Highlighted Year: Tony Canadeo, 1943

Tailback/Defensive Back, Green Bay Packers

Age: 24

3^rd season in pro football & with Packers

College: Gonzaga

Height: 5’11” Weight: 195

Prelude:

“The Gray Ghost of Gonzaga” was an All-West Coast and Little All-American selection in college for his play at halfback. He was chosen by the Packers in the seventh round of the 1941 NFL draft and backed up Cecil Isbell at tailback. His statistical totals were thus modest during his first two seasons as he rushed for a total of 409 yards, caught 10 passes for 66 yards, passed for 364 yards and five touchdowns, and returned 10 kickoffs for a 24.7-yard average and 11 punts for an average of 9.3 yards, and scored six TDs. Canadeo made up for lack of ideal size and speed with determination, savvy, and versatility. With the departure of Isbell, he saw more action in 1943 in combination with rookie Irv Comp.  

1943 Season Summary

Appeared in all 10 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 94 [6]

Yards – 489 [5]

Yards per attempt – 5.2 [3]

TDs – 3 [6, tied with seven others]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 3

Yards – 31

Yards per catch – 10.3

TDs – 2

Passing

Attempts – 129 [3]

Completions – 56 [3]

Yards – 875 [3]

Completion percentage – 43.4 [4]

Yards per attempt – 6.8 [3]

TD passes – 9 [3, tied with Roy Zimmerman]

Most TD passes, game – 3 vs. Detroit 10/10

Interceptions – 12 [5, tied with Sid Luckman]

Passer rating – 51.0 [3]

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 10 [6]

Yards – 242 [5]

Average per return – 24.2 [3]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 43 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 8 [12, tied with Lou Brock]

Yards – 93 [12]

Average per return – 11.6

TDs – 0

Longest return – 22 yards

Interceptions

Interceptions – 2 [20, tied with eighteen others]

Return yards – 15

TDs – 0

Punting

Punts – 3

Yards – 102

Average – 34.0

Punts blocked – 0

Longest punt – 39 yards

Scoring

TDs – 5 [10, tied with Tony Bova, Hamp Pool & George Wilson]       

Points – 30 [14, tied with Tony Bova, Hamp Pool & George Wilson]

Awards & Honors:

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

2^nd team All-NFL: UPI, Pro Football Illustrated, Chicago Herald-American

Packers went 7-2-1 to finish second in the NFL Western Division.

Aftermath:

Canadeo was with the Packers for three games in 1944 before leaving for World War II military duty. Upon his return to the team in ’46, he was utilized more as a halfback. He led Green Bay in rushing for four straight seasons, receiving second-team All-NFL honors from UPI and Pro Football Illustrated in 1948 and first-team recognition from UPI and INS in ’49, a year in which he ran for 1052 yards, becoming the third player in NFL history to cross the thousand-yard rushing threshold and the first to do so without leading the league. Canadeo’s ground-gaining totals dropped off thereafter as HB Billy Grimes took over more of the rushing duties, but he averaged 25.7 yards on a career-high 16 kickoff returns in 1950 and set another high in ’51 with 22 pass receptions for 226 yards. His career, spent entirely with the Packers, finally ended after the 1952 season. Overall, he rushed for a then-team record 4197 yards on 1025 carries (4.1 avg.) with 26 TDs, caught 69 passes for 579 yards and five scores, passed for 1642 yards and 16 touchdowns, returned 46 punts for an 11.2-yard average and averaged 23.1 yards on 75 kickoff returns, and intercepted 9 passes on defense. He scored a total of 31 touchdowns. Canadeo remained active with the Packers following his retirement, as a broadcaster and also a member of the team’s board of directors. The club retired his #3 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1974.

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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: Harry Clarke, 1943

Halfback, Chicago Bears

Age: 27 (Dec. 1)

4^th season in pro football & with Bears

College: West Virginia

Height: 6’0”   Weight: 180

Prelude:

Clarke rushed for a school-record 921 yards in 1938 at West Virginia and was chosen by the Bears in the 13^th round of the 1940 NFL draft. He rushed for 258 yards, intercepted four passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and capped his rookie year with two TDs scored in the 73-0 NFL Championship win over Washington. He began returning kicks in ’41 and in 1942 he rushed for 273 yards, gained 131 yards on six pass receptions, added another 138 yards on kick returns, and scored six TDs.

1943 Season Summary

Appeared in all 10 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 120 [2]

Yards – 556 [3]

Yards per attempt – 4.6 [6]

TDs – 2 [14, tied with six others]

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 23 [6]

Yards – 535 [3]

Yards per catch – 23.3 [3]

TDs – 7 [2, tied with Wilbur Moore & Joe Aguirre]

Passing

Attempts – 1

Completions – 0

Yards – 0

TD passes – 0

Interceptions – 1

Interceptions

Interceptions – 5 [6, tied with John Grigas, Ben Kish & Roy Zimmerman]

Return yards – 32

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 13 [2]

Yards – 326 [2]

Average per return – 25.1 [2]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 50 yards

Punt Returns

Returns – 10 [6, tied with Ken Heineman & Joe Laws]

Yards – 158 [4]

Average per return – 15.8 [2]

TDs – 0

Longest return – 38 yards

All-Purpose yards – 1607 [1]

Scoring

TDs – 10 [3]  

Points – 60 [3]

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Washington)

Rushing attempts – 9

Rushing yards – 21

Average gain rushing – 2.3

Rushing TDs – 0

Pass receptions – 3

Pass receiving yards – 47

Average yards per reception – 15.7

Pass receiving TDs – 2

Awards & Honors:

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, Chicago Herald-American

2^nd team All-NFL: Pro Football Illustrated, NY Daily News

Bears went 8-1-1 to finish first in the NFL Western Division while leading the league in total yards (3961), passing yards (2310), touchdowns (45), and scoring (315 points). Won NFL Championship over Washington Redskins (41-21).

Aftermath:

Clarke left the Bears for service in the US Navy after the 1943 season, but following action in the South Pacific was a player/coach for the San Diego Bombers of the minor Pacific Coast Football League in 1945 and ranked second in the circuit with six touchdowns. He joined the Los Angeles Dons of the new AAFC in ’46 and rushed for 250 yards and caught 10 passes. Clarke’s production dropped off in 1947 and ’48, his last season during which he was dealt to the Chicago Rockets. Overall with the Bears, Clarke rushed for 1209 yards on 262 carries (4.6 avg.) and 8 touchdowns, caught 34 passes for 807 yards (23.7 avg.) and 9 TDs, intercepted 11 passes, returned 19 punts for a 15.3 average, and 23 kickoffs for a 28.0 average. He scored a total of 20 TDs. In the AAFC, he ran for 502 yards, had 17 catches for 215 yards, intercepted two passes, and accumulated a total of 458 yards on kick returns, scoring four touchdowns.  

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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

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.  

1943: College All-Stars Thrash Redskins in Game at Northwestern

The tenth College All-Star Game was held on August 25, 1943 and was the first to be played at a venue other than Soldier Field in Chicago. The Wednesday night contest was held instead in nearby Evanston at Dyche Stadium of Northwestern University with 48,471 fans in attendance.

The NFL Champions, the Washington Redskins, were heavy favorites coming into the game. They had a new head coach in Dutch Bergman but capable returning veterans in tailback Sammy Baugh, HB Wilbur Moore, FB Bob Seymour, end Bob Masterson, and tackle Willie Wilkin.

Harry Stuhldreher, former member of Notre Dame’s “Four Horsemen” backfield and now head coach at Wisconsin, coached the All-Stars and prepared them well, running a simple but effective offense. The team was chosen by coaches rather than a nationwide newspaper poll, as in past years, and included future pro stars in Indiana end Pete Pihos, tackle Al Wistert of Michigan, Stanford center Vic Lindskog, Northwestern tailback Otto Graham, HB Charley Trippi of Georgia, and FB Pat Harder from Wisconsin (pictured above).

There was a heavy rain as the game started and it was hot and muggy for the remainder of the contest, which seemed to wear the Redskins down more than the collegians. The Redskins had first possession and drove from their 35 to the All-Star 38 in seven plays before being stopped and coming up empty.

The next Washington series ended with a punt by Sammy Baugh from his own 21 and HB Bob Steuber from Missouri picked up the bouncing ball and returned it 50 yards behind outstanding blocking for the first touchdown of the game. Pat Harder added the extra point.

The All-Stars got another break when Bob Seymour fumbled and Al Wistert recovered at the Washington 48. But after advancing 20 yards in four plays, highlighted by an Otto Graham pass to Pete Pihos for 12 yards, Harder fumbled and end Bob Masterson recovered for the Redskins to end the threat.

Washington then put together a 70-yard drive that stretched into the second quarter. Baugh completed two passes for first downs along the way and ended the series with a touchdown pass to end Joe Aguirre that covered six yards. Masterson kicked the extra point to tie the score. It would prove to be the high point for the pro champs.

Late in the second quarter, the All-Stars scored again. A penalty on a Washington punt gave the collegians good starting field position at their 42 and, with Tulsa’s passing tailback Glenn Dobbs now in the game, they went to the air. Dobbs was sacked on first down but completed five passes, including one to Washington State back Bob Kennedy for 19 yards and another to Harder for 14. The last was also to Harder, a short toss that ended up covering 36 yards for a TD. Harder again added the point after and the All-Stars took a 14-7 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Redskins advanced to the All-Star 17, but a second down pass intended for Bob Seymour in the end zone was instead intercepted by Otto Graham (pictured at left), who made a spectacular play with a 97-yard interception return for another touchdown. Harder failed to add the PAT, but the rejuvenated All-Stars were ahead by 20-7.

Washington would never seriously threaten again.  In the fourth quarter, Harder scored a second TD on a 30-yard run to put the game away. Graham kicked the extra point and the All-Stars won in convincing fashion by a final score of 27-7.

Washington had the edge in total yards (325 to 212), with 273 of that total coming through the air, and first downs (16 to 9). However, the Redskins turned the ball over five times, three of them by interception, to two suffered by the collegians.

Pat Harder led the All-Stars in rushing with 53 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns, and also played well at linebacker on defense. Sammy Baugh completed 21 of 41 passes for Washington.

It was the first win for the All-Stars since 1938, also over the Redskins, and the third since the series began in 1934 (there had been two ties). Washington went on to top the Eastern Division for the third time in four years but lost the NFL Championship game to the Bears.

Pat Harder and Otto Graham both appeared in the 1946 College All-Star Game (during World War II restrictions on participation were lifted, which allowed underclassmen to appear, and several players played in multiple games). They moved on to successful pro careers, and both would return to the College All-Star Game as members of NFL Championship clubs (Harder with the Cardinals and Lions, Graham with the Browns). Graham would later coach the All-Stars for ten games of the series that lasted until 1976, two of which they won.

1943: Luckman Leads Bears to NFL Championship Against Redskins

The Chicago Bears had topped the National Football League's Western Division for a fourth straight season as they hosted the Washington Redskins, defending league champions, to determine the NFL Championship on December 26, 1943. With George Halas, the owner and head coach, on active duty in the Navy due to World War II, the team was co-coached by assistants Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. The wartime manpower depletion brought all-time great FB Bronko Nagurski out of retirement at age 34 after six years way from the game (he turned 35 during the season). But there was still plenty of talent available, starting with QB Sid Luckman (pictured above), who had a record-setting year in which he passed for 2194 yards and 28 touchdowns. Chicago compiled an 8-1-1 tally to once more play for the league title.

The Bears had been champions in 1940 and ’41, but were upset by Washington in 1942. The Redskins were coached by Dutch Bergman and had a 6-0-1 record after beating the Bears a month earlier. However, they lost their remaining three games to finish at 6-3-1 and tied with the Giants, who had beaten them in the last two regular season contests, for first in the Eastern Division. They defeated New York soundly by a 28-0 score in the tie-breaking playoff for the opportunity to defend their title against the powerful Bears. Washington had a great passer of its own in tailback Sammy Baugh, who placed second to Luckman in passing yards (1754) and TD passes (23) while also leading the league with 11 interceptions as a safety on defense.

There were 34,320 fans in attendance at Wrigley Field for the NFL title clash. In the first quarter, the Bears drove to the Washington 29 but got no further after four straight passes were incomplete. The Redskins in turn advanced to the Chicago 24 but also came away empty due to an interception. However, he Redskins ran into a major problem early when Baugh was kicked in the head and sat out the remainder of the first half.

Still, Washington put together a seven-play scoring drive following a 10-yard punt return by tailback George Cafego to the Redskins’ 40. Wingback Wilbur Moore made a sensational leaping grab of a pass from Cafego for a 35-yard gain and another throw intended for end Joe Aguirre drew an interference penalty that put the ball on the Chicago one. FB Andy Farkas hit the line and came up short on the last play of the opening period, but started off the second quarter by making it through the line standing up for a touchdown. Bob Masterson kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Bears came right back in four plays from their 33 yard line. Sid Luckman threw to HB Ray “Scooter” McLean for 29 yards and a screen pass to HB Harry Clarke was good for a 31-yard TD. Bob Snyder added the extra point to even the score.

Following a short possession by the Redskins that resulted in a punt, Chicago advanced 69 yards for another score. With a mix of runs and passes, the Bears gained four first downs along the way before Bronko Nagurski plowed over tackle for a touchdown. Snyder again kicked the extra point and the score was 14-7 at the half.

In a bizarre development, Washington owner George Preston Marshall, angry at the rough play on Chicago’s part, wandered over to the Bears’ bench before the half and was confronted by members of the Chicago staff, who accused him of attempting to spy on the Bears, before being escorted away.

In the third quarter, Luckman made a big play on defense by intercepting a Cafego pass and returning it 25 yards to the Washington 36. Luckman immediately threw to HB Dante Magnani (pictured below) for a 36-yard TD. Shortly thereafter, Luckman intercepted another pass to give the Bears the ball at their own 37. Once again, the Bears capitalized immediately on the turnover with Luckman tossing a screen pass to Magnani who again went the distance for a 66-yard touchdown. Snyder missed the extra point this time, but the Bears had a twenty-point lead thanks to the quick scores following the turnovers.

Still in the third quarter, but behind by 27-7, Baugh returned but appeared to be dazed and was not in top form. Nevertheless, he passed the Redskins into position for a score and Farkas had a catch for a 17-yard TD. With Masterson’s extra point, Chicago’s margin was narrowed to 27-14.

It didn’t remain narrowed for long, and any glimmers of hope for the visitors were extinguished when the Bears took the ensuing short kickoff that gave them good field position at their own 44 and drove to another score in eight plays. Nagurski twice ran for first downs and Luckman completed the series with a lob into the end zone to end Jim Benton for a 29-yard TD.

Another Chicago series culminated in Clarke making an outstanding catch and falling into the end zone for another touchdown on a play that covered 10 yards after Luckman, rolling out far to his right, threw across the field to him. The game was a route now, with the Bears comfortably leading by 41-14.

In the closing minutes, Baugh threw to Aguirre for a 20-yard TD, but it hardly mattered. The Bears were NFL Champions for the third time in four seasons by a convincing score of 41-21.

Chicago dominated in total yards (455 to 249) and compiled more first downs (14 to 11). The Bears accumulated 169 yards on the ground, to just 50 in 27 tries for Washington, and gained 286 net yards through the air against 199 for the Redskins. Most critically, Washington turned the ball over six times to devastating effect, while the Bears suffered no turnovers.

Sid Luckman had a brilliant all-around performance, completing 15 of 26 passes for 286 yards and five touchdowns with none intercepted, running for 64 yards on 8 carries, and intercepting two passes on defense that led to critical scores. Dante Magnani had four catches for 122 yards and two TDs and Bronko Nagurski (pictured below), in his last game, rushed for 34 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

For the Redskins, Sammy Baugh was successful on 8 of 12 throws in limited play for 123 yards and two TDs while tossing one interception. George Cafego completed just three of his 12 passes for 76 yards and no TDs while giving up three interceptions. Wilbur Moore had 5 catches for 108 yards and Andy Farkas paced the ground attack with 36 yards on 11 attempts that included a TD.

The Bears, who had compiled a 37-5-1 regular season record over four years, finally slipped to second place in 1944. They would next return to the Championship game in 1946. Washington dropped to third while transitioning from the single-wing to T-formation, but came back to top the division in 1945.

1943: Hutson Scores 20 Points as Packers Defeat “Steagles”

The Green Bay Packers finished out their 1943 NFL season on December 5 in a game against a wartime combination of two clubs. The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers merged to become the Phil-Pitt Combine, popularly referred to as the “Steagles” due to the World War II manpower shortage plus reduced revenues. Earle “Greasy” Neale of the Eagles and Pittsburgh’s Walt Kiesling acted as co-coaches, and their styles and personalities clashed. Neither team had a history of winning, but the Steagles were in contention in the Eastern Division coming into the final week with a 5-3-1 record. HB Jack Hinkle was in the running for the league rushing title and two rookies, tackle Al Wistert and guard Bucko Kilroy, proved to be good acquisitions.

Head Coach Curly Lambeau’s Packers had a better record than Phil-Pitt, at 6-2-1, but they had already been eliminated by the Bears in the race for the Western Division crown. Star end Don Hutson (pictured above) was having a typically great season and had indicated that this would be his last game (a pronouncement that would prove to be premature). Tailbacks Tony Canadeo and Irv Comp were capable players, replacing the departed Cecil Isbell. Moreover, neither the Eagles nor the Steelers had ever beaten Green Bay (both franchises came into the league in 1933).

There were 34,294 fans in attendance at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park. They saw the Packers score just five plays into the game. The Steagles had first possession and, after a one-yard carry by HB Johnny Butler, Jack Hinkle fumbled and LB Pete Tinsley recovered for Green Bay at the Phil-Pitt 31. Following an incomplete pass on first down, Tony Canadeo took advantage of a big hole and ran 35 yards for a touchdown. Hutson added the extra point and the visitors were in front at just 1:41 into play.

After Hinkle returned the ensuing kickoff to the Phil-Pitt 21, the Steagles scored in four plays. QB Roy Zimmerman threw to Butler for a 37-yard gain and Hinkle ran 38 yards on a sweep for a TD. Zimmerman converted to tie the score.

The Steagles got the ball back when DB Ben Kish intercepted a poorly thrown pass by HB Lou Brock at the Green Bay 41 and returned it five yards. The Packers stifled Phil-Pitt on defense, however, and Zimmerman’s 30-yard field goal try was blocked.

Phil-Pitt advanced to the Green Bay 27 on its next series, but a Zimmerman pass was picked off by Irv Comp, who returned it 41 yards to the Steagles’ 39. Canadeo threw to end Harry Jacunski to get to the 14. HB Bob Thurbon knocked away a throw toward Hutson in the end zone and, following a short run by Canadeo, the Packers were facing third down. Brock got the ball on the next play and ran wide to his left on an apparent sweep, but then turned and threw to Canadeo, who was all alone in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown. Hutson again converted and the visitors were back in front by 14-7 with less than two minutes to play in the opening period.

The first quarter scoring wasn’t quite over, however. HB Ernie Steele returned the ensuing kickoff 27 yards to the Phil-Pitt 32. Zimmerman passed to Thurbon, who made a leaping catch at his 48 for a 16-yard gain. Following a run by Steele for four yards, Zimmerman went long for end Tony Bova, who outraced Hutson and HB Joe Laws down the middle of the field, gathered the ball in at the Green Bay 15, and reached the end zone for a sensational 48-yard TD. The play, capped by Zimmerman’s extra point, ended the eventful first quarter with the teams tied at 14-14.

Early in the second quarter, Canadeo threw a pass that was almost immediately deflected and grabbed by end Tom Miller to give the Steagles the ball at the Green Bay 14. Jacunski blew through the line and dumped Thurbon for an eleven-yard loss and Phil-Pitt came up empty a few plays later when Zimmerman’s 31-yard field goal attempt sailed wide to the right.

The Packers got a big play when FB Tony Falkenstein took off on a 59-yard carry to the Phil-Pitt 15. The Steagles held from there on defense and Hutson kicked a 25-yard field goal. The score remained 17-14 at the half.

The Packers struck again early in the third quarter when Laws intercepted a Zimmerman pass and returned it to the Phil-Pitt 41. They scored in seven plays with Comp running for the last four yards around end for a TD. Hutson again successfully converted and the visitors led by ten points.

It looked even worse for the Steagles when Hutson intercepted a long throw by Steele and returned it 45 yards to the Phil-Pitt 10 yard line. But the Packers came up empty when, electing to go for the touchdown on fourth down, Comp was instead pulled down for a nine-yard loss and the Steagles regained possession.

Just before the end of the period, Jacunski intercepted a Zimmerman pass at the Phil-Pitt 19. Two plays gained seven yards and then Hutson caught a pass from Comp for a 12-yard touchdown. Hutson added the extra point to make it 31-14 for the visitors.

The Steagles weren’t quite finished, however. After Thurbon returned the kickoff to his 40, Phil-Pitt went 60 yards in six plays, helped by a 15-yard personal foul penalty. QB Allie Sherman threw to Bova for a 13-yard touchdown and Zimmerman added the PAT. Green Bay’s lead was cut to 31-21.

On their next series, the Steagles tallied again as they drove 62 yards. Bova made another outstanding catch, again on a long throw by Zimmerman for a 46-yard gain to the Green Bay four. Hinkle failed to penetrate the line while trying to go up the middle on the next play, but Steele followed up with a carry around end for the needed yardage and a TD. Zimmerman added the extra point and it was suddenly a three-point game with half a period to play.

The crowd was excited, and that excitement increased when the Packers went three-and-out on the next series. However, Hinkle fumbled the ball away at the Phil-Pitt 38. Comp went right to the air, connecting with Falkenstein for 14 yards.  On third down, Comp threw again, this time to Hutson in the end zone for a 23-yard game-clinching touchdown. He converted and the Packers won by a final score of 38-28.

Phil-Pitt had the edge in total yards (318 to 278) and first downs (10 to 8). However, the Steagles hurt themselves by turning the ball over eight times, to two suffered by the Packers.

Don Hutson, with two touchdowns, a field goal, and five extra points, scored a total of 20 points. Tony Bova had a big day catching the ball with three receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Jack Hinkle (pictured at left) rushed for 59 yards in 12 carries in his bid for the league rushing title, although he also had the two critical fumbles.

Green Bay ended up with a 7-2-1 record to place second to the Bears in the Western Division. The defeat knocked Phil-Pitt out of the Eastern Division race as they finished at 5-4-1 and in third place, a game behind the Redskins and Giants, who tied for the division title (Washington won the resulting playoff).

Don Hutson led the NFL in pass receiving for the sixth time with 47 catches, and likewise in receiving yards with 776. He also topped the league with 11 TD receptions and 12 touchdowns overall (tied with Bill Paschal of the Giants) and was the leading scorer with 117 points. He was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection for the sixth consecutive year – and would come back to be so honored twice more before retiring for real in 1945 as the league’s pass receiving and scoring career leader.

Jack Hinkle rushed for 571 yards on 116 carries for a 4.9-yard average, missing out on the NFL rushing title by one yard to Paschal. It was later found that a statistician’s error had apparently deprived him of 37 yards, but the erro remained uncorrected. Tony Bova didn’t catch a lot of passes, although his total of 17 led the Steagles, but he gained 419 yards to average 24.6 yards-per-reception and scored five touchdowns. 

MVP Profile: Sid Luckman, 1943

Quarterback/Defensive Back, Chicago Bears

Age:  27 (Nov. 21)

5^th season in pro football & with Bears

College: Columbia

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prelude:

The Bears traded up to the second spot in the 1939 NFL draft to take Luckman, who had been a star single-wing tailback in college. Following a difficult rookie season of transitioning to T-formation quarterback (he played at halfback for part of the year), he led the Bears to championships in 1940 and ’41 and was an All-Pro selection in 1941 and ’42. Luckman was intelligent and an excellent tactician on the field as well as an outstanding passer from any range.

1943 Season Summary

Appeared in all 10 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing

Attempts – 202 [2]

Completions – 110 [2]

Yards – 2194 [1]

Completion percentage – 54.5 [2]

Yards per attempt – 10.9 [1]

TD passes – 28 [1]

Most TD passes, game – 7 at NY Giants 11/14

Interceptions – 12 [5, tied with Tony Canadeo]

Passer rating – 107.5 [1](Ranked 2nd by system used at time)

Rushing

Attempts – 22

Yards – -40

Yards per attempt – -1.8

TDs – 1

Punting

Punts – 34 [5]

Yards – 1220

Average – 35.9 [9]

Punts blocked – 1

Longest punt – 78 yards

Interceptions

Interceptions – 4 [10, tied with four others]

Return yards – 85 [7]

TDs – 0

Kickoff Returns

Returns – 1   

Yards – 7

Average per return – 7.0

TDs – 0

Punt Returns

Returns – 4   

Yards – 46

Average per return – 11.5

TDs – 0

Longest return – 14 yards

Scoring

TDs – 1         

Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (NFL Championship vs. Washington)

Pass attempts – 26

Pass completions – 15

Passing yardage – 286

TD passes – 5

Interceptions – 0

Rushing attempts – 8

Rushing yards – 64

Average gain rushing – 8.0

Rushing TDs – 0

Interceptions – 2

Return yards – 39

TDs – 0

Punts – 5

Yards – 74

Average – 24.7

Punt returns – 2

Yards – 32

Average per return – 16.0

TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:

NFL MVP: Joe F. Carr Trophy

1^st team All-NFL: AP, UPI, INS, Chicago Herald-American, Pro Football Illustrated, NY Daily News

Bears went 8-1-1 to win Western Division while leading the league in total yards (3961), passing yards (2310), scoring (315 points), and touchdowns (45). Defeated Washington Redskins (41-21) for NFL Championship.

Aftermath:

Having joined the Merchant Marine, Luckman missed part of the 1944 season but was still selected as a consensus first-team All-Pro for the fourth straight year. He came back to lead the NFL in passing yards (1727) and TD passes (14) in ’45 and did so again in 1946 with 1826 yards and 17 touchdowns along with a league-leading 8.0 yards per attempt. The Bears won the NFL Championship, their fourth with Luckman at quarterback. He was a first-team All-Pro for one last time in 1947 as he threw for a career-high 2712 yards and again led the league in yards per attempt (8.4) although he also led in interceptions (31, by far his career high). He played three more seasons, largely as a backup to Johnny Lujack, and retired in 1950. Overall, his passing totals of 14,686 yards and 137 TD passes seem modest by modern standards, but his 8.4 yards per attempt still rank second all-time and his record of 28 TD passes in ’43 remained the NFL standard until 1959. The Bears retired Luckman’s #42 and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 1965.

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

[Updated 2/9/14]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

1943: NFL Approves Merger of Eagles & Steelers for ’43 Season

By 1943, with World War II raging, American professional sports were suffering an acute manpower shortage. Major league baseball, with the active encouragement of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, continued play while most of the best players went into the military. The NFL also stayed in operation, but by February 1943 a total of 330 players were serving in the armed forces. Teams made do with players who had medical deferments, and several retired players, such as Bronko Nagurski of the Bears, returned to action.

The NFL briefly considered canceling the 1943 season, due not only to the lack of players but wartime travel restrictions. However, the owners voted to continue although the Cleveland Rams received permission to suspend operations for one year. On June 19 they also gave approval to the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers to merge for the ’43 season. At the same league meeting, roster sizes were slashed from 33 to 25 (they would eventually rise to 28).

Officially, the name of the combined team was the Phil-Pitt Eagles-Steelers, or Phil-Pitt Combine, but it didn’t take long for them to be dubbed the “Steagles”. The club wore Eagles uniforms but split home games between Shibe Park in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. They also split the head coaching duties between Earle “Greasy” Neale of the Eagles and Walt Kiesling of the Steelers. Players were required to work 40 hours a week in defense plants, with practices held in the evenings.

The outlook didn’t appear promising, even with the pooling of two rosters. The Eagles had never had a winning season and finished with a 2-9 record in 1942. Pittsburgh hadn’t done much better, achieving the first season over .500 in franchise history in ’42 with a 7-4 tally (both franchises had joined the NFL in 1933). As star tackle Al Wistert put it, “It sounds like we had a big advantage, putting two teams together as one. But all it meant was we had twice as many lousy players.”

The situation wasn’t helped by the friction that existed between the co-coaches, Neale and Kiesling. The two had distinctly different personalities as well as coaching philosophies. As Wistert said later, “Greasy Neale was very self-confident, very sure of himself. Wherever he went, he was the boss. Greasy was so domineering that Kiesling had to take a back seat.”

Surprisingly, the team did well on the field. They won their first two games, including a 28-14 upset of the Giants that was accomplished despite fumbling a record 10 times during the course of the contest. Going into the last game of the season, the “Steagles” had a chance to end up in a three-way tie atop the Eastern Division with the Giants and Redskins. However, they lost to Green Bay and ended up at 5-4-1 (the Redskins and Giants tied for first at 6-3-1, necessitating a playoff that was won by Washington).

34-year-old end Bill Hewitt, destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and retired since 1939, joined the club. He had been the last NFL player to play without a helmet during the ‘30s, but the league forced him to wear one during his comeback season, much to his annoyance.


Hewitt was far from the biggest contributer to the club’s performance, however. HB Jack Hinkle (pictured at left) rushed for 571 yards on 116 carries (4.9 average) to finish second among NFL rushers, just a yard behind Bill Paschal of the Giants. The “Steagles” overall led the league in rushing (1730 yards and 18 TDs) and also had the best run defense.

QB Roy Zimmerman led the offense, backed up by Allie Sherman, a future head coach of the Giants. End Tony Bova led the team with 17 pass receptions for 419 yards, averaging a league-leading 24.6 yards-per-catch. Rookies Wistert, who had been declared unfit for military service due to a bone disease, and guard Frank “Bucko” Kilroy both showed promise on the line.

The merger arrangement ended at the conclusion of the season. The Steelers combined with the Chicago Cardinals in 1944 and suffered through a miserable 0-10 campaign (they were derisively referred to as the “Carpets”). Philadelphia continued its steady progress under Neale, going 7-1-2 in 1944 and ultimately achieving back-to-back NFL titles in 1948 and ’49. A number of the players who played for the “Steagles” in 1943 contributed to those championship clubs, including Wistert, Kilroy, tackle Vic Sears, HB Ernie Steele, and FB Ben Kish.

1943: Sid Luckman Passes for 433 Yards and 7 Touchdowns vs. Giants

November 14, 1943 was “Sid Luckman Day” at the Polo Grounds in New York. Luckman, quarterback of the visiting Chicago Bears, was a Brooklyn native who had played his college football at Columbia University. He had led the Bears to three consecutive Western Division titles and two NFL championships, and was now due to report for wartime duty as an ensign in the Merchant Marine after the season. He received two $1000 War Bonds, one each from the Giants fans and the Bears. And then Luckman proceeded to make the day truly his with a record-setting performance against the home team.

The Bears struck early in the first quarter on a low throw from Luckman that end Jim Benton scooped in and turned into a four-yard touchdown. Luckman hit end Connie Berry in stride for a 44-yard TD completion to make the score 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Giants put together a 73-yard drive, culminating in a one-yard touchdown run by FB Carl Kinscherf to cut the lead to 14-7. But the Monsters of the Midway came right back as Luckman threw his third TD, 27 yards to end Hamp Pool. A four-yard run by HB Harry Clarke closed out the scoring for the first half, with the Bears holding a commanding lead over the Giants of 28-7.

Luckman threw his fourth and fifth scoring passes of the game in the third quarter, 62 yards to Clarke and 15 yards to Benton. Number six came in the fourth quarter on a three-yard pass to end George Wilson. Head Coach George Halas had wanted to pull Luckman once it was apparent that the Bears had the game well in hand, but the other players revolted, wanting the star quarterback to get a chance to break the record of six touchdown passes in a game that Washington’s Sammy Baugh had set just two weeks earlier. He did, passing for his seventh TD on a 40-yard completion to Pool with six minutes remaining, and the Bears wrapped up a 56-7 win.

Not only did Luckman set a new standard for touchdown passes in a game (tied four times but never surpassed), but he also became the first QB in NFL history to pass for 400 yards in a game (433). He completed 21 of 32 passes, with one interception as the only blemish on a dominating performance.

The Bears finished the season with an 8-1-1 record that kept them atop the Western Division. The Giants, a strong team under Head Coach Steve Owen in spite of being demolished by the Bears, ended up at 6-3-1 and tied with the Redskins for first place in the East, losing the divisional playoff. Chicago defeated Washington for the NFL championship, with Luckman beating his quarterback rival, Baugh, and steering the Bears to three titles in four years.

For the season, Luckman led the league in passing yards (2194) and touchdown passes (28), both of which set new NFL records (the record for TD passes didn’t fall until 1959). His yards per attempt average of 10.86 was also a record and remains the second highest to date (Luckman also ranks second all-time with his 8.42 career yards per attempt). Luckman was a unanimous All-NFL selection and received the Joe F. Carr Trophy as league MVP. For a quarterback who had difficulty mastering the complexity of the T-formation when he first joined the Bears, he became a masterful performer, and the 1943 season was the pinnacle of his Hall of Fame career.