By Darin In a 9-team NFL landscape, the Green Bay Packers of 1936 stood alone as an offensive powerhouse. Featuring an incredible four future Hall of Famers on a single-platoon roster, the team secured the franchise’s first-ever NFL Championship. Discover how Hall of Fame coach Curly Lambeau led his team—including the revolutionary passing duo of Arnie Herber and Don Hutson—to dominate the league, defeat the Boston Redskins 21-6, and kick off a legacy that would see Wisconsin accumulate a record 13 NFL Championships.
The Birth of a Dynasty: Context and Contenders
The 1936 season marked the fourth time the NFL decided its champion with a dedicated title game, pitting the winners of the Eastern and Western Divisions against each other.
The balance of power clearly lay in the Western Division. The Green Bay Packers, coached by hometown legend Curly Lambeau, dominated the division with an impressive 11-1-1 record, easily fending off competitive teams like the Bears (9-3) and Lions (8-4). The East, by comparison, was significantly weaker, with the Boston Redskins securing the division title with a modest 7-6 record.
Green Bay was the clear favorite, having already defeated the Redskins during the regular season by a score of 31-2. When the Redskins’ owner, George Preston Marshall, refused to host the championship game in Boston due to poor fan turnout, the game was moved to the Polo Grounds in New York City.
The Most Talented Team of the Single-Platoon Era
What made the 1936 Packers so special was their concentration of talent in an era of single-platoon football, where players rarely left the field. The team featured four future Pro Football Hall of Famers:
- Arnie Herber (QB/Passer): The league’s leading passer that year, throwing for 1,239 yards, a remarkable total for the time.
- Don Hutson (End/Receiver): Revolutionized the end position into what we now recognize as the wide receiver. He led the NFL in receiving yards with 536.
- Clark Hinkle (Fullback/Rusher): The team’s leading rusher, contributing 476 yards and five touchdowns from the fullback position.
- Johnny “Blood” McNally (Halfback): The colorful, well-known, and talented halfback.
This concentration meant that four of the eleven starters were ultimately enshrined in Canton—a truly rare and powerful roster.
The Packers’ offense was unprecedentedly balanced for the 1930s, accumulating over 1,600 yards both rushing and passing. Crucially, their use of the forward pass, spearheaded by Herber and Hutson, was defining: out of their 38 total touchdowns that season, 17 were passing touchdowns compared to just 11 rushing touchdowns, showcasing a shift in offensive philosophy led by Lambeau.
The Championship Decided
The 1936 NFL Championship game saw Green Bay face the Boston Redskins, led by star halfback Cliff Battles. The Packers asserted their dominance, ultimately winning 21-6.
The game was close in the first half, with Green Bay holding a slim 7-6 lead. However, the Packers’ stifling defense shut out the Redskins for the remainder of the contest, while the Green Bay offense scored two unanswered touchdowns to secure the victory.
The win cemented the legacy of the 1936 squad, a team Coach Curly Lambeau often cited as one of the best he ever coached.
Conclusion
The 1936 NFL Championship was more than just a victory; it was the launching pad for the Green Bay Packers’ extraordinary legacy. Built on the foundational innovation of the passing game, led by Herber and Hutson, and featuring a defense anchored by four Hall of Famers in the single-platoon era, this team set the standard for success. This first title cemented the Packers’ place in history, proving that a publicly owned team from a small American town could become the most decorated franchise in NFL history, leading all states with 13 NFL championships.
Big thank you to our guest Bob Swick of Gridiron Greats Magazine. Special thank you to the work shared by Pro-Football-Reference.com and the other sources linked in this post for helping us to tell the gridiron stories of the day.
