs rushing	8	9
First downs passing	13	12
First downs penalty	1	1
Total yards	414	418
Passing yards	298	312
Passing – Completions-attempts	22-32	18-32
Passing – Yards per attempt	9.3	9.75
Interceptions-return yards	5-54	1-11
Rushing yards	116	106
Rushing attempts	25	36
Yards per rush	4.6	2.9
Penalties-yards	3-35	4-48
Fumbles-lost	3-3	0-0
Punts-Average	5-38.4	4-50.8

Individual leaders

Browns Passing
	C/ATT	Yds	TD	INT
Otto Graham	22/32	298	4	1
Browns Rushing
	Car	Yds	TD
Graham	12	99	0
Marion Motley	6	9	0
Dub Jones	2	4	0
Rex Bumgardner	5	2	0
Browns Receiving
	Rec	Yds	TD
Dante Lavelli	11	128	2
Jones	4	80	1
Bumgardner	4	46	1
Horace Gillom	1	29	0
Mac Speedie	1	17	0

Rams Passing
	C/ATT	Yds	TD	INT
Bob Waterfield	18/31	312	1	4
Norm Van Brocklin	0/1	0	0	1
Rams Rushing
	Car	Yds	TD
Dick Hoerner	24	86	2
Smith	4	11	0
Glenn Davis	6	6	0
Rams Receiving
	Rec	Yds	TD
Tom Fears	9	136	0
Elroy Hirsch	4	42	0
Smith	3	46	0
Davis	2	88	1

References

1. ^ Harry Jones, Groza's Field Goal Is Signal for Celebration, Cleveland Plain Dealer December 24, 1950, Plain Dealer Browns' History Database Accessed 12 December 2007, http://www.cleveland.com/brownshistory/plaindealer/index.ssf?/browns/more/history/19501224BROWNS.html

Preceded by 1949 NFL Championship Game

NFL Championship Game 1950

Succeeded by 1951 NFL Championship Game