On This Date in Sports December 13, 1942: Revenge of the Redskins
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The Washington Redskins upset the Chicago Bears 14-6 in the NFL Championship Game at Griffith Stadium. The Bears came into the game looking to finish off a perfect season and win a third straight championship. The Redskins were looking to avenge a humiliating 73-0 loss suffered two years earlier in the 1940 Championship Game. The game was a tight defensive battle, with six combined turnovers as the Redskins captured their second NFL Championship.
The Chicago Bears of 1942 were truly the “Monsters of the Midway.” Since Coach George Halas unveiled the “T Formation” at the end of the 1940 season, the Bears steamrolled through the NFL. After winning the 1940 NFL Championship Game over the Redskins 73-0 at Washington’s Griffith Stadium, the Bears went 10-1 in 1941 and won a second straight title, beating the Green Bay Packers in a tiebreaker playoff 33-14 and the New York Giants 37-9 in the NFL Championship Game at Wrigley Field. There would be no need for a Divisional Playoff in 1942, as the Bears went 11-0, outscoring their opponents 376-84.
The Ray Flaherty-led Washington Redskins, were nearly as good as the Bears, with the passing of Slingin’ Sammy Baugh, who was the league’s premier passer. Trading off the Eastern Division title with the New York Giants, the Redskins were left stunned after the humiliating 73-0 loss that remains the biggest blowout in NFL history. After a disappointing 6-5 record in 1941, Washington again claimed the top spot in the East, posting a record of 10-1, with the only loss coming in the second game of the season to the rival Giants. Like the Bears, the Redskins dominated, outscoring their opponents 227-102 on the season.
It was the second time the Bears had completed an unbeaten regular season, as they went 13-0 in 1934 before losing the “Sneaker Game” to the New York Giants for the NFL Championship. The Bears would have to win the Championship Game without their “Papa Bear,” as George Halas enlisted in the Navy to join the war effort during November. The coaching was left to assistants Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears drew first blood in the second as Lee Artoe returned a fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. Artoe, who also kicked extra points, missed the kick, giving Chicago an early 6-0 lead. The Redskins answered back as Sammy Baugh hit Wilbur Moore on a 38-yard touchdown pass. With Bob Masterson making his PAT, Washington held a 7-6 halftime lead. The game continued to be a defensive war as the Redskins forced four Chicago turnovers while the Bears took the ball away twice. The only score in the second half would a one-yard run by Andy Farkas, with Masterson nailing the key point after to make an eight-point lead in an era long before the NFL adopted the two-point play. The final would score would see the Redskins thrill the home crowd with a 14-6 victory.
The two teams would meet for the NFL Championship again in 1943, with the Bears striking back with a 41-21 win at Wrigley Field. The Bears were truly the dominant team in the 1940s, as they won four championships, adding one in 1946. The Redskins, meanwhile, would fade in the next thirty years as they did not win another championship until 1982, when they won Super Bowl XVII.