1955 NFL season

1955 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration September 24 – December 11, 1955
East Champions Cleveland Browns
West Champions Los Angeles Rams
Championship Game
Champions Cleveland Browns

The 1955 NFL season was the 36th regular season of the National Football League. NBC paid $100,000 to replace DuMont as the national television network for the NFL Championship Game. The season ended when the Cleveland Browns defeated the Los Angeles Rams 38–14 in the title game.

Major rule changes

Conference races

The defending champion Browns dropped their opener, at home, to the Redskins 27–17, but a six-game win streak put them back in front to win the Eastern race. The Western race was crowded a few times, as the Rams had to share the lead. In Week Eight, the Bears beat Los Angeles 24–3, to give both teams 5–3 records, The next week (November 20), the Bears took the lead with a 24–14 at Detroit while the Rams got a 17–17 tie at Baltimore. As had happened many times before in the annual battle of Chicago, the Bears were upset by the Cardinals in Week Ten (November 27), 53–14; the Rams eked out a 23–21 in Philadelphia on Les Richter's field goal with 0:07 left in the game.[1] In Week Eleven (December 4), the Rams won 20–14 over Baltimore, and the Bears kept their hopes alive with a difficult 21–20 win over Detroit. In the latter game, the Lions' Doak Walker missed an extra point, lost a fumble late in the game on the Detroit 28, and was wide on a 35-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds. The Bears won their last game (December 11), 17–10 over Philadelphia, to finish 8–4, and hoped for the 7–3–1 Rams would lose their game in Los Angeles against Green Bay. The Rams didn't lose, clinching a spot in the title game, with a 31–17 win.

Week Western Eastern
1 3 teams (Bal, GB, LA) 1–0–0 3 teams (Phi, Pit, Was) 1–0–0
2 3 teams (Bal, GB, LA) 2–0–0 Washington Redskins 2–0–0
3 Tie (Bal, LA) 3–0–0 4 teams (Cards, Cle, Pit, Was) 2–1–0
4 3 teams (Bal, GB, LA) 3–1–0 Tie (Cle, Pit) 3–1–0
5 Los Angeles Rams 4–1–0 Tie (Cle, Pit) 4–1–0
6 Tie (Bal, LA) 4–2–0 Cleveland Browns 5–1–0
7 Los Angeles Rams 5–2–0 Cleveland Browns 6–1–0
8 Tie (Bears, LA) 5–3–0 Cleveland Browns 6–2–0
9 Chicago Bears 6–3–0 Cleveland Browns 7–2–0
10 Los Angeles Rams 6–3–1 Cleveland Browns 7–2–1
11 Los Angeles Rams 7–3–1 Cleveland Browns 8–2–1
12 Los Angeles Rams 8–3–1 Cleveland Browns 9–2–1

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972

Eastern Conference
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Cleveland Browns 921.818349218
Washington Redskins 840.667246222
New York Giants 651.545267223
Chicago Cardinals 471.364224252
Philadelphia Eagles 471.364248231
Pittsburgh Steelers 480.333195285
Western Conference
TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Los Angeles Rams 831.727260231
Chicago Bears 840.667294251
Green Bay Packers 660.500258276
Baltimore Colts 561.455214239
San Francisco 49ers 480.333216298
Detroit Lions 390.250230275

NFL Championship Game

Cleveland 38, Los Angeles 14 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, Monday, December 26, 1955

Awards

League leaders

Statistic Name Team Yards
Passing Jim Finks Pittsburgh 2270
Rushing Alan Ameche Baltimore 961
Receiving Pete Pihos Philadelphia 864

References

  1. "Rams Recapture NFL Lead on Richter's Clutch Field Goal", Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California), Nov 28, 1955, pA-12
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