1946: Eagles Dominate Second Half to Defeat Rams in LA Debut

The Los Angeles Rams were making their West Coast regular season debut as they hosted the Philadelphia Eagles on September 29, 1946. They were coming off of a NFL Championship the previous year as the Cleveland Rams, also their first year under Head Coach Adam Walsh, who installed the T-formation and put QB Bob Waterfield in charge of it with outstanding results. Despite the success, owner Dan Reeves lost money and chose to move the franchise to LA. There were newcomers in HB Tom Harmon, a former Heisman Trophy winner, as well as HB Kenny Washington and end Woody Stode, the first African-American players to appear in the NFL since 1933.

The Eagles had gone 7-3 the previous year, barely missing the Eastern Division title, and one of their wins was against the Rams (the only defeat inflicted on them). Head Coach Earle “Greasy” Neale was assembling a good team that most notably featured HB Steve Van Buren and there were excellent linemen in MG Bucko Kilroy and tackles Al Wistert and Vic Sears. Philadelphia had added promising newcomers in halfbacks Bosh Pritchard and Russ Craft in addition to veteran C/LB Alex Wojciechowicz.

There were 30,553 fans in attendance at the Memorial Coliseum on a hot day with temperatures in the nineties. The Rams scored first, putting together a 75-yard drive in the first quarter, with the biggest play a pass from Bob Waterfield to HB Jack Banta that covered 24 yards. FB Pat West ran the last two yards for a touchdown and Waterfield added the extra point.

The Eagles responded with a 21-yard field goal by Roy Zimmerman to narrow the margin to 7-3. The Rams, moving effectively on the ground, reached the Philadelphia eight, but a holding penalty moved them back and a pass was intercepted by LB Ben Kish. The Eagles scored once more before the first quarter was over when Augie Lio booted a 42-yard field goal.

Early in the second quarter, West (pictured at left) broke away for a 72-yard gain down the middle to the Philadelphia eight. From there, FB Mike Holovak scored a TD, Waterfield converted, and the score remained 14-6 at halftime.

The Eagles started off the third quarter with a drive that resulted in Zimmerman kicking a 19-yard field goal to narrow the score to 14-9. The Rams lost Waterfield, who completed 6 of 9 passes in the first half, due to a rib injury suffered when hit hard by Bucko Kilroy while passing, and he played sparingly for the remainder of the contest. The Rams bogged down on offense as Jim Hardy and Kenny Washington, normally a halfback but being given a trial at quarterback, took turns behind center.

Philadelphia was on the move later in the period, and following a 24-yard run by Russ Craft, QB Allie Sherman (pictured at top) passed to end Larry Cabrelli for a 38-yard touchdown. Zimmerman added the extra point to put the Eagles ahead by 16-14.

Early in the fourth quarter, and following a turnover in which G Duke Maronic hit Holovak behind the line and grabbed the ball away from him, the visitors struck again. Sherman threw for another TD two plays later, this time to end Jack Ferrante that covered 28 yards, and Zimmerman’s point after put the Eagles ahead by nine points.

Midway through the final period, Waterfield re-entered the contest and completed a pass to end Steve Pritko but, after Holovak ran the ball down to the Philadelphia 20, the Rams came up empty. It proved to be their last gasp. The Eagles picked up two more points when Washington, attempting to pass from his own end zone, stepped out of bounds for a safety, and that was it. Philadelphia dominated the second half and came away with a 25-14 win.

The Eagles led in total yards (316 to 233) as well as first downs (16 to 15), topping Los Angeles both in rushing (141 to 116) and through the air (175 to 117). The Rams turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by Philadelphia, but the Eagles were penalized nine times, with six flags thrown on LA.

Allie Sherman was the most productive passer for the Eagles, hitting on 7 of 11 throws for 113 yards and two touchdowns while giving up no interceptions. Steve Van Buren, who had a quiet day running the ball from scrimmage with 33 yards, contributed kickoff returns of 54 and 46 yards.

For the Rams, Bob Waterfield ended up completing 7 of 13 passes for 78 yards with two intercepted. Jim Hardy was 2 of 12 for 23 yards and an interception and Kenny Washington completed just one of seven for 16 yards. Pat West, who left the game due to injury shortly after his long scoring carry, gained 83 yards on five rushing attempts that included a TD. As for Tom Harmon, he had a quiet debut, being held to negative yardage on three carries.

The Eagles won their next game before losing two and they ended up with a 6-5 record to place second in the Eastern Division. Los Angeles followed up with two wins and a tie on the way to going 6-4-1 and finishing second in the Western Division.

Allie Sherman, the future head coach of the New York Giants, was typically a backup and, for the year, ended up completing 17 of 33 passes for 264 yards and four touchdowns while giving up three interceptions.

Bob Waterfield recovered to lead the NFL in pass attempts (251), completions (127), and TD passes (17, tied with Sid Luckman of the Bears) and, for good measure, in extra points (37). He received first-team All-NFL honors from the Associated Press and UPI.

1945: Rams Edge Redskins Thanks to Odd Safety to Win NFL Championship

The NFL Championship game on December 16, 1945 featured a postseason newcomer, the Cleveland Rams, against the Washington Redskins, a team that regularly contended for the title.

The Rams had never had a winning season since coming into the league in 1937, but topped the Western Division with a 9-1 record in ’45. Head Coach Adam Walsh implemented the T-formation and had the good fortune of having rookie QB Bob Waterfield  (pictured above) to operate it. The first-year player out of UCLA was the league MVP after performing well not only as a passer, but as a defensive back, kicker, and overall team leader. Halfbacks Fred Gehrke and Jim Gillette and FB Don Greenwood fueled the ground attack while end Jim Benton led the NFL with 1067 yards on his 45 catches.

The Washington Redskins, coached by Dudley DeGroot, topped the Eastern Division for the fourth time in six seasons with an 8-2 tally. QB Sammy Baugh was well-established as the league’s outstanding passer, having set a record with his 70.3 completion percentage during the season, and there were good receivers led by HB Steve Bagarus. However, Baugh had been injured in the season finale against the Giants and was not at his best.

There were 32,178 fans in attendance on a bitterly cold and windy day at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. The field had been covered with bales of hay in the days leading up to the game, and there were also big piles of snow on the sidelines.

The Redskins had the game’s first possession and punted. Cleveland moved the ball well in its initial series as Fred Gehrke ran for a 16-yard gain and Bob Waterfield completed two passes to Jim Benton, who was covered by rookie HB Bob DeFruiter. The second was good for 30 yards to the Washington 15, but the Redskins held the Rams up at their five yard line, with Jim Gillette stopped short on a fourth down play to regain possession. On second down, Sammy Baugh, dropping back into his end zone and feigning a punt, threw a pass that hit the goal post and bounced back. Under the rules at the time, the play was declared a safety and the home team had an early 2-0 lead.

Baugh was injured shortly thereafter and returned to play for only a few minutes during the second half. Following an interception by Washington LB Ki Aldrich early in the second quarter, QB Frank Filchock, subbing for Baugh, threw long to Steve Bagarus (pictured at left) for a 38-yard touchdown. Joe Aguirre added the extra point and Washington was ahead by 7-2.

With less than four minutes to play in the first half, Waterfield connected with Jim Benton for a 37-yard TD that capped a six-play, 70-yard series in which Gillette had a 19-yard run and Benton caught a pass for 14 yards. Waterfield’s extra point attempt was partially blocked and hit the crossbar, but it bounced over and the Rams took a 9-7 lead.

The Rams had another chance with a minute remaining in the first half when LB Pat West intercepted a pass, but Aldrich picked off another Waterfield throw and the score remained unchanged at halftime.

In the first series of the third quarter, Waterfield threw a long, arching pass that Jim Gillette caught for a 44-yard touchdown that concluded an 81-yard series. This time the extra point attempt failed but the Rams were in front by 15-7.

Late in the period, a Waterfield punt had the Redskins starting from their five yard line, but they moved effectively down the field. Following a 15-yard carry by DeFruiter, Filchock threw to Bagarus for a 50-yard gain that set up an eight-yard TD pass to wide-open FB Bob Seymour. Aguirre added the point after to make it a one-point contest.

Washington had two chances in the fourth quarter, but Aguirre missed field goals from 31 and 44 yards. The first followed a Filchock pass to end Les Dye that gained 44 yards to the Cleveland 31 and three running plays that picked up seven more yards. With time running out, Filchock threw long from deep in his own territory and DB Albie Reisz intercepted to nail down the 15-14 win for the Rams.

Cleveland gained more total yards (372 to 214) and led in first downs as well (14 to 8). The Redskins were held to 35 rushing yards on 34 attempts while the Rams were well balanced with 180 yards on the ground and 192 through the air. Cleveland turned the ball over three times, to two suffered by Washington. But the game came down to two plays involving the goal posts, with one leading to a safety and the other a kick that just made it over the crossbar for an extra point.

Bob Waterfield completed 14 of 27 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, giving up two interceptions, and was excellent with his play-calling and punting, too. Jim Gillette (pictured at right) rushed for 101 yards on 17 carries and also caught two passes for 45 yards and a TD. Jim Benton had 9 catches for 125 yards and a score.

Sammy Baugh ended up completing just one of six throws for seven yards. In his place, Frank Filchock was 8-of-14 for 172 yards and two touchdowns as well as two interceptions. Steve Bagarus caught three passes for 95 yards and a TD. HB Merl Condit led the rushers by gaining 18 yards on 9 attempts.

The Rams, having lost money despite putting together a championship season, left for Los Angeles the following year and placed second to the Bears with a 6-4-1 record. They next reached the Championship game in 1949. Washington went into a long period of decline, dropping to 5-5-1 in 1946 and not reaching the postseason again until 1971.

1946: Long TDs by Hirsch Spur College All-Stars to Win Over Rams

The 13^th College All-Star Game on August 23, 1946 featured a transplanted defending NFL Champion, the Los Angeles Rams, facing an All-Star team coached by Bo McMillin of Indiana, who had guided a previous group of All-Stars to a win in 1938.

As the Cleveland Rams in 1945, Head Coach Adam Walsh’s team had gone 9-1 in winning the Western Division and then edged the Redskins for the league title. Rookie QB Bob Waterfield excelled in the club’s new T-formation offense that also featured end Jim Benton and a good group of running backs. New for 1946, in addition to the franchise’s location, was HB Kenny Washington who, along with end Woody Strode, broke the NFL’s color line, plus former Heisman Trophy winner HB Tom Harmon, who had returned from military duty.

The All-Stars had a talented roster that included tailback Otto Graham from Northwestern, Tulane HB Dub Jones, and FB Pat Harder and HB Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch from Wisconsin (pictured above; Hirsch also played at Michigan during his stint as a Marine Corps officer candidate). Due to relaxed eligibility rules during World War II that allowed underclassmen to participate, several players were appearing in the contest for the second or third time.

There were 97,380 fans in attendance at Chicago’s Soldier Field for the Friday night game. In the first quarter, after the Rams were stopped at the All-Star 30, the collegians struck quickly. The first play of the series gained two yards and then “Crazylegs” Hirsch took a pitchout and tore off to his right on a 68-yard touchdown carry, outrunning the Rams secondary and eluding a last-gasp tackle at the ten yard line. Pat Harder added the extra point.

In the second quarter, the Rams mounted their greatest threat, reaching the All-Star nine yard line after Bob Waterfield connected with Jim Benton for a 27-yard gain, but they came up empty and the score remained 7-0 at the half.

The Rams appeared to be flat, blowing several scoring opportunities in the first half, particularly after All-Star fumbles. On three occasions they were inside the All-Star 20 yard line and in the collegians’ territory two more times but failed to put points on the board in each instance. The All-Stars were well prepared to defend against the passing game and as a result Waterfield had few open targets. LA’s typically strong aerial attack was successful only sporadically and the running game could not adequately compensate.

In the third quarter, and after a series by the Rams that ended with a failed 39-yard field goal attempt, Hirsch struck again as he grabbed a long, arching pass from Otto Graham in full stride for a 62-yard TD. The collegians had taken over on their 20 and gained 18 yards in three plays. Graham’s pass traveled 37 yards in the air and Hirsch got past DHB Jim Gillette to score. Once again, Harder kicked the extra point to make it 14-0.

In the fourth quarter the desperate Rams inserted some of their newcomers to try to turn things around. Tom Harmon ran the ball once for an eight-yard loss and suffered a dislocated elbow. Kenny Washington attempted to throw an option pass from behind his own goal line and was tackled by Yale DE Paul Walker for a safety that capped the scoring. The All-Stars came away with a stunning 16-0 win.

Apart from the two long scoring plays, the All-Stars were hardly dominant on offense. They outgained LA by 227 yards to 167 and the Rams actually led in first downs by 7 to 5. The collegians were guilty of sloppy play as they fumbled the ball seven times and the Rams recovered four of them. LA was unable to capitalize, however, and Bob Waterfield had a rough performance as he completed 7 of 16 passes and had two intercepted.

It was the fourth win for the All-Stars in the series, against seven for the pro champs and two ties. Bo McMillin became the first coach to twice lead the All-Stars to victory. Along with Hirsch, tackle Martin Ruby from Texas A & M received accolades as one of the stars of the game.

In the ensuing NFL season, the Rams went on to finish 6-4-1 and placed second in the Western Division. Waterfield led the league in pass attempts (251), completions (127), and touchdown passes (17). 

“Crazylegs” Hirsch, who ironically enough had been chosen by the Rams in the first round of the 1945 NFL draft, instead joined the Chicago Rockets of the new All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He started out as a halfback but, after an injury-filled sojourn that concluded with his suffering a severe head injury during the ‘48 season, joined the Rams. Starting out as a halfback who was often flanked out wide, Hirsch moved to end and became a record-breaking receiver over a career that ended in 1957. The same flashy skills that he used to such advantage in the 1946 College All-Star Game were evident during his years in the NFL and he caught 343 passes for 6299 yards and 53 touchdowns. In 1968 Hirsch was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1945: Rams Explode in 4th Quarter to Beat Packers

The NFL contest in Green Bay on October 14, 1945 was a faceoff between two Western Division teams that had started off the season at 2-0. The Green Bay Packers were the defending NFL Champions and still a potent squad, especially after their all-time great end Don Hutson had been persuaded to put off retirement and come back for another year. Coached by Curly Lambeau, the franchise’s founder, the Packers were a team that was used to contending.

As for the visiting Cleveland Rams, they had never been above .500 in any season since joining the NFL in 1937. But they had a new head coach in Adam Walsh, who installed a T-formation offense, and a talented rookie quarterback out of UCLA to run it in Bob Waterfield (pictured above). The Rams had an outstanding receiver of their own in end Jim Benton, who was ably complemented by Steve Pritko, plus a good group of running backs.

There were 24,607 fans in attendance at Green Bay’s City Stadium on a bright and clear day. The Rams scored on their first possession, driving 49 yards and finishing with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Waterfield to Benton. While Waterfield’s first extra point attempt was successful, it was nullified by a holding penalty and the second try was no good when it sailed wide. Still, Cleveland was ahead by 6-0.

That remained the situation until the third quarter when Rams HB Tom Colella fumbled and Green Bay tackle Paul Lipscomb recovered at the Cleveland 25. FB Ted Fritsch ran three times to get to the one and tailback Irv Comp went the last yard for a TD. Hutson kicked the extra point to put the Packers ahead by 7-6.

In the fourth quarter, the Packers went 54 yards, with the highlight a pass from tailback Roy McKay to Hutson for 24 yards. Fritsch plowed through the middle for a three-yard touchdown and Hutson added the point after.

Down by 14-6 in the final period, the Rams had possession at their own 27 and put together a seven-play scoring drive. Waterfield capped it by passing to Colella for a nine-yard TD. Cleveland then received a big break when Green Bay’s McKay fumbled and tackle Roger Eason recovered for the Rams at the Packers’ 17. FB Don Greenwood, Colella, and Waterfield each took a turn running the ball to get to the one yard line and Greenwood scored from there.

McKay and Comp took turns trying to connect on passes to Don Hutson until DB Albie Reisz intercepted one and returned it to the Green Bay 5. Colella ran the ball in from there for a touchdown that sealed the win for the Rams. Thanks to the three fourth quarter TDs, and Waterfield’s successful conversions after each, Cleveland came away the winner by a final score of 27-14.

The Rams led in total yards (289 to 232) but Green Bay had the edge in first downs (16 to 12). However, Cleveland ran the ball more effectively (154 yards on 45 carries to 81 yards on 39 attempts) and the Packers turned the ball over six times, as opposed to four turnovers by the Rams.

As usual, Don Hutson was Green Bay’s chief offensive weapon, catching 7 passes for 110 yards, but he was unable to penetrate the end zone (he had done so four times in one quarter the previous week against Detroit). Jim Benton caught 5 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown for the Rams.

The win moved the Rams into first place in the Western Division and that’s where they stayed, going 9-1 and beating Washington for the NFL title. Green Bay dropped to third with a 6-4 record.

Bob Waterfield overcame a severe rib injury to achieve league MVP honors while passing for 1609 yards and leading the league in yards per attempt (9.4) and touchdown passes (14, tied with Sid Luckman of the Bears).

Jim Benton (pictured below) and Don Hutson were the NFL’s most productive receivers. In his final season, Hutson led the league for the eighth time (fifth consecutive) with 47 pass receptions while his 834 yards ranked second to Benton’s 1067. Benton placed second to Hutson with 45 catches.

The 1945 season marked a change in direction for the two franchises. Green Bay went into a decline that wasn’t reversed until the arrival of Vince Lombardi as head coach and general manager in 1959. The Rams, who moved to Los Angeles in 1946, won four division or conference titles over the course of the next decade and a league championship while regularly being among the NFL’s contending teams.

1945: Rams Hire Adam Walsh as Head Coach

On March 14, 1945 the Cleveland Rams signed Adam Walsh to a five-year contract as head coach. Walsh, the line coach at Notre Dame, was the brother of Rams GM Charles “Chile” Walsh and succeeded Aldo “Buff” Donelli, who left to join the Navy.

The 43-year-old Walsh had been on the staff at Notre Dame since mid-1944, when he left Bowdoin, where he had been a successful head coach who turned a losing program around - his teams won the Maine Intercollegiate football championship in seven out of eight years. His overall record was 34-15-6. In 1943, Bowdoin suspended the athletic program for the remainder of World War II, and Walsh was allowed to go on leave of absence to Notre Dame.

Going to Notre Dame was something of a homecoming for Walsh. He played there collegiately and was an All-American center who captained the team in 1924 that contained the legendary starting backfield known as “The Four Horsemen”. After college, and prior to going to Bowdoin, Walsh was head coach and athletic director at Santa Clara from 1925 to ’28 and later served as line coach at both Yale and Harvard.

Walsh was a proponent of the T-formation, which was finding new-found popularity at both the pro and college levels in the 1940s. He was fortunate to have a rookie quarterback out of UCLA, Bob Waterfield, who could run the new offense very effectively. There was also HB Fred Gehrke, returning from a four-year stint in the military, holdover HB Jim Gillette, and rookie FB Don Greenword to handle the running game. End Jim Benton was a proven veteran, and the other starting end, Steve Pritko, had played well in ’44. Two more rookies, tackle Gil Bouley from Boston College and guard/linebacker Milan Lazetich, bolstered the line which also added veteran tackle Eberle Schultz from the Card-Pitt combined team of ’44. Guard Riley Matheson was already there, an established talent who had been a consensus first-team All-Pro in 1942 and ’44.

From a 4-6 record in 1944, the Rams went 9-1 under Walsh in ’45. Waterfield had a MVP season, leading the league with 14 touchdown passes (tied with Sid Luckman of the Bears) and 9.9 yards per attempt. He also showed outstanding toughness (he played one game heavily taped due to torn rib muscles) and leadership to go along with his fine passing, and was an asset on defense (six interceptions, tied for second in the NFL) and as a punter. Benton had a sensational year, catching 45 passes for a league-leading 1067 yards (including 303 in one game) and eight touchdowns. Gehrke, Gillette, and Greenwood all finished in the top ten in rushing and the team was top-ranked in that category. Matheson was again a consensus first-team All-Pro.

The Rams won the Western Division and hosted the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship game on a bitterly cold day at Municipal Stadium. They won, 15-14, and Walsh had a title in his first year as a pro head coach.

While the franchise performed well on the field, it didn’t do so well at the gate. Owner Daniel F. Reeves lost some $50,000 and petitioned the league to allow him to move the club to Los Angeles. Initially turned down by the other owners, an angry Reeves had threatened to sell the team, but the NFL finally allowed the move.

The Rams went west, and faced the immediate challenge of another team, the Los Angeles Dons of the newly-formed All-America Football Conference (AAFC), competing against them for fans and sharing the massive Memorial Coliseum. Under pressure from the commission that governed the stadium, the Rams added two players – first, HB Kenny Washington, who had been a star at UCLA, and then end Woody Strode, also from UCLA – who became the first two African-Americans in the NFL since 1933. They also added HB Tom Harmon, former Heisman Trophy winner from Michigan.

The team was still very competitive at its new location. Waterfield, returning to the city where he had starred collegiately, led the NFL in passing (although by the modern rating method, he finished second to Luckman) as well as touchdowns (17). Benton again led the league in receiving yards (981) and in pass receptions as well (63, which was 31 more than runner-up Hal Crisler of the Boston Yanks). Gehrke had the top rushing average (5.2 on 71 carries for 371 yards).

The team played respectably but not consistently as they failed to win consecutive games until the last two contests of the year. It made for a second place finish at 6-4-1. In the end, the Rams lost even more money in Los Angeles than in Cleveland. Presaging decades of front office upheaval that would characterize the franchise, GM Walsh fired his brother, Coach Walsh, and was then fired himself by owner Reeves, who chose to act as his own general manager. Bob Snyder was hired as coach for 1947, and the team dropped to fourth place with a 6-6 tally.

Adam Walsh left the Rams with a 15-5-1 record as a pro head coach, and a win in the ’45 NFL title game. He returned to Bowdoin (which had always considered him to still be on leave, even after leaving Notre Dame for pro coaching). While not as successful in his second stint with the team, Walsh stayed from 1947 to ’58 and went 63-67-9 for an overall record at the school of 80-85-11.

Following his retirement from football coaching, Walsh served in the Maine House of Representatives and was later appointed U.S. Marshal for Maine by President Kennedy.

While Walsh’s pro coaching career may have been short, his college playing and coaching career earned him later recognition - he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.

1945: Jim Benton Catches 10 Passes for 303 Yards vs. Lions

End Jim Benton had been a solid receiver for the Cleveland Rams (and one season with the Chicago Bears) since coming into the league in 1938, when he led the league in yards per reception (19.9 on 21 catches). The Rams had not been a winning team, with a 5-5-1 record in 1939 their best since joining the NFL in 1937. But both Benton and the Rams rose to new heights in 1945.

By the time the Rams met up with the Detroit Lions on November 22 for a Thanksgiving showdown at Briggs Stadium, they were sporting a 7-1 record under the guidance of Head Coach Adam Walsh. The Lions were 6-2 and, with just one more week to play in the ten-game season, control of the Western Division was at stake.

Benton had caught 27 passes for 645 yards, resulting in a very healthy 23.9-yard average, with six touchdowns and three hundred-yard games. Coach Walsh had installed the T-formation, and the offense benefited from the arrival of rookie QB Bob Waterfield from UCLA to run it. The 6’3”, 200-pound Benton was his favorite target.

Earlier in the season, Green Bay’s Don Hutson had scored four TDs and accumulated 144 yards against the Lions, which had exposed a deficiency in their pass defense. The Rams took advantage. They broke out to a 21-7 lead in the first half and went on to win 28-21. Benton scored on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Waterfield in the second quarter and, when it was all done, had caught 10 passes for 303 yards.

The 303 yards not only set a new single-game pass receiving yardage record, but remained the NFL record for 40 years until broken by Stephone Paige of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1985 (Cloyce Box of the Lions came within a yard of the record in 1950). It was also the first occasion that any player had accumulated over 300 yards from scrimmage in an NFL game.

Benton accounted for virtually all of Cleveland’s passing yards – Waterfield in all completed 12 of 21 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns. A 17-yard throw to the other end, Steve Pritko, accounted for the second TD pass and most of the remaining yards that didn’t belong to Benton. The rookie quarterback’s showing was especially impressive because he was suffering from a painful rib injury and had been tightly wrapped up by the team’s trainer prior to the game.

With the win, the Rams clinched the West and won again in the season finale (with Benton chalking up his fifth hundred-yard receiving game of the year) to finish with a 9-1 record. They defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship game, as Benton capped his outstanding year with 9 catches for 125 yards and a TD. Detroit remained the runner-up in the Western Division at 7-3.

It was typical throughout the season for the Rams to not throw often – they were actually the league’s top rushing team with 1714 yards – but they passed very effectively. Waterfield threw 171 passes, averaged 9.4 yards per attempt and tied for the lead in touchdown throws with 14.

Benton ended up catching 45 passes for 1067 yards (a 23.7-yard average) and eight touchdowns. The reception total put him two behind the league leader, Hutson; the yards led the NFL and made him the second pass receiver to reach the thousand-yard threshold in a season. The mark is all the more remarkable in that Benton played in just nine games, missing a contest against the Bears earlier in the season due to injury, so his per game average was a gaudy 118.6.

While Benton’s outstanding season came in the last year of World War II manpower shortages, he proved it was no fluke in 1946 by leading the league both in pass receptions (63) and yards (981). At this point he was now playing for the Los Angeles Rams; in spite of winning the championship, the team had lost some $50,000 and owner Dan Reeves moved the franchise to the West Coast.