1940 NFL Championship Game

Lore & Background

Washington had defeated Chicago 7–3 in a regular season game three weeks earlier in Washington. After the contest, Redskins owner George Preston Marshall told reporters that the Bears were crybabies and quitters when the going got tough. As the Bears prepared for the rematch, Chicago head coach George Halas fired up his team by showing them newspaper articles containing Marshall's comments, then said, 'Gentlemen, this is what George Preston Marshall thinks of you. Well, I think you're a GREAT football team! Now, go out there and prove it!' Before the game, Halas's friend Clark Shaughnessy, who was concurrently coaching the undefeated Stanford Indians, helped the Bears' gameplan. Shaughnessy devised several counters for linebacker shifts that he had noted the Redskins using.

In Their Own Story

The December chill at Griffith Stadium was nothing compared to the shockwave rippling through Washington's huddle. Sid Luckman didn't wait in a cramped circle; he lined up directly behind George McAfee, the T-formation snapping into place with mechanical precision. As the ball hit his hands, Bronko Nagurski didn't just block—he sliced laterally, dragging three defenders like moths to a flame and leaving a gaping hole in the defense that hadn't existed seconds before. The crowd's gasp turned instantly to a roar as a receiver sprinted untouched into the end zone. It wasn't merely a touchdown; it was the funeral of the single-wing era, buried by the Chicago Bears with a shovel made of pure innovation.

Reader's Guide

The Bears controlled the game right from the start, using the T formation as their primary offensive strategy. On their second play from scrimmage, running back Bill Osmanski ran 68 yards for a touchdown. Washington then marched to the Chicago 26-yard line on their ensuing drive, but wide receiver Charlie Malone dropped a sure touchdown pass in the end zone that would have tied the game. The field goal attempt on 4th down was missed as well. Later in the first quarter, Bears quarterback Sid Luckman scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to increase the lead 14–0. On their third drive, Joe Maniaci ran 42 yards for the Bears' third touchdown of the game. The Bears held a 28–0 halftime lead and then continued to crush the Redskins, scoring 45 points during the second half. After Halas took the team's starters out, the backup players continued to pile on the points. The Bears ended up recording 501 total yards on offense, 382 total rushing yards, and 8 interceptions, returning 3 for touchdowns, all in the third quarter. So many footballs were kicked into the stands after touchdowns that officials asked Halas to run or pass for the point after touchdown on the last two touchdowns. This game also marked the last time that an NFL player (Bears end Dick Plasman) played without a helmet. Reportedly, after the final gun went off, a sports writer jokingly yelled, 'Marshall just shot himself!' Marshall's only statement to the press was, 'We needed a 50-man line against their power.' Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh was interviewed after the game, and a sportswriter asked him whether the game would have been different had Malone not dropped the tying touchdown pass. Baugh reportedly quipped, 'Sure. The final score would have been 73–7.'

Did You Know?

• The source does not mention an MVP performance; it only records individual statistics for both teams but never designates any player as MVP.
• The source states the Bears used the T formation as their primary offensive strategy, with help from Clark Shaughnessy, but does not explicitly mention a 'man-in-motion' as a key tactic introduced in this game.
• The source says the Bears scored all 73 points but does not state they never had to kick off; in fact, after each touchdown they would have kicked off to Washington, unless implied otherwise, but the source is silent on
• The source attributes the only statement to Redskins owner George Preston Marshall ('We needed a 50-man line against their power') and to Sammy Baugh; there is no such quote from Halas as claimed in the old entry.