1964 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season
of the National Football League
. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle
reinstated Green Bay Packers
running back
Paul Hornung
and Detroit Lions
defensive tackle Alex Karras
, who had been suspended for the 1963 season
due to gambling.
This season is noteworthy for a change in uniform rules – while the league had dictated since 1957 that the home team must wear a colored jersey and the visitors a white one, teams were now given the option of wearing their white jerseys at home. As a result, the Browns, Cardinals, Colts, Cowboys, Rams, Redskins, Steelers (for one game) and Vikings (except for one game in which the Lions forgot to bring their blue jerseys) http://www.uniwatchblog.com/research-projects/white-at-home-in-the-nfl/ did so; while the rest reverted to home colors the following year, the Cardinals would not wear red at home until 1966, the Rams would not do so again until 1972, the Browns only once until 1975, and the Cowboys, aside from an unwilling use of their blue tops as the "home" team in Super Bowls, have continuously worn white at home to this day.
The season ended when the Cleveland Browns
defeated the Baltimore Colts
in the NFL Championship Game – the last major sports championship for any Cleveland team to date.
In the Eastern Conference, the Browns and the Cardinals played to a 33–33 tie on September 20, and were both 4–1–1 after six games. In Week Seven, Cleveland beat New York 42–20, while St. Louis fell to Dallas, 31–13. When the Cardinals beat the Browns 28–19 in Week Thirteen, they were only a game behind and needed a win and a Cleveland loss to have a chance for a playoff. St. Louis won, 36–34 in Philadelphia, but Cleveland also won, 52–20 over the Giants.
Note: Prior to 1972, the NFL did not include tie games when calculating a team's winning percentage in the official standings
, December 27, 1964
Regular season (NFL)
The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
of the National Football League
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...
. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....
reinstated Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
defensive tackle Alex Karras
Alex Karras
Alexander George "Alex" Karras , nicknamed "The Mad Duck", is a former football player, professional wrestler, and actor, best known for his stint with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1958–1962 and 1964-1970 and for his role as Mongo in the film Blazing Saddles...
, who had been suspended for the 1963 season
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
due to gambling.
This season is noteworthy for a change in uniform rules – while the league had dictated since 1957 that the home team must wear a colored jersey and the visitors a white one, teams were now given the option of wearing their white jerseys at home. As a result, the Browns, Cardinals, Colts, Cowboys, Rams, Redskins, Steelers (for one game) and Vikings (except for one game in which the Lions forgot to bring their blue jerseys) http://www.uniwatchblog.com/research-projects/white-at-home-in-the-nfl/ did so; while the rest reverted to home colors the following year, the Cardinals would not wear red at home until 1966, the Rams would not do so again until 1972, the Browns only once until 1975, and the Cowboys, aside from an unwilling use of their blue tops as the "home" team in Super Bowls, have continuously worn white at home to this day.
The season ended when the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland 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...
defeated the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in the NFL Championship Game – the last major sports championship for any Cleveland team to date.
Conference races
The Western Conference race started with Baltimore losing its opener at Minnesota, 34–24. After that, the Colts went on an 11-game winning streak, taking the lead on October 4 with their 35–20 win over the Rams, and clinching a spot in the title game on November 22.In the Eastern Conference, the Browns and the Cardinals played to a 33–33 tie on September 20, and were both 4–1–1 after six games. In Week Seven, Cleveland beat New York 42–20, while St. Louis fell to Dallas, 31–13. When the Cardinals beat the Browns 28–19 in Week Thirteen, they were only a game behind and needed a win and a Cleveland loss to have a chance for a playoff. St. Louis won, 36–34 in Philadelphia, but Cleveland also won, 52–20 over the Giants.
| Week | WESTERN | EASTERN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 teams (Det,GB,LA,Min) | 1–0–0 | 3 teams (Cle, Phi, StL) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | Tie (Det, LA) | 1–0–1 | Tie (Cle, StL) | 1–0–1 |
| 3 | LOS ANGELES RAMS | 2–0–1 | Tie (Cle, StL) | 2–0–1 |
| 4 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 3–1–0 | Tie (Cle, StL) | 3–0–1 |
| 5 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 4–1–0 | Tie (Cle, StL) | 3–1–1 |
| 6 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 5–1–0 | Tie (Cle, StL) | 4–1–1 |
| 7 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 6–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 5–1–1 |
| 8 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 7–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 6–1–1 |
| 9 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 8–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 7–1–1 |
| 10 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 9–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 8–1–1 |
| 11 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 10–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 8–2–1 |
| 12 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 11–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 9–2–1 |
| 13 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 11–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 9–3–1 |
| 14 | BALTIMORE COLTS | 12–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 10–3–1 |
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points AgainstNote: Prior to 1972, the NFL did not include tie games when calculating a team's winning percentage in the official standings
NFL Championship Game
Cleveland 27, Baltimore 0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, December 27, 1964
Awards
| Most Valuable Player NFL Most Valuable Player Award The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. When the award is referred to without mentioning the organization, it generally means the AP award. The AP NFL MVP... |
Johnny Unitas Johnny Unitas John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football... , Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... , Baltimore Colts |
| Coach of the Year NFL Coach of the Year Award The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the... |
Don Shula Don Shula Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.... , Baltimore Colts |