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.
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.
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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 Against
Note: Prior to 1972, the NFL did not include tie games when calculating a team's winning percentage in the official standings
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 10 | 3 | 1 | .769 | 415 | 293 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 9 | 3 | 2 | .750 | 357 | 331 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 312 | 313 |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 307 | 305 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | 250 | 289 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 253 | 315 |
| New York Giants | 2 | 10 | 2 | .167 | 241 | 399 |
| Western Conference | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 428 | 225 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 342 | 245 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 355 | 296 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 5 | 2 | .583 | 280 | 260 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 5 | 7 | 2 | .417 | 283 | 339 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 260 | 379 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 236 | 330 |
NFL Championship Game
Cleveland 27, Baltimore 0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio, December 27, 1964
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1961-1970 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- 1964 season in details
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
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1964 NFL Season
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|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
| Cleveland | Baltimore |
| Dallas | Chicago |
| NY Giants | Detroit |
| Philadelphia | Green Bay |
| Pittsburgh | Los Angeles |
| St. Louis | Minnesota |
| Washington | San Francisco |
| 1964 NFL Draft • NFL Championship • Pro Bowl Related: 1964 AFL Season |
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