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.  

1943: Packers Score 2 TDs in Fourth Quarter to Beat Giants

The Green Bay Packers had a 3-1-1 record and were trying to maintain pace with the Bears in the NFL Western Division as they took on the Giants in New York on October 31, 1943. Head Coach Curly Lambeau’s team was missing a couple of key players in rookie tailback Irv Comp, who was out with a leg injury, and center Charley Brock, due to a recent bout with appendicitis. But other key players, notably tailback Tony Canadeo and end Don Hutson (pictured above), were present.

The Giants, coached by Steve Owen, were 2-1. Rookie FB Bill Paschal was a key addition to the club that already had a solid runner in wingback Ward Cuff. The aging but still able QB Tuffy Leemans and C/LB Mel Hein were also on a roster depleted by wartime. Moreover, the Packers had beaten the Giants only once since 1936, a total of six meetings with two of them having NFL titles on the line.

There were 46,208 fans in attendance at the Polo Grounds. On their second possession of the game, following an exchange of punts, the Packers started off at their own 27. Tony Canadeo threw to Don Hutson for six yards and then ran the ball himself for 12. Another throw to Hutson advanced the ball to the New York 41 and, following a short run by FB Tony Falkenstein, Hutson took the handoff on an end-around and caught the Giants by surprise as he threw an option pass down the middle to end Harry Jacunski for a 38-yard touchdown. Hutson added the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

Following the failure of the Packers to convert a fourth-and-one play on their next series, the Giants took possession at their 43. Tuffy Leemans ran for 14 yards and Ward Cuff for another 14. Cuff caught a pass from Leemans for 12 yards to the Green Bay 17 but the drive stalled at that point as a run was held to no gain and two passes were incomplete. On fourth down, Leemans dropped back and, evading several defenders, threw to Bill Paschal who was alone in the end zone for an 18-yard TD. Cuff’s conversion tied the score at 7-7.

On the last play of the opening period, HB Lou Brock returned the kickoff to the Green Bay 28. Canadeo (pictured at right) and HB Andy Uram had good runs to get the ball into New York territory and, after Brock ran for five yards, Canadeo connected with Hutson for 14 yards and Jacunski for 13. Uram finished the series off with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Canadeo, Hutson added the point after, and the visitors were ahead by 14-7.

Green Bay scored again on its next possession. A Canadeo pass to Hutson gained 19 yards to the New York 21 and, after the tailback ran for four yards, he threw to Hutson again for a 17-yard TD. Hutson added the PAT and the Packers took a 21-7 margin into halftime.

The Giants moved well on offense to start the third quarter, but a promising drive came up empty at the Green Bay 14 when the home team was forced to give the ball up on downs. The Packers had to punt and New York advanced 58 yards and did not come away empty handed. QB Emery Nix threw to Paschal for a gain to the Green Bay 18 and Paschal then carried the ball for another 12 yards. Two plays later, it was Paschal powering through the line for a four-yard touchdown. Cuff converted to make it a seven-point game at 21-14.

On their next series, the Giants again moved effectively, putting together a 65-yard drive. With first-and-goal at the six, however, the Packers held on defense for three plays and Paschal, catching a pass on fourth down, was tackled just a foot short of the goal line. The game now headed into the fourth quarter and the Packers had to punt again, Paschal returning it 17 yards to the Green Bay 28. Nix completed a pass to back Leland Shaffer to the 19 and Paschal ran for seven yards. It was Paschal (pictured below) again finishing off the drive with a dive into the end zone from a yard out. Cuff capped the home team’s comeback with the extra point that tied the score at 21-21.

The Packers reached the New York 36 on their next series but came up empty when Chet Adams was short on a 45-yard field goal attempt. On their next possession, Canadeo connected with Brock for a 40-yard gain but followed up with a pass that was intercepted.

The Giants were now stymied on offense and punted. This time the visitors didn’t fail to score, advancing 66 yards in three plays. Uram faded back and threw long to Jacunski, who caught the ball over his shoulder for a gain of 48 yards to the New York 15. Two plays later, Canadeo fired a pass to Hutson for a 12-yard TD. Hutson added the point after and Green Bay was back in front by 28-21 with four minutes remaining to play.

The Packers got the ball back two minutes later at the New York 40 following Paschal’s punt for the Giants. Canadeo ran for five yards and then broke away on a game-clinching 35-yard touchdown run. Hutson converted and Green Bay came away with a 35-21 win.

The Packers had a big lead in total yards (429 to 288) although the Giants had the edge in first downs (16 to 15). Green Bay both out-rushed (158 to 114) and out-passed (271 to 174) New York, but they also suffered the game’s only turnover.

Tony Canadeo rushed for 122 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown in addition to throwing for two TDs. Don Hutson caught 8 passes for 103 yards and two TDs, passed for a touchdown (the only one of his Hall of Fame career), and with his placekicking added in accounted for a total of 17 points. Harry Jacunski had 5 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Green Bay lost to the Bears the following week and, while they won their remaining games, it was enough to ensure that they would finish in second place in the Western Division with a 7-2-1 record. The Giants tied the Lions in their next game, were thoroughly overwhelmed by the Bears, but then won four straight to close out the schedule and salvage a tie for first place in the Eastern Division with Washington at 6-3-1. They lost the ensuing playoff with the Redskins.

Don Hutson caught 47 passes for 776 yards and 11 touchdowns, all NFL-leading totals. Already the NFL’s career scoring leader, he led the circuit with 117 points. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection along with Tony Canadeo, who passed for 875 yards and 9 TDs and rushed for 489 yards and three scores. Bill Paschal was the league’s rushing leader, by a yard over Phil/Pitt’s Jack Hinkle, with 572 yards. He scored a NFL-high 10 TDs on the ground and tied Hutson with 12 touchdowns overall.  

1939: Giants Beat Redskins for Eastern Title as Late FG Attempt Leads to Dispute

The New York Giants hosted the Washington Redskins on December 3, 1939 in a season-ending matchup to determine who would win the Eastern Division and advance to the NFL Championship game. Head Coach Steve Owen’s Giants were the defending league champions and had an 8-1-1 record, having played Washington to a scoreless tie early in the year. While the offense was effective with QB Ed Danowski throwing the ball and FB Tuffy Leemans (pictured above) running it, the defense was especially tough against both the run and the pass.

The Redskins, coached by Ray Flaherty, were also 8-1-1. A roster that contained outstanding talent in tailbacks Sammy Baugh and Frank Filchock, FB Andy Farkas, tackle Turk Edwards, and end Wayne Milner was supplemented by the addition of talented rookies that included backs Dick Todd and Wilbur Moore.  Even though the game was in New York and the Giants had reached the top the previous year, Washington was considered to be the favorite coming into the contest.

There were 62,404 fans at the Polo Grounds, which was the second largest crowd to see a NFL game up to that time. Many of the fans were from Washington, who had arrived by train and paraded to the stadium in colorful array.

There was occasional rain and the field was muddy. In the first series of the game, wingback Ward Cuff had a 26-yard run and nearly went the distance but stumbled and was caught by defenders at the Washington 40. FB Kink Richards ran twice for eight yards and, after an incomplete pass, Cuff kicked a 40-yard field goal. The Giants were up by 3-0 at three minutes into the first quarter.

The Redskins came right back and advanced to the New York 28. However, rookie Bo Russell missed a field goal attempt from 35 yards. Washington was further damaged by a rash of injuries that sidelined several key players in the early going, including Baugh, Farkas, and Edwards. The loss of Baugh not only had an effect on the team’s passing attack, but the punting as well.

In the second quarter, a poor punt by Jimmy Johnston gave the Giants good field position at their own 45. Two plays, one of which was a pass from Tuffy Leemans to end Will Walls for 19 yards, got the ball to the Washington 19. But another pass was intercepted by Dick Todd in his end zone and he got the ball out to the three.

The Redskins had to punt the ball back and Leemans returned it 12 yards to the Washington 33. Reaching the 22, Leemans then threw to back Len Barnum, who was hauled down at the five. The Giants lost yardage from there, however, due to a motion penalty and Leemans was dropped for a loss. That set up a field goal by 33-year-old veteran Ken Strong from 19 yards and the score remained 6-0 at the half.

Cuff missed a field goal attempt in the third quarter after the Giants drove from the Washington 40 to the 14 following another short punt by the Redskins. New York got the ball back in short order when DB Hank Soar intercepted a pass by tailback Jimmy German and returned it 29 yards to the Washington 19. The Giants, again hurting themselves with penalties, couldn’t move effectively on offense from there and Cuff booted a 15-yard field goal for a 9-0 lead.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Redskins advanced to the New York 26, but Leemans intercepted a pass to end the threat. The Giants pinned the Redskins back at their five with a punt. Washington moved to the 40 before LB Kayo Lunday intercepted a pass for the Giants. However, a sweep by Soar lost yardage and Barnum’s punt on third down was blocked by tackle Willie Wilkin. The ball bounced back 35 yards before being recovered by guard Clyde Shugart at the New York 19. The Redskins finally got on the board with about six minutes to go as Frank Filchock (pictured below) connected with end Bob Masterson for a 20-yard touchdown. Masterson added the extra point and it was a two-point game.

The Giants again had to punt and Todd returned the kick 30 yards to the New York 44. The Redskins were soon down to the eight, the big play being a pass from Filchock to end Jack Spirida for 21 yards. With the fans in tumult, the Redskins ran one more play and Filchock dove for two yards over tackle.

There were now 45 seconds left on the clock as rookie Bo Russell attempted a 15-yard field goal. The ball was kicked high and appeared to go over the crossbar, but referee Bill Halloran, who was standing behind Russell, signaled that the kick was no good. The ball had sailed above the uprights and that made it difficult to gauge, although it was clearly very close.

Bedlam broke out, as many observers thought the kick was good – in particular, those supporting the visitors. There were about 15,000 Redskins fans on hand, and many were seated in the end zone and ran onto the field. A furious Coach Ray Flaherty charged the referee. After fights and fury, the Giants were finally able to run out the clock with runs into the line and won the game by a final score of 9-7.

The officials sprinted for the club house, but that meant going a distance of over 100 yards. Along the way, Washington wingback Ed Justice took a swing at Halloran. There was some question as to whether Justice actually hit the referee, and he was pulled away before he could inflict any real damage (League President Carl Storck later investigated the incident and determined that Justice hit fans, not Halloran).

“I know it was good,” said an angry Coach Flaherty of the climactic field goal try. “The players know it was good. The other three officials know it was good. The Giants know it was good – Ed Danowski and Ed Widseth said so (Danowski denied the claim). The cops who were guarding the goal posts know it was good. If that fellow (Halloran) has any conscience, he’ll never have another good night’s sleep as long as he lives.”

The ugliness over the call on the field goal attempt aside, New York outplayed the Redskins for most of the game. While Washington led in total yards (202 to 164), much of that came late in the going. The Redskins had just four rushing yards in the first half and 38 for the game. They also turned the ball over four times, all on interceptions, while New York gave up two. The Giants had the edge in first downs (10 to 8).

The Giants, finishing at 9-1-1, went to play the Packers the next week for the league title and lost by a score of 27-0. Washington finished second with an 8-2-1 record but came back to win the division in 1940.

1936: Eagles Upset Giants for Only Win of Season

The long rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants was in its early stages when the two teams met before a crowd of 20,000 at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium in the season-opening game on September 13, 1936. The Eagles were starting their fourth year and had done no better than the 3-5-1 tally of the inaugural ’33 season; they were coming off a 2-9 record in 1935, the worst in the NFL. The Giants, meanwhile, had won all three Eastern Division titles since the advent of divisional play, also in 1933, and were coming off of a 9-3 record in ’35 (they lost to the Detroit Lions in the league championship game).

Eagles owner Bert Bell had also made himself the head coach for the ’36 season (he was pretty much the team’s entire front office as well), replacing the club’s original coach, Lud Wray. The first NFL draft of college talent had been held the preceding offseason, and the Eagles, with the first pick, chose HB Jay Berwanger, Heisman Trophy-winner from the University of Chicago; however, Berwanger’s immediate future plans included going into business, not pro football, and he rejected Philadelphia’s offer (he also rejected the Chicago Bears, who dealt for his rights). But the Eagles did add 230-pound rookie FB/LB Dave Smukler from Temple (pictured above), who quickly became a centerpiece of the offense. Third-year tackle Art Buss had been acquired from the Bears in return for the rights to Berwanger.


The Giants, coached by Steve Owen, had a major rookie acquisition of their own in FB Tuffy Leemans (pictured at left) to go along with tailback Ed Danowski, center Mel Hein, G John Dell Isola, FB Kink Richards, wingback Dale Burnett, and end Tod Goodwin. However, they had lost all-purpose back/kicker Ken Strong, tailback Harry Newman, and end Red Badgro to the newly formed American Football League (second incarnation).

The Eagles were playing their first game at Municipal Stadium, having split their games between the Baker Bowl and Temple Stadium in the first three seasons. New York had won five of the six previous meetings between the teams and was heavily favored.

The most exciting play of the game came in the first quarter when Smukler passed to end Ed “Eggs” Manske who made an outstanding run after the catch and then lateraled 20 yards across the field to end Joe Carter, who covered the final 16 yards of the overall 55-yard play. Smukler converted the extra point and the inspired Eagles defense made the 7-0 lead hold up through the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants put together a 63-yard drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Danowski to Burnett and, after Tilly Manton’s kick, the score was tied. But Philadelphia came back with a drive of its own that was capped by Hank Reese’s 13-yard field goal with four minutes left in the game. The Eagles held on to win, 10-7.

It was a stunning upset as well as a signal of problems ahead for the Giants. New York went 5-6-1 to place third in the Eastern Division and under .500 for the first time since 1932. Tuffy Leemans provided a bright spot by leading the NFL in rushing with 830 yards. The Giants also got revenge in the rematch with the Eagles at the Polo Grounds, in a contest that was publicized as a showdown between the star rookies Smukler and Leemans, by a 21-17 score.


For the Eagles, the opening win was also the high point of an otherwise dreadful season. They lost their remaining games to once again finish with the NFL’s worst record, 1-11. The two games against the Giants were the only occasions in which they scored in double figures as they were shut out six times and accumulated a measly total of 51 points (they also surrendered a league-high 206 points). No player scored more than one touchdown during the season and Hank Reese (pictured at right) ended up leading the club with a grand total of 9 points (three extra points, two field goals).

“Dynamite Dave” Smukler ranked third on the team with 321 yards rushing on 99 carries. As was typical in the single-wing offense of the time, he was also the club’s leading passer – he tossed the Eagles’ only three touchdown passes. While they only completed 39 passes all year (21 by Smukler), Ed Manske caught 17 of them for 325 yards to rank fifth and fourth in the NFL in each category, respectively, and was traded to the Bears after the season for their veteran All-NFL end, Bill Hewitt.