1947 NFL season
The 1947 NFL season was the 28th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season by one game from eleven games per team to twelve, a number that remained constant for fourteen seasons, through 1960.
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 21 – December 28, 1947 |
| East Champions | Philadelphia Eagles (playoff) |
| West Champions | Chicago Cardinals |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Chicago Cardinals |
The season ended when the Chicago Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship Game on December 28.
Draft
The 1947 NFL Draft was held on December 16, 1946 at New York City's Commodore Hotel. With the first pick, the Chicago Bears selected halfback Bob Fenimore from Oklahoma State University–Stillwater.
Major rule changes
- A fifth official, the Back Judge, is added to the officiating crew.[1]
- When a team has fewer than 11 players on the field prior to a snap or kick, the officials are not to notify them.
- An illegal use of hands penalty will be called whenever a defensive player uses them to block the vision of a receiver during any pass behind the offensive team's line.
- During an unsuccessful extra point attempt, the play becomes dead as soon as failure is evident.
- Roughing the kicker will not be called if he kicks after recovering a loose ball or fumble on the play.
- All teams are required to use prescribed standard yardage chains, down boxes, and flexible shaft markers.
- Games are no longer played on Tuesdays.
Division races
Starting in 1947, the NFL teams played a 12-game schedule rather than 11 games. The twelfth game proved to be crucial for the Steelers, Eagles, Cardinals and Bears. In the Eastern Division, Pittsburgh took a half-game lead over Philadelphia after a 35–24 win in Week Five. On November 30, the Eagles won the rematch, 21–0, to take a 7–3–0 to 7–4–0 lead. The same day, the Cardinals lost to the Giants, 35–31, while the Bears beat Detroit 34–14; the 7–3–0 Cards were a game behind the 8–2–0 Bears in the Western Division.
In Week Twelve, the Cardinals beat the Eagles, 45–21. Pittsburgh beat Boston 17–7, while the Bears lost to the Rams, 17–14. The result was that the Steelers finished at 8–4, and the 7–4 Eagles had to win their last game. The Cardinals and Bears were both at 8–3, and the Western title would go to the winner of their December 14 season-closer. A crowd of 48,632 turned out at Wrigley Field to watch. The Cardinals won the game, 30–21, and the right to host the championship. The same day, Philadelphia beat Green Bay, 28–14, to force a playoff with Pittsburgh.
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
| Eastern Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 308 | 242 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 240 | 259 |
| Boston Yanks | 4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 168 | 256 |
| Washington Redskins | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 295 | 367 |
| New York Giants | 2 | 8 | 2 | .200 | 190 | 309 |
| Western Division | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Cardinals | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 306 | 231 |
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 363 | 241 |
| Green Bay Packers | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 274 | 210 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 259 | 214 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 231 | 305 |
Playoffs
- Home team in capitals
Eastern Division Playoff Game
- Philadelphia 21, PITTSBURGH 0
NFL Championship Game
- CHI. CARDINALS 28, Philadelphia 21
League leaders
| Statistic | Name | Team | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins | 2938 |
| Completion Percentage | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins | .593 (210-for-354) |
| Touchdown Passes | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins | 25 |
| Rushing: Yards | Steve Van Buren | Philadelphia Eagles | 1008 |
| Rushing: Touchdowns | Steve Van Buren | Philadelphia Eagles | 13 |
| Receiving: Yards | Mal Kutner | Chicago Cardinals | 944 |
| Receiving: Catches | Jim Keane | Chicago Bears | 64 |
| Receiving: Touchdowns | Ken Kavanaugh | Chicago Bears | 13 |
| Total Points Scored | Pat Harder | Chicago Cardinals | 102 |
| Punting: Average | George Gulyanics | Chicago Bears | 44.8 |
| Interceptions | Frank Reagan | New York Giants | 10 |
| Frank Seno | Boston Yanks | 10 |
Coaching changes
- Boston Yanks: Herb Kopf was replaced by Maurice J. "Clipper" Smith.
- Los Angeles Rams: Adam Walsh was replaced by Bob Snyder.
Footnotes
- Strickler, George (February 20, 1965). "Sixth N.F.L. official to watch scramblers, clock". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, sec. 2.
Further reading
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1941–1950 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)
- Pro Football Illustrated: 1948 Edition. (Mt. Morris, IL: Elbak Publishing Co., 1948).