The 1940 season had all the makings of being a successful year for the Cleveland Rams. Head coach Earl “Dutch” Clark lead the team to its first non-losing season in 1939 with a 5-5-1 record and hopes were high for his second season.
The Rams decided to upgrade their uniforms in 1940 with a sharper blue and yellow-gold color scheme. Other notable changes include stopping the yellow-gold colors the length of the shoulder instead of the length of the sleeves, and the pants were changed to white and featured a slim blue line along each side of the legs.
The team greeted the fans in the season opener with their beautiful new jerseys against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 22. The Rams pulled off a close victory over the Eagles, 21-13.
However, the team’s strong start didn’t carry over to their next three games. The Rams were shutout 6-0 at the Detroit Lions in Week 2, and then they suffered a 21-14 loss at home to the Chicago Bears. The team then journeyed to Green Bay in hopes of defeating the Packers on the road for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, the Rams struggled throughout the game and were throttled by the Packers, 31-14.
The next games were a back-to-back series against the Chicago Cardinals. The Rams pulled off a convincing 26-14 win in the first game. The team traveled to Chicago owning three consecutive wins over the Cardinals, and they hoped to sweep the season series once again. However, the Cardinals held the stagnant Rams offense to just 147 yards as Cleveland lost, 17-7.
The Rams were 2-4 after six games and needed some big wins if they were going to salvage their season. At first, it looked like it might just happen.
Cleveland hosted the Lions in the team’s next game, and this time, the Rams exacted some revenge for their earlier loss to Detroit in a dominant 24-0 victory. The Rams then followed up their solid defensive performance with 13-0 shutout of the New York Giants. It was the first time in Rams’ history that the team had posted two consecutive shutouts.
Clark’s Rams were 4-4 and in the hunt for a winning season, but they fell apart in their last three games. The Dodgers dominated the Rams the following week, 29-14, and then the Bears ensured another losing season with a 47-25 win in Week 10.
The Rams ended their season on Dec. 1 at home against the Packers in front of 16,249 fans. Green Bay outgained Cleveland 364-228, but the Rams showed some resiliency and held the Packers to a 13-13 tie.
Cleveland finished the season fourth in the NFL West Division with a record of 4-6-1. A season that began with high hopes for the future ended in disappointment and resulted in changes being made for 1941.
Season Notes
– Quarterback/tailback Parker Hall did not see the same success as he did his rookie season; he was third in league in interception with 16.
– Fullback Johnny Drake is named to All-NFL first team and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl. He led the league in rushing touchdowns with nine and was second in the league in rushing yards with 480.
– Blocking back Vic Spadaccini also made the Pro Bowl.
| 1940 Cleveland Rams Schedule | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | Sunday, Sept. 22 | Philadelphia Eagles | W, 21-13 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sunday, Sept. 29 | @Detroit Lions | L, 0-6 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Sunday, Oct. 6 | Chicago Bears | L, 14-21 | 1-2 |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 13 | @Green Bay Packers | L, 14-31 | 1-3 |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 20 | Chicago Cardinals | W, 26-14 | 2-3 |
| 6 | Sunday, Oct. 27 | @Chicago Cardinals | L, 7-17 | 2-4 |
| 7 | Sunday, Nov. 3 | Detroit Lions | W, 24-0 | 3-4 |
| 8 | Sunday, Nov. 10 | @New York Giants | W, 13-0 | 4-4 |
| 9 | Sunday, Nov. 17 | @Brooklyn Dodgers | L, 14-29 | 4-5 |
| 10 | Sunday, Nov. 24 | @Chicago Bears | L, 25-47 | 4-6 |
| 11 | Sunday, Dec. 1 | Green Bay Packers | T, 13-13 | 4-6-1 |
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
