1925: Packers Defeat Bears in Hard-Fought Battle

The long-standing rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears was still in its infancy as the two teams met in an early season game on September 27, 1925. The Packers were coming off of a 7-4 tally in 1924, and while they had yet to experience a losing record in four NFL seasons (it was still the American Professional Football Association when they joined in 1921), they had never beaten Chicago. The team was led by its founder and player/coach Curly Lambeau and now had a new home venue in City Stadium, which was just completed prior to the start of the season. Green Bay was 1-0 after shutting out the Hammond Pros the previous week.

The Bears were a powerful team and a good early test for the Packers. They were a perennial contender since entering the APFA as the Decatur Staleys in 1920, with the 1921 league championship under their belts, and placed second in the circuit with a 6-1-4 tally in ’24. George Halas co-owned and coached the club and also played end. Chicago battled Rock Island to a scoreless tie in its opening game.

There were 5389 fans in attendance at City Stadium. The Bears put together a drive that reached the Green Bay one yard line before coming up empty when four runs into the line were stopped. Stuck near their own end zone as a result, Verne Lewellen (pictured above) punted to get the Packers out of trouble. Another Lewellen punt pinned the Bears back deep in their own territory and, early in the second quarter, Duke Hanny had to punt in turn and guard Moose Gardner blocked it for Green Bay and recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Cub Buck added the extra point.

In the third quarter, a good punt return by back Joey Sternaman of the Bears (pictured at left) set up a score. After advancing into Green Bay territory, Sternaman kicked a 30-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 contest. Shortly thereafter center George Trafton broke through the line and blocked Lewellen’s punt which tackle Don Murry recovered for a Chicago touchdown. Sternaman kicked the point after and the visitors were in front by 10-7.

Curly Lambeau, suffering from a back injury, entered the game to rally his team. The Packers got a break when Lewellen’s next punt hit one of the Bears and Green Bay recovered at the Chicago 30. They methodically moved to the two, keeping the ball on the ground with off-tackle plays, but the Bears stiffened on defense, pushing the Packers back on three more runs. On the first play of the fourth quarter, back Charlie Mathys threw to Lewellen for a four-yard TD. Buck again converted, and it proved to be enough. The Packers won by a final score of 14-10.

Green Bay lost its next game but then reeled off four straight wins. However, a late-season slump that included a loss to the Bears at Chicago dropped the Packers out of contention and they ended up ninth in the division-less NFL with an 8-5 record. The Bears finished seventh at 9-5-3, but the bigger story for them came near the end of the regular season when they signed star HB Red Grange right at the conclusion of his brilliant college career at Illinois. He wasn’t much of a factor in what remained of the regular season, but became a key to two successful barnstorming tours. 

1927: Packers Defeat Triangles with Two Fourth Quarter TDs

To open their seventh NFL season, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Dayton Triangles on September 18, 1927. The Packers had finished fifth in the league with a 7-3-3 record in ‘26 and had newcomers in tailback Red Dunn, formerly of the Cardinals, and end Lavvie Dilweg, who was previously with Milwaukee. Curly Lambeau (pictured at right) was still playing at tailback as well as coaching the team.

Dayton was 1-4-1 in league games in 1926 and had a new player-coach in Lou Mahrt. The Triangles had not posted a winning record since 1922 and were 4-23-3 in their last four seasons. Dependent on local talent, they played a disproportionate share of road games and had difficulty competing with the NFL’s better clubs.

There were 3600 fans in attendance at City Stadium in Green Bay on a windy day, which had an effect on the kicking game. The Triangles hung tough defensively against the Packers for three quarters and did well with some long passes, although the plays were from their own end of the field and didn’t get them into Green Bay territory. Meanwhile the Packers, typically one of the NFL’s better passing teams, managed only one completion. Dayton threatened twice, but Earl Britton missed a 40-yard field goal attempt and Walter Achiu failed on an attempt from 33 yards.

Vern Lewellen did a good job punting under the conditions, outperforming the Dayton kickers and keeping the Triangles on their side of the field. Following Green Bay’s first series of the third quarter, Lewellen punted 70 yards to once again mire the Triangles in their own territory. A punt into the wind by the visitors gave the Packers the ball near midfield and they drove 46 yards to a touchdown carry of one yard by Curly Lambeau. Red Dunn added the extra point.

Midway through the fourth quarter, lineman Jug Earp blocked a punt and tackle Tiny Cahoon recovered in Dayton territory. The Packers made a couple of first downs before Lambeau again ran for a TD, this time from seven yards out, and Dunn again successfully converted. The Packers came away winners of the hard-fought contest by a final score of 14-0.

Green Bay went on to post a 7-2-1 record, losing twice to the Bears and ending up second to the Giants in the standings. The shutout of the Triangles was the first of five overall as the Packers outscored their opponents by a combined 113 to 43. Dayton, meanwhile, defeated the Frankford Yellow Jackets the next week but didn’t win again, finishing with another losing tally of 1-6-1.

Curly Lambeau’s two touchdowns against the Triangles were his only ones of the season. Verne Lewellen went on to lead the team with five TDs and 30 points and Red Dunn contributed a touchdown and seven extra points.

1929: Packers Defeat Giants in Battle of Unbeatens

The November 24, 1929 game at the Polo Grounds in New York featured the top two teams in the NFL,  the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, who both were undefeated thus far. 

Coach Curly Lambeau’s Packers had added guard Mike Michalske, tackle Cal Hubbard, and HB Johnny McNally (aka Johnny Blood) in the previous offseason. These players had been considered malcontents, but with the Packers they became keys to success along with holdover tailback Red Dunn, tailback Verne Lewellen (pictured above), and end Lavvie Dilweg. Green Bay was 9-0 and hadn’t given up more than six points in any game. However, the Packers were missing three regulars due to injury – Dunn, back Eddie Kotal, and end Dick O’Donnell.

The Giants were coached by Roy Andrews and were 8-0-1. Owner Tim Mara had bought the entire Detroit Wolverines franchise solely to obtain tailback Benny Friedman, a passing sensation out of Michigan, and he yielded results worthy of his then-huge $10,000 contract. Five other players from the Panthers also made the club, as, for that matter, did Coach Andrews.

There was a crowd of 25,000 in attendance at the Polo Grounds for the big showdown. Rain fell intermittently during the contest and would prove to be a hindrance to New York’s passing attack. The Packers won the toss and elected to kick off and the teams exchanged punts throughout the first quarter. One of Lewellen’s kicks was downed at the New York five and Benny Friedman chose to punt on first down, McNally returning it to the New York 40. FB Bo Molenda, a former Michigan teammate of Friedman, and Verne Lewellen carried the ball deeper into Giants territory. HB Herdis McCrary caught a pass from Lewellen in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown and Molenda added the extra point.

The Giants threatened when Friedman threw long to end Ray Flaherty, who reached the Green Bay 10. However, McCrary intercepted a Friedman pass and New York came up empty. Lewellen punted and neither team came close to scoring for the rest of the half.

The Packers had first possession in the third quarter, and after Molenda returned the kickoff to the Green Bay 26, runs into the line by Molenda and McNally picked up eight yards, but the series stalled and Green Bay had to punt.

After tailback Hap Moran was thrown for a loss of eight yards, FB Tony Plansky threw to back Tiny Feather for 20. Friedman (pictured at left) passed the Giants down the field, connecting with Flaherty to the Green Bay 25, again to Feather, and then Plansky for the last 15 yards and a touchdown. However, Friedman’s extra point attempt sailed wide and the Packers remained in front by a point.

The teams continued to trade punts in the battle for field position. Another fine kick by Lewellen pinned the Giants back at their 10 and they ended up having to punt the ball back from their end zone. McNally returned it to the New York 37 and then ran for six yards on the next play. Molenda followed up by getting a first down, but the Packers ultimately ended up losing the ball on downs.

Green Bay put the game away in the fourth quarter. The Packers drove 75 yards, highlighted by a 30-yard Lewellen completion to McNally out of punt formation, to a two-yard TD by Molenda, who again added the extra point.

Tackle Jug Earp intercepted a pass at the New York 39 to give the visitors the ball once more. Lewellen went long to Molenda in a play that reached the New York three, and on the next play McNally (pictured below) ran around left end for a touchdown. Molenda failed to add the extra point, but it didn’t matter. The Packers won by a convincing final score of 20-6.

For the first time all season, the Giants faced a heavier line and it worked to Green Bay’s advantage. Meanwhile, the shorthanded Packers made only one substitution during the game. Verne Lewellen and Bo Molenda drew most of the headlines for their play during the game, but it was a solid group effort by Curly Lambeau’s club.

Green Bay played the Frankford Yellow Jackets to a scoreless tie in their next game but won the last two to finish as undefeated NFL Champions at 12-0-1. They gave up a total of just 22 points in the 13 games, eight of which were shutouts. The Giants won their last four contests and ended up in second place with a 12-1-1 record.

The NFL title for Green Bay was the first of three straight, a feat they would duplicate in 1965-67. In a time when there were no divisions and no postseason, the Packers did it in 1929-31 by compiling an overall tally of 34-5-2.