1946 NFL Quarterfinal-New York Yankees-14, Los Angeles Rams-7

December 22, 1946

Weather-28 degrees, 24 mph WNW

The Yankees marched 76 yards to score the go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Spec Sanders to Pug Manders, then held on for a 14-7 victory over the NFL runners-up from 1945, the Rams (this time from Los Angeles instead of Cleveland). Manders would score both TDs for New York, the first one coming on a 28-yard sweep of the right end that gave New York a 7-0 lead. Before halftime, the Rams would even the score on a TD pass from Bob Waterfield to Jim Benton.

But, the Rams offense would bog down in the second half, and the Benton touchdown was the last score for the Rams in 1946. Los Angeles would be held to 80 yards in the second half. The New York Yankees will host an NFL Semifinal next week, either against the Los Angeles Dons or the Chicago Cardinals.

Los Angeles Rams...(6-5-1)-0-7-0-0-7
New York Yankees.(11-3-1)-0-7-0-7-14

NYY-Manders 28 run (Johnson Kick)
LAR-Benton 2 pass from Waterfield (Waterfield Kick)
NYY-Manders 5 pass from Sanders (Johnson Kick)

Rushing (season totals in parentheses)
LAR-Harmon-7-47-0 (54-283-2), Gehrke-13-24-0 (84-395-3), West-5-12-0 (45-238-1), Banta-8-11-0 (52-220-0), Waterfield-1-0-0 (17-(-60)-1)
NYY-Prokop-12-82-0 (77-318-1), Manders-7-64-1 (56-232-4), Wagner-3-27-0 (18-56-0), Sanders-13-25-0 (153-734-6), Kennedy-10-9-0 (68-188-2), Burrus-1-7-0 (2-10-0)

Passing
LAR-Waterfield-26-12-123-1-1 (277-139-1,870-18-18)
NYY-Sanders-13-9-108-1-0 (92-42-519-5-9)

Receiving
LAR-Benton-6-74-1 (69-1,055-7), Pritko-2-20-0 (20-205-2), Hickey-1-9-0 (9-222-3), Hamilton-1-9-0 (9-101-0), Gehrke-1-8-0 (12-91-2), Harmon-1-3-0 (11-202-2)
NYY-Russell-3-32-0 (26-255-4), Burrus-2-32-0 (12-283-1), Alford-2-30-0 (15-203-0), Masterson-1-9-0 (11-128-0), Manders-1-5-1 (4-54-1)