There was a record crowd of 48,120 on hand at the Polo
Grounds on December 11, 1938 as the New York Giants hosted the Green Bay
Packers in the NFL Championship game. The Giants, coached by Steve Owen for the
eighth year, started slowly with two losses in their first three games before catching
fire and going 7-0-1 the rest of the way to top the Eastern Division with an
8-2-1 record. The roster was deep with talent. Rugged C/LB Mel Hein was voted
the league’s MVP and was joined as a consensus first-team All-Pro by tailback
Ed Danowski. New York had beaten the Packers during the regular season and had
not given up more than 14 points in any game.
Coach Curly Lambeau’s Packers had benefited from the
arrival of rookie tailback Cecil Isbell, who alternated - and sometimes played
halfback in the same backfield with - aging veteran tailback Arnie Herber.
FB/LB Clarke Hinkle also handled much of the placekicking and was the league’s
leading scorer. However, star end Don Hutson, the NFL’s most dangerous deep
receiver who led the circuit in receiving yards (548) and touchdowns (9) while
catching 32 passes, was out due to a knee injury – indeed, both clubs were
heavily battered coming into the title game.
It was a 31-degree day in New York City and the big home
crowd saw the Giants take the early lead. On Green Bay’s second possession, the
Packers chose to punt in a third-and-11 situation at their own 11 yard line and
Hinkle’s kick was blocked by end Jim Lee Howell and recovered by back Leland
Shaffer at the 7. The Packers allowed only one yard in three plays and New York
settled for a 14-yard field goal by Ward Cuff.
The next Green Bay series also ended with a punt, this
time by Isbell, and again it was blocked. End Jim Poole accounted for the block
and Howell recovered for the Giants at the Packers’ 28. Four plays later New
York scored a touchdown on a 6-yard run by FB Tuffy Leemans. The extra point
attempt by Johnny Gildea failed, but the Giants held a 9-0 lead at the end of
the first quarter.
The Packers got on the board in the second quarter
following an interception by lineman Tiny Engebretsen. They capitalized with a
40-yard pass play from Herber to end Carl “Moose” Mulleneaux, filling in for
Don Hutson, for a TD. Engebretsen successfully added the extra point and New
York’s lead was cut to 9-7.
The Packers put together another promising drive on their
next series but FB Ed Jankowski fumbled the ball away at midfield. In a possession
highlighted by a Leemans pass to wingback Len Barnum for 19 yards the Giants
came back with a touchdown pass play of their own, with Danowski connecting
with end Hap Bernard from 21 yards out. Ward Cuff added the PAT.
Green Bay scored again before the half, going 80 yards in
eight plays that included a 65-yard gain on a pass into the flat by Isbell to
end Waylon Becker. Running down the sideline, Becker made it to the New York 17
before being hauled down by HB Hank Soar. Hinkle finished the drive by running
for a one-yard TD. Again Engebretsen converted the extra point and the Giants
held a slender 16-14 lead at halftime.
The Packers went in front early in the third quarter
thanks to a long gain into Giants territory by tailback Bob Monnett. Engebretsen
booted a 15-yard field goal to make the score 17-16 and the early missed extra
point attempt was looming large.
The Giants, starting the next series at their 39, moved
methodically down the field as Hank Soar (pictured at top) carried on five of the first six
plays. Soar threw an incomplete pass but then hauled in a throw from Danowski
for nine yards to the Green Bay 26. After Soar ran for another three yards,
Danowski went long and Soar pulled the pass down for a 23-yard touchdown,
dragging Hinkle across the goal line. Cuff added the extra point and the home
team was back in front by six points.
There was still plenty of time and the Packers threatened
repeatedly. Responding to the touchdown, they advanced to the New York 37 but
turned the ball over on an interception. In the fourth quarter, Green Bay once again
entered Giants territory thanks to Hinkle’s effective running, but was forced
to punt. Later, in a key play, Herber completed a pass to end Milt Gantenbein
for an apparent 16-yard gain to the New York 40, but the officials ruled that
Gantenbein was an ineligible receiver and the Giants got possession at the
Green Bay 45.
New York had an opportunity to add to its lead but Cuff
was wide on a 36-yard field goal attempt. In desperation, the Packers inserted Don
Hutson, who had made a brief appearance in the second quarter, in the last
minute of the game. Taking over at their 20 after Danowski punted into the end
zone, time ran out for Green Bay as Herber’s last-ditch pass fell incomplete.
The Giants were NFL Champions by a score of 23-17.
The Packers rolled up more total yards (378 to 212) and
first downs (14 to 10), but the blocked punts and Green Bay’s inability to put
more points on the board when in New York territory made the difference.
Hank Soar was the star on offense for the Giants with 65 yards
on 21 rushing attempts and three catches for 41 more yards and a touchdown. Ed
Danowski completed 7 of 11 passes for 77 yards and two TDs with none
intercepted.
For the Packers, Arnie Herber was successful on 5 of 14
throws for 123 yards and a touchdown with none intercepted while Cecil Isbell
completed 3 of 5 passes for 91 yards and had one picked off. Clarke Hinkle (pictured at left) was
the leading rusher with 63 yards on 8 carries that included a TD. Waylon Becker
gained 79 yards on two pass receptions and Carl Mulleneaux also caught two for
54 yards and a touchdown.
It had been an extremely hard-fought and physical game,
and both Ward Cuff and the durable Mel Hein had to be taken to the hospital
afterward.
The two teams repeated as division champions in 1939 and
there was a championship rematch in Milwaukee. The Packers came out on top this
time with a 27-0 win.
