1937 NFL season
On the 12th of December 1937, a rookie quarterback named Sammy Baugh stood at Wrigley Field in Chicago and led the Washington Redskins to a 28-21 victory over the Chicago Bears. It was the NFL Championship Game, and it ended a season unlike any other in the league's young history. A franchise had moved cities, a brand-new team had arrived, and a set of rule changes had quietly reshaped the game being played on those fields. How did all of those threads come together in a single December afternoon in Chicago? And what kind of season could produce a statistical leader in passing who had never played a professional game before it began?
The 1937 season was the 18th regular season of the National Football League, and it opened with two franchises in very different situations. The Cleveland Rams were arriving for the first time as an expansion team, while the Washington Redskins were not new to the league but were new to their city. The Redskins had played in Boston before the move, and their relocation to Washington, D.C. meant swapping Fenway Park for Griffith Stadium. The Rams, meanwhile, split their home schedule between two venues: Cleveland Municipal Stadium and League Park. Hugo Bezdek was hired as head coach to lead the expansion Rams into their first NFL campaign. In Brooklyn, Potsy Clark took over from Paul J. Schissler with the Dodgers, and in Pittsburgh, Johnny "Blood" McNally replaced Joe Bach to lead the Pirates. Dutch Clark stepped in for George Clark in Detroit. Each of those changes would ripple through the standings as the eleven-game season unfolded.
Before a single kickoff, the league had already changed what happened on the field. Every player was now required to wear a number on their jersey, and the color of those numerals had to stand in sharp contrast with the jersey itself. Numbers on the front had to measure at least six inches, while those on the back had to be at least eight inches. Beyond identification, the rules addressed what happened when the ball went out of bounds on a kickoff: it would be placed either on the opponent's 35-yard line or ten yards from where it crossed the sideline. A third change targeted the illegal forward pass thrown beyond the line of scrimmage. Previously the consequences were one thing; now the penalty carried both a loss of down and five yards from the spot of the foul. These three adjustments, taken together, touched the visual presentation of the game, the kickoff phase, and the passing game all at once.
Midway through the season, the Chicago Bears had not lost a single Western Division game, sitting at 5-0. The New York Giants led the Eastern Division at 4-1. When those two teams met, neither could pull away: the game ended in a 3-3 tie. Both clubs kept their leads through the remainder of the schedule. Chicago's path to the title game was sealed with a 13-0 shutout of the Detroit Lions. The Eastern race came down to the final day, the 5th of December 1937, when Washington, at 7-3 and a winning percentage of .700, traveled to New York, whose record stood at 6-2-2 and .750. A Giants win or tie would secure the Eastern crown for New York. Instead, the Redskins won by a margin of 49-14, claiming the division title and the right to face Chicago for the championship. The draft had already foreshadowed this reversal of fortune: held on the 12th of December 1936 at New York City's Hotel Lincoln, it opened with the Philadelphia Eagles selecting running back Sam Francis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with the first overall pick.
Sammy Baugh finished his rookie season as the league's leading passer, throwing for 1,127 yards for Washington. His teammate Cliff Battles led the league in rushing with 874 yards. On the other side of the statistical ledger, Gaynell Tinsley of the Chicago Cardinals topped all receivers with 675 yards. Three of the four teams involved in the championship race or in the league leaders table were from the same two cities, Washington and Chicago, though Tinsley's Cardinals played no part in the title game. Baugh's presence at the top of the passing chart was notable precisely because he was a first-year player in a league that had been running for eighteen seasons. His 1,127 yards placed him ahead of every other passer in the game, and his arm would be the decisive weapon when Washington and Chicago met at Wrigley Field on the 12th of December 1937, the same date the draft had opened exactly one year before.
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Common questions
Who won the 1937 NFL Championship Game?
The Washington Redskins won the 1937 NFL Championship Game, defeating the Chicago Bears 28-21 at Wrigley Field in Chicago on the 12th of December 1937. The Redskins were led by rookie quarterback Sammy Baugh.
Who was Sammy Baugh and what did he accomplish in the 1937 NFL season?
Sammy Baugh was a rookie quarterback for the Washington Redskins in 1937. He led the league in passing that season with 1,127 yards and guided Washington to the NFL championship.
What teams were new or relocated in the 1937 NFL season?
The Cleveland Rams joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1937, with Hugo Bezdek hired as head coach. The Washington Redskins relocated from Boston, moving from Fenway Park to Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.
What were the major rule changes in the 1937 NFL season?
Three rules changed for the 1937 season. All players were required to wear jersey numerals in a contrasting color, with front numbers at least six inches tall and back numbers at least eight inches. Kickoffs going out of bounds were placed at the opponent's 35-yard line or ten yards from where they crossed the sideline. An illegal forward pass beyond the line of scrimmage now carried a loss of down and a five-yard penalty.
Who led the 1937 NFL season in rushing and receiving?
Cliff Battles of Washington led the league in rushing with 874 yards. Gaynell Tinsley of the Chicago Cardinals led in receiving with 675 yards.
Where was the 1937 NFL Draft held and who was the first pick?
The 1937 NFL Draft was held on the 12th of December 1936, at the Hotel Lincoln in New York City. The Philadelphia Eagles held the first overall pick and selected running back Sam Francis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.