1940 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1940 Philadelphia Eagles season was their eighth in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 1–9–1, losing ten games.[1] The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
| 1940 Philadelphia Eagles season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Bert Bell |
| Head coach | Bert Bell |
| Home field | Shibe Park |
| Results | |
| Record | 1–10 |
| Division place | 5th NFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The Eagles 298 rushing yards in 1940 are the fewest in the history of the NFL. The team gained only 0.94 yards per carry.
Off Season
After 4 years playing at larger Philadelphia Municipal Stadium the Eagles move to Shibe Park for the 1940 season
Eagles training camp was held at West Chester State Teachers College, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
NFL Draft
The 1940 NFL Draft was held on December 9, 1939. This year again it was to have 22 rounds, with each team getting 20 picks. The weaker teams only picked in the 2nd and 4th rounds and were passed over in rounds 21 and 22.
The Eagles and Pittsburgh Pirates, before being called Steelers, both finished with 1–9–1, .100 records, but the 1939 Chicago Cardinals ended up at 1–10, .091 and would get the first pick in the draft. The Eagles and Pirates would alternate picking 2nd or 3rd in each round.
Player selections
The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with. Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
| = Pro Bowler [2] | = Hall of Famer |
| Rd | Pick | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | George McAfee | Quarterback | Duke |
| 2 | 13 | John Schiechl | Center | Santa Clara |
| 3 | 17 | Dick Favor | Back | Oklahoma |
| 4 | 28 | Eberle Schultz | Guard | Oregon State |
| 5 | 32 | Frank Emmons | Back | Oregon |
| 6 | 43 | Saul Singer | Tackle | Arkansas |
| 7 | 52 | Hal Pegg | Center | Bucknell |
| 8 | 63 | Don Looney | End | Texas Christian |
| 9 | 72 | Don Jones | Back | Washington |
| 10 | 83 | Frank Maher | Back | Toledo |
| 11 | 92 | Elmer Hackney | Back | Kansas |
| 12 | 103 | Durward Horner | End | Texas Christian |
| 13 | 112 | Ted Hennis | Back | Purdue |
| 14 | 123 | Bill Bunsen | Back | Kansas |
| 15 | 132 | Don Crumbaker | End | Kansas State |
| 16 | 143 | J. R. Green | Tackle | Rice |
| 17 | 152 | Jim Molnar | Back | Bradley |
| 18 | 163 | Ernie Schwartzer | Guard | Boston College |
| 19 | 172 | Bill Schneller | Back | Mississippi |
| 20 | 183 | Bill Debord | Tackle | Kansas State |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 15, 1940 | at Green Bay Packers | L 27–20 | |
| 2 | September 22, 1940 | at Cleveland Rams | L 21–13 | |
| 3 | September 28, 1940 | New York Giants | L 20–14 | |
| 4 | October 4, 1940 | at Brooklyn Dodgers | L 30–17 | |
| 5 | October 13, 1940 | at New York Giants | L 17–7 | |
| 6 | October 20, 1940 | Washington Redskins | L 34–17 | |
| 7 | October 26, 1940 | Brooklyn Dodgers | L 21–7 | |
| 8 | November 10, 1940 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–3 | |
| 9 | November 17, 1940 | Detroit Lions | L 21–0 | |
| 10 | November 28, 1940 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 7–0 | |
| 11 | December 1, 1940 | at Washington Redskins | L 13–6 |
Game recaps
A recap of the scoring plays and the game scores by quarters during the year. The record after the team's name reflects this games outcome also.[3]
WEEK 1
Sunday September 15, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Green Bay Packers (1–0) | 21 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 27 |
| SCORING PLAYS | PHIL | GB | TIME | ||
| 1st | Packers | Packers Cecil Isbell 39-yard rush (Don Hutson kick) | 0 | 7 | |
| Packers | Carl Mulleneaux 6-yard pass from Cecil Isbell (Don Hutson kick) | 0 | 14 | ||
| Packers | Carl Mulleneaux unknown yard pass from Cecil Isbell (Tiny Engebretsen kick) | 0 | 21 | ||
| 2nd | Eagles | Dick Riffle 8-yard pass from Davey O'Brien (kick failed) | 6 | 21 | |
| 3rd | Packers | Clarke Hinkle 45-yard field goal | 6 | 24 | |
| Packers | Clarke Hinkle 45-yard field goal | 6 | 27 | ||
| 4th | Eagles | Don Looney 31-yard interception return (John Cole kick) | 13 | 27 | |
| Eagles | Don Looney unknown yard pass from Davey O'Brien (John Cole kick) | 20 | 27 |
WEEK 2
Sunday September 22, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–2–0) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Cleveland Rams (1–0–0) | 13 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 21 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- Rams – Johnny Drake 2-yard rush (kick failed) 0 6
- Rams – Johnny Drake unknown yard rush (Pete Gudauskas kick) 0 13
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles – Don Looney 10-yard pass from Davey O'Brien (John Cole kick) 7 13
- Rams – Johnny Drake 8-yard rush (kick failed) 7 19
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- None
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles – Don Looney 23-yard pass from Foster Watkins (kick failed) 13 19
- Rams – Safety, OBrien tackled in end zone 13 21
WEEK 3
Saturday September 28, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| New York Giants (1–1–1) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–3–0) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles – Joe Bukant 1-yard rush (Fran Murray kick)
- Giants – Ward Cuff 37-yard field goal
- Giants – Ward Cuff 42-yard rush (Ward Cuff kick)
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Giants – Ward Cuff 30-yard field goal
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Giants – Jim Poole 38-yard pass from Eddie Miller (Ward Cuff kick)
- Eagles – Dick Riffle 2-yard rush (Fran Murray kick)
4th Quarter Scoring Plays NONE
WEEK 4
Friday, October 4, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–4–0) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers (2–1–0) | 17 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 30 |
Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles – John Cole 45-yard field goal
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Dodgers – Perry Schwartz unknown yard pass from Ace Parker (Ace Parker kick)
- Dodgers Art Jocher 2-yard pass from Dick Cassiano (Ralph Kercheval kick)
- Dodgers Ralph Kercheval 24-yard field goal
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- NONE
Eagles Elmer Hackney 1-yard rush (Fran Murray kick) 4th Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles Davey O'Brien 10-yard rush (Fran Murray kick)
- Dodgers Pug Manders 1-yard rush (kick failed)
- Dodgers Ace Parker 2-yard rush (Ace Parker kick)
WEEK 5
Sunday, October 13, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–5–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| New York Giants (2–1–1) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
Scoring 1st and 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
- NONE
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Giants – Eddie Miller 25-yard rush (Ward Cuff kick)
- Giants – Ward Cuff 35-yard field goal
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
- Giants – Lee Shaffer 6-yard pass from Tuffy Leemans (Len Barnum kick)
- Eagles – Frank Emmons 1-yard rush (Foster Watkins kick)
WEEK 6
Sunday, October 20, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Washington Redskins (5–0–0) | 7 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 34 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–6–0) | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles George Somers 46-yard field goal
- Redskins Wayne Millner 41-yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Bob Masterson kick)
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles Dick Riffle 1-yard rush (Fran Murray kick)
- Eagles Don Looney 47-yard pass from Davey O'Brien (Fran Murray kick)
- Redskins Bob Masterson 52-yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Bob Masterson kick)
- Redskins Dick Todd 29-yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Bob Masterson kick)
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Redskins Bob Seymour 5-yard rush (kick failed)
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
- Redskins Dick Todd 2-yard rush (Bob Masterson kick)
WEEK 7
Saturday, October 26, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers (4–2–0) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–7–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- Dodgers – Banks McFadden 75-yard rush (Ace Parker kick) 7 0
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
- NONE
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Dodgers – Pug Manders 2-yard rush (Ace Parker kick) 14 0
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles – Dick Riffle 4-yard rush (Foster Watkins kick) 14 7
- Dodgers – Bill Leckonby 98-yard kickoff return (Ralph Kercheval kick) 21 7
WEEK 8
Sunday, November 10, 1940
This was the final game in NFL history as of 2013 in which neither team was penalized.[4]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–8–0) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2–6–2) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles – George Somers 36-yard field goal 3 0
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Steelers – Coley McDonough 1-yard rush (Armand Niccolai kick)
WEEK 9
Sunday, November 17, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Detroit Lions (5–4–1) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 21 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–9–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- Lions – Lloyd Cardwell 30-yard rush (Chuck Hanneman kick)
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Lions – Whizzer White 7-yard rush (Chuck Hanneman kick)
- Lions – Whizzer White 5-yard rush (Chuck Hanneman kick)
WEEK 10
Thursday November 28, 1940 – Thanksgiving Day
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2–7–2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (1–9–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| SCORING PLAYS | PITT | PHIL | TIME | ||
| 4th | Eagles | Eagles Dick Riffle 17-yard rush (George Somers kick) | 0 | 7 |
WEEK 11
Sunday, December 1, 1940
This was the Eagles 2nd game in 3 days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (1–10–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Washington Redskins (9–2–0) | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays
- NONE
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Redskins – Wilbur Moore 23-yard rush (kick failed)
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
- Redskins – Dick Todd 6-yard rush (Bob Masterson kick)
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
- Eagles – Frank Emmons 19-yard pass from Davey O'Brien (kick failed)
Standings
| NFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Washington Redskins | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | 6–2 | 245 | 142 | W1 | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 6–2 | 186 | 120 | W4 | |
| New York Giants | 6 | 4 | 1 | .600 | 5–2–1 | 131 | 133 | L1 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 7 | 2 | .222 | 1–6–1 | 60 | 178 | L1 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | 1–7 | 111 | 211 | L1 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Playoffs
The Eagles with a 1–10–1 record finished last in the NFL Eastern Division and fail to make it to the 1940 NFL Championship Game. The game was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 1940. The Chicago Bears, with an 8–3 record, defeated the Washington Redskins, with a 9–2 record, 73–0, the most one-sided victory in NFL history. The Bears scored on 3 interception returns of Washington passes during the game. This was the first NFL title game that was broadcast nationwide on radio by Mutual Broadcasting System.
Roster
(All time List of Philadelphia Eagles players in franchise history)
| = 1940 Pro Bowl Pro All-Star[5] | = Hall of Famer |
| NO. | Player | AGE | POS | GP | GS | WT | HT | YRS | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bert Bell | 45 | Coach | 1940 record 1–10 | NFL-Eagles Lifetime 10–44–2 | 5th last | Pennsylvania | |||
| Jay Arnold | 28 | HB-WB-DB BB-KR-PR | 9 | 3 | 210 | 6–1 | 3 | Texas | |
| Dick Bassi * | 25 | G | 11 | 9 | 214 | 5–11 | 2 | Santa Clara | |
| Joe Bukant | 25 | B | 11 | 4 | 216 | 6–0 | 2 | Washington (MO) | |
| Joe Carter | 30 | E | 6 | 4 | 201 | 6–1 | 7 | Austin College and SMU | |
| Chuck Cherundolo | 24 | C-LB | 11 | 5 | 215 | 6–1 | 3 | Penn State | |
| John Cole | ? | FB | 7 | 1 | 197 | 5–9 | 2 | St. Joseph's (PA) | |
| Woody Dow | 24 | BB-FB | 11 | 0 | 195 | 6–0 | 2 | West Texas A&M | |
| Frank Emmons | 22 | B | 11 | 5 | 213 | 6–1 | Rookie | Oregon | |
| Ray George | 22 | T | 2 | 2 | 229 | 6–0 | 1 | USC | |
| Jerry Ginney | 24 | G | 1 | 0 | 217 | 5–11 | Rookie | Santa Clara | |
| Elmer Hackney | 24 | FB | 8 | 1 | 205 | 6–2 | Rookie | Kansas State | |
| Maurice Harper | 30 | C | 9 | 6 | 227 | 6–4 | 3 | Austin | |
| Bill Hughes | 25 | G-C | 7 | 6 | 226 | 6–1 | 3 | Texas | |
| Elmer Kolberg | 24 | HB-E | 10 | 5 | 201 | 6–4 | 1 | Oregon State | |
| Don Looney * | 23 | E | 11 | 8 | 182 | 6–2 | Rookie | TCU | |
| Les McDonald | 26 | E | 9 | 0 | 200 | 6–4 | 3 | Nebraska | |
| Fran Murray | 25 | B | 11 | 6 | 200 | 6–0 | 1 | Pennsylvania | |
| Charles Newton | 24 | FB-HB | 3 | 2 | 204 | 6–0 | 1 | Washington | |
| Davey O'Brien | 23 | QB-TB | 11 | 11 | 151 | 5–7 | 1 | TCU | |
| Phil Ragazzo | 25 | T-G | 6 | 5 | 216 | 6–0 | 2 | Case Western Reserve | |
| Red Ramsey | 29 | E | 11 | 8 | 196 | 6–0 | 2 | Texas Tech | |
| Dick Riffle | 25 | B | 11 | 6 | 200 | 6–1 | 2 | Albright | |
| Theodore Schmitt | 24 | G | 11 | 2 | 219 | 5–11 | 2 | Pittsburgh | |
| Elbie Schultz | 23 | T-G | 11 | 3 | 252 | 6–4 | Rookie | Oregon State | |
| George Somers | 25 | T | 10 | 7 | 253 | 6–2 | 1 | La Salle | |
| Russ Thompson | 28 | T | 11 | 5 | 249 | 6–5 | 4 | Nebraska | |
| Milt Trost | 27 | T-E | 7 | 2 | 206 | 6–1 | 5 | Marquette | |
| Foster Watkins | 23 | QB-HB | 9 | 0 | 163 | 5–9 | Rookie | West Texas A&M | |
| Joe Wendlick | 25 | E | 9 | 2 | 213 | 6–0 | Rookie | Oregon State | |
| Clem Woltman | 26 | T | 10 | 3 | 214 | 6–1 | 2 | Purdue | |
| 30 Players Team Average | 24.3 | 11 | 209.5 | 6–0.7 | 1.8 |
Postseason
In the off season Davey O'Brien turned down a salary raise and retired from the NFL.
In December 1940, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney sold the Steelers to Alexis Thompson and used half of the proceeds to buy a half interest in the Philadelphia Eagles from his friend Bert Bell. Before the start of the 1941 season Rooney, Bell, and Thompson swapped city and NFL rights for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers players of 1940 and before thereby became Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia Eagles players of 1940 and before likewise became members of the Pittsburgh Steelers – with the exception of several players who were traded between the two teams.
Award and Honors
- Davey O'Brien leads league with 227 Pass Attempts
- Davey O'Brien leads league with 124 Pass Completions
- Davey O'Brien finishes 2nd in league with 1227 Passing Yards
- Don Looney leads league in Passes Caught with 58
- Don Looney leads league in Passing Yards with 707 yards
- Dick Bassi makes Pro All-Star team as a Left Guard
- Don Looney makes Pro All-Star team as an End
References
- 1940 Philadelphia Eagles
- Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career.
- "Pro Football Statistics and History".
- "Fact or Fiction? There's never been a NFL game without any penalties". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
- Players are identified as a 1940 Pro All-Star.