1946 NFL season
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The 1946 NFL season was the 27th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Elmer Layden resigned as NFL Commissioner and Bert Bell, co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, replaced him. Meanwhile, the Rams became the first NFL team based on the West Coast after they relocated from Cleveland, Ohio to Los Angeles.
The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game.
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[edit] Major rule changes
- A forward pass that strikes the goal posts is automatically ruled incomplete. This is sometimes known as the "Baugh/Marshall Rule" after Washington Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh and team owner George Preston Marshall. In the previous year's NFL Championship Game, the Rams scored a safety when Baugh, throwing the ball from his own end zone, hit the goal posts (which were on the goal line between 1927 and 1973). The two points was the margin of victory as the Rams won 15-14. Marshall was so mad at the outcome that he was a major force in passing this rule change.
- The free substitution rule was repealed and substitutions were limited to no more than three players at a time.
- The receiving team is permitted to return punts and missed field goal attempts from behind their own goal line.
- The penalty for an invalid fair catch signal is 5 yards from the spot of the signal.
- A fair catch signal is valid when it is made while the ball is in flight.
[edit] Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
| Eastern Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 7 | 3 | 1 | .700 | 236 | 162 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 231 | 220 |
| Washington Redskins | 5 | 5 | 1 | .500 | 171 | 191 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 5 | 1 | .500 | 136 | 117 |
| Boston Yanks | 2 | 8 | 1 | .200 | 189 | 273 |
| Western Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 2 | 1 | .800 | 289 | 193 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 4 | 1 | .600 | 277 | 257 |
| Green Bay Packers | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 148 | 158 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 260 | 198 |
| Detroit Lions | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | 142 | 310 |
[edit] NFL Championship Game
Chi. Bears 24, N.Y. Giants 14, at Polo Grounds, New York City, December 15, 1946
[edit] Awards
| Joe F. Carr Trophy (Most Valuable Player) | Bill Dudley, Halfback, Pittsburgh |
[edit] References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 193299436X)
- NFL History 1941-1950 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0062701746)
