1947: Eagles Shut Out Steelers in Eastern Division Playoff

The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, having both finished with 8-4 records to create a tie atop the Eastern Division, faced each other in a divisional playoff game on December 21, 1947. It marked the first postseason appearance for each of the franchises, who both came into the NFL in 1933.

The Eagles, coached by Earle “Greasy” Neale, finished second in each of the previous three seasons and a late-season slump, in which they lost two of their final four games after getting off to a 6-2 start, had nearly deprived them again. HB Steve Van Buren set a new league record with 1008 rushing yards and QB Tommy Thompson (pictured above) was a fine passer and had good targets in ends “Black Jack” Ferrante and rookie Pete Pihos, all playing behind an excellent line. Neale’s innovative defense was tough and very physical.

Very little was expected of Pittsburgh coming into the season, especially when they traded star tailback Bill Dudley to the Lions. But Head Coach Jock Sutherland’s team won six straight games after getting off to a 1-2 start. The Steelers utilized a single-wing offense ably directed by Dudley’s replacement, tailback Johnny Clement, and they had a productive receiver in end Val Jansante. They had beaten the Eagles earlier in the season at home, but were missing several starters, most notably Clement, due to injury in losing the rematch at Philadelphia. All were back healthy for the playoff game, and Pittsburgh also concluded its season a week earlier than the Eagles and thus had an extra week off prior to the playoff game. However, there was also discontent among the players, who demanded extra pay for the additional week of practice, which drew the fury of Coach Sutherland and sowed the seeds of dissension.

There were 35,729 fans in attendance at Forbes Field. Pittsburgh managed just two first downs in the first half, the first of them coming on their first possession of the game. Philadelphia’s first scoring threat came up empty when the Eagles faked a field goal and QB Allie Sherman’s long pass intended for Jack Ferrante was incomplete.

The Eagles got their next opportunity when Pete Pihos blocked a punt by Bob Cifers, which gave the visitors the ball at the Pittsburgh 14. Two running plays netted the loss of a yard, but on third down Tommy Thompson threw to Steve Van Buren for a touchdown. Cliff Patton added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, Philadelphia put together a 69-yard scoring drive after HB Pat McHugh returned a punt 11 yards. Thompson threw to HB Russ Craft for eight yards and a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness was tacked on following the play. Six plays later, Thompson threw long for Ferrante and it was good for a 25-yard TD. Patton again converted.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Johnny Clement carried around end for a 27-yard gain to the Philadelphia 45. It was Pittsburgh’s first penetration into enemy territory, but the series stalled thereafter. The score remained 14-0 in favor of Philadelphia at the half.

After passing to good effect in the first half, the Eagles kept the ball on the ground and played conservatively in the second half, especially after Thompson was injured and had to leave the game. Early in the third quarter, HB Bosh Pritchard (pictured below) fielded a punt and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown in the game’s most spectacular play. Patton again tacked on the extra point.

Late in the third quarter, the Steelers finally put together a promising drive as they advanced from their 34 to the Philadelphia nine. Clement, Cifers, and FB Tony Compagno all ran effectively and Clement completed a pass to end Elbie Nickel for 16 yards. But facing fourth down, Clement tried a jump pass, fumbled, and while the Steelers recovered, they were short of first down yardage and had to turn the ball over. It was their last gasp, and the Eagles coasted the rest of the way to a 21-0 win.

The statistics reflected the score as Philadelphia outgained the Steelers (255 yards to 154) and had far more first downs (17 to 7). Each team turned the ball over twice.

Tommy Thompson was outstanding as he completed 11 of 17 passes (10 of 15 in the first half) for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Steve Van Buren was held to 45 yards on 18 carries but also scored a TD on one of his two catches for 15 yards. Jack Ferrante led the Eagles with five pass receptions for 73 yards that included a score.

For the Steelers, Johnny Clement (pictured at right), out with an elbow injury for nearly a month, led in rushing with 59 yards on 14 carries but had a poor passing performance, completing just four of 16 throws for 52 yards. Val Jansante failed to catch a pass and Elbie Nickel led the club with two receptions for 32 yards.

The Eagles went on to lose an exciting NFL Championship contest against the Chicago Cardinals. They came back to win the Eastern Division in each of the next two seasons, coming out on top in the league title contests as well. As for the Steelers, Coach Sutherland died from a sudden illness during the offseason and was replaced by John Michelosen. Pittsburgh dropped to 4-8 in 1948 and did not return to the postseason until 1972.

1949: Eagles Defeat Rams in Quagmire for NFL Championship

The Philadelphia Eagles had won the 1948 NFL title in a game played amidst blizzard conditions. On December 18, 1949 they were once again playing for the league championship while facing extreme weather. The Eagles, under Head Coach Earle “Greasy” Neale, were an even better club than in ’48. They repeated as Eastern Division champs with an 11-1 record, leading the NFL both in points scored (364) and fewest points surrendered (134). The key to the offense was star HB Steve Van Buren (pictured above), who won his fourth league rushing title in five years with a record 1146 yards. QB Tommy Thompson was a fine passer and had an able receiving corps in ends Pete Pihos, Jack Ferrante, and Neill Armstrong.  Neale’s innovative 5-2-4 defense was highly effective.

The winners of the Western Division were the Los Angeles Rams, who went 8-2-2. Head Coach Clark Shaughnessy was one of the architects of the T-formation and fashioned a high-scoring offense. Veteran QB Bob Waterfield was joined by rookie Norm Van Brocklin and HB Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch was moved out to flanker where he joined ends Tom Fears and Bob Shaw to create an exciting and productive passing attack. However, after winning their first six games they lost badly at Philadelphia and struggled through the remainder of the schedule.

Heavy rains struck Los Angeles the previous day and continued through the Sunday of the title game, dumping some three inches of rain on Los Angeles and making the field at the Memorial Coliseum a sea of mud. A record crowd was expected to attend the contest in the cavernous stadium, but the heavy downpour limited attendance to a disappointing 22,245 – a particular disappointment to the players, who were looking forward to a large gate with healthy shares going to the winning team.  Thus, there were players, and for that matter fans, who wanted to see the game postponed a week, but it went on as scheduled.

With conditions that essentially grounded the offenses, neither team scored in the opening period. In the second quarter, the Eagles put together a 63-yard drive. Tommy Thompson completed passes to Jack Ferrante that gained 11 and 16 yards, respectively, and then hit Pete Pihos from 31 yards out, who made a leaping grab at the 15 and proceeded unmolested into the end zone. Cliff Patton’s extra point attempt was successful and the defending champs held a 7-0 lead at the half.

Philadelphia added to its lead in the third quarter. With the Rams backed up to their 10 yard line, a punt by Bob Waterfield was blocked by DE Leo Skladany who then managed to gain possession of the ball that had rolled back to the two and cross the goal line for another TD. It was a career highlight for Skladany, a rookie who was playing semipro football until signed by the Eagles during the season when star DE Johnny Green went down with an injury. Once again Patton added the PAT.

The Rams only threatened twice, reaching the Philadelphia 25 and 37 yard lines, but came up empty. A field goal try by Waterfield from 45 yards sailed wide. Likewise, the Eagles had an opportunity to add to their margin but HB Jim Parmer fumbled the ball away at the LA 7. The key to the game was Philadelphia’s ability to run the ball effectively and thus control time of possession as well as being able to shut the Rams down defensively. The Eagles won their second consecutive title by a score of 14-0.

Philadelphia’s domination was complete. The Eagles ran far more plays (70 to 51), gained more total yards (342 to 109), and had more first downs (17 to 7). The Rams didn’t make a first down on a running play and set a team record for lowest rushing yardage in a title game (21 yards on 24 carries). Philadelphia, on the other hand, did the opposite (274 yards on 61 attempts).

Steve Van Buren was the game’s dominant player, gaining a postseason-record 196 yards on 31 carries (it remained the NFL standard until 1975). Tommy Thompson threw just 9 passes and completed 5 for 68 yards and a touchdown along with two interceptions. Jack Ferrante was the only Eagle to catch more than one pass, with two for 27 yards, although Pete Pihos was the receiving yardage leader with 31 on his lone reception for a TD.

For the Rams, Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin combined for 10 completions in 27 attempts for 98 yards and one interception. Four receivers caught two passes apiece, with tackle Dick Huffman the leader in yards with 26. The anemic ground game was led by HB Fred Gehrke who gained 13 yards on three attempts – FB Dick Hoerner had 7 carries, for just 10 yards.

“My boys did their best,” summed up Clark Shaughnessy. “I can’t think of a single change I would make if the game were played again.”

The win over the Rams made the Eagles the first back-to-back NFL Champions since the 1940-41 Bears and crowned a run in which they topped the Eastern Division for three straight years. They dropped to 6-6 and third place in the revamped American Conference in 1950 primarily as the result of injuries (particularly to Van Buren) – and the arrival of the Cleveland Browns from the AAFC. Philadelphia would not win another title until 1960. The Rams, on the other hand, made it back to the Championship game in each of the next two seasons, winning in 1951 and tying for first place in the National Conference in ’52. 

1947: Cards Beat Eagles for NFL Title in Game of Big Plays

The NFL Championship game on December 28, 1947 featured two teams that were new to the contest. The Chicago Cardinals may have been the NFL’s oldest franchise, dating all the way back to 1899 as a club team, but they had not known much success (one title in 1925, prior to division play and a championship game) and had labored for most of the league’s history in the shadow of the other Chicago team, the Bears. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles were the first team to represent the Eastern Division in the title game other than the Giants or Redskins. Both clubs had built effectively through the draft and were well coached. Sadly, Cards owner Charles Bidwell, who had invested heavily in players (especially heralded rookie HB Charlie Trippi out of Georgia, signed to a then-record $100,000 contract for four years), died in April and didn’t live to see his club vie for the championship.

The Cardinals had gone 9-3 and beaten the second-place Bears in the finale to win the Western Division. Coached by Jimmy Conzelman, the Cards boasted an outstanding backfield that included, in addition to the all-purpose star Trippi, QB Paul Christman, HB Elmer Angsman (pictured above), and FB Pat Harder. Ends Mal Kutner and Bill Dewell were highly effective.

Philadelphia was coached by Earle “Greasy” Neale and had gone 8-4 to end up in a tie atop the division with another upstart team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Eagles won the resulting playoff convincingly by a 21-0 score. HB Steve Van Buren set a new league rushing record (1008 yards) and was the key to the offense that was efficiently run by QB Tommy Thompson. HB Bosh Pritchard provided an outstanding outside rushing counterpoint to Van Buren and the receivers, led by rookie end Pete Pihos, were very good. The line contained outstanding performers in tackles Al Wistert and Vic Sears, guards Bucko Kilroy and Cliff Patton, and center Vic Lindskog.

There were 30,759 fans in attendance on a bitterly cold day and the field at Comiskey Park was frozen. The Cardinals wore sneakers with cork cleats while the Eagles had attempted to sharpen their spikes for better traction. However, the officials declared the footwear illegal when the Cardinals complained and they instead wore flat-soled sneakers.


It proved to be a game liberally highlighted by big plays. The first came when Chicago scored six minutes into the first quarter. Trippi (pictured at right) broke free on a quick-opener for a 44-yard touchdown run, outmaneuvering the last defender, DHB Russ Craft, along the way.

The Eagles, concerned with Christman’s passing ability, crowded the line in an effort to disrupt the aerial attack. While they did so effectively, they also left themselves vulnerable to long gains by the halfbacks if they broke through. Early in the second quarter, Angsman got the ball on a delayed buck into the line and took off for a 70-yard TD. Philadelphia, better known for its running game, went to the air and responded with Thompson throwing to HB Pat McHugh for a 43-yard touchdown that made the score 14-7 at the half.

Of all the big plays in the game, Trippi made perhaps the most spectacular in the third quarter when he fielded a punt and returned it 75 yards for a TD, virtually running through the entire Eagles team and recovering after being tripped up at one point.

Philadelphia put together a 73-yard scoring drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown carry by Van Buren late in the third quarter, closing the margin to 21-14. Along the way, Thompson completed passes to end Jack Ferrante and FB Joe Muha that totaled 39 yards.

In the fourth quarter, Muha, normally a proficient punter who had difficulty with his kicks on this day, unleashed a 69-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Chicago 10. Christman threw to Trippi for 20 yards and then Angsman, breaking through the center of the line, took off on another 70-yard scoring run.

With time running out, Thompson passed the Eagles down the field. They drove 53 yards with “One-Eyed” Tommy completing four throws and Craft running over from inside the one yard line. But that was it for Philadelphia. The Cardinals hung on to win the exciting contest by a score of 28-21.

The Eagles outgained Chicago (357 yards to 336) and led in first downs (22 to 11). The teams went against type as the Cardinals rolled up 282 yards on the ground, to just 60 for Philadelphia, while the Eagles had far more net passing yards (297 to 54). Each team turned the ball over three times. The Cards also were penalized 10 times, at a cost of 97 yards, to 7 flags thrown on the Eagles, for 55 yards. Ultimately, Chicago’s big plays outnumbered those by Philadelphia.

Elmer Angsman ran for 159 yards and two long touchdowns on just 10 carries while Charlie Trippi added 84 on 11 attempts with one TD. Paul Christman was successful on just 3 of 14 passes for 54 yards and was intercepted twice. Angsman, Trippi, and Bill Dewell each caught one, with Dewell’s the longest at 38 yards.


Tommy Thompson (pictured at left) put on an exciting passing display for the Eagles. He set championship game records for attempts (44) and completions (27) while throwing for 297 yards with a touchdown, although he was picked off three times. Jack Ferrante caught 8 of those passes for 73 yards and the remainder was distributed among a total of eight other receivers. Between poor footing and the Cards’ defense, Steve Van Buren was held to 26 yards on 18 carries that included one short TD. Joe Muha led the club with 31 yards on 8 attempts.

“They’re a great team, and more power to them,” said Greasy Neale afterward of the Cardinals. “I hope they win the Western title next year, too, so that we can have the pleasure of knocking them off in Philadelphia.”

Neale’s wish came true as both teams repeated as division champions in 1948. In a Championship game played in blizzard conditions in Philadelphia, the Eagles won. They would go on to achieve one more title in 1949 while the Cardinals would begin to recede back into mediocrity.

1947: Eagles Outlast Redskins in Record-Setting Opening Game

The NFL opening-week matchup on September 28, 1947 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins featured two clubs heading in different directions. The visiting Redskins had regularly contended in the Eastern Division between 1936 and ’45, making it to the postseason six times and winning two NFL titles. However, under Head Coach Turk Edwards, a former star tackle, the team had gone 5-5-1 in 1946, the first non-winning record since 1935. Still, the Redskins had a formidable weapon in 33-year-old QB Sammy Baugh, the best passer in the league, assuring that they could put points on the board.

The host Eagles, on the other hand, had been perennial losers since coming into the NFL in 1933 (a year after the Redskins). They didn’t have a winning record until 1943, the year they combined with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the wartime manpower shortage and restrictions on travel, but under Head Coach Earle “Greasy” Neale, the Eagles had been adding outstanding talent and improving steadily. Philadelphia finished second in the Eastern Division in each of the next three seasons, including a 6-5 record in 1946.

There were 35,406 fans at Municipal Stadium, and they saw the home team score first when Joe Muha kicked a 40-yard field goal three minutes into the contest. Later in the opening period, Eagles QB “One-Eyed” Tommy Thompson (pictured above) connected with rookie end Pete Pihos, a former college fullback, for a 19-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10-0.


The Redskins got on the board early in the second quarter as Baugh (pictured at left) connected with HB Bob Nussbaumer on a 37-yard touchdown pass. Shortly thereafter, Baugh’s 1000th career completion was good for a 62-yard TD to rookie end Hugh Taylor and Washington was in front at 14-10.

However, the lead didn’t last long when Eagles star HB Steve Van Buren returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. With time winding down in the first half, backup QB Allie Sherman scored on a one-yard sneak that was set up by Van Buren’s running and passes from Thompson to Pihos. Philadelphia held a 24-14 lead at halftime.

The Redskins started the second half off with a bang as HB Eddie Saenz returned the kickoff for a 94-yard touchdown. The Eagles came right back with a 70-yard drive. Thompson threw to end Jack Ferrante for a 33-yard gain to the Washington six yard line and shortly thereafter Van Buren ran in for a one-yard TD. Philadelphia’s lead was again ten points at 31-21.

Thompson connected with Pihos for a 21-yard touchdown a few minutes later to extend the margin, but Baugh threw a pass to HB Dick Poillon that resulted in a 57-yard TD and the score was 38-28 after three quarters.

Thompson threw to end Neill Armstrong, another rookie, for Philadelphia’s last touchdown on a play that covered 29 yards. Washington didn’t give up, and Baugh tossed two scoring passes to Taylor in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t quite enough as the Eagles held on to win by a score of 45-42.

The combined 87 points set a new NFL record, as did the 12 combined touchdowns (previously 79 points & 11 TDs by the Packers and Cardinals in 1942; both records fell a year later).


Pete Pihos (pictured at right) had an impressive debut as he caught 5 passes for 89 yards and two TDs. Steve Van Buren ran for 98 yards and added the kickoff return for a touchdown.

Oddly enough, the field goal by Joe Muha that proved to be crucial to the result was the only successful three-point attempt of his career (he was one-for-five in ’47, one-for-16 over his five years in the NFL). A fullback, Muha was far more effective as a punter (he led the league with a 47.3 average in 1948).

For the Redskins, Sammy Baugh completed 21 of 34 passes for 364 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. Hugh Taylor (pictured below) also had a noteworthy first game as he caught 8 passes for 212 yards and three TDs.


The Eagles went on to post an 8-4 record, tying for first with Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Division. They won the resulting playoff but lost the NFL Championship game to the Chicago Cardinals. Washington won its next two games but then lost five straight to fall out of contention. The Redskins ended up at 4-8 and in fourth place.

Tommy Thompson, who had limited vision in one eye, firmly established himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the league as he threw for 1680 yards and 16 touchdowns. He benefited from having Steve Van Buren in the backfield, who set a NFL single-season rushing record (1008 yards) and also led the league in touchdowns (14) and yards from scrimmage (1087). Pete Pihos set the tone for his Hall of Fame career by catching 23 passes for 382 yards and seven TDs.

Although the Redskins were mired in mediocrity, Sammy Baugh led the league in pass attempts (354), completions (210), yards (2938), TD passes (25), completion percentage (59.3), and had the lowest percentage of interceptions (4.2). Hugh Taylor, who had such a spectacular debut in a losing cause against the Eagles, caught 26 passes for 511 yards (19.7 avg.) and six touchdowns. Bob Nussbaumer ranked second in the NFL in pass receptions (47) and ninth in receiving yards (597).

1948: Eagles Defeat Cardinals in Blizzard for NFL Championship

The NFL championship matchup on December 19, 1948 was a repeat of the previous year, but the weather was not. The field was frozen when the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Cardinals met in ’47 at Comiskey Park, but in this instance a heavy winter storm dumped snow on Philadelphia all day. While a protective tarpaulin had been placed over the field, the snow had accumulated so heavily on it that the players had to assist the grounds crew in its removal a half hour before the game. Even then, the turf at Shibe Park was completely covered at the kickoff.

Eagles Head Coach Greasy Neale was in favor of postponing the contest, but Commissioner Bert Bell, citing the sellout crowd (28,864 actually showed up) and the national radio audience, suggested that the players decide. To Bell’s satisfaction, both teams wanted to play, and play they did. The Commissioner ruled that the first down chain would be used, but there would be no measurements – the referee would rule on all first downs. Ropes were tied to stakes to mark the sidelines.

The game started a half hour late, at two o’clock rather than the scheduled 1:30. Fortunately, Eagles star halfback Steve Van Buren arrived about an hour before the game – he had gone back to bed when he saw the heavy snow in the morning, thinking the contest would be postponed, but got up and made it to Shibe Park in time (some accounts claim that a nervous Coach Neale phoned him). He was the key to the Eagles offense and the NFL’s leading rusher for the third time in four seasons (945 yards). After losing the first game of the season and tying the second, Philadelphia had put together eight straight wins on the way to a 9-2-1 record. Aside from Van Buren, the offense boasted the league’s leading passer in QB Tommy Thompson, speedy halfback Bosh Pritchard, end Pete Pihos, and an excellent line.

The Cardinals, defending NFL champions, had won the Western Division with an 11-1 tally and were considered five point favorites against Philadelphia. They had an outstanding backfield of QB Paul Christman, halfbacks Charley Trippi and Elmer Angsman, and FB Pat Harder. Ends Mal Kutner and Bill Dewell were solid receivers. On this day, however, they were without the injured Christman.

The Eagles attempted a big play on their very first possession, in spite of the weather, with Thompson firing for an apparent 65-yard touchdown pass to end Jack Ferrante. However, Ferrante was penalized for being offside and the play came back. Neither team was able to mount any sort of passing attack for the rest of the contest.

Both teams turned the ball over three times in what became a battle for field position and ball control. Tough defense, and missed field goals, prevented either squad from scoring until the biggest turnover of the game late in the third quarter. Joe Muha of the Eagles had booted a punt that went out of bounds at Chicago’s 19 yard line. On the first play, a mixup in the Cardinals backfield caused backup QB Ray Mallouf to fumble the handoff to Angsman and Eagles middle guard Bucko Kilroy recovered at the 17. On the last play of the third quarter, Pritchard ran for six yards to the 11 yard line. Muha, the fullback as well as punter, plowed for three yards to start the final period and then QB Thompson gained three. Van Buren rumbled the final five yards, diving into the snowy end zone, for the only touchdown of the game (pictured). Cliff Patton’s extra point made the score 7-0, and the Eagles defense made it hold up.

The passing statistics were negligible. “One-Eyed” Tommy Thompson completed just two of 12 passes for 7 yards with two interceptions. For the Cardinals, Mallouf, Trippi, and QB Charley Eikenberg combined for three completions in 11 attempts for 35 yards and an interception. In the battle for ball control, it had been the ground game that mattered most, and the Eagles outrushed Chicago (225 yards to 96) and accumulated the most first downs (16 to 6). Van Buren picked up 98 yards on 26 carries, while Pritchard had gained 67 yards on 16 attempts and Thompson accounted for 50 yards on 11 rushes. By contrast, the leading rusher for the Cardinals was Angsman, who had decimated Philadelphia the year before, with 33 yards on 10 attempts.

The championship was the first for the Eagles, in their second try, and they would be back again the next year. For the Cardinals, however, there would be a long playoff drought that lasted until 1974, well after the team had relocated to St. Louis.