The NFL has had its share of ultra-competitive divisions in the past. One division that earned that label was the 1953 Western Division. That’s the year that Los Angeles Rams head coach Hampton Pool had to lead his club against the rival San Francisco 49ers and the reigning NFL champion Detroit Lions for the division crown.
The Rams met the rival Lions in Detroit in Week 4 and left with a decisive 31-19 victory. The two teams met again on November 1, when the Lions visited a jam-packed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The record crowd of 93,751 watched as the Rams held off the Lions 37-34. The Rams two victories over Detroit were the only games the Lions lost during the regular season.
Los Angeles suffered only three losses during the 1953 season, but two of them came against the 49ers. Had the Rams won those two games, they would have passed the Lions and won the division.
The Rams finished third in the Western Division with a record of 8-3-1 while the 49ers finished second with a record of 9-3. The Lions finished first with a 10-2 record and earned the right to face the Cleveland Browns in the 1953 NFL Championship Game. The Browns would later beat the Lions to win another title.
Although the Rams were unable to advance into the playoffs, the team had a solid year. Contributions from the likes of fullback Dan Towler really set the mark for the team’s success. Towler became the first player in Rams history to rush over 200 yards in one game on Dec. 5 against the Baltimore Colts. Towler ran for 205 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ 45-2 victory of the Colts. Towler finished the year ranked second in the league in rushing yards (879) while running for eight touchdowns.
WR Elroy Hirsch also had a solid year. He racked up 941 receiving yards, which was second in the NFL. Both Towler and Hirsch made the Pro Bowl along with QB Norm Van Brocklin, LB Don Paul, DE Andy Robustelli and LB/FB Tank Younger. Hirsch, Paul and Robustelli earned first-team All-Pro honors.
Season Notes
– The Rams’ first round pick (ninth overall) in the 1953 NFL Draft was center Donn Moomaw out of UCLA.
– Co-owner Harold Pauley passed away.
– The Rams were second in the league in points scored (366).
| 1953 Los Angeles Rams | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | Sunday, Sept. 27 | New York Giants | W, 21-7 | 1-0 |
| 2 | Sunday, Oct. 4 | @San Francisco 49ers | L, 30-31 | 1-1 |
| 3 | Sunday, Oct. 11 | @Green Bay Packers | W, 38-20 | 2-1 |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 18 | @Detroit Lions | W, 31-19 | 3-1 |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 25 | Chicago Bears | W, 38-24 | 4-1 |
| 6 | Sunday, Nov. 1 | Detroit Lions | W, 37-24 | 5-1 |
| 7 | Sunday, Nov. 8 | San Francisco 49ers | L, 27-31 | 5-2 |
| 8 | Sunday, Nov. 15 | @Chicago Cardinals | T, 24-24 | 5-2-1 |
| 9 | Sunday, Nov. 22 | @Baltimore Colts | W, 21-13 | 6-2-1 |
| 10 | Sunday, Nov. 29 | @Chicago Bears | L, 21-24 | 6-3-1 |
| 11 | Sunday, Dec. 5 | Baltimore Colts | W, 45-2 | 7-3-1 |
| 12 | Sunday, Dec. 12 | Green Bay Packers | W, 33-17 | 8-3-1 |
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