1939: Packers Dominate Giants to Win NFL Championship

The NFL Championship game on December 10, 1939 featured a rematch of the previous year’s participants. The Green Bay Packers, top team in the Western Division, hosted the Eastern Division’s New York Giants, who had beaten them to win the title in New York in ’38.

New York, coached by Steve Owen, was especially strong on defense, having given up just 85 points in compiling a 9-1-1 record. The offense featured the running of FB Tuffy Leemans which was supplemented by the passing of QB Ed Danowski. C/LB Mel Hein was outstanding on both sides of the ball and other top linemen included end Jim Poole and guards Johnny Dell Isola and Orville Tuttle.

The Packers, under the guidance of Head Coach Curly Lambeau, had gone 9-2. End Don Hutson was the league’s top receiver with 34 catches and 846 yards, and tailbacks Arnie Herber (pictured above) and Cecil Isbell were adept at getting the ball to him. Hutson benefited from being shifted to the defensive backfield rather than playing end on defense, thus reducing wear during games and making him an even more formidable weapon than he had been in his first four years.  

There were 32,279 fans in attendance at State Fair Park, referred to informally as the Dairy Bowl, located at the Wisconsin Fairgrounds in West Allis, near Milwaukee. There was a strong wind blowing from the north, gusting to 35 mph. In the first quarter, the Giants got a break when end Jim Poole blocked a punt by Clarke Hinkle to gain possession at the Green Bay 41. However, they were unable to advance in three plays and Ward Cuff’s 42-yard field goal attempt against the wind was both wide and low.

The Packers had to punt following their ensuing series and this time Hinkle’s wind-aided kick sailed 64 yards to the New York 16. The Giants had to punt in turn and Green Bay had good field position at the New York 46. The Packers moved the ball methodically on the ground to the 21 and tailback Arnie Herber threw to end Don Hutson for 15 yards to the six. Two plays later, and with the defense concentrating on Hutson, Herber passed to end Milt Gantenbein in the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown. Paul “Tiny” Engebretsen added the extra point.

Heading into the second quarter, the visitors now had the wind at their backs. They tried to take advantage early in the period when Len Barnum tried for a 53-yard field goal, but it fell way short of the mark. The Giants again were in Green Bay territory on their next series but HB Andy Uram intercepted a pass at his own 27 to blunt the threat. Once again it was the Packers who couldn’t move the ball and New York had another shot, but Cuff’s 42-yard field goal attempt missed to the right.

The Giants came close to scoring in the last minute of the first half, but after reaching the New York nine on a pass from Ed Danowski to Tuffy Leemans that gained 37 yards, LB Charley Brock, who tackled Leemans from behind on the previous play to prevent a score, intercepted a pass to end the threat. The score remained unchanged at 7-0 at halftime.

New York still had the wind advantage in the third quarter, but had even less success. After the Giants were unable to move the ball on their first series and punted, HB Joe Laws (pictured at left) returned it 15 yards to the Green Bay 45 and the Packers drove to the New York 21 with Isbell, Hinkle, and Laws handling the bulk of the running. Engebretsen kicked a 29-yard field goal into the wind to make it a 10-0 game.

Shortly thereafter, Gantenbein intercepted a pass at the New York 37 and, three plays later, Isbell faked a run and then threw to Laws, who was wide open, for a 31-yard TD. Engebretsen again converted for a commanding Green Bay lead of 17-0.

The Packers piled it on in the fourth quarter. Following an interception by Brock that erased an opportunity for the Giants on another blocked punt, Green Bay again had the ball near midfield and Herber threw to end Harry Jacunski, who made an outstanding shoestring catch for a 31-yard gain. The drive faltered there, but Ernie Smith kicked a 42-yard field goal.

On the third play following the kickoff, LB Bud Svendsen intercepted a pass at the New York 30 and returned it 15 yards. It took just four plays for the Packers to reach the end zone as FB Ed Jankowski plunged in for a touchdown from a yard out and Smith capped the scoring with the extra point.  Green Bay won by a final score of 27-0.

The Packers led in total yards (232 to 164) and first downs (13 to 9). New York turned the ball over six times, all on interceptions, to three by Green Bay, and failed on all three of its field goal attempts while the Packers hit on two.

Arnie Herber completed 5 of 8 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown, although giving up three interceptions, while Cecil Isbell was two of two for 37 yards and a TD and also ran for 27 yards on 13 carries. Andy Uram topped the Packers with 35 rushing yards on 10 attempts. Don Hutson, who was well-covered and used as a decoy for much of the contest, caught two passes as did back Larry Craig, for 21 and 9 yards, respectively. Joe Laws and Harry Jacunski each gained a team-leading 31 yards on their lone pass receptions, with Laws scoring a touchdown. Charley Brock (pictured below) accounted for two of the defense’s six interceptions and received praise for his overall performance.

For the Giants, Ed Danowski was successful on just four of 12 throws, three of which were intercepted. QB Eddie Miller was a bit better with three completions in six attempts for 40 yards and one picked off. Tuffy Leemans led the team’s rushers with 22 yards on 12 carries and also had a 37-yard pass reception. 

It was the fifth NFL Championship for the Packers, who finished second in the Western Division with a 6-4-1 record in 1940 and were blocked by the powerful Chicago Bears until winning their next title in 1944. New York also was 6-4-1 in placing third in the Eastern Division the next year but bounced back to reach the championship game in 1941, losing to the Bears.  

1938: Giants Defeat Packers for NFL Title

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.

1944: Packers Beat Giants for NFL Title on Two Fritsch TDs

By 1944, the manpower shortage in the NFL was acute due to World War II. It was apparent in the rosters of the teams that met for the NFL Championship on December 17 at the Polo Grounds in New York. The host Giants had former Packers star tailback Arnie Herber, who had come out of retirement at age 34, as well as one of their own past stars, 38-year-old fullback Ken Strong, back after a five-year absence to primarily handle the placekicking.

New York, under 14th-year Head Coach Steve Owen, went 8-1-1 to narrowly place first in the Eastern Division over the 7-1-2 Eagles. In addition to Herber’s passing, the Giants had FB Bill Paschal, who led the league in rushing (737 yards), carries (196), and touchdowns (9). They also featured wingback Ward Cuff, who ran for 425 yards and tied Philadelphia’s Steve Van Buren for the best average gain per carry at 5.6. 14-year center Mel Hein and All-Pro G Len Younce anchored the line.

Head Coach Curly Lambeau’s Green Bay Packers were a mix of young and old, but their key player remained end Don Hutson, the NFL leader in pass receptions (58), receiving yards (866), scoring (85 points) and, tied with Paschal, touchdowns (9). Second-year tailback Irv Comp led the league in passing yards (1159) and was second in TD passes (12, tied with Detroit’s Frank Sinkwich). The Packers won their first six games on the way to winning the Western Division with an 8-2 record, although one of the losses had been to the Giants a month before.

The Giants were at a disadvantage coming into the title game because Paschal had injured his ankle in the season’s last game, but they did have star tackle Al Blozis available, who had missed most of the year after going into the military but had been granted a pass to be able to play in the championship contest.

There were 46,016 fans present for what promised to be a tough defensive battle. The first quarter was scoreless, but early in the second period the Packers returned a punt to the New York 48 and followed that with two big runs, of 20 yards by HB Joe Laws and 27 yards by FB Ted Fritsch (pictured at top) that put them in a first-and-goal situation at the one. The Giants held on the next three plays, but finally Fritsch plowed into the end zone and, with Hutson’s successful extra point, Green Bay held a 7-0 advantage.

New York’s defense concentrated on disrupting Green Bay’s passing game and, more specifically, Hutson. Late in the second quarter, the great end finally got open and gathered in a Comp pass for a 24-yard gain to the Giants’ 30. Three plays later, with time running out, Hutson ran a crossing pattern that caused the defense to shift along with him. He was successfully being used as a decoy – Comp threw to Fritsch, who had looped out of the backfield and was all alone at the five yard line, easily able to complete the 28-yard touchdown play. Again Hutson added the extra point, and Green Bay led by a 14-0 margin at the half.

The Giants hadn’t been able to move beyond their 35 yard line during the first half, but late in the third quarter they put together a drive featuring a 41-yard pass from Herber to end Frank Liebel that took them into scoring position. Cuff, playing in the tailback position rather than his usual wingback spot, ran for a one-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter and, with Strong’s PAT, the Green Bay margin was cut to seven points.

The Giants were unable to score again, however, as the Packers played conservatively on offense and, thanks to interceptions and good punts, kept New York from getting close. Late in the game the Giants threatened one last time, but a Herber pass was intercepted by back Paul Duhart at the Green Bay 20 to clinch the 14-7 win for the Packers.


Green Bay outgained the Giants, 237 yards to 199, and in particular outrushed them with 163 yards to 85 for New York. Joe Laws was the leading ground gainer with 74 yards on 13 carries while Ted Fritsch ran for 58 yards on 17 attempts, including a TD and also had the other Packer touchdown on his lone pass reception. Irv Comp (pictured at left) completed just three of 10 passes for 73 yards with the TD and three interceptions. Don Hutson caught two of those passes for 47 yards and, while he didn’t score any touchdowns, played a key role as a decoy.

For New York, Arnie Herber, with inadequate run support and a defense geared to shut down the aerial game, was able to complete just 8 of 22 passes for 117 yards. He had no TDs and was intercepted four times (Laws accounted for three of the pickoffs). Ward Cuff ran for 55 yards on 12 attempts, including a touchdown, and caught two passes for another 25 yards. Bill Paschal, forced to sit out most of the contest, ran the ball only twice, for three yards. Frank Liebel caught three passes for 71 yards.

The championship was the last for the Packers under their founder, Lambeau – after winning six titles (three prior to the advent of division play and the championship game in 1933), Green Bay would not win another until 1961.

The game was also the last for the 6’6”, 250-pound Al Blozis (pictured below). A consensus All-Pro in 1943, he rejoined his infantry unit after the title game. Six weeks later, he was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge. His number 32 was retired by the Giants.

1936: Packers Defeat Redskins for NFL Title

The NFL Championship matchup on December 13, 1936 took place at the Polo Grounds in New York even though the Eastern Division had been won by the Boston Redskins. Owner George Preston Marshall, upset at the lack of fan support in the franchise’s home city, had the game moved to a neutral site. The weather was at least cooperative – it was sunny with temperatures in the mid-30s, and 29,545 fans showed up.

The Redskins, under first year Head Coach Ray Flaherty, won the division with a 7-5 record, just ahead of the 6-6 Pittsburgh Pirates. The passing game was ordinary, but not the rushing of star FB Cliff Battles (fourth in the NFL in rushing with 614 yards), plus FB Pug Rentner and tailback Eddie Britt behind a line anchored by tackle Turk Edwards. However, Marshall, the imperious owner, had alienated both fans and press in Boston, especially by raising ticket prices on game days without notice.

The Green Bay Packers were the heavily favored opponents, with an outstanding team that carried the tougher Western Division with a 10-1-1 record under Head Coach Curly Lambeau. Lambeau was the first NFL coach to significantly utilize the passing game, and the Packers had a very good one with tailback Arnie Herber (pictured above) throwing primarily to star second-year end Don Hutson (pictured at bottom). Herber led the league in passing for the third time in his career, and also led in attempts (177), completions (77), yards (1239), and TD passes (11). Hutson set new records in pass receptions (34) and receiving yards (526), and also led the NFL in TD catches (8). Green Bay could run the ball, too, with a backfield led by FB Clarke Hinkle (also an outstanding linebacker on defense).

The tone for the game was set on the tenth play from scrimmage, when Battles, who had gained 18 yards on two carries for the Redskins, was injured and lost for the remainder of the day. On the play, his lateral to blocking back Riley Smith was fumbled and recovered by T Lou Gordon of the Packers on the Green Bay 48 yard line. Three plays later, Herber found Hutson on a long pass that covered 48 yards for the first touchdown of the game.

The Redskins came back in the second quarter with a solid 78-yard drive that culminated in a two-yard TD plunge by Rentner. However, Smith’s extra point attempt was wide, and the score at halftime was 7-6 in favor of the Packers.

Green Bay took the second half kickoff and went 74 yards in six plays. A pass from Herber to veteran HB Johnny McNally (aka Johnny Blood) covered 52 yards and set up an 8-yard scoring pass from Herber to end Milt Gantenbein that extended the Packers lead to 14-6.

Things continued to get worse for Boston as their only healthy center, Frank Bausch, was ejected for fighting. Then, in the fourth quarter, Green Bay effectively put the game out of reach when guard Lon Evans blocked a punt by the unfortunate Riley Smith. The play started at the Redskins 22, and once Hinkle recovered the ball, Green Bay was on the three yard line. Bob Monnett, spelling Herber at tailback, ran two yards for the TD. The final score was 21-6 in favor of the Packers.

Green Bay accumulated 220 total yards (to 130 for Boston) with 153 by passing. Herber accounted for 140 yards through the air as he completed 6 of 15 passes with two touchdowns and an interception. Don Hutson led all receivers with 5 catches for 76 yards and a TD. Clarke Hinkle rushed for 56 yards on 19 attempts.

With Cliff Battles sidelined early, FB Don Irwin led the Redskins in rushing with 37 yards on 13 carries. Rentner was Boston’s top passer with 4 completions in 6 attempts for 60 yards. End Wayne Millner caught two passes, the only Redskin to do so.

George Preston Marshall moved his franchise to Washington for 1937; he also signed a passing tailback from TCU, Sammy Baugh, who would elevate the aerial attack and take the team to the next level. But on this day, it was Curly Lambeau’s Packers at the top of the NFL heap.