1941 NFL Championship Game

Western Division playoff game

Before the title game, the Western Division champion needed to be determined. The defending NFL champion Chicago Bears (10–1) had ended the regular season on December 7 tied with the Green Bay Packers (10–1), the 1939 NFL champions. The two had split their season series in 1941, with the road teams winning, so the tiebreaker was the first-ever divisional playoff game in the NFL, played on December 14 at Wrigley Field.

The Packers had completed their regular season on November 30 and the playoff game was sold out by Tuesday, December 9, at over 46,484, with over 10,000 seats to Packer fans. Chicago was favored, and attendance on game day was slightly lower than capacity at 43,425, the week after Pearl Harbor. The Bears jumped to a 30–7 halftime lead under clear skies and 16 F temperatures and easily won, 33–14. The Eastern Division champion New York Giants (8–3) completed their regular season on December 7 with a 21–7 loss to the runner-up Brooklyn Dodgers (7–4), who had defeated the Giants twice in the regular season.

NFL Championship Game

The Bears were making their fifth appearance in the title game, the Giants were making their sixth, and each had two victories. It was the third time the two teams matched up in the big game; the home teams had won both: the Bears in 1933 and the Giants in 1934. The Bears were favored by two touchdowns and 35,000 were expected to attend. The game time temperature was unseasonably warm at 47 F.

The hometown Bears kicked three field goals in the first half to lead 9–6 at the intermission.

The Bears became the first team in the NFL championship game era (since ) to win consecutive titles; it was the franchise's fifth league title (, , 1933, 1940, 1941).

Scoring summary

• First Quarter
  • CHI – Bob Snyder 14-yard field goal. Bears 3–0
  • NYG – George Franck 31-yard pass from Tuffy Leemans (kick failed). Giants 6–3
• Second Quarter
  • CHI – Bob Snyder 39-yard field goal. Tied 6–6
  • CHI – Bob Snyder 37-yard field goal. Bears 9–6
• Third Quarter
  • NYG – Ward Cuff 16-yard field goal. Tied 9–9
  • CHI – Norm Standlee 2-yard run (Snyder kick). Bears 16–9
  • CHI – Norm Standlee 7-yard run (Joe Maniaci kick). Bears 23–9
• Fourth Quarter
  • CHI – George McAfee 5-yard run (Lee Artoe kick). Bears 30–9
  • CHI – Ken Kavanaugh 42-yard fumble return (Ray McLean kick). Bears 37–9 Top passers
• NYG – Tuffy Leemans – 3/9, 73 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
• CHI – Sid Luckman – 9/12, 160 yards Top rushers
• NYG – Tuffy Leemans – 9 rushes, 52 yards
• CHI – Norm Standlee – 17 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
• NYG – Ward Cuff – 2 receptions, 42 yards
• CHI – Dick Plasman – 2 receptions, 48 yards With under two minutes remaining, Ray "Scooter" McLean elected to drop kick the extra point on the last touchdown, which was the last successful drop kick in the NFL for 64 years. Doug Flutie of the New England Patriots kicked one in his final regular season game, in the fourth quarter of the last game of the 2005 regular season on January 1, 2006.

Officials

• Referee: Emil Heintz
• Umpire: John Schommer
• Head linesman: Charlie Berry
• Field judge: Chuck Sweeney

The NFL had only four game officials in ; the back judge was added in , the line judge in , and the side judge in .

Players' shares

With the low attendance, the net gate receipts were a record low at under $42,000. Each Bears player received $431, while each Giants player saw $288, less than half of the previous year's.

Ticket prices were $4.40 for the grandstand and $2.20 for bleachers.

War casualties

Two players in the game, back Young Bussey of the Bears and end Jack Lummus of the Giants, were killed in action three years later in World War II, in early 1945. Navy lieutenant Bussey died in the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines and Marine lieutenant Lummus was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for valor at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

References

References

1. Snider, Steve. (December 21, 1941). "Bears rate 2-touchdown edge over Giants in pro title game". Pittsburgh Press.
2. Prell, Edward. (December 22, 1941). "Bears rout Giants, 37-9; keep league title". Chicago Daily Tribune.
3. (December 22, 1941). "Bears wallop Giants 37 to 9, clinch title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
4. Hoff, Dave. (December 22, 1941). "Bears wallop Giants for pro title". Milwaukee Sentinel.
5. Kuechle, Oliver E.. (December 22, 1941). "Bears swamp Giants, 37 to 9, in pro play-off before 13,341". Milwaukee Journal.
6. (December 22, 1941). "Riotous Bears roar as champions of football world". Pittsburgh Press.
7. (December 9, 1941). "Packer game sellout now". Milwaukee Journal.
8. (December 14, 1941). "Packers 13-5 underdogs in playoff with Bears". Milwaukee Journal.
9. McGlynn, Stoney. (December 14, 1941). "Bears are 2½ to 1 favorites over Packers today". Milwaukee Sentinel.
10. Kuechle, Oliver E.. (December 15, 1941). "Bears' line too tough for Packers 33-14". Milwaukee Journal.
11. McGlynn, Stoney. (December 15, 1941). "Bears humble Packers, 33-14, win title". Milwaukee Sentinel.
12. Prell, Edward. (December 15, 1941). "Bears win 33 to 14; play for title Sunday". Chicago Daily Tribune.
13. (December 21, 1941). "Chicago Bears to play Giants for pro league title Sunday". Milwaukee Journal.
14. Hoff, Dave. (December 22, 1941). "Chicago Bears turn on power in second half to beat New York Giants 37-9". Youngstown Vindicator.
15. "Youngstown Vindicator - Google News Archive Search".
16. "Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search".
17. (December 22, 1941). "Title game nets bears $430 each". Milwaukee Journal.
18. Williams, Joe. (December 22, 1941). "Does 13,000 indicate that pro grid season is over-extended?". Pittsburgh Press.