By the margin of a mere point that came when Bob Waterfield's try for point after touchdown wobbled over the crossbar, Cleveland's youthful Rams today won the National Football League Championship as they defeated the Washington Redskins, 15-14 before a crowd of 32,178 who sat shivering in the Cleveland Stadium in near zero weather.

It happened in the second period after Jim Benton, veteran left end, had counted on a pass from Waterfield, and put the Rams out in front, 9 to 7. The ball struck the cross-bar and just managed to topple over and down into the arms of a Washington man standing underneath in the end zone.

Although nobody realized it at the time, that break of good fortune was destined to be the margin by which the Rams, surprise winners in the Western division of the league, were to gain Cleveland it's first title in a game that, everything considered, will go down as among the best ever played in the thirteen year period that the Eastern and Western winners have been meeting in these championship Playoffs

Booming Punt Seals Doom

Few of the past playoffs have been filled with more thrills than were packed into the one played today under Arctic conditions. There was drama from start to finish from the time Sammy Baugh's hurriedly thrown pass out of his own end zone struck an upright and bounced back to give Cleveland a safety in the opening period, right up to the final period, when Waterfield's booming punt sealed the Redskin's doom.

Twice, therefore, the goalposts figured in determining the outcome and on each occasion, Washington was the loser. Those two points that the Rams got when Baugh had to make a hurried toss put them out in front, and they were never behind except for a brief perid in the second quarter after Steve Bagarus counted on a toss from Frank Filchock to give the Redskins a 7-2 margin.

The Rams ragained their advantage six minutes later when Waterfield and Benton caught Washington napping as Jim registered on a 38 yard pass so that at half time the score was 9-7 in favor of Cleveland.

Two Tallies in Third

Each team scored in the third quarter, Jim Gillette going across after taking a pass from Waterfield that was good for a 44 yard gain and Bob Seymor counting on a 9 yard toss from Filchock almost at the end of the period.

That represented all the scoring although Joe Aguirre, Washington's field goal specialist, had two chances to win the game in the final session, missing one from the 31 and another from the 46. Either one would have turned the tide in the Redskin's favor but the first was a trifle wide and the other fell short.

Credit for winning today's game and the title must go to Waterfield, Ram quarterback who has served his first season in pro football. Not only was his passing responsible for both Cleveland touchdowns, but his kicking was sensational. There was not much chance to compare him with Baugh for Sammy, who was injured in the Giant game in Washington last Sunday, had to be taken out in the first quarter and only came back to hold the ball for Aguirre's two field goal tries.