1950 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League
. The merger with the All-America Football Conference
(AAFC) expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television
brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams
became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both home and away – televised. The Washington Redskins
became the second team to put their games on TV. Other teams arranged to have selected games televised.
, San Francisco 49ers
, and Baltimore Colts
— joined the NFL intact. The players of the former AAFC New York Yankees team
were divided up between the New York Giants
and the New York Bulldogs
(who changed their name to New York Yanks), the Los Angeles Dons
and Los Angeles Rams
merged, and a portion of the AAFC Buffalo Bills
was absorbed into the Browns organization. A special draft
was then held by the league's 13 teams to allocate the rest of the AAFC players.
The 13 teams were realigned into the American and National conferences. The merged league briefly flirted with the name "National-American Football League", but restored the name "National Football League" a few months later.
The merger allowed the former 4-time AAFC champion Browns, the 49ers, and the Colts to survive. Without the agreement, those teams along with the entire AAFC would have folded due to financial difficulties. Instead, the Browns went on to defeat the Rams in the NFL Championship Game.
Also, the 1950 season saw the first effort by the league to play games outside the United States when the New York Giants
traveled north to face the Ottawa Rough Riders
of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (later to become a part of the Canadian Football League
) in an exhibition match on August 12. The Giants and Rough Riders would repeat the feat in 1951; the Giants handily won both games.
Under the alignment, both conferences had a New York and a Chicago team. The "American Conference" (formerly the Eastern Division) had six teams including the Giants and the Cardinals, and the "National Conference" (the old Western Division) had seven teams including the Yanks and the Bears, as well as the Baltimore Colts. Except for Baltimore, each team played a home-and-away game against the other five teams in their conference, one game outside the conference, and one game against Baltimore over the course of a 12 game schedule. Baltimore, a "swing team", played one game against each of the other 12 NFL clubs. Over a 13 week season, one team was idle each week while the other 12 met in the six scheduled games.
The league also established the Pro Bowl
in the 1950 season. Though the league had attempted an all-star game annually between 1938 and 1942, it had canceled the game because of World War II and did not revive it when the war ended. Unlike the previous all-star game format, which pitted the league's most recent champion against the league's best all-stars, the Pro Bowl would pit two all-star teams, one from each conference, against each other.
booted all the points in the Steelers' 9–7 win over the Eagles, and the Giants' Ray Poole made a 40 yard kick with 0:04 left to beat Washington 24–21. The Browns regained the lead of the American conference in a 10–7 win over the Cards, with the margin being a Lou Groza
field goal.
In Week Nine (November 13), the New York Yanks lost their rematch with the Bears, 28–20, putting both teams at 6–2, while the Rams took the lead in the National with a 45–7 win over Green Bay. Meanwhile, former AAFC teams Cleveland and San Francisco met for the first time in the NFL, with the Browns winning 34–17 to stay in front in the American. A crowd of 42,673 turned out at Yankee Stadium to watch the New York Yanks, who lost to the Rams 43–35 in Week Ten (November 20), as L.A. and Cleveland kept their leads. The big game of Week Eleven on November 27 was in Chicago, where the Bears took a 24–0 lead over the Rams on the way to a 24–14 win, and a half game lead (8–2 vs. 8–3) over them in the National Conference. Cleveland had a bye week, and the Giants 7–3 win over the Eagles tied them with the Browns in the American, with 8–2 records.
On December 3, 1950, all six of the Week Twelve games had significance. Taunted as a team that couldn't win a game without passing, the Cleveland Browns won again against the Eagles, 13–7, this time without Otto Graham
attempting a pass. There were 17 punt returns, 12 by Philadelphia, both records. In New York, George Taliaferro
had a record 8 kickoff returns for the Yanks in a 51–7 loss to the Giants. Both the Browns and Giants stayed tied in the American Conference with records of 9–2–0. Bill Dudley
of Washington returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown in a 24–7 win over the Steelers. In the National Conference, Cloyce Box
of Detroit had 302 yards receiving, one yard short of the NFL record, in a 45–21 win over Baltimore. Tom Fears
had an NFL record 18 pass receptions for the Rams in a 51–14 win over Green Bay and a 9–3–0 record to lead the division. Meanwhile, the Bears were upset by the crosstown Cardinals, 20–10, dropping them to 8–3–0, a half game behind L.A. In the final week, Week Thirteen, the Browns, Giants and Bears were all in must-win situations, while the Rams had finished their season at 9–3–0. The Bears, at 8–3–0, were tied 3–3 with the Lions after three quarters. George Blanda
booted a 22 yard field goal and Chicago held on for a 6–3 win to give them a 9–3–0 record and a tie for the American Conference title with the Rams. The Browns and Giants were both at 9–2–0, and both were playing on the road. Cleveland handled Washington 45–21, while the Giants had to fight off numerous drives by Philadelphia to protect a 9–7 win. With ties for first place in both conferences, the NFL title game had to be delayed a week while an unprecedented four team playoff took place. The Giants and Browns would meet in Cleveland, while the Bears and the Rams would meet in Los Angeles.
Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
American Conference Playoff Game
National Conference Playoff Game
NFL Championship Game
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The merger with the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
(AAFC) expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both home and away – televised. The Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
became the second team to put their games on TV. Other teams arranged to have selected games televised.
The AAFC–NFL merger
The NFL and the AAFC merged prior to the season. Three AAFC teams — Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, and Baltimore Colts
Baltimore Colts (1947-50)
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The first team to bear the name Baltimore Colts, they were members of the All-America Football Conference from 1947–1949, and then joined the National Football League for one season before folding...
— joined the NFL intact. The players of the former AAFC New York Yankees team
New York Yankees (AAFC)
The New York Yankees were a professional American football team that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. The team played in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and often played in front of sold-out crowds . They were owned by Dan Topping, who brought many of his Brooklyn...
were divided up between the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the New York Bulldogs
New York Yanks
The New York Yanks American football team played in the National Football League under that name in the 1950 and 1951 seasons. In 1949, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins had requested the NFL to fold his Boston team and give him a new one in New York City...
(who changed their name to New York Yanks), the Los Angeles Dons
Los Angeles Dons
The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 that played in the Los Angeles Coliseum....
and Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
merged, and a portion of the AAFC Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
was absorbed into the Browns organization. A special draft
1950 AAFC Dispersal Draft
The National Football League held a dispersal draft on June 2, 1950 for players from the All-America Football Conference teams of the Brooklyn-New York Yankees, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Hornets, and Los Angeles Dons...
was then held by the league's 13 teams to allocate the rest of the AAFC players.
The 13 teams were realigned into the American and National conferences. The merged league briefly flirted with the name "National-American Football League", but restored the name "National Football League" a few months later.
The merger allowed the former 4-time AAFC champion Browns, the 49ers, and the Colts to survive. Without the agreement, those teams along with the entire AAFC would have folded due to financial difficulties. Instead, the Browns went on to defeat the Rams in the NFL Championship Game.
Also, the 1950 season saw the first effort by the league to play games outside the United States when the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
traveled north to face the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
of the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (later to become a part of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
) in an exhibition match on August 12. The Giants and Rough Riders would repeat the feat in 1951; the Giants handily won both games.
Under the alignment, both conferences had a New York and a Chicago team. The "American Conference" (formerly the Eastern Division) had six teams including the Giants and the Cardinals, and the "National Conference" (the old Western Division) had seven teams including the Yanks and the Bears, as well as the Baltimore Colts. Except for Baltimore, each team played a home-and-away game against the other five teams in their conference, one game outside the conference, and one game against Baltimore over the course of a 12 game schedule. Baltimore, a "swing team", played one game against each of the other 12 NFL clubs. Over a 13 week season, one team was idle each week while the other 12 met in the six scheduled games.
The league also established the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in the 1950 season. Though the league had attempted an all-star game annually between 1938 and 1942, it had canceled the game because of World War II and did not revive it when the war ended. Unlike the previous all-star game format, which pitted the league's most recent champion against the league's best all-stars, the Pro Bowl would pit two all-star teams, one from each conference, against each other.
Major rule changes
- The free substitution rule (any or all of the players may be replaced by substitutes after any play) was restored on a permanent basis. This change paved the way for player specialization in pro football, including three separate units for each team: offensive team, defensive team, and special teams.
- If a backwards pass or fumble goes out of bounds before it is recovered, the team that had control of the ball last maintains possession.
Regular season highlights
Week One The opening game of the 1950 NFL season was a matchup between the defending champions of the AAFC and the NFL, the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles, respectively. The teams had never met prior to September 16, 1950, and a crowd of 71,237 turned out in Philadelphia. The Browns won 35–10. In Week Three (October 1), the New York Giants handed the Browns their first shutout ever, winning 6–0 in Cleveland while grounding Otto Graham's passing attack. In Week Five (October 15), the Steelers beat the Giants 17–6 at the Polo Grounds, knocking them out of the American Conference lead. The other New York team, the Yanks, had a share of the lead in the National Conference after a 29–24 win in Yankee Stadium over the 49ers, but only 5,740 fans turned out to watch. The Browns-Giants rematch took place on October 22 in Week Six in New York, and the Giants won again, 17–13. In the west, the Colts scored four touchdowns against the Rams, but the Rams had ten in a 70–27 blowout. L.A. had a 65–24 win over Detroit in Week Seven (October 29), which saw the Eagles reclaim the lead in their conference with a 35–3 win over Washington and the Giants' 17–3 loss to the Cardinals. In the other New York-Chicago game, the Yanks raised their record to 6–1–0 with a 38–27 win over the Bears. The Yanks were idle in Week Eight (November 6), in which field goals played a prominent role. Pittsburgh's Joe GeriJoe Geri
Joe Geri was a former American Football quarterback-running back who played four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals from 1949 to 1952 in the National Football League. He was a two time Pro Bowler in 1950 and 1951...
booted all the points in the Steelers' 9–7 win over the Eagles, and the Giants' Ray Poole made a 40 yard kick with 0:04 left to beat Washington 24–21. The Browns regained the lead of the American conference in a 10–7 win over the Cards, with the margin being a Lou Groza
Lou Groza
Louis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
field goal.
In Week Nine (November 13), the New York Yanks lost their rematch with the Bears, 28–20, putting both teams at 6–2, while the Rams took the lead in the National with a 45–7 win over Green Bay. Meanwhile, former AAFC teams Cleveland and San Francisco met for the first time in the NFL, with the Browns winning 34–17 to stay in front in the American. A crowd of 42,673 turned out at Yankee Stadium to watch the New York Yanks, who lost to the Rams 43–35 in Week Ten (November 20), as L.A. and Cleveland kept their leads. The big game of Week Eleven on November 27 was in Chicago, where the Bears took a 24–0 lead over the Rams on the way to a 24–14 win, and a half game lead (8–2 vs. 8–3) over them in the National Conference. Cleveland had a bye week, and the Giants 7–3 win over the Eagles tied them with the Browns in the American, with 8–2 records.
On December 3, 1950, all six of the Week Twelve games had significance. Taunted as a team that couldn't win a game without passing, the Cleveland Browns won again against the Eagles, 13–7, this time without Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
attempting a pass. There were 17 punt returns, 12 by Philadelphia, both records. In New York, George Taliaferro
George Taliaferro
George Taliaferro is a former professional American football player. He was the first African American drafted by a National Football League team....
had a record 8 kickoff returns for the Yanks in a 51–7 loss to the Giants. Both the Browns and Giants stayed tied in the American Conference with records of 9–2–0. Bill Dudley
Bill Dudley
William McGarvey "Bullet Bill" Dudley was a professional American football player in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.-Early life:Dudley was born in Bluefield, Virginia and...
of Washington returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown in a 24–7 win over the Steelers. In the National Conference, Cloyce Box
Cloyce Box
Cloyce Kennedy Box was an American football end in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions, where he was voted into two Pro Bowls. He played college football at Louisiana Tech in 1944 and then at West Texas A&M University. He was drafted in the 20th round of the 1948 NFL Draft by the...
of Detroit had 302 yards receiving, one yard short of the NFL record, in a 45–21 win over Baltimore. Tom Fears
Tom Fears
Thomas Jesse Fears was a Mexican-American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League, playing nine seasons from 1948 to 1956.-Early life:...
had an NFL record 18 pass receptions for the Rams in a 51–14 win over Green Bay and a 9–3–0 record to lead the division. Meanwhile, the Bears were upset by the crosstown Cardinals, 20–10, dropping them to 8–3–0, a half game behind L.A. In the final week, Week Thirteen, the Browns, Giants and Bears were all in must-win situations, while the Rams had finished their season at 9–3–0. The Bears, at 8–3–0, were tied 3–3 with the Lions after three quarters. George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
booted a 22 yard field goal and Chicago held on for a 6–3 win to give them a 9–3–0 record and a tie for the American Conference title with the Rams. The Browns and Giants were both at 9–2–0, and both were playing on the road. Cleveland handled Washington 45–21, while the Giants had to fight off numerous drives by Philadelphia to protect a 9–7 win. With ties for first place in both conferences, the NFL title game had to be delayed a week while an unprecedented four team playoff took place. The Giants and Browns would meet in Cleveland, while the Bears and the Rams would meet in Los Angeles.
Conference races
| Week | NATIONAL | AMERICAN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 teams (Bears, Det, NYY) | 1–0–0 | 3 teams (Cle, NYG, Was) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | Tie: (Bears, Lions) | 2–0–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | 4 teams (Bears, Det, GB, LA) | 2–1–0 | NEW YORK GIANTS | 2–0–0 |
| 4 | 3 teams (Bears, Det, NYY) | 3–1–0 | NEW YORK GIANTS | 3–0–0 |
| 5 | Tie: (Bears, Yanks) | 4–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 4–1–0 |
| 6 | NEW YORK YANKS | 5–1–0 | Tie: (Giants, Phi) | 4–1–0 |
| 7 | NEW YORK YANKS | 6–1–0 | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | 5–1–0 |
| 8 | NEW YORK YANKS | 6–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 6–2–0 |
| 9 | LOS ANGELES RAMS | 7–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 7–2–0 |
| 10 | LOS ANGELES RAMS | 8–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 8–2–0 |
| 11 | CHICAGO BEARS | 8–2–0 | Tie: (Browns, Giants) | 8–2–0 |
| 12 | LOS ANGELES RAMS | 9–3–0 | Tie: (Browns, Giants) | 9–2–0 |
| 13 | Tie: (Bears, Rams) | 9–3–0 | Tie: (Browns, Giants) | 10–2–0 |
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points AgainstNote: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
Playoffs
See: 1950 NFL playoffs- Home team in capitals
American Conference Playoff Game
- CLEVELAND 8, N.Y. Giants 3
National Conference Playoff Game
- LOS ANGELES 24, Chi. Bears 14
NFL Championship Game
- CLEVELAND 30, Los Angeles 28