1943 NFL Championship

Lore & Background

The game was a rematch of the previous year's championship. The Redskins won the Eastern Division outright based on a better head-to-head record against the New York Giants, so no divisional playoff was needed. The late-December Chicago weather was bitterly cold, but the game is not to be confused with the 1967 'Ice Bowl.' The Bears were favored by a touchdown and won by twenty points. The gross gate receipts of $120,500 did not set a record; the actual record at that time was $111,000 from the 1940 championship game.

Reader's Guide

The Bears were led by quarterback Sid Luckman, while Sammy Baugh was the quarterback for the Redskins. The Redskins were coached by Dutch Bergman. The Chicago win marked the franchise's third championship in four seasons, their fourth since the institution of the NFL Championship Game in 1933, and their sixth championship overall.

Did You Know?

• The game was played on its originally scheduled date, as no divisional playoff was required.
• Radio broadcast rights to the game were sold for $5,000.
• Each player on the Bears took home $1,135 while each member of the Redskins got $754.
• The NFL had only four game officials in 1943; the back judge was added in 1947, the line judge in 1965, and the side judge in 1978.