1955 NFL season


The 1955 NFL season was the 36th regular season of the National Football League. NBC paid $100,000 to replace DuMont as the national television network for the NFL Championship Game. The season ended when the Cleveland Browns defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the title game.

Draft

The 1955 NFL Draft was held from January 27-28, 1955 at Philadelphia's Warwick Hotel. With the first pick, the Baltimore Colts selected running back George Shaw from Oregon State University.

Major rule changes

The defending champion Browns dropped their opener, at home, to the Redskins 27–17, but a six-game win streak put them back in front to win the Eastern race. The Western race was crowded a few times, as the Rams had to share the lead. In Week Eight, the Bears beat Los Angeles 24–3, to give both teams 5–3 records, The next week, the Bears took the lead with a 24–14 at Detroit while the Rams got a 17–17 tie at Baltimore. As had happened many times before in the annual battle of Chicago, the Bears were upset by the Cardinals in Week Ten, 53–14; the Rams eked out a 23–21 in Philadelphia on Les Richter's field goal with 0:07 left in the game. In Week Eleven, the Rams won 20–14 over Baltimore, and the Bears kept their hopes alive with a difficult 21–20 win over Detroit. In the latter game, the Lions' Doak Walker missed an extra point, lost a fumble late in the game on the Detroit 28, and was wide on a 35-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds. The Bears won their last game, 17–10 over Philadelphia, to finish 8–4, and hoped for the 7–3–1 Rams would lose their game in Los Angeles against Green Bay. The Rams did not lose, clinching a spot in the title game, with a 31–17 win.
WeekWesternEastern
13 teams 1–0–03 teams 1–0–0
23 teams 2–0–0Washington Redskins2–0–0
3Tie 3–0–04 teams 2–1–0
43 teams 3–1–0Tie 3–1–0
5Los Angeles Rams4–1–0Tie 4–1–0
6Tie 4–2–0Cleveland Browns5–1–0
7Los Angeles Rams5–2–0Cleveland Browns6–1–0
8Tie 5–3–0Cleveland Browns6–2–0
9Chicago Bears6–3–0Cleveland Browns7–2–0
10Los Angeles Rams6–3–1Cleveland Browns7–2–1
11Los Angeles Rams7–3–1Cleveland Browns8–2–1
12Los Angeles Rams8–3–1Cleveland Browns9–2–1

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972

NFL Championship Game

Cleveland 38, Los Angeles 14 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, Monday, December 26, 1955

League leaders

Awards