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43. 1950 Los Angeles Rams
Record: 9–3, lost NFL championship game
Coach: Joe StydaharHall of Famers: Joe Stydahar (HC), Tom Fears (WR), Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch (WR), Bob Waterfield (QB), Norm Van Brocklin (QB)
Why they mattered:
In 1940, the Eagles became the first team in NFL history to throw the ball more than they ran it. The result was a 1–10 season. Ten years later, the Rams also went to the air on more than half of their plays, and became the first team in league history to enjoy a winning record by doing so.Los Angeles went 9–3 and for the second consecutive year won the Western Conference. In the title game, the Rams visited the Browns in Cleveland’s first year as an NFL squad following the merger from the AAFC. Cleveland won, 30–28, on a field goal with 28 seconds remaining by future Hall of Fame Lou Groza.
Still, Los Angeles’s impact on the game is undeniable. The Rams featured a pair of Canton-bound flankers in Fears and Hirsch, who in 1950 combined for 14 receiving touchdowns. In one five-week stretch, Los Angeles averaged 50.2 points per game, including consecutive wins over the Colts and Lions where the Rams scored 70 and 65 points, respectively.
In 1951, the Rams rode a similar roster to a third consecutive NFL title game, this time defeating the Browns for their first championship on the West Coast.