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.

MVP Profile: Mel Hein, 1938

Center/Linebacker, New York Giants

Age:  29

8^th season in pro football & with Giants

College: Washington State

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 225

Prelude:

An All-American in college who excelled at tackle and guard as well as center, Hein was highly sought by pro teams and, after almost signing with the Providence Steamroller, joined the Giants for the 1931 season. Backing up veteran C George Murtaugh, he saw little action in the preseason and started off the regular season as a reserve, but when Murtaugh went down with an injury he made the most of the opportunity. Playing in a single-wing offense that made dependable long-snapping a key skill, Hein was considered to be the best in the league, and he also was outstanding as a run and pass blocker with his speed and mobility – pioneering traits for a center at the time. Hein became the team captain and was a consensus first-team All-Pro in 1934 and ’35.

1938 Season Summary

Appeared in all 11 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Interceptions

Interceptions – N/A

Return yards – N/A

TDs – 1 [1, tied with eight others]

Scoring

TDs – 1         

Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Green Bay)

Interceptions – N/A

Int. return yards – N/A

TD – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: Joe F. Carr Trophy

1^st team All-NFL: League, INS, UPI, NY Daily News

2^nd team All-NFL: PFWA

Pro All-Star Game

Giants went 8-2-1 to finish first in the Eastern Division while leading the division in rushing yards (1550), scoring (194 points), and touchdowns (26). Defeated Green Bay Packers for NFL Championship (23-17).

Aftermath:

Hein was a consensus first-team All-Pro in both 1939 and ’40 and, in addition to those seasons, was selected to the NFL All-Star Game in 1941 as well. He retired following the ’42 season to become head coach at Union College, but due to the World War II manpower shortage continued to play for the Giants on weekends. He retired for good after the 1945 season, having appeared in 170 games, and played every down as a single-platoon player – an impressive display of durability. The Giants retired his #7 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Charter Member in 1963.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). 

[Updated 2/9/14]

1943: Giants and Lions Play to NFL’s Last Scoreless Tie

In this day and age, the possibility of a National Football League game ending in a scoreless tie is highly unlikely. While there have been weather-affected 3-0 contests, rules changes over the years that have encouraged scoring make it far more difficult for one team to completely whitewash an opponent, let alone both teams in a contest. In addition, the instituting in 1974 of an overtime period if teams finish in a dead heat after four quarters makes ties of any sort rare.

The last scoreless tie in the NFL occurred on November 7, 1943 in a game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The Lions were hosting the New York Giants before a crowd of 16,992 fans on a rainy day in muddy conditions.

Detroit, coached by Gus Dorais, had a 3-4 record coming into the contest and had lost its last two games. Considering the Lions were 0-11 the previous year, it was still a big improvement. Rookie tailback Frank Sinkwich, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Georgia, spruced up the passing game and was a good runner, too. The line that already contained center Alex Wojciechowicz and tackle Augie Lio was further strengthened by the addition of guard Riley Matheson, on loan from the Rams who were taking a one-year hiatus due to World War II.

The Giants, under long-time Head Coach Steve Owen, had a 2-2 record. Rookie FB Bill Paschal and wingback Ward Cuff provided solid running and the line was anchored by 34-year-old center Mel Hein (pictured at top) and second-year tackle Al Blozis. However, they were hindered by the loss of Paschal for most of the game due to an ankle injury - he got into the contest for the last few plays.

Neither team got inside the other’s 15 yard line. New York made it into Detroit territory once, in the third quarter. Hein intercepted a pass by blocking back Bill Callihan and returned it 31 yards to the Detroit 20. The Giants got a further boost when an offside penalty moved the ball to the 15. But on fourth down, Cuff’s field goal attempt was wide.

Augie Lio had three field goal attempts for the Lions. The first two failures were from 32 and 42 yards. In the fourth quarter, Detroit got the ball on the New York 31 after a 14-yard punt return by Sinkwich. The Lions ran three times to get a first down, but the drive stalled and Lio missed in his third try for a field goal.

Detroit generated a total of 130 yards of offense, to 84 for the Giants. Most of the yardage came on the ground – the Lions completed 5 of 12 passes for 28 yards while New York went to the air just four times with one completion for a net three yards. Detroit was more successful running the ball, too, with 102 yards on 37 attempts (2.8 avg.) to 81 yards on 40 combined carries (2.0 avg.) for New York. The Lions also had the edge in first downs, 6 to 3.


The game was remarkably turnover-free. Hein’s interception was the only pickoff of the game for either team and there were no turnovers by fumble. Frank Sinkwich (pictured at left) had three quick-kick punts that were all longer than 50 yards in the first half. He also ran the ball 16 times for 46 yards. Ward Cuff led both teams by rushing for 53 yards on 12 carries.

The next week, the Giants were devastated by the Bears, 56-7, giving up a league-record 682 yards as QB Sid Luckman also set an individual mark with seven TD passes. They recovered to win their last four games and finished tied with Washington atop the Eastern Division with a 6-3-1 record. However, they lost to the Redskins in the resulting playoff by a 28-0 score – certainly a fitting end to an up-and-down season for the Giants, who had beaten Washington in two straight games to force the tie. Detroit ended up at 3-6-1, a distant third in the Western Division.