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The year 1941 was a memorable one in the conscious of the United States. As a sport, football was coming into its own. Elmer Layden was named the first Commissioner of the NFL, the league-by-laws were revised to provide for playoffs in case there were ties in division races, and sudden-death overtimes were adopted in case a playoff game was tied after four quarters. But December 7th will be a day that will forever remain throughout history; Pearl Harbor had been attacked and the United States was at war.
All of these events influenced the December 14th World Division playoff game. The 1941 Chicago Bears were billed the “Monsters from Midway,” and were labeled the best team in football history. In Peter King’s Football: A History of the Professional Game, a Sports Illustrated book 1996, the best team from the years 1932 through 1943, “was the Chicago Bears.” King ranked them in fifth place of the ten greatest teams in professional football history.
This was a team that had come of age in the record win 73-0 whipping the Redskins in the 1940 NFL title game. Its organization went above and beyond other teams under the leadership of Coach George Halas’ drafting and scouting systems. The Bears were a decade ahead of most teams in that era.
They scored 48, 53, 49, and 49 points among their 10 regular-season victories. Had it not been for World War II, the Bears might have won at least seven titles in a row. (1940-46).
The Bears began 1941 with a 25-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Five games later, the Packers returned the favor, giving the Bears their first loss, 16-14. At the end of the season, both teams had lost only one game, and so a tiebreaker was held to determine the Western Conference champion. The Bears hosted the playoff game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, and defeated the Packers, 33-14.
The game between the Bears and the Packers was conducted under a prior sudden-death agreement, but the Bears’ strong performance made it unnecessary.
The Packers made it an early battle during the first period, scoring the first touchdown after one minute and 56 seconds taking a 7-0 lead.
Bear halfback Hugh Gallarneau redeemed himself with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown. The try for point was blocked, leaving Green Bay with a 7-6 lead.
The Bears tore up the turf bringing in 24 points in a wild second period.
Bob Snyder’s 23-yard field goal put the Bears on top 9-7; from then on it was strictly Chicago. Three touchdowns, three conversions, and a field goal gained a 30-7 half time advantage.
The Bears’ rushing attack was unstoppable. George McAfee gained 119 yards rushing, and rookie fullback Norm Standlee added 79. The Packers got a mere 35 yards rushing compared to 267 for the Bears.
Snyder’s fourth quarter kick tacked on the last of the Bears’ 33 points.
The following week the Bears lived up to their new fight song, “Bear Down, Chicago Bears,” by defeating the New York Giants, 37-9, in their 2nd Consecutive NFL Championship.
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