It was a historic year for the Rams organization in 1946. Owner Daniel Reeves fought hard to receive approval from the NFL to move to Los Angeles when the team’s situation in Cleveland grew dire. The league initially denied Reeves’ request, but the Rams’ owner threatened to end his relationship with the NFL. In reality, Reeves had little choice but to move the franchise after Paul Brown’s Cleveland Browns won the Municipal Stadium lease.
The move to Los Angeles produced changes that extended further than the football field. Desegregation was one of the requirements set forth by the city of Los Angeles if the team was going to move there. The Rams agreed to this change and became the first NFL franchise to sign black players in the modern day NFL when they picked up former UCLA players Kenny Washington and Woodrow “Woody” Strode.
The Rams’ historic moves didn’t translate well to the football field; the team had a mediocre year one season after winning the championship. It all began with a 25-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles before a crowd of 30,500 fans, a modest attendance count considering that the Memorial Coliseum was capable of holding over 100,000 people. However, the attendance numbers were still much higher than what the team was averaging in Cleveland.
The Rams followed up their opening loss with two big victories over the Green Bay Packers (21-17) and the Detroit Lions (35-14). The team then traveled to Chicago to face the Bears in what became a thriller. A late touchdown by the Bears ended the game in a 28-28 tie.
The Rams’ worst loss of the season came at the hands of the Chicago Cardinals as the normally high-scoring offense was stuffed in the 34-10 defeat. The team then bounced back the following week by pounding the Lions, 41-20.
The Week 6 rematch between the Rams and Bears drew the largest crowd of the season (68,831) in Los Angeles. The game didn’t disappoint as the two clubs played a close game throughout. However, the Bears held off a later rally from the Rams to earn the 27-21 victory.
The Rams earned their revenge against the Cardinals on Nov. 17 in Los Angeles when quarterback Bob Waterfield connected with Steve Pritko for the game-winning touchdown. The 17-14 victory moved the Rams’ season mark to 4-3-1.
Los Angeles finished the season by winning two of its remaining three games, including a dominating 38-17 victory over the Packers at home in the season finale. The Rams earned second place in the NFL Western Division with a record of 6-4-1. The team missed the playoffs one year after winning its first NFL title.
Season Notes
– The Rams became the first NFL team to move West of the Mississippi River and played their home games at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum until 1979.
– Training camp was held at Compton College.
– The Rams selected Notre Dame halfback Emil Sitko with the 10th overall pick in the 1946 NFL Draft.
– The team finished second in the league in points scored with 277 points.
– Several players earned all-pro honors, including quarterback Bob Waterfield, guard Riley Matheson and wide receiver Jim Benton.
– Waterfield led the league in pass completions (127), passing touchdowns (17) and finished second in the NFL with 1,747 passing yards and a 67.7 passer rating.
– Benton dominated the league with 63 receptions, which nearly doubled Boston receiver Hal Crisler’s 32 catches. He also led the league in receiving yards (981) and yards-per-game (89.2). Benton finished second in the NFL with six receiving touchdowns.
| 1946 Los Angeles Rams | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | Sunday, Sept. 29 | Philadelphia Eagles | L, 14-25 | 0-1 |
| 2 | Sunday, Oct. 6 | @Green Bay Packers | W, 21-17 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Sunday, Oct. 13 | @Chicago Bears | T, 28-28 | 1-1-1 |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 20 | Detroit Lions | W, 35-14 | 2-1-1 |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 27 | @Chicago Cardinals | L, 10-34 | 2-2-1 |
| 6 | Sunday, Nov. 3 | @Detroit Lions | W, 41-20 | 3-2-1 |
| 7 | Sunday, Nov. 10 | Chicago Bears | L, 21-27 | 3-3-1 |
| 8 | Sunday, Nov. 17 | Chicago Cardinals | W, 17-14 | 4-3-1 |
| 9 | Sunday, Nov. 24 | @Boston Yanks | L, 21-40 | 4-4-1 |
| 10 | Sunday, Dec. 1 | @New York Giants | W, 31-21 | 5-4-1 |
| 11 | Sunday, Dec. 8 | Green Bay Packers | W, 38-17 | 6-4-1 |
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
