1944 NFL Championship Game

Lore & Background

The Packers were led by longtime head coach Curly Lambeau and its stars were running back Ted Fritsch, end Don Hutson, and quarterback Irv Comp. The Giants were led by head coach Steve Owen, running back Bill Paschal, former Packers quarterback Arnie Herber, and a dominant defense. The Packers were slight favorites, despite the Giants' 24–0 shutout win four weeks earlier. Prior to the game, the Packers had spent over a week preparing in Charlottesville, Virginia; they had completed their regular season on November 26, while the Giants finished on December 10.

If the title game ended in a tie, the teams would share the championship. Green Bay scored two touchdowns in the second quarter then yielded one early in the fourth to win 14–7 for their sixth and final league title under Lambeau, their first since 1939. The Packers did not return to the championship game for sixteen years, and won the following year in 1961, the first of five titles in seven seasons in the 1960s under head coach Vince Lombardi.

Reader's Guide

The game was played on Sunday, December 17, 1944, with kickoff at 2 p.m. EWT (EDT). Scoring summary: First quarter – no scoring. Second quarter – GB: Ted Fritsch 1 run (Don Hutson kick), 7–0 GB; GB: Fritsch 28 pass from Irv Comp (Hutson kick), 14–0 GB. Third quarter – no scoring. Fourth quarter – NY: Ward Cuff 1 run (Ken Strong kick), 14–7 GB. Officials: Referee Ronald Gibbs, Umpire Carl Brubaker, Head linesman Charlie Berry, Field judge Eugene Miller. The NFL had only four game officials in 1944; the back judge was added later, the line judge later, and the side judge later. Players' shares: each Packer player received about $1,500 while each Giant saw about $900.