Highlighted Year: Paddy Driscoll, 1922

Back, Chicago Cardinals

Age: 27

4^th season in pro football, 3^rd in APFA/NFL & with Cardinals (2^nd complete)

College: Northwestern

Height: 5’11” Weight: 160

Prelude:

Driscoll played football and baseball in college, briefly spending time with the Chicago Cubs in 1917. While in the military during World War I, he was with the Great Lakes Naval Station team that won the 1919 Rose Bowl. Driscoll joined the Hammond Pros in 1919 and moved on to the Chicago Cardinals of the new American Professional Football Association (later renamed NFL) in ’20. Deceptively mild-mannered and small in stature, he was an outstanding all-around player who was an elusive halfback and kick returner, precision punter, and outstanding drop-kicker. He was a first-team All-APFA selection by the Rock Island Argus in 1920 and scored 25 points in 1921. He also coached the Cardinals in each of those seasons, compiling a 9-5-4 record. Driscoll continued as a player-coach in 1922.

1922 Season Summary

Appeared in all 11 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 0

Receiving TDs – 2 [1, tied with Dunc Annan, Charlie Mathys & Scotty Bierce]

Other TDs – 0

Total TDs – 2

Field Goals – 8 [1]

Extra Points – 4 [8, tied with Hank Gillo & Pete Henry]

Points – 40 [5]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: George Halas, Canton Daily News

Cardinals went 8-3 to finish third in the NFL.

Aftermath:

In six seasons with the Cardinals (three of which he was also the coach), Driscoll scored 17 touchdowns and kicked 37 field goals, leading the league three times, and 31 PATs for a total of 244 points, topping the NFL with 78 in 1923. He received first-team All-NFL recognition after four of those seasons. Following the 1925 season, in which the team won the NFL title, the financially-strapped Cardinals sold Driscoll’s contract to the Bears. Driscoll spent three more seasons with the Bears, scoring 43 points and again receiving consensus first-team All-NFL honors in 1927. Overall for his career, he scored 31 touchdowns and kicked 63 extra points and 51 field goals for a total of 402 points. Driscoll’s scoring total was the NFL record until 1942 and his field goal total the league standard until 1952, with his single-season record of 12 in 1926 not exceeded until 1950. Driscoll received at least some first-team All-NFL recognition after seven seasons and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965. He later became a long-time assistant coach for the Bears and was head coach in 1956 and ’57.

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Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

Highlighted Year: Paddy Driscoll, 1926

Back, Chicago Bears

Age: 31

8^th season in pro football, 7^th in APFA/NFL & 1^st with Bears

College: Northwestern

Height: 5’11” Weight: 160

Prelude:

Driscoll played football and baseball in college, briefly spending time with the Chicago Cubs in 1917. While in the military during World War I, he was with the Great Lakes Naval Station team that won the 1919 Rose Bowl. Driscoll joined the Hammond Pros in 1919 and moved on to the Chicago Cardinals of the new American Professional Football Association (later renamed NFL) in ’20. Deceptively mild-mannered and small in stature, he was an outstanding all-around player who was an elusive halfback and kick returner, precision punter, and outstanding drop-kicker. In six seasons with the Cardinals (three of which he was also the coach), Driscoll scored 17 touchdowns and kicked 37 field goals, leading the league three times, and 31 PATs for a total of 244 points, topping the NFL with 78 in 1923. He received first-team All-NFL recognition after four of those seasons. Following the 1925 season, in which the team won the NFL title, the financially-strapped Cardinals sold Driscoll’s contract to the Bears.

1926 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

TDs – 6 [1, tied with Eddie Scharer]

Scoring

Rushing TDs – 4 [8, tied with Hap Moran, Tony Latone & Cully Lidberg]

Receiving TDs – 1 [12, tied with many others]

Other TDs – 1

Total TDs – 6 [7, tied with Hinkey Haines]

Field Goals – 12 [1]

Extra Points – 14 [3, tied with Pid Purdy]

Points – 86 [1]

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: Collyers Eye, Chicago Tribune, Green Bay Press-Gazette

Bears went 12-1-3 to finish second in the NFL while leading the league in rushing touchdowns (17, tied with Frankford Yellow Jackets), pass receiving TDs (8, tied with Green Bay Packers), and scoring (216 points).

Aftermath:

Driscoll spent three more seasons with the Bears, scoring 43 points and again receiving consensus first-team All-NFL honors in 1927. Overall for his career, he scored 31 touchdowns and kicked 63 extra points and 51 field goals for a total of 402 points. Driscoll’s scoring total was the NFL record until 1942 and his field goal total the league standard until 1952, with his single-season record of 12 in 1926 not exceeded until 1950. Driscoll received at least some first-team All-NFL recognition after seven seasons and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965. He later became a long-time assistant coach for the Bears and was head coach in 1956 and ’57.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

1956: Caroline Stars as Bears Edge Cards

The game between the NFL’s two Chicago franchises, the Bears and Cardinals, on December 9, 1956 had significant meaning for both teams. While the rivalry was always significant, in this instance both clubs were battling to remain in contention in their respective conferences.

The Bears, coached by Paddy Driscoll, the replacement for the (briefly) retired George Halas, had a 7-2-1 record and were trying to keep pace in the Western Conference with the Lions, who had beaten them badly at Detroit the previous week. FB Rick Casares was leading the NFL in rushing and QB Ed Brown was a productive passer who had an outstanding target available in end Harlon Hill. Injuries were a problem at halfback, however, and J.C. Caroline (pictured above), a NFL rookie who had spent a year in the CFL and was performing well in the defensive backfield, was to get a shot on offense.

The Cardinals were under the guidance of second-year Head Coach Ray Richards and had a 6-4 tally that put them behind the Giants in the Eastern Conference. While the Bears regularly contended, the Cards had not finished with a winning record since 1949. They featured the league’s second-best rusher, all-purpose HB Ollie Matson. They also had a good defensive backfield that included DHBs Dick “Night Train” Lane and Lindon Crow. QB Lamar McHan had potential and was a good fit in the team’s split-T offense, but could be temperamental and lost his starting job at one point during the season.

There were 48,606 fans in attendance on a cold day at Wrigley Field, and they saw a game that proved to be a tense and hard-fought affair. In the first quarter, Ollie Matson (pictured at left) took a pitchout and raced 65 yards for an apparent touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty on the offense.

The game remained scoreless until the second quarter, when a shanked punt by John Roach of the Cardinals that traveled only 17 yards gave the Bears the ball at the Cards’ 27. The result was a 36-yard field goal by George Blanda to break the deadlock.

With time running out in the first half, an Ed Brown pass was intercepted by Lindon Crow and the Cards tied the score at 3-3 on the last play before halftime as Pat Summerall booted a field goal from 42 yards that barely cleared the crossbar.

In the third quarter, the Bears put together a 60-yard drive highlighted by the running of Casares and J. C. Caroline and a pass by Ed Brown to Harlon Hill that picked up 21 yards to the Cards’ 16. The series was capped by Caroline running for the last three yards and a touchdown. Blanda added the extra point for the seven-point lead.

On the next series by the Cards, Matson ran 83 yards down the sideline for another apparent TD, but again the play was nullified, this time by a holding penalty. The game had no more scoring the rest of the way. There were opportunities, but it was a rough day for the placekickers. George Blanda missed three of his four field goal attempts, all of which were blocked, and Pat Summerall was successful on only one of five tries, with two of them blocked.

With time running out in the fourth quarter, the contest came down to a wild finish. Following the interception of a Bears’ pass at the goal line, a free-for-all broke out that involved a half dozen players and a number of fans, bringing police and ushers onto the field to help restore order. Linebackers Bill George of the Bears and Carl Brettschneider of the Cardinals were ejected once the situation was calmed. On the next play, “Night Train” Lane, put in as a receiver, caught a pass from Lamar McHan that traveled 40 yards in the air. The play covered 75 yards and it appeared that Lane was sure to score a potentially game-tying touchdown, but he was caught by Caroline at the Chicago seven, the rookie’s flying tackle causing a fumble that safety McNeil Moore recovered for the Bears. The fumble was of no consequence as the final gun sounded shortly thereafter and the Bears came away with a tough 10-3 win.

The Bears had the edge in total yards (302 to 265), with258 yards of their total coming on the ground while they completed only three passes out of 15 attempts. They also led in first downs (16 to 11). The Cards turned the ball over five times, to four suffered by the Bears, but the Cards were undone by penalties, two of which negated the long potential scoring runs by Ollie Matson.

J.C. Caroline rushed for 68 yards on 16 carries that included the game’s only touchdown while making the biggest defensive play at the end. Rick Casares (pictured at right) gained 117 yards on 25 carries and Ollie Matson ended up rushing for just 26 yards on 9 attempts.

The win for the Bears kept them a half-game behind Detroit in the Western Conference standings, setting up a showdown with the Lions in the season finale that they won. Ending up with a 9-2-1 record, Chicago was thrashed by the Giants in the NFL Championship game.  The loss officially eliminated the Cardinals from contention in the Eastern Conference. They won their finale to finish in second place at 7-5.

“He was simply great out there,” said Coach Driscoll of the Bears about J.C. Caroline. “We hadn’t intended on using him much on offense, but what could we do after he took over?”

Caroline received Rookie of the Year honors from The Sporting News and was named to the Pro Bowl after intercepting six passes, two of which he returned for touchdowns. In his stint on offense, he rushed for 141 yards on 34 carries (4.1 avg.) and scored twice more.

Rick Casares finished as the NFL rushing leader with 1126 yards on 234 carries (4.8 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. He scored another two TDs among his 23 pass receptions and led the league in that category as well with 14. Ollie Matson remained the runner-up in rushing as he gained a career-high 924 yards on 192 attempts (4.8 avg.) and scored five times. Adding in pass receptions and kick returns, he topped the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1524.

The long pass reception for “Night Train” Lane was his only one of the season and one of eight, for 253 yards and a TD, over the course of his career. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection for his prowess in the defensive backfield as he intercepted seven passes, returning them for 206 yards and a TD.

1957: Packers Upset Bears in First Game at New Stadium

On September 29, 1957 the Green Bay Packers not only played their opening game of the new NFL season, but achieved a significant milestone in the history of the franchise as well. That day marked the official opening of a new home venue, City Stadium (or New City Stadium, to distinguish it from its predecessor, until renamed Lambeau Field in 1965).

The Packers had endured mediocrity on the field throughout the decade of the fifties and the future of the franchise was in question. They were playing home games at a high school stadium, the original City Stadium, and owners of other NFL teams were complaining that the facility was no longer up to league standards. The Packers had also been playing some home games in Milwaukee each year (and would continue doing so until 1994), and there was sentiment to move the team there permanently. Upon receiving an ultimatum from the NFL, a bond issue was put before the voters of Green Bay to build a new stadium and received 70 percent approval. The result was the new 32,000-seat stadium.

As for the team itself, the Packers were coming off a 4-8 season in 1956 and had not posted a winning record since 1947. Coached by Lisle Blackbourn, who was commencing his fourth year at the helm, the team had traded star QB Tobin Rote to Detroit during the offseason and was going with 23-year-old second-year QB Bart Starr to start the opening game, although 28-year-old QB Babe Parilli, who had started out with the Packers in 1952, gone into the military, and been dealt to Cleveland, was back with the club. End Billy Howton was one of the NFL’s best receivers, center Jim Ringo was a solid performer on the offensive line, and safety Bobby Dillon a highly-regarded member of the defense. They also had high hopes for their first round draft choices, QB Paul Hornung from Notre Dame and Michigan end Ron Kramer, but by and large the Packers simply had too many holes on the roster.

The team they were hosting, the Chicago Bears, was coming off a 9-2-1 record in ’56 that had topped the Western Division, although they lost badly to the Giants in the NFL title game. Coached by Paddy Driscoll, the Bears had a fine quarterback tandem in Ed Brown and George Blanda with Zeke Bratkowski now in the mix after a stint in the Army. FB Rick Casares had led the league in rushing and end Harlon Hill was an outstanding deep threat.

Dignitaries were present for the stadium dedication, including Vice President Richard M. Nixon who pronounced the new facility the “best spectator stadium” he had visited. A capacity crowd of 32,132 was on hand on a windy but sunny day.

The Bears scored first on their third series in the opening period, following an interception of a Bart Starr pass.  Ed Brown capped a 77-yard drive with a five-yard run on the ninth play. Blanda added the extra point and it was 7-0 heading into the second quarter.

Starr was struggling and the Packers were also hurt by the loss of FB Howie Ferguson to an injury in the first quarter. Babe Parilli (pictured below) relieved at quarterback and the Packers put together a scoring drive that went 79 yards in 10 plays, the biggest a pass that Howton caught over his shoulder for a 37-yard touchdown. Fred Cone tied the score at 7-7 with the successful point after.

Chicago got another TD, again taking nine plays to advance 72 yards and scoring on a pass from Brown to Harlon Hill from eleven yards out. The second TD for the Packers culminated a nine-play, 59-yard drive that was helped by a pass interference call in the end zone after Chicago DHB Vic Zucco hit Howton in the end zone. With the ball at the one yard line, Cone dove into the end zone and added the extra point that made the score 14-14 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, George Blanda kicked a 13-yard field goal for the Bears to give them the lead, but the Green Bay defense began to assert itself. In addition to intercepting four passes during the second half, the Packers also made a key stop in the fourth quarter. On a fourth-and-one play near midfield, Chicago HB Bobby Watkins was unable to gain the necessary yardage and the Packers came alive with a three-play, 49-yard series that proved to be decisive.

Parilli first threw to Howton for a 41-yard gain and Cone ran for two yards. Then Parilli, breaking free of DE Jack Hoffman, fired the ball to end Gary Knafelc, who dropped to his knees between the goal posts and caught the ball squarely in his stomach for a six-yard touchdown.

With 8:21 remaining to play, there was still plenty of time left, but Green Bay’s defense rose to the occasion and the Bears were unable to get into Packers territory for the rest of the game. Chicago’s last opportunity came when the Packers had to punt with two minutes remaining, but HB Perry Jeter fumbled when hit hard by DE Jim Temp and center Larry Lauer recovered for the Packers, who were then able to run out the clock. The Packers came away with an upset 21-17 win.

Chicago led in total yards (362 to 297) and first downs (19 to 16). However, the Bears also turned the ball over six times, with most coming in the second half, to four suffered by Green Bay.

Babe Parilli completed 9 of 17 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns and Billy Howton had 8 catches for 165 yards and a TD. Chicago’s quarterback combo of Ed Brown and Zeke Bratkowski gave up five interceptions, two of which were by Bobby Dillon.

While it made for a great opening in a new facility, the win over the Bears did not mark a turnaround for the Packers. They lost their next three games and ended up at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 3-9 record. Coach Blackbourn was dismissed, but it would take an even worse finish in 1958 and another coaching change to bring about a revival in the team’s fortunes.

The loss did presage a down year for the Bears, who sagged to 5-7 and fifth place in the conference, although they did beat Green Bay in the rematch at Chicago. The drop in fortunes persuaded owner George Halas to come out of his two-year coaching retirement in 1958.

Babe Parilli started one game for the Packers in ’57 and returned to the bench to back up Bart Starr. For the year, he completed 39 of 102 passes (38.2 %) for 669 yards with four touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He played one more season with Green Bay, was cut during the 1959 preseason and played in Canada, and then spent 10 years in the American Football League with the Raiders, Patriots (where he had his greatest success), and Jets.

Billy Howton had another fine season in 1957, catching 38 passes for 727 yards (19.1 avg.) and five touchdowns. He received consensus first-team All-NFL recognition for the second straight year and was named to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time.

As for City Stadium, the bond issue that financed its near-million dollar construction cost was paid off in 1978. Following several expansions, and the renaming to Lambeau Field, the seating capacity has since risen to over 73,000.

1926: Driscoll Dominates as Bears Shut Out Cards

In the early days of the NFL, one of the league’s biggest stars was John “Paddy” Driscoll. At a time when versatility was highly valued, the 5’11”, 160-pound Driscoll could run and pass effectively out of the quarterback, halfback, or tailback positions, was a good defensive player, and an excellent punter and drop-kicker. After playing collegiately at Northwestern and having a brief major league baseball career, Driscoll was with the Great Lakes Naval Training Station football team that won the 1919 Rose Bowl (and included George Halas, later the long-time head coach and owner of the Bears). After playing professionally in the pre-NFL year of 1919 with Hammond, he joined the Chicago Cardinals of the new league (then called the American Professional Football Association) for 1920.

From then through 1925, Driscoll scored 17 touchdowns, kicked 37 field goals and 31 extra points, and scored 244 points while receiving All-Pro recognition in five of the six years. He led the league in scoring in 1923 and in field goals on three occasions, including 1925 as the Cardinals won the NFL Championship. Driscoll also tended to be particularly effective against the cross-town rivals of the Cards, the Chicago Bears.

In 1926, a rival league, the first to be called the American Football League, was formed and Driscoll received a salary offer from that circuit’s Chicago franchise that the Cardinals could not match. Not wanting to see Driscoll go to the other circuit, the Cards sold him to Halas and the Bears for $3500.

Driscoll proved to be a good pickup for the Bears, and on October 17, 1926 they faced the Cardinals. It was a big game – both teams had yet to lose (the Cards were 4-0 and the Bears 3-0-1). There were 12,000 fans in attendance at Normal Park, home of the Cards.

Three minutes into the first quarter, Driscoll dropkicked a 38-yard field goal following his fair catch of a punt. Early in the second quarter, Driscoll passed to Halas, an end as well as the owner and coach, for a 40-yard gain to the Cardinals’ 20. He followed up with a run around end for 11 yards and shortly thereafter went off tackle for a five-yard touchdown. The multitalented back added the extra point to make it 10-0.

Later in the same period, center George Trafton of the Bears intercepted a pass in Cardinals territory, and while they weren’t able to move the ball on offense, Driscoll booted a 25-yard field goal. Before the end of the half, Driscoll completed the scoring with a 50-yard field goal and that was it. While the Cardinals drove into Bears territory on several occasions during the second half, fumbles kept them from scoring and the halftime score of 16-0 ended up being the final tally.

The Bears accumulated 10 first downs to 8 for the Cards. Paddy Driscoll accounted for all of the points against his former team as he kicked three field goals, scored a touchdown, and added the extra point. Backs Roy Lamb and Red Dunn were the top ground gainers for the Cardinals.

The first defeat of the season for the Cardinals moved the Bears into undisputed possession of first place. They didn’t hold onto it in the end, however, finishing second in the division-less, 22-club NFL with a 12-1-3 record. The only team to defeat them, the Frankford Yellow Jackets, claimed the league title at 14-1-2. The Cardinals slumped to 5-6-1, winning just one more game after the initial loss to the Bears (they played them twice more and suffered another defeat along with a tie). They placed tenth in the final standings.

Paddy Driscoll led the NFL in scoring for the second time with 86 points and also was the leader in touchdown passes (6, tied with Eddie Scharer of the Detroit Panthers) and field goals (12) – both were league records, the scoring mark lasting until 1941 and the field goal total remaining the standard until 1950. He also scored a total of six touchdowns and kicked 14 extra points and was named first-team All-NFL by Collyers Eye Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Driscoll stayed with the Bears until 1929, when his playing career ended. At the time, he was the NFL’s career scoring leader with 402 points and, not surprisingly, the career leader in field goals with 51. His 63 extra points were also a record and he was named to at least one all-league team in eight of his nine years in the NFL. Driscoll went on to become a long-time assistant coach for the Bears and was head coach in 1956 and ’57, when Halas took a hiatus. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

1956: Carmichael Returns Kickoff 106 Yards but Bears Prevail Over Packers

The Green Bay Packers were in the midst of a long dry period on October 7, 1956 as they hosted the arch-rival Chicago Bears at City Stadium. They were coming off a 6-6 record in ’55 under Head Coach Lisle Blackbourn, only their second finish as high as .500 (they had not been above that) since 1947. The team had a talented, if inconsistent, quarterback in Tobin Rote, one of the best receivers in the league in end Billy Howton, and Bobby Dillon, a fine safety. Some names that would become prominent a few years later were on the roster, such as C Jim Ringo, DT Dave Hanner, and MG/LB Bill Forester. Rookies included offensive tackles Forrest Gregg and Bob Skoronski, DB Hank Gremminger, and backup QB Bart Starr.

One of the veterans on the team was HB Al Carmichael (pictured above), the first round draft pick out of USC in 1953. In three seasons with Green Bay, he had been more prominent as a kick returner than a running back, and led the NFL with a 29.9 kickoff return average in 1955, including one for a 100-yard touchdown.

The Packers lost their opening game to Detroit the week before, while Chicago had also fallen short against the Colts. Owner George Halas had stepped down as head coach following an 8-4 finish in 1955, and longtime assistant Paddy Driscoll now held the position – although the “Papa Bear” still maintained a tight grip on the team.

There was a capacity crowd of 24,668 fans in attendance at the small venue. The Bears scored first on a nine-yard pass from QB Ed Brown to FB Rick Casares in the opening quarter. Carmichael was back deep to return the kickoff, supposedly with strict orders from Blackbourn not to return it if it went into the end zone. However, the oft-injured halfback was angry as a result of a shouting match prior to the game with an assistant coach who questioned his toughness. He fielded the kick and ran it out, hurdling over Bears lineman Stan Jones and breaking into the clear. In thrilling fashion, Carmichael went the distance, setting a new NFL record with his 106-yard kickoff return.

George Blanda broke the tie later in the period with a 29-yard field goal for the Bears, and in the second quarter booted a 41-yarder. Rote threw to Howton for a six-yard touchdown, and Fred Cone’s extra point put the Packers in front at 14-13.

Chicago put together a 10-play, 80-yard drive in which Brown completed a 34-yard pass to Casares and 27-yard throw to end Gene Schroeder. On the climactic play from three yards out, the quarterback faked to Casares, handed off to HB Bobby Watkins, and when Watkins fumbled, Brown grabbed it a foot off the ground and broke through left tackle for the score. The odd touchdown put the Bears ahead by 20-14 at the half, and they never trailed again.

Casares ran for a 14-yard TD three minutes into the third quarter, and while Rote again threw a scoring pass to Howton that covered 16 yards and made it a six-point game at 27-21 in the final period, Blanda kicked an 11-yard field goal five minutes later and Brown iced the cake with a nine-yard touchdown pass to end Bill McColl. The Bears came away with a 37-21 win.

It was a convincing performance for the Bears, who outgained Green Bay (462 yards to 267) and had more first downs (25 to 20). The ground game piled up 278 of those yards, with Rick Casares leading the way with 139 yards on 24 carries. Ed Brown was efficient through the air as he completed 11 of 16 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. 29-year-old George Blanda kicked three field goals and his four extra points extended his league record to 150 in a row (he topped out at 156). Billy Howton caught 6 passes for 97 yards and two TDs for the Packers.

The win was the first of seven straight for the Bears, who won the Western Conference with a 9-2-1 record, although they lost badly to the Giants in the NFL title game. Green Bay won its next two games but then suffered four consecutive losses on the way to a 4-8 record and last place finish in the conference, along with the Rams.

Al Carmichael ranked third in kickoff return average (28.1) while leading the league in kickoffs returned (33) and yards (927) as well as total yards on kickoff and punt returns (1092). His 1471 all-purpose yards placed second in the NFL.

The 106-yard kickoff return bested the previous record of 105, set by Frank Seno of the Chicago Cardinals in a 1946 game against the Giants. It was tied by Noland Smith with Kansas City of the AFL in 1967 and Roy Green of the Cardinals in 1979 before finally being broken, after over fifty years, by Ellis Hobbs of the Patriots, who had a 108-yard return against the Jets in 2007. Green Bay’s Randall Cobb not only tied the league record with a 108-yard return in the opening game of the 2011 season, but also knocked Carmichael’s return to second place in franchise history.

Carmichael played two more seasons with the Packers and finished up with 100 career punt returns for a 7.5-yard average and returned 153 kickoffs with an average of 25.5 yards and two touchdowns. While his career was not particularly significant otherwise, he went on to achieve another distinction as a member of the Denver Broncos in 1960 when he scored the first touchdown in AFL history.

1956: Giants Dominate Bears on Frozen Field for NFL Title

Temperatures in New York City were in the 20s and the field at Yankee Stadium was frozen for the NFL Championship game on December 30, 1956. The head coach of the host Giants, Jim Lee Howell, made the decision to have the players wear sneakers – reminiscent of the 1934 title game (although the sneakers were available prior to, rather than obtained during, the game). While in this instance the Bears did likewise, the result would be similar to the earlier contest.

The Giants had won the Eastern Conference with an 8-3-1 record. The offense, directed by assistant coach Vince Lombardi and led by 35-year-old QB Charlie Conerly, was conservative but effective and contained the consensus league MVP in HB Frank Gifford, who ran for 819 yards and added another 603 yards on 51 pass receptions. Defense was the team’s strength, however, coached by assistant Tom Landry and containing All-Pros in DT Roosevelt Grier, DE Andy Robustelli, and safety Emlen Tunnell. Rookie MLB Sam Huff had an impact, as did veteran newcomers HB Ed Hughes and DT Dick Modzelewski.

As had been the case in 1934, New York’s opponent was the Chicago Bears, leaders in the Western Conference at 9-2-1. George Halas still directed the club as owner, although he had retired as head coach (he came out of retirement in 1958) in favor of longtime assistant Paddy Driscoll. Chicago had the NFL’s leading rusher in FB Rick Casares (1126 yards) and the leading passer, QB Ed Brown (9.9 yards per attempt), who split time with George Blanda. All-Pro end Harlon Hill caught 47 passes for 1128 yards and 11 touchdowns. The defense, anchored by All-Pro middle guard Bill George, was rugged. The two teams had played to a 17-17 tie during the regular season and the Bears were favored coming into the title game.

The Giants were concluding their first season as tenants at Yankee Stadium, and there were 56,836 fans present. New York got off to a quick start as HB Gene Filipski returned the opening kickoff 53 yards to the Chicago 39 yard line. Four plays later, FB Mel Triplett ran 17 yards up the middle for a touchdown (pictured above). It didn’t get any better for the Bears when, on their first possession following the ensuing kickoff, Casares fumbled on the second play and Robustelli recovered for New York at the Chicago 15. Ben Agajanian ended up kicking a 17-yard field goal. Before the first quarter was over, Agajanian kicked for another three points, from 43 yards, after safety Jim Patton intercepted a Brown pass.


It was 13-0 after the first quarter as Conerly (pictured at right) entered the contest for the Giants. In an unorthodox arrangement, backup QB Don Heinrich typically started and ran the offense for the first couple of series while Conerly studied the defense’s tendencies from the sideline. With the veteran quarterback now directing the attack, New York’s lead was extended to 20-0 three minutes into the second quarter as HB Alex Webster ran three yards for a touchdown.

The Bears finally got a break when a punt was fumbled by Tunnell at the New York 25 and DT John Mellekas recovered for Chicago. A five-play drive was capped by Casares running nine yards for a TD. However, any hopes the Bears might have had of getting back into the game were dashed when the Giants responded by driving 72 yards in five plays, including a pass from Conerly to Webster that covered 50 yards and a 20-yard run by Triplett down to the Chicago two yard line. Webster finished off the possession with another short scoring run, this time from a yard out. Less than two minutes later, Giants guard Ray Beck blocked a punt by Brown that was recovered in the end zone for a TD by DB Henry Moore. The score was 34-7 at the half.

The second half added little of note. The New York defense continued to shut down the Bears, with either Brown or Blanda behind center, and Chicago even switched from the T-formation to the double-wing in an unsuccessful effort to generate offense. The Giants put together a third quarter scoring drive of 80 yards in four plays that ended with a Conerly pass to end Kyle Rote for a nine-yard touchdown (the extra point attempt failed).

New York scored once more, in the fourth quarter, as Conerly passed to Gifford for 14 yards. Backup Bobby Clatterbuck replaced the veteran quarterback at that point and the game ended with the Giants winning by a very convincing 47-7 margin.


The Giants outgained Chicago, 348 yards to 270, and held the Bears to just 67 yards on the ground. Charlie Conerly didn’t need to go to the air often, but was efficient when he did so, completing 7 of 10 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Mel Triplett was the leading rusher, gaining 71 yards on 13 carries with a TD, while Frank Gifford (pictured at left) had 30 yards on five attempts and also caught four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Alex Webster (pictured below right), who had the two short scoring runs among his 12 carries for 27 yards, added another 5 pass receptions for 76 yards.


The Bears went to the air 47 times, with Ed Brown completing just 8 of 20 passes for 97 yards with an interception and George Blanda succeeding on 12 of 27 throws for 140 yards, also having one picked off. Rick Casares gained only 43 yards on 14 carries with Chicago’s lone score, but also had the costly early fumble. Harlon Hill caught 6 passes for 87 yards, but most came after the outcome had been decided. End Jim Dooley added another 6 receptions for 66 yards.

“The frozen field was no excuse,” said Paddy Driscoll afterward. “They just ran on it and we didn’t…we just didn’t have it…the Giants played a great game.”

It was the first NFL Championship for the Giants in 18 years. While the team would make it back to the title game five times in the next seven seasons, the win in 1956 would be their last until the Super Bowl following the 1986 season.