1941 New York Giants season
The 1941 New York Giants season was the franchise's 17th season in the National Football League.
1941 New York Giants season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Steve Owen |
Home field | Polo Grounds |
Results | |
Record | 8–3 |
Division place | 1st NFL Eastern |
Playoff finish | Lost NFL Championship 37–9 (Bears) |
Season recap
The Giants managed to put together quite a respectable team this year. Ed Danowski was lured out of retirement, Tuffy Leemans' back healed, and Mel Hein was talked out of a potential retirement. The Giants sailed through their first five games—only the Washington Redskins came within a touchdown of them as they outscored their first five opponents, 122–27. But the Brooklyn Dodgers, coached by Jock Sutherland and guided on the field by All-Pro Ace Parker, proved the Giants' most formidable opponents, dealing them two of their three defeats this year.
The Giants clinched the Eastern Division title weeks in advance of the regular season finale, but no NFL players could have been prepared for the Attack on Pearl Harbor to occur less than fifteen minutes before kickoff of Week 14; the three games that day were not interrupted, but a bye week was observed before proceeding to the championship game.
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
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2 | September 13, 1941 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 24–0 |
4 | September 28, 1941 | at Washington Redskins | W 17–10 |
5 | October 5, 1941 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 37–10 |
6 | October 12, 1941 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 16–0 |
7 | October 19, 1941 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 28–7 |
8 | October 26, 1941 | at Brooklyn Dodgers | L 16–13 |
9 | November 2, 1941 | Chicago Cardinals | L 10–7 |
10 | November 9, 1941 | Detroit Lions | W 20–13 |
11 | November 16, 1941 | Cleveland Rams | W 49–14 |
12 | November 23, 1941 | Washington Redskins | W 20–13 |
14 | December 7, 1941 | Brooklyn Dodgers | L 21–7 |
Game Summaries
Week Two: at Philadelphia Eagles
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 13
- Game attendance: 25,478
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Week Four: at Washington Redskins
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Giants | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
Redskins | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: September 28
- Game attendance: 35,677
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Week Five: at Pittsburgh Steelers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Giants | 3 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 37 |
Steelers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 5
- Game attendance: 13,458
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Week Six: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Giants | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: October 12
- Game attendance: 30,842
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Week Seven: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Steelers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Giants | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: October 19
- Game attendance: 34,604
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Week Eight: at Brooklyn Dodgers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Giants | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
Dodgers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York
- Date: October 26
- Game attendance: 28,675
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Week Nine: vs. Chicago Cardinals
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
Giants | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 2
- Game attendance: 29,829
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Week Ten: vs. Detroit Lions
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Lions | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
Giants | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 9
- Game attendance: 27,875
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Week Eleven: vs. Cleveland Rams
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Rams | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Giants | 14 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 49 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 16
- Game attendance: 32,740
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Week Twelve: vs. Washington Redskins
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
Giants | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: November 23
- Game attendance: 49,317
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Week Fourteen: vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Dodgers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Giants | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Polo Grounds, New York, New York
- Date: December 7
- Game attendance: 55,051
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Playoffs
Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Championship | December 21, 1941 | at Chicago Bears | L 37–9 |
1941 NFL Championship: at Chicago Bears
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
Bears | 3 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 37 |
at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: December 21
- Game attendance: 13,341
Game information |
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Standings
NFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
New York Giants | 8 | 3 | 0 | .727 | 6–2 | 238 | 114 | L1 | |
Brooklyn Dodgers | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | 6–2 | 158 | 127 | W2 | |
Washington Redskins | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 5–3 | 176 | 174 | W1 | |
Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 8 | 1 | .200 | 1–6–1 | 119 | 218 | L3 | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 | 9 | 1 | .100 | 1–6–1 | 103 | 276 | L2 |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.