1945 NFL season
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The 1945 NFL season was the 26th regular season of the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals resumed their traditional operations.
But the Brooklyn Tigers and the Boston Yanks then merged for this one season. The combined team, known simply as The Yanks, played half of their home games in each city. After Brooklyn Tigers owner Dan Topping announced his intentions to join the new All-America Football Conference, his NFL team was immediately revoked after the season and all of its players were assigned to the Boston Yanks.
The season ended when the Cleveland Rams defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game.
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[edit] Major rule changes
- The inbounds lines or hashmarks were moved closer to the center of the field, 20 yards from the sidelines.
- The player who extends his arms under the center must receive the snap or the offensive team will be penalized for a false start.
- When a snap is muffed by the receiving player and then touches the ground, it is legally a fumble.
- During an extra point attempt, the ball is spotted at the 2-yard line, but the offense may opt to have it be placed further from the goal line.
- After a kicked punt crosses the line of scrimmage, the kicking team may recover the ball if it touches a member of the receiving team before they control the ball themselves.
[edit] Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
| Eastern Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 209 | 121 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 272 | 133 |
| New York Giants | 3 | 6 | 1 | .333 | 179 | 198 |
| The Yanks | 3 | 6 | 1 | .333 | 123 | 211 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 79 | 220 |
| Western Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Rams | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 244 | 136 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 195 | 194 |
| Green Bay Packers | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 258 | 173 |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 192 | 235 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 1 | 9 | 0 | .100 | 98 | 228 |
[edit] NFL Championship Game
Cleveland 15, Washington 14, at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio, December 16, 1945
[edit] Awards
| Joe F. Carr Trophy (Most Valuable Player) | Bob Waterfield, Quarterback, Cleveland |
[edit] References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 193299436X)
- NFL History 1941-1950 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0062701746)
