1937 NFL season

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.

1937 National Football League season
Regular season
DurationSeptember 5 – December 12, 1937
East ChampionsWashington Redskins
West ChampionsChicago Bears
Championship Game
ChampionsWashington Redskins

The season ended when the Redskins, led by rookie quarterback Sammy Baugh, defeated the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship Game.

Draft

The 1937 NFL Draft was held on December 12, 1936 at New York City's Hotel Lincoln. With the first pick, the Philadelphia Eagles selected runningback Sam Francis from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

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

NFL Eastern Division
W L T PCT DIV PF PA STK
Washington Redskins 8 3 0 .727 6–2 195 120 W3
New York Giants 6 3 2 .667 5–2–1 128 109 L1
Pittsburgh Pirates 4 7 0 .364 4–4 122 145 L1
Brooklyn Dodgers 3 7 1 .300 2–5–1 82 174 T1
Philadelphia Eagles 2 8 1 .200 2–6 86 177 L1

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

NFL Western Division
W L T PCT DIV PF PA STK
Chicago Bears 9 1 1 .900 7–1 201 100 W4
Green Bay Packers 7 4 0 .636 6–2 220 122 L2
Detroit Lions 7 4 0 .636 4–4 180 105 L1
Chicago Cardinals 5 5 1 .500 3–5 135 165 L2
Cleveland Rams 1 10 0 .091 0–8 75 207 L9

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

Coaching changes

Stadium changes

See also

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)
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