• Sunday dawned sunny but frigid.
• The famous 110-piece Redskins band led the contingent of Washington rooters in a parade to the stadium in sub-zero weather.
• An hour before kickoff, the thermometer read -2° as the players warmed up – or tried to. The mercury rose a few degrees above zero by kickoff but never got higher than 6° all afternoon. A "wild and wooly" wind made the cold worse.
• During warmups, Baugh's passes had no zip because he couldn't grip the ball well and his ribs ached. When DeGroot suggested that backup Frank Filchock start in his place, Sam said he wanted to try. "Maybe it'll warm up, and I'll feel better."
• Waterfield had gotten up before dawn to study his playbook. He worried about making a critical mistake. "I never thought about the weather." Before the game, he signed a three-year contract with the Rams that would make him the highest-paid player in the NFL in 1946 at $20,000.
• The players noticed the bales of straw around the field. Bossard had turned on the floodlights at 6:30 AM so his crew could clear the field, a job they completed just minutes before the teams came out for pregame exercise.
• Despite Bossard's best efforts, patches of ice covered the field, especially in the part of the field that served as the infield during baseball season. Baugh recalled: "It was like trying to play on a paved surface. Like we were out in the street." Others likened the playing surface to a hockey rink.
• The Redskins brought sneakers to give them better traction on the frozen field. However, the Rams had only cleats. Cleveland coach Adam Walsh appealed to Dud DeGroot, Washington's head man, and DeGroot agreed that his squad would play in the traditional football shoes. He refused to reconsider the decision even after his players found the footing treacherous during pregame warmups. That would turn out to be the decision that swayed the outcome of the game against his team.
• The press box could hold only 50 reporters. The rest of the media corps were issued seats in the stands. A fireman on duty in the press box constantly wiped frost off the windows to give the newspapermen clear views of the action.
• The officials bundled up like the players. Just before kickoff, umpire Harry Robb hurried into the dugout for a pair of gloves. He had played for the Canton Bulldogs 20 years earlier. "But I'd forgotten how much your nose and ears and hands hurt. It all came back to me that day."
• Fifteen minutes before kickoff, no more than 1,500 Eskimos inhabited the stands in the mammoth horseshoe stadium that seated 82,000. But by kickoff, 32,178 hardy souls showed up in all sorts of cold weather gear: blankets, parkas, earmuffs, stadium boots, flying suits, ski troop uniforms. Many coped with the cold the old fashioned way. "A veteran of attendance at football games ... said he had never seen so many inebriates in crowds even three times as large ... Some of the blanket-shrouded spectators who tried to obtain internal warmth curled up and went to sleep in the bitter cold, and a canvass of the stands had to be made to awaken a few of them lest they freeze when the warmth wore off." (Cleve­land Plain Dealer)
• Vendors peddled hot coffee in the stands. When one clumsy vendor attempted to apolo­gize for spilling coffee on a fan, he was told, "Never mind. The pleasure is all mine."
• The police arrested 14 for imbibing too much anti-freeze. Several had to be ferried home in police ambulances because of chills.
• Many tickets were turned in at the stadium gates for possible resale. None were resold because practically no business was done at the windows.
• One of the celebrities in attendance was Cleveland Indians' star RHP Bob Feller, who reported his wife and new son were both doing very well.
• Another notable braving the cold was Les Horvath, Ohio State All-American of 1944 who was an officer at Great Lakes Naval Station. Horvath was under contract to the Rams when he finished his military enlistment.

Rams huddle on their sideline behind bales of hay.

Fans expected a passing duel between Washington's wily veteran and their hometown hero from sunny California. The game would be decided in their heroes' favor on a pass by Baugh that nobody caught.

• Quarter 1
  Following Pat West's kickoff, Redskins FB Frank Akins hit the line for 8y but picked up a broken nose from the hit by Rams G Riley Matheson. But Frank refused to leave the game. After Akins was thrown for a 4y loss, Baugh punted on fourth down, Gillette re­turning to the Ram 21.
  Gehrke sped 16y on a crossbuck. Then Waterfield started attacking rookie DB Robert DeFruiter, hitting Benton twice, the second time for 30y to the 14, where DeFruiter pulled him down. The Redskins tried to counter by having veteran Dick Todd, a former top running back who was converted to safety, lend a hand. But the Redskins stiffened, no great feat in the icy weather. Gehrke, trying to run wide right, was nailed by E Wayne Millner for a 6y loss. Greenwood hit the center for 6y before a flat pass from Waterfield to Benton put the ball on the eight. On fourth down, Gillette drove into tackle but just missed the first down at the five.
  Baugh dropped back to the end of the end zone in what appeared to be punt formation. But Sammy planned to pass. However, he dropped the snap, picked it up, and heaved it toward the sideline to avoid a safety, earning an intentional grounding penalty that moved the ball to the 2 1/2. On second down, he called for a quick crossing pattern to either Millner or Bagarus. So Baugh took the snap in the same formation, bent down as if to punt, then threw the ball on a high arc toward the left sideline in the direction of Mill­ner, who recalled: "Everyone expected Sam to punt because we were backed up to the goal line. There was no one within a mile of me when I broke into the clear. But as Baugh threw the ball, the wind shifted and blew the ball into the goalpost." The players assumed the pass was incomplete, including Baugh, who fell on the ball just in case. But the officials invoked a little-known rule that said that a pass thrown from the end zone that hits the goal post results in a safety. So Cleveland led 2-0 after 9:20 of play.
  "I had a damn touchdown," Baugh recalled. "Wayne was clear out there, but I couldn't get as much on the ball as I usually did. ... 'Damn!' I said as soon as the ball hit the post. I was upset about not completing the pass. I had no idea about a safety until the referee made the signal, but even then I still was more damn mad at missing a touchdown than at Cleveland getting two points."
  The Rams were back in Washington territory as the period ended.

• Quarter 2
  Waterfield booted a bulls-eye corner kick out of bounds on the four.
  Since Baugh was obviously not at his best, Filchock took over under center with Merle Condit handling the punting. With the Ram line bottling up the Skins' infantry attack (just 35y on 34 attempts for the game), the six-year veteran's right arm would have to move the ball. Baugh would see little action the rest of the day and finish with only one completion for 1y in six attempts.
  
  The Redskins missed Baugh on defense as much as offense. He was an excellent safety, a sure tackler and a defensive quarterback who could read the opposition's offense as though he were operating it.
  The tide turned later when LB Ki Aldrich intercepted a Waterfield throw intended for Steve Pritko and returned to the Skin 48. Filchock's pass fell incomplete, but Cleve­land was penalized 15y for roughing to the 38. On the next play, Frank threw down the right sideline to Bagarus, who shook off Waterfield at the 12 and pranced into the end zone. When Aguirre booted the PAT, Washington led 7-2 with 5:31 left in the half.
  In the 12th minute, the Rams regained the lead, marching 70y in six plays. A flat pass to Gillette gained only a yard. Jim then ripped off 19 over tackle to the Washington 46. On the next play, a mix-up in the backfield left Waterfield uncovered, and he was thrown back to the Ram 49. But Bob came back with a 14y pass to Benton near the sideline in front of new DB Les Dye to the 37. Then Benton ran a post pattern from left end and grabbed a Waterfield pass 3y behind Dye and raced to the end zone to complete a 37y play. Rams 9 Redskins 7.
  Waterfield recalled marveling at his receivers' performance. "It was so cold I remember thinking at the time, 'How do these guys hold the ball?' I didn't have any trouble with the ball, but then I didn't have to catch it."
  The Rams' second weird break came on the PAT attempt. Several Redskins broke through, and T John Koniszewski got a hand on Waterfield's kick. But the ball was deflected just high enough to strike the crossbar and bounce over it to make it 9-7 Rams. In the broadcast booth, Wismer, who had already explained the odd safety to his audi­ence, said: "It's certainly a strange day. I can't remember ever seeing that one, either." "That extra point would make all the difference in the outcome," Shirley Povich wrote in the Washington Post: "To this point, the goal posts have been the twelfth man in the Rams' line-up."
  LB West gave the Rams another sterling opportunity when he intercepted a pass and ran 24y to the 12 with a minute to go. But Aldrich intercepted again to spoil the chance.

Waterfield's PAT kick bounces over crossbar.

• Quarter 3
  The Rams took the kickoff and marched 81y to their second touchdown. Gillette made 6y and Gehrke 5y for a first down on the 30. Jim added two more, and Waterfield passed to the reliable Benton for 8y to the 40. After an incompletion, Gillette broke loose for 14y. Two more runs put the ball on the 39, but an offside penalty set the Rams back to the 44. On the next play, Gillette darted down the center of the field past Al­drich and caught Waterfield's beautiful pass over his shoulder in stride at the nine just beyond two defenders. One dove and got a hand on Jim but didn't prevent him from scoring. Bob's kick sailed wide to leave it 15-7 Rams.
  Later, Bob hemmed in the Redskins with another "coffin corner" punt to the five. But the gold-shirted defense couldn't keep the enemy bottled up, and the Redskins started mov­ing.
  
  
  Gillette scores as Dick Todd (41) and Reid Lennan (51) chase in vain.
  With time winding down in the third period, the Redskins started moving. DeFruiter dashed 15y to the 43. Filchock took the next snap, faded back, and, just before the rush got to him, looped a pass down the middle to Bagarus who jumped and grabbed it at the Ram 45. The Fighting Irishman eluded a grasping tackle and ran free until Gehrke roared up and, fighting off a stiff arm, pulled Steve down from behind at the six. T Gil Bouley threw Filchock for an 11y loss. Plunges by Merlyn Condit and Sal Rosato made it 4th-and-goal at the nine. Veteran HB Bob Seymour loped in as a substitute, and the Rams apparently didn't see him. So Filchock took the snap, stepped back looking down the middle, then turned left and spotted Seymour running all alone. Bob took the pass in the end zone with no Ram within shouting distance. Aguirre's conversion made it 15-14 Rams. The scoring had ended but not the excitement.

Don Greenwood runs in his makeshift facemask.

• Quarter 4
  Filchock and Dye teamed up on a 44y pass play to the Ram 31 midway through the period. Three rushes gained 7y, and Aguirre, whose ironic nickname was "Hot Toe," came on to try a go-ahead field goal. On a frozen field with a frozen ball, kicking was more challenging than passing and catching. The wind that had gusted so strongly stopped as he lined up for the kick. But as soon as his toe struck the ball, the wind whipped up, pushing the ball just wide of the uprights.
  A little while later, Aguirre got another chance from 10y further out. That try didn't come close.
  In the final minute, Filchock chucked the ball from deep in his territory, but Albie Reisz intercepted and ran it back 16y to the Washington 29. Waterfield didn't risk a handoff, pushing into the line himself until the clock ran out.
  Owner Reeves, as was his superstitious custom, sat by himself away from his wife. As the clock wound down under five minutes, he got so excited he had to keep on the move. He could barely bring himself to look at what was happening on the field. He explained afterwards: "I've been used to losing for so long I wasn't counting on anything until it was over."

Aguirre launches one of two missed field goals in fourth quarter.

The Rams were more subdued than previous champions. One player spoke for everyone. "Who wants to celebrate? I just want to defrost."

• Walsh told his team: "You were great all the way." He wandered through the group, shout­ing praise to one and all as he clasped each player by the hand to deliver his personal thanks. He called Waterfield "the greatest T-formation quarterback in the country."
  "They overshifted a bit at times, and that's why we made such good use of Gillette." Jim ended with 17 carries for 101y, almost three times as much as the entire Redskins team gained on the ground.
  Walsh also revealed that regular FB Don Greenwood had received a shoulder injury in the last regular season game that greatly reduced his effectiveness. So West played much of the game at fullback.
  Adam expressed disappointment that the Baugh-Waterfield duel didn't materialize. "We wanted Washington to have its best for us because we know we can beat anything they have."
• Waterfield, who never endured anything close to these conditions at UCLA, said kicking was tougher than passing. "It's just so tough to get the ball up. The air is so heavy." On his missed PAT: "I just made a bad kick. Maybe my concentration wasn't good. I don't know."
• Gillette: "Tomorrow's my birthday. But I feel like I got my present today." Jim said the footing was better than it looked and "it only hurt when you hit the ground."
• One discordant note was the fact that C Mike Scarry, the team captain, hurt his left knee in the final 20 seconds and had to be helped to the dressing room where medical aid was administered.

Coach Walsh, Greenwood, Waterfield, Benton, Backfield Coach Bob Snyder

Few in the Redskins quiet locker room were in a mood to talk.

• After leaving his second straight championship game because of injury (the other being in '43), Baugh tried to hide his face as he wept. But a photographer spotted him and snap­ped a picture. Filchock accosted the intruder. "Have you no compassion? It has been a very tough day for us all. Leave us alone.
• Sammy spoke briefly. "I couldn't grip the ball too good. But Frankie and Waterfield seemed to do fine in the same conditions. Waterfield's going to be a great one."

Many spectators needed medical attention.

• The police dispatched special details to the Union Terminal and Hotel Cleveland to handle frozen fans who stopped at the first warm building they reached after leaving the sta­dium.
• Frozen or not, hardy fans celebrated the city's first football championship.

Despite the weather, the gross gate and the players' pool broke records.

• The players received $95,261 of the $164,542 total, which included a record $15,081 for radio rights.
• Each Ram took home $1,408.74, $20 more per man than the winning Giants pocketed in '44. The Redskins made $902 apiece.
• The second place teams in each division, Philadelphia and Detroit, got $4,763 each to split up.