NFL 1941

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1941 NFL season
Regular season
season September 7, 1941 - December 7, 1941
East Champions New York Giants
West Champions Chicago Bears
Championship game
NFL Champion Chicago Bears
NFL season
 <1940 1942> 

The 1941 NFL season was the 22nd regular season of the National Football League . Prior to the season, Elmer Layden was named the NFL's first commissioner, while Carl Storck stepped down as league president. Layden also took on the duties of league president, signing a five-year contract with an annual income of $ 20,000.

In the event of the same balance in the division after the regular season, the rules for placing in the play-offs have been changed. In addition, the sudden death rule was introduced for overtime in the event of a tie , which occurs after regular time in the play-offs.

The Green Bay Packers and the defending champions Chicago Bears ended the regular season in a draw in the Western Division, which is why it came to the first intra-division play-off game in league history. The Bears won the game on December 14th at Wrigley Field by 33:14. In the NFL Championship Game on December 21, they beat the New York Giants 37: 9 at home at Wrigley Field . The Bears, averaging 36 points per game, were the first team to defend their title since the East-West Division was launched in 1933.

Team changes

In December 1940, Art Rooney sold the financially troubled Pittsburgh Steelers to millionaire son Alexis Thompson . He renamed it Ironman. With the money, Rooney acquired 50% of the shares in the Philadelphia Eagles . It was planned that Thompson would move the Ironman to Boston after the 1941 season, while the Eagles should play as the Pennsylvania Keystoners in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The owner of the Washington Redskins contradicted this plan. As a solution, Thompson finally moved to Philadelphia with his Ironman and from then on played as the Philadelphia Eagles while Rooney moved back to Pittsburgh with the Eagles and Bell as co-owner and coach and renamed the Eagles the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Important rule changes

  • The penalty for illegally shifting (unauthorized movement on the offensive) is 5 yards .
  • The penalty for an illegal kick or bat is 15 yards.
  • Whenever a player is excluded from the game, his team is given a 15 yard penalty.
  • In the event of a personal foul during the opponent's point play, the penalty will be applied at the next kickoff .

In addition to these rule changes, the League Commissioner enforced player behavior standards this season. Commissioner Elmer Layden sentenced Green Bay Packers quarterback Larry Craig and New York Giants halfback Hank Soar to $ 25 for a brawl in August .

The Wilson became the official match ball of the NFL.

NFL draft

The 1941 NFL Draft was conducted on December 10, 1940 in Washington, DC 's Willard Hotel . With the first pick who chose Chicago Bears the halfback Tom Harmon of Michigan State University from.

Division phase

In the Eastern Division, the Redskins held a half game after 9 weeks . With a balance of 5–1–0, their only lost game was the 10:17 against the Giants (5-2-0), who lost two games in a row. However, Washington lost the next three games while the Giants won the next two games. On November 23, the Redskins (5-3) met the Giants (7-2) at the Polo Grounds , where the Giants won 20:13 and thus won the division.

The Western Division was dominated by the Bears and Packers. On November 2nd, when the teams met at Wrigley Field, the Bears had 5 wins and the Packers 6 wins and one loss, having lost 17:25 in the previous game against the Bears at home. Green Bay's 16-14 win put them in the lead and they finished the regular season on November 30 with a 22:17 comeback win in Washington with a 10-1 record. On December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, the Bears lost to the Cardinals. At the beginning of the fourth quarter the Cardinals were still leading with 24:20, but lost the game with 24:34. The Bears and Packers ended the Regular Season with 10 wins and one loss and a playoff was played to determine who was allowed to play in the Championship Game. As the United States joined World War II , the Bears and Packers met at Wrigley Field on December 14th. The Chicago Bears won the game 33:14.

Regular season

Eastern Division
team S. N U SQ P + P-
New York Giants 8th 3 0 .727 238 114
Brooklyn Dodgers 7th 4th 0 .636 158 127
Washington Redskins 6th 5 0 .545 176 174
Philadelphia Eagles 2 8th 1 .200 119 218
Pittsburgh Steelers 1 9 1 .100 103 276
Western Division
team S. N U SQ P + P-
Chicago Bears 10 1 0 .909 396 147
Green Bay Packers 10 1 0 .909 258 120
Detroit Lions 4th 6th 1 .400 121 195
Chicago Cardinals 3 7th 1 .300 127 197
Cleveland Rams 2 9 0 .182 116 244

Note: in 1972 the NFL officially did not have any draws in the bottom of the table.

Legend:

S iege N iederlagen U nentschieden SQ games won (relative)
P + points made P- opposing points Championship participant

Postseason

Western Division Play-off Game

After normal playing time, the Bears and the Packers shared first place. To decide who would play in the NFL championship game, a play-off game was played as a decision. The game took place on December 14, 1941 at Wrigley Field , Illinois .

1 2 3 4th total
Chicago Bears 6th 24 0 3 33
Green Bay Packers 7th 0 7th 0 14th

NFL Championship Game

The final of the season took place on December 21, 1941 at Wrigley Field , Illinois . In the ninth championship game, the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears faced each other. For both teams it was the fifth participation in the championship game and both teams had won the game twice before. The game took place two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, which is why the game was only watched by around 13,500 viewers.

After the last touchdown , Ray "Scooter" McLean decided to successfully execute the PAT as a dropkick ( English for jump kick ) and thus kick the last successful dropkick in the NFL for 64 years. Only Doug Flutie of the New England Patriots kicked a successful dropkick in the last game of the 2005 season against the Miami Dolphins on January 1, 2006.

1 2 3 4th total
Chicago Bears 3 6th 14th 14th 37
New York Giants 6th 0 3 0 9

All-Star Game

The 1941 National Football League All-Star Game took place on January 4, 1942 at the Polo Grounds , New York City . It was the fourth all-star game that the league hosted. In the game, the Chicago Bears , champions of the previous season, faced a team of All-Stars. The Bears defeated the All-Stars 35:24.

1 2 3 4th total
All stars 3 0 14th 7th 24
Chicago Bears 0 21st 7th 7th 35

Awards

Season best

statistics Surname team value
fit yards Cecil Isbell Green Bay 1,479
yards run Pug Manders Brooklyn 486
trapped yards Don Hutson Green Bay 738

Trainer

Eastern Division

Western Division

literature

  • Official 2005 National Football League record & fact book . Time Inc. Home Entertainment, New York, NY 2005, ISBN 1-932994-36-X .
  • Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League . Rev. and updated. HarperCollins, New York 1999, ISBN 0-06-270174-6 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ George Strickler: Layden installed as pro football commissioner (English) . In: Chicago Sunday Tribune , April 6, 1941, p. 1, section 2. 
  2. ↑ George Kirksey: Chicago Bears dominate pro grid picture (English) . In: Telegraph Herald , December 26, 1941, p. 10. 
  3. ↑ Speaking of Ownership, When Was the Last Time the Rooneys Did NOT Own the Pittsburgh Steelers? Retrieved December 11, 2016 .
  4. ↑ 11 rule changes in pro football are approved (English) . In: Chicago Daily Tribune , Apr. 7, 1941, p. 26. 
  5. ^ Layden Fines Two Pros for Fighting (English) . In: Pittsburgh Press , Aug 26, 1941, p. 18. Retrieved May 20, 2011. 
  6. ↑ Bears wallop Giants for pro title. Milwaukee Sentinel, December 22, 1941, accessed April 22, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Flutie converts first drop kick since 1941 championship. espn.com, January 2, 2006, accessed April 22, 2018 .
  8. ↑ Incredible 'Bears Crush Gallant Stars. Pittsburgh Press, January 5, 1942, accessed April 22, 2018 .