1964 NFL season

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.

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's win was even greater, 52-20 over the Giants.