The Cleveland Rams hoped to move forward after a difficult inaugural season in the NFL. Unfortunately, the losses continued as the team lost its first three games of the year.
The Rams suffered defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers (26-17), Chicago Cardinals (7-6) and the Washington Redskins (37-13) to start the season. At this point, the franchise had lost 12 of its previous 13 games, which was good for a .077 winning percentage. This alarming string of misfortune prompted the team to part ways with head coach Hugo Bezdek and hired assistant coach Art Lewis.
Coach Lewis began his tenure on a high note with a close victory at home against the Detroit Lions 21-17. The Rams’ success continued in back-to-back victories against the Chicago Bears. The first game was a close game in Cleveland but the Rams pulled through and won 14-7. The second game was even more of a nail-biter as the Rams traveled to Chicago and pulled off a 23-21 victory.
The Rams were at .500 and hopes were high with Coach Lewis. Much of the credit for this modest success was due to the team’s solid draft class.
In the 1938 NFL draft, the Rams most prized prospect came in the second round (11th overall). The Rams selected Arkansas wide receiver Jim Benton, and he didn’t disappoint. In fact, during Benton’s rookie campaign, he led the league with an average of 19.9 yards per reception and was third in the league in receiving yards (418 yards) and touchdown receptions (five).
The Rams dropped below .500 after losing 28-7 at home against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 30. The most disappointing aspect of the loss is that the Rams played before a crowd 18,483, which was the largest audience in attendance for Rams franchise history up to that point. Then three previous home games had a crowd attendance that averaged about 7,845 which is less than half of the audience that attended against the Packers.
The team’s remaining four games were played on the road. The Rams would not return to Shaw Stadium, which is where they played all their home games during the 1938 season. Shaw High School used that stadium for their football team in Cleveland, Ohio, and still uses the stadium to this day.
The losses continued as the Rams dropped three straight late-season matchups. The team’s offensive problems continued as they were shut out in two out of three games. They suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of the Detroit Lions 6-0, which was followed by an embarrassing 28-0 loss at the New York Giants. The Rams were finally able to put some points together the following week against the Chicago Cardinals but ended up losing once again 31-17 on Nov. 27.
The Rams ended the 1938 season on a high note when they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates (now Steelers) 13-7. The team finished with a record of 4-7 and was fourth in the NFL West Division. Perhaps it wasn’t the desired record of the franchise, but it was still an improvement nonetheless.
Season Notes
– The Rams changed their colors to their familiar blue and yellow color scheme.
– Two players from the Rams made an appearance in the Pro Bowl: blocking back Ed Goddard and fullback Johnny Drake.
– The team held training camp at Baldwin-Wallace College located in Berea, Ohio.
– The Rams improved their scoring from the previous season. They finished sixth in the league with 131 points.
– The defense didn’t improve much finishing last in the league in points allowed with 215.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 1 | Sunday, September 11 | @Green Bay Packers | 17-26 |
| 2 | Saturday, September 17 | Chicago Cardinals | 6-7 |
| 3 | Sunday, September 25 | @Washington Redskins | 13-37 |
| 4 | Sunday, October 2 | Detroit Lions | 21-17 |
| 5 | Sunday, October 9 | Chicago Bears | 14-7 |
| 6 | Sunday, October 23 | @Chicago Bears | 23-21 |
| 7 | Sunday, October 30 | Green Bay Packers | 7-28 |
| 8 | Sunday, November 6 | @Detroit Lions | 0-6 |
| 9 | Sunday, November 13 | @New York Giants | 0-28 |
| 10 | Sunday, November 27 | @Chicago Cardinals | 17-31 |
| 11 | Sunday, December 4 | @Pittsburgh Pirates | 13-7 |
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
