This is a truly unique post of record NFL oddities that all occurred on September 27, so hang onto your headsets as we dive into this football day!
September 27 American Football History Timeline
- September 27, 1942 – In what may be one of the most ironic games in NFL history, the New York Giants defeated the Washington Redskins 14-7. NY did not achieve a single first down all game!
According to the NFL Films website, this game has some very odd statistics indeed! By looking at the final score, it doesn’t seem like that uncommon of a game, but when you look in detail at the box score, all you can do is shake your head! The Giants didn’t get a single first down all game, and their 51 total yards would leave the onlooker even more shocked. But when you see the fact that 50 of those 51 yards came on one touchdown pass play, your chair will topple over! The other TD came from a 66-yard interception return by Giants defensive back Neil Adams. Oh, and did I add that the team they beat that day was the eventual 1942 NFL Champions? Yes, this was the Redskins only loss that season, and I bet after the game, Washington faithful were shaking their heads too!
- September 27, 1959 – The Vince Lombardi Era Begins in Green Bay: Vince Lombardi made his regular-season head coaching debut with the Green Bay Packers at City Stadium (later Lambeau Field). Facing George Halas and the arch-rival Chicago Bears, Lombardiβs Packers pulled off an upset 9β6 victory before a crowd of over 32,000 fans, kicking off the golden dynasty that produced five NFL championships in the 1960s.
- September 27, 2012 – According to ESPN.com, Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson had a whale of a half! In the second half of the Browns game against their rival, the Baltimore Ravens, Dawson did his best to help his team keep pace with the high-flying Ravens by making a record 3 field goals in one half of 50 yards or more! His successful kicks after halftime from 51, 50 & 52 yards accounted for more than half of the Browns’ points as they fell 23-16. Interestingly enough, the kicker for the Ravens that day, Justin Tucker, tied Dawson’s NFL record of 3 from over 50 in a half on November 27, 2016, when Tucker booted kicks of 52, 57, and 54 yards in the first half of the Ravens’ 19-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
- September 27, 2018 – Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Jared Goff set an unbelievable NFL record with a perfect passer rating, throwing for 465 yards and five touchdowns in one game! The Rams needed every bit of it, too, as they narrowly escaped with a 38-31 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in a Thursday Night football thriller!
September 27 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
One notable American football figure was born on September 27.
- William Shakespeare [1912] – Dubbed the “Bard of Staten Island” and “The Merchant of Menace,” Shakespeare was a consensus First-Team All-American halfback and booming punter for Elmer Laydenβs Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 1983 College Football Hall of Fame enshrinee finished third in the inaugural 1935 Heisman Trophy balloting and cemented his place in college football lore by tossing the game-winning touchdown pass with 32 seconds remaining in the legendary 1935 “Game of the Century” comeback victory over Ohio State.
Conclusion
That is our history in American football for this day. If you missed it, here is the key gridiron news from September 26.
