1937 NFL season
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 5, 1937 – December 12, 1937 |
| East Champions | Washington Redskins |
| West Champions | Chicago Bears |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Washington Redskins |
The 1937 NFL season was the 18th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Rams joined the league as an expansion team. Meanwhile, the Redskins relocated from Boston to Washington, D.C.
The season ended when the Redskins, led by rookie tailback Sammy Baugh, defeated the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship Game.
Major rule changes
- All players are required to wear numerals on their jerseys whose color must be in sharp contrast with the jersey color. The numbers on the front must be at least 6 inches (150 mm) while the ones on the back must be at least 8 inches (200 mm).
- If a kickoff goes out of bounds, the ball is put in play either on the opponent's 35-yard line or 10 yards from the spot where it crossed the sideline.
- The penalty for an illegal forward pass that is thrown beyond the line of scrimmage is a loss of down and five yards from the spot of the foul.
Division races
Midway through the NFL's 11-game season, the Bears were unbeaten (5–0) in the Western Division, while the Giants were leaders in the Eastern (4–1), and they played to a 3–3 tie. The Giants and Bears continued to stay in the lead in their divisions, and the Bears clinched a spot in the title game with its 13–0 win over Detroit. On December 5, the final game of the season had Washington (7–3 and .700) traveling to New York (6–2–2 and .750). A win or a tie would have given the Giants the Eastern title; the Redskins triumphed, 49–14, and got the division crown and the trip to face Chicago in the 1937 championship game.
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
| Eastern Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 195 | 120 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 3 | 2 | .667 | 128 | 109 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 4 | 7 | 0 | .364 | 122 | 145 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 3 | 7 | 1 | .300 | 82 | 174 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 8 | 1 | .200 | 86 | 177 |
| Western Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 1 | 1 | .900 | 201 | 100 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | 220 | 122 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | 180 | 105 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 5 | 5 | 1 | .500 | 135 | 165 |
| Cleveland Rams | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | 75 | 207 |
NFL Championship Game
Washington 28, Chi. Bears 21, at Wrigley Field, Chicago, December 12, 1937
League leaders
| Statistic | Name | Team | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | Sammy Baugh | Washington | 1127 |
| Rushing | Cliff Battles | Washington | 874 |
| Receiving | Gaynell Tinsley | Chicago Cardinals | 675 |
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1931–1940 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)