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1948 Chicago Cardinals season

NFL team season

1948 Chicago Cardinals season

NFL team season

FieldValue
teamChicago Cardinals
year1948
record11–1
division_place1st Western
ownerViolet Bidwill Wolfner
coachJimmy Conzelman
stadiumComiskey Park
playoffsLost [NFL Championship](1948-nfl-championship-game)
(at [Eagles](1948-philadelphia-eagles-season)) 0–7
shortnavlinkCardinals seasons

(at Eagles) 0–7 The ** Chicago Cardinals season** was the 29th season in franchise history. The Cardinals won the Western division on the final weekend at Wrigley Field over the cross-town Bears, and appeared in the NFL championship game for the second consecutive year. The defending champions lost 7–0 to the Eagles in a snowstorm in Philadelphia. It was their final postseason appearance as a Chicago team; they relocated southwest to St. Louis in .

The Cardinals scored 395 points (32.9 per game) in 1948, the most in the ten-team NFL, and the second most all-time in a 12-game season. They also led the league in offensive yards, yards per play, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. The team's plus-169 point-differential remains the best in franchise history.

Background

The 1948 NFL season produced more points-per-game per team than any other season, and according to Cold Hard Football Facts: "Jimmy Conzelman's Chicago Cardinals were the best of the bunch. They led the NFL in scoring that year (32.9 [points-per-game]) and they produced what was probably the greatest four-week stretch of offense in pro football history. From October 17 to November 7, the 1948 Cardinals beat the Giants 63–35; the Boston Yanks, 49–27; the L.A. Rams 27–22; and the Lions, 56–20. That's a four-week average of 48.8 [points-per-game] for those of you keeping score at home.

"Yes, turnovers were common in 1948, so maybe that fact made life easier for offense. The Cardinals, for example, picked off 23 passes in 12 games. But they scored just two defensive touchdowns all year, while adding four on special teams. Mostly, they ripped off touchdowns, a remarkable 47 on offense. They kicked a mere eight field goals.

"Mostly, the offense was virtually unstoppable and it didn't settle often for the cheap, soccer-style field goals that pad offensive team totals today."

The Cardinals had three players in the top six in rushing in 1948: halfbacks Charley Trippi (690 yards), and Elmer Angsman (638), and fullback/linebacker/placekicker Pat Harder (554). Harder led the league in scoring in 1948, with 110 points (6 rushing touchdowns, 7 field goals, and 53 extra points). He was named the league's MVP by United Press International.

This was the Cardinals' last playoff game until 1974, although they did win the third place Playoff Bowl in Miami over Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in January 1965. The Cardinals' next appearance in an NFL championship game was sixty years later in Super Bowl XLIII in January 2009.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1948 NFL draft

Regular season

Schedule

Chicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"GameChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"DateChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"OpponentChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"ResultChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"RecordChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"VenueChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"AttendanceChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"RecapChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"Sources123456789101112
September 24[Philadelphia Eagles](1948-philadelphia-eagles-season)**W** 21–141–0Comiskey Park25,875[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194809240crd.htm)
October 4**[Chicago Bears](1948-chicago-bears-season)****L** 17–281–1Comiskey Park52,765[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194810040crd.htm)
October 10at **[Green Bay Packers](1948-green-bay-packers-season)****W** 17–72–1State Fair Park34,369[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194810100gnb.htm)
October 17at [New York Giants](1948-new-york-giants-season)**W** 63–353–1Polo Grounds35,584[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194810170nyg.htm)
October 24[Boston Yanks](1948-boston-yanks-season)**W** 49–274–1Comiskey Park23,423[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194810240crd.htm)
October 31at **[Los Angeles Rams](1948-los-angeles-rams-season)****W** 27–225–1L.A. Memorial Coliseum32,149[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194810310ram.htm)
November 7**[Detroit Lions](1948-detroit-lions-season)****W** 56–206–1Comiskey Park24,051[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194811070crd.htm)
November 14at [Pittsburgh Steelers](1948-pittsburgh-steelers-season)**W** 24–77–1Forbes Field33,364[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194811140pit.htm)
November 21**[Los Angeles Rams](1948-los-angeles-rams-season)****W** 27–248–1Comiskey Park29,031[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194811210crd.htm)
November 25at **[Detroit Lions](1948-detroit-lions-season)****W** 28–149–1Briggs Stadium22,957[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194811250det.htm)
December 5**[Green Bay Packers](1948-green-bay-packers-season)****W** 42–710–1Comiskey Park26,072[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194812050crd.htm)
December 12at **[Chicago Bears](1948-chicago-bears-season)****W** 24–2111–1Wrigley Field51,283[Recap](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/194812120chi.htm)
**Note:** Intra-division opponents are in **bold** text. Thanksgiving Day: November 25

Standings

Program for the November 21 game against the visiting Los Angeles Rams.

Postseason

NFL Championship Game

Main article: 1948 NFL Championship Game

The 1948 NFL championship game was the sixteenth NFL title game and a rematch of the previous year's game between the Chicago Cardinals of the Western Division and the Eastern Division's Philadelphia Eagles. It was played at Philadelphia's Shibe Park on December 19 and the host Eagles won 7–0 in the snow.

Chicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"WeekChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"DateChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"OpponentChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"ResultChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"RecordChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"VenueChicago Cardinalsyear=1948border=2}}"Attendance[Championship](1948-nfl-championship-game)
December 19at [Philadelphia Eagles](1948-philadelphia-eagles-season)**L** 0–70–1Shibe Park36,309 (paid), 28,864 (actual)

Personnel

Staff / Coaches

1948 Chicago Cardinals staff
**Front Office**

:Source:

Roster

**1948 Chicago Cardinals final roster**
**Quarterbacks**

Awards and records

  • Led NFL, Points Scored, 395
  • Led NFL, Total Yards Gained, 4,705
  • Led NFL, Rushing Yards, 2,560
  • Pat Harder, NFL Scoring Leader, 110 points

References

References

  1. Smith, Wilfrid. (December 13, 1948). "51,283 see Cards retain West title, 24-21". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  2. Smith, Wilfrid. (December 19, 1948). "Cards seek their second from Eagles". Chicago Sunday Tribune.
  3. Smith, Wilfrid. (December 20, 1948). "Browns win, 49-7; Eagles jar cards, 7-0". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  4. Kuechle, Oliver E.. (December 20, 1948). "Eagles beat Cardinals for title in snowstorm". Milwaukee Journal.
  5. (December 20, 1948). "Eagles plow over Cardinals, 7-0, for National loop title". Milwaukee Sentinel.
  6. Second only to the [[1950 Los Angeles Rams season. 1950 Rams]], [https://pfref.com/tiny/SyVM1 Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1947 to 1960, in the NFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points For.]
  7. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1948/ Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1948 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics]
  8. [https://pfref.com/tiny/NLS1e Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2012, playing for the Ari (StL/Chi) Cardinals, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points Differential.]
  9. [http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_3232_The_Spirit_of_'48:_a_mind-blowing_statistical_orgasm.html Cold, Hard Football Facts: The Spirit of '48]
  10. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1948/leaders.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1948 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards]
  11. [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HardPa00.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com: Pat Harder]
  12. "1948 NFL Standings & playoff Scores".
  13. https://www.profootballarchives.com/1948nflchic.html
  14. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN. 0-7611-2480-2, p. 456
  15. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, {{ISBN. 0-7611-2480-2, p. 474
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