The 1951 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 14th year with the National Football League and the sixth season in Los Angeles. The Rams won their second NFL Championship in seven seasons, and their first in Los Angeles.
| 1951 Los Angeles Rams season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Joe Stydahar | ||||||
| Home field | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | ||||||
| Results | |||||||
| Record | 8-4 | ||||||
| Division Place | 1st NFL National | ||||||
| Playoff finish | Won NFL Championship | ||||||
| Pro Bowlers | Norm Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield, Dan Towler, Tank Younger, Elroy Hirsch, Larry Brink, Don Paul | ||||||
| Timeline | |||||||
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The 1951 scored 391 points, the second-most points-scored in the 1950s (although significantly less than the highest-scoring team of the decade, the 1950 Rams).[1]
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Contents
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 28, 1951 | New York Yanks | W 54-14 |
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| 2 | October 7, 1951 | Cleveland Browns | L 38-28 |
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| 3 | October 14, 1951 | at Detroit Lions | W 27-21 |
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| 4 | October 21, 1951 | at Green Bay Packers | W 28-0 |
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| 5 | October 28, 1951 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 44-17 |
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| 6 | November 4, 1951 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23-16 |
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| 7 | November 11, 1951 | Chicago Cardinals | W 45-21 |
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| 8 | November 18, 1951 | New York Yanks | W 48-21 |
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| 9 | November 25, 1951 | at Washington Redskins | L 31-21 |
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| 10 | December 2, 1951 | at Chicago Bears | W 42-17 |
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| 11 | December 9, 1951 | Detroit Lions | L 24-22 |
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| 12 | December 16, 1951 | Green Bay Packers | W 42-14 |
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 23, 1951 | Cleveland Browns | W 24-17 |
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| NFL National | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 392 | 261 | W-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 255 | 205 | W-3 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 336 | 259 | L-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 286 | 282 | L-1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 254 | 375 | L-7 |
| New York Yanks | 1 | 9 | 2 | .100 | 241 | 382 | L-2 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Rams | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
The Rams were the first to score with a 1-yard run by fullback Dick Hoerner in the second quarter. The Browns answered back with an NFL Championship record 52-yard field goal by Lou Groza. They later took the lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Otto Graham to Dub Jones. The Browns take the lead at halftime 10–7.
In the third quarter Larry Brink landed a hard tackle on Graham causing him to fumble the ball. Andy Robustelli picked up the ball on the Cleveland 24 and returned it to the Cleveland 2. On the third play of the drive, "Deacon" Dan Towler ran the ball in for a touchdown from the one yard line giving the Rams a 14–10 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Rams increased their lead with a Bob Waterfield 17-yard field goal. The Browns answered back with an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Ken Carpenter, tying the game at 17–17. Twenty-five seconds later late in the fourth quarter, Tom Fears beat defenders Cliff Lewis and Tommy James and received a Norm Van Brocklin pass at midfield. Fears raced to the endzone for a 73-yard touchdown, securing a Rams 24–17 win and the 1951 NFL title.
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| American Conference | National Conference |
| Chicago Cardinals | Chicago Bears |
| Cleveland | Detroit |
| NY Giants | Green Bay |
| Philadelphia | Los Angeles |
| Pittsburgh | NY Yanks |
| Washington | San Francisco |
| 1951 NFL Draft • NFL Championship • Pro Bowl | |
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