In the 1945 National Football League Championship Game, the Cleveland Rams defeated the Washington Redskins, 15–14, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on December 16, 1945. This was the last game before the Rams moved to Los Angeles, California. In addition, the result of the contest led to a significant rule change in professional American football. The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. ... Conference NFC Division West Year Founded 1937 Home Field Edward Jones Dome City St. ... Year Founded 1932 Conference NFC Division East Home Field FedEx Field City Landover, Maryland Team Colors Burgundy and Gold Head Coach Joe Gibbs League Titles League Championships (5) NFL Champions: 1937, 1942 Super Bowl: 1982 (XVII), 1987 (XXII), 1991 (XXVI) Conference Championships (5) NFC: 1972, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991 Division... Cleveland Stadium (also known as Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Municipal Stadium and The Mistake on the Lake) was a baseball and American football stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. ... ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish; Los Ángeles) is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ...

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. The end zone is a term in both Canadian football and American football. ... The quarterback is a position in the offensive backfield of American and Canadian football, directly behind players of the line. He is generally the leader of the offensive team when it is on the field, responsible for initiating play by receiving the snap of the ball from the center. ... Samuel Adrian Baugh (born March 17, 1914) is an American football player born in Temple, Texas. ... In American football and Canadian football, a safety refers to two positions in the traditional defensive backfield setup, the strong safety and the free safety. ...

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. A touchdown is the primary method of scoring in American and Canadian football, in which the ball carrier causes the football to break the plane of the end zone, or an eligible receiver catches a forward pass in the end zone, thus earning 6 points for his team (in both... In American football, the extra point, point after touchdown, or PAT is the act of lining up to kick, as in a field goal, immediately following a touchdown. ...

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.

But it was the safety that proved to be the margin of victory. Redskins owner George Preston Marshall was so mad at the outcome that he became a major force in passing the following major rule change after the season: A forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete. This later became known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule". George Preston Marshall (1896 – 1969) was the long-time owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). ...

Scoring summary

• CLE - Safety, Baugh's pass hit the goal post and became incomplete in the end zone
• WAS - Bagarus 38 pass from Filchock (Aguirre kick)
• CLE - Benton 37 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield kick)
• CLE - Gillette 44 pass from Waterfield (kick failed)
• WAS - Seymour 8 pass from Filchock (Aguirre kick)

References

• Nash, Bruce, and Allen Zullo (1986). The Football Hall of Shame, 68-69, Pocket Books. ISBN 0671745514.
• The Sporting News Complete Super Bowl Book 1995, 395-396, The Sporting News Publishing Co. ISBN 089204523X.