The Cleveland Rams entered their third season looking for their first winning record. However, the team fell short of that goal in 1939 when it finished fourth in the NFL West division with a 5-5-1 record. Still, it was an improvement over the Rams’ first two seasons in the league.
One reason for the team’s progression was the change made at the head coach position. Interim head coach Art Lewis returned to his duties as an assistant coach and replaced him with Earl “Dutch” Clark.
Clark brought a solid resume to the Rams. He played two years for the Portsmouth Spartans and four years with the Detroit Lions. Clark’s official position was quarterback, but that was only the case because he called the plays. In reality, Clark played multiple positions. He was the epitome of a true “triple-threat back,” meaning that he had a decent pass completion percentage, rushed the ball consistently and also drop-kicked the ball accurately.
It was thought that the future pro and college football Hall of Famer would lead the team to success. However, those expectations were tempered when the Rams lost their first two games of the season. The year began with a 30-21 road loss to the Chicago Bears. The following week, the team dropped another game on the road 23-12 to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The Rams then traveled to face the division-leading Green Bay Packers. It was there that the Rams finally won their first game of the season, when they upset the Packers, 27-24.
With the victory over the Packers fresh in their minds, the Rams returned to Cleveland for their home opener against the Chicago Bears in front of a crowd 18,209. The Rams hoped for a different outcome against the Bears after their season-opening loss in Chicago, but the results were nearly the same in a 35-21 loss.
The Rams then hit the road for their next two games with mixed results. First, they traveled to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Rams kept it close, but the Lions eventually pulled out the victory, 15-7. With a 1-4 record, the Rams needed something to spark hope back into the season. That something turned out to be a huge 24-0 win the following game at the Chicago Cardinals.
One of the positives of playing all five away games in the first six games of the season is home field advantage for the rest of the year. The team began their homestand on Oct. 29 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Rams entered the game as the favorites over a struggling Pirates team, but Pittsburgh came prepared and earned a tie, 14-14.
The Rams continued to improve as the season moved forward. The Cardinals came to Cleveland hoping to even the season series, but were once again shut out by the Rams, this time by a 14-0 score. At 3-4-1, the Rams were starting to get some attention in Cleveland. They played in front of a near capacity crowd of 28,142 at Shaw Stadium in their Rams next game, a decisive 14-3 win over the Lions to even their record.
With a winning record on the line, the Rams drew an even bigger crowd (30,690) the following week against the Packers. The Rams had momentum after upsetting their divisional rivals earlier in the season, but they fell 7-6.
It was a hard loss for the team and the fans. At 4-5-1, the Rams had no chance at a winning record and were out of the playoff hunt. As a result, only 9,109 fans showed up for the next game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Rams treated the fans in attendance to an incredible thrashing, as the team finished out the season with a 35-13 victory.
Season Notes
– With the third pick in 1939 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Rams selected quarterback/tailback Parker Hall from the University of Mississippi.
– Hall’s rookie season earned him his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl. He was second in the league in passing with 1,227 yards and fifth in the league in rushing with 458 yards.
– Hall was also the Rams’ first player to earn All-Pro honors and also won the Joe Carr Trophy (named after the NFL President) as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.
– Fullback Johnny Drake earned a trip to the Pro Bowl by leading the league with nine rushing touchdowns. He also finished sixth in the league in rushing yards with 453 yards; he was five yards shy of tying Hall.
– Wide receiver Jim Benton led the league in receiving touchdowns with seven and was sixth in the league in receiving yards with 388.
| 1939 Cleveland Rams Schedule | |||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score |
| 1 | Friday, Sept. 15 | @Chicago Bears | L, 21-30 (0-1) |
| 2 | Wednesday, Sept. 20 | @Brooklyn Dodgers | L, 12-23 (0-2) |
| 3 | Sunday, Oct. 1 | @Green Bay Packers | W, 27-24 (1-2) |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 8 | Chicago Bears | L, 21-35 (1-3) |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 15 | @Detroit Lions | L, 7-15 (1-4) |
| 6 | Sunday, Oct. 22 | @Chicago Cardinals | W, 24-0 (2-4) |
| 7 | Sunday, Oct. 29 | Pittsburgh Pirates | T, 14-14 (2-4-1) |
| 8 | Sunday, Nov. 5 | Chicago Cardinals | W, 14-0 (3-4-1) |
| 9 | Sunday, Nov. 19 | Detroit Lions | W, 14-3 (4-4-1) |
| 10 | Sunday, Nov. 26 | Green Bay Packers | L, 6-7 (4-5-1) |
| 11 | Sunday, Dec. 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | W, 35-13 (5-5-1) |
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Profootballhof.com, Stlouisrams.com
