NFL Championship Game: "Baugh Hits the Post"

The NFL’s championship game on December 16, 1945 between the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Rams at Cleveland Municipal Stadium was played in near-zero temperatures and would be affected by an unusual, soon-to-be defunct rule. In the first quarter, pushed back against his own goal line, the Redskins’ quarterback, Sammy Baugh, dropped back and launched a pass that hit the goal post, which at that time stood on the goal line. The referees enforced a rule unknown even to players back then: that if a ball thrown from the end zone hits the post, it is deemed a safety. This gave the Rams a 2-0 lead. That would prove significant: Each team had a passing touchdown in the second quarter, and the Rams maintained a two-point lead at halftime. Cleveland extended that advantage to 15-7 in the third quarter after a 44-yard touchdown pass from Bob Waterfield to Jim Gillette. The Redskins bounced back with a touchdown of their own to make it 15-14, but that’s where the score remained. After the season, there was a rule change: all thrown passes that clank off the post are incomplete. ― NFL 100

Box Score: Football Reference

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