1947 NFL Championship Game

Background

The game featured the Western Division champion Chicago Cardinals (9–3) and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles (8–4). A week earlier, the Eagles defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21–0 in a tiebreaker playoff to determine the Eastern winner. Both the Eagles and Cardinals were making their first appearances in the championship game. The Cardinals had won the regular season meeting in Philadelphia three weeks earlier by 24 points and after a week off, were 12-point favorites to win the title game at home.

This was the second NFL title game played after Christmas Day, and the latest to date. Scheduled for December 21, it was pushed back a week due to the Eastern division playoff. The temperature at kickoff was 29 F. On a frozen field, the Cardinals elected to wear sneakers. The decision paid off handsomely, as Chicago outgained Philadelphia on the ground 280 yards to just 60 for the day.

Game summary

The Cardinals built a 14–0 lead in the second quarter, then the teams traded touchdowns. The Eagles closed the gap to 28–21 with five minutes to go, but the Cardinals controlled the ball the rest of the game on an extended drive to win the title.

This was the only NFL title game played at Comiskey Park and is one of two Cardinals NFL Championship victories. The two teams returned for a rematch in 1948 in Philadelphia, but the Eagles won in a snowstorm. The Cardinals have not won a league championship since this one, over seven decades ago, the longest drought in the NFL. They made it to Super Bowl XLIII in the 2008 season representing Arizona, but they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Cardinals' win kept the NFL title within the city of Chicago; the North Side's Bears had won the previous season. The team did not receive championship rings until the 50th anniversary of their win in 1997.

Starting lineups

Despite the fact that free substitution was part of the NFL in 1947, in keeping with the single-platoon tradition only eleven starters for each team were named. A total of 26 members of the Cardinals and 27 members of the Eagles saw game action, however. The starters were as follows:

Scoring summary

• First quarter
  • CHI – Charley Trippi 44-yard rush (Pat Harder kick). Cardinals 7–0
• Second quarter
  • CHI – Elmer Angsman 70-yard rush (Harder kick). Cardinals 14–0
  • PHI – Pat McHugh 53-yard pass from Tommy Thompson (Cliff Patton kick). Cardinals 14–7
• Third quarter
  • CHI – Charley Trippi 75-yard punt return (Harder kick). Cardinals 21–7
  • PHI – Steve Van Buren 1-yard rush (Patton kick). Cardinals 21–14
• Fourth quarter
  • CHI – Elmer Angsman 70-yard rush (Harder kick). Cardinals 28–14
  • PHI – Russ Craft 1-yard rush (Patton kick). Cardinals 28–21

Top passers

• PHI – Tommy Thompson – 27/44, 297 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
• CHI – Paul Christman – 3/14, 54 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT Top rushers
• PHI – Joe Muha – 8 rushes, 31 yards
• CHI – Elmer Angsman – 10 rushes, 159 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
• PHI – Jack Ferrante – 8 receptions, 73 yards
• CHI – Billy Dewell – 1 reception, 38 yards

Statistics

Officials

The following five officials were used in the game.

• Referee: Thomas Dowd

• Umpire: Harry Robb

• Head linesman: Dan Tehan

• Back judge: Carl Rebele

• Field judge: Henry Haines

• Alternate: Carl Brubaker

Players' shares

The player compensation pool was set at 70% of net revenue — that is, total gross receipts, including paid gate and radio and motion picture rights, less costs for stadium rental and taxes. Total receipts were just under $160,000 and expenses nearly $40,000, for a net receipts pool of about $120,000. This generated a team pool of about $45,300 for the winning Cardinals, divided into 40 shares of $1,132. The losing Eagles similarly were allotted a pool of $30,200, split into 40 shares of $754.

A pool of about $8,400 for each of the divisional second place clubs — the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers — was also established.

References

References

1. Joseph T. Labrum (ed.), ''The National Football League Record and Rules Manual 1948: 29th Season.'' Philadelphia: National Football League, 1948; p. 58.
2. Jerry Liska (Associated Press, [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=J41IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yYMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5063%2C4803537 "Sensational Runs Give Cardinals 28-21 Decision Over Eagles for N.L. Crown,"] ''Youngstown Vindicator,'' Dec. 29, 1947, p. 10.
3. Biederman, Les. (December 22, 1947). "Steelers disappoint in grid playoff". Pittsburgh Press.
4. Prell, Edward. (December 22, 1947). "Eagles whip Steelers in playoff". Chicago Daily Tribune.
5. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eTAaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GSUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5155%2C2603249 "Cardinals Rule 12-point Favorites to Beat Eagles,"] ''Milwaukee Journal'', Dec. 28, 1947, sports p. 1.
6. (December 29, 1947). "The weather". Chicago Daily Tribune.
7. "Cardinals Hall Of Famer Charley Trippi Dies At 100".
8. Charles Chamberlain (Associated Press), [https://www.newspapers.com/article/standard-speaker-chicago-cardinals-defea/160190827/ "Chicago Cardinals Defeat Eagles, 28–21, to Cop 1947 National Pro Grid Loop: Trippi and Angsman Aces in Card Victory Before 30,759; Thompson Set Aerial Marks,"] ''Hazelton Standard-Speaker,'' Dec. 29, 1947, p. 10.
9. Branch, John. (2009-01-15). "Memories of the Cardinals' Last N.F.L. Championship". The New York Times.
10. Hugh L. Ray, ''The Official Playing Rules as Devised, Amended, and Authenticated for Professional Football by the National Football League, 1948.'' Rule 5, Section 1, Article 3. In ''1948 Official National League Football Pro Record and Rule Book.'' St. Louis, MO: Charles C. Spink & Son, 1948; p. 27.
11. ''1948 Official National League Football Pro Record and Rule Book.'' St. Louis, MO: Charles C. Spink & Son, 1948; p. 111.
12. Source: ''National Football League Record and Rules Manual, 1948.'' Philadelphia: NFL, 1948, p. 59.
13. The NFL added a fifth [[Official (American football). official]], the back judge, for the first time during the [[1947 NFL season