1941 NFL playoffs

Regular season

Main article: 1941 NFL season

The 1941 season was the 22nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The league's ten teams were split into two divisions of five teams each: the Eastern and Western Divisions. Each team played a regular season schedule of 11 games, for a total of 55 regular season contests. Prior to the start of the season, the NFL bylaws were changed to provide for playoffs in cases where division races are tied after the regular season and new rules for sudden-death overtimes in case a playoff game was tied after four quarters were added. The Eastern Division was won by the New York Giants with a record of 8–3, beating out the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Washington Redskins. In the Western Division, the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears—who were the defending NFL Champions—battled throughout the season for the division lead. The two teams, who had developed a rivalry, played each other twice, splitting the games and giving them each their only loss of the season. Each team finished with a record of 10–1, both coming-from-behind in their last game of the season. The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred the same day the Bears won to tie the Packers' record. With the same record, a playoff game was scheduled to determine who would go to, and host, the 1941 NFL Championship Game.

Final standings

Postseason

Tournament bracket

|RD2-seed1 = E |RD2-team1 = New York |RD2-score1 = 9 |RD1-seed1 = W |RD1-team1 = Green Bay |RD1-score1 =14 |RD2-seed2 = W |RD2-team2 = Chicago Bears |RD2-score2 = 37 |RD1-seed2 = W |RD1-team2 = Chicago Bears |RD1-score2 = 33}}

Western Division championship

• First Quarter
  • GB – Clarke Hinkle, 1-yard run (Don Hutson kick). Packers 7–0.
  • CHI – Hugh Gallarneau, 81-yard punt return (kick blocked). Packers 7–6.
• Second Quarter
  • CHI – Bob Snyder 24-yard field goal. Bears 9–7.
  • CHI – Norm Standlee, 3-yard run (Joe Stydahar kick). Bears 16–7.
  • CHI – Norm Standlee, 2-yard run (Joe Stydahar kick). Bears 23–7.
  • CHI – Swisher, 9-yard run (Joe Stydahar kick). Bears 30–7.
• Third Quarter
  • GB – Hal Van Every, 10-yard pass from Cecil Isbell (Don Hutson kick). Bears 30–14.
• Fourth Quarter
  • CHI – Bob Snyder 26-yard field goal. Bears 33–14. Top passers
• GB – Cecil Isbell – 8/19, 107 yards, 1 TD
• CHI – Sid Luckman – 4/9, 41 yards Top rushers
• GB – Clarke Hinkle – 9 rushes, 17 yards, 1 TD
• CHI – George McAfee – 14 rushes, 119 yards Top receivers
• GB – Ed Frutig – 3 receptions, 75 yards
• CHI – George McAfee – 2 receptions, 27 yards

This game marked the first postseason meeting in the Bears–Packers rivalry, with the second meeting not occurring for another 70 years, in the 2010 NFC Championship Game. The game began evenly, but a 24-point second quarter by the Bears created a insurmountable lead, with the Bears ultimately winning 33–14 to move on to the NFL Championship Game.

NFL Championship game

Main article: 1941 NFL Championship Game

• 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

References

References

1. (December 8, 1941). "Bears beat Cardinals 34-24, tie for lead". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
2. (December 15, 1941). "Bears crush Packers, 33 to 14; enter playoff". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
3. "Divisional Round - Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears - December 14th, 1941".
4. "Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers Results".
5. Pagel, Ray. (December 15, 1941). "Bears Trim Packers, 33-14, to Win Western Division Title: Part 1". [[Green Bay Press-Gazette]].
6. Pagel, Ray. (December 15, 1941). "Bears Trim Packers, 33-14, to Win Western Division Title: Part 2". [[Green Bay Press-Gazette]].