Unraveling the 1942 NFL Championship

The 1942 NFL Championship Game, the tenth title game in the league's history, witnessed a significant upset as the underdog Washington Redskins defeated the heavily favored undefeated Chicago Bears by a score of 14-6. Played on December 13th at a sold-out Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., with an attendance of 36,006, the game pitted the champions of the NFL's two divisions against each other.

The Western Division champion Bears, boasting an unblemished 11-0 regular season record, were co-coached by Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos in the absence of George Halas, who had joined the U.S. Navy. Their offense was spearheaded by quarterback Sid Luckman. The Eastern Division champion Redskins, with a strong 10-1 record, were led by head coach Ray Flaherty and their iconic quarterback Sammy Baugh.

Despite the Bears having easily won a summer exhibition game against the Redskins, the two teams had not clashed during the regular season. Chicago entered the championship aiming for their third consecutive NFL title and were considered overwhelming favorites, with the betting line favoring them by three touchdowns. However, the Redskins, playing on their home turf, proved to be a formidable opponent.

The game's scoring began in the second quarter when the Bears' Lee Artoe returned a recovered fumble 52 yards for a touchdown, though the extra point was missed. The Redskins quickly responded later in the same quarter when Sammy Baugh connected with Wilbur Moore for a 39-yard touchdown pass, followed by a successful extra point kick by Bob Masterson, giving Washington a 7-6 lead. The third quarter saw the Redskins extend their advantage with a one-yard touchdown run by Andy Farkas, again followed by a successful Masterson kick, making the score 14-6 in favor of Washington. The fourth quarter remained scoreless, securing the unexpected victory for the Redskins.

The intense anticipation for the championship was evident in the ticket sales, with the game selling out three weeks in advance and some tickets being resold for exorbitant prices. This game marked the second and final NFL title game played at Griffith Stadium and in Washington, D.C., a stark contrast to their previous meeting at the same venue two years prior, where the Bears had inflicted a historic 73-0 defeat on the Redskins.

The financial success of the sold-out game was also noteworthy, generating a record gate receipt of over $113,000. This translated to significant player shares, with each Redskin player receiving approximately $976, while each Bear earned about $639.

Adding another layer of context to the event, the NFL's annual owners' winter meeting and college player draft were held around the time of the championship game. With the United States a year into World War II and many players either in the military or facing potential conscription, a key focus of the owners' meeting was whether the league should continue operations in 1943. Ultimately, the decision was made to proceed, with the 1943 NFL draft postponed until April. The 1942 NFL Championship Game stands as a testament to the unpredictability of football and the Redskins' ability to rise to the occasion against a dominant opponent during a tumultuous period in world history.

Update

After our discussion, Mike Richman dug through his archives and found a gem. Mike interviewed a gent about 25 years ago named Clyde Shugart, a Redskins lineman from 1939-43.

Shugart had a near altercation with Bears Hall of Fame lineman George Musso in the 1942 championship, a 14–6 Redskins win. “Musso wasn’t expecting me to block him, and I had a golden opportunity to let him have it,” Shugart remembered. “Then he threatened to slug me, and we got into a discussion during a timeout. He said, ‘You know what’s going to happen?’ I said, ‘Yea, we’ll both get thrown out of the game.’ So we settled down and played football instead of throwing punches at each other.”

Thanks, Mike, for this additional info and quote!