| Team: | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Year: | 1940 |
| Record: | 1–10 |
| Division Place: | 5th NFL Eastern |
| Coach: | Bert Bell |
| Owner: | Bert Bell |
| Stadium: | Shibe Park |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Shortnavlink: | Eagles seasons |
The 1940 Philadelphia Eagles season was their eighth in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 1–9–1, losing ten games.[1] The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
The Eagles 298 rushing yards in 1940 are the fewest in the history of the NFL. The team gained only 0.94 yards per carry.
After 4 years playing at larger Philadelphia Municipal Stadium the Eagles move to Shibe Park for the 1940 season
Eagles training camp was held at West Chester State Teachers College, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The 1940 NFL draft was held on December 9, 1939. This year again it was to have 22 rounds, with each team getting 20 picks. The weaker teams only picked in the 2nd and 4th rounds and were passed over in rounds 21 and 22.
The Eagles and Pittsburgh Pirates, before being called Steelers, both finished with 1–9–1, .100 records, but the 1939 Chicago Cardinals ended up at 1–10, .091 and would get the first pick in the draft. The Eagles and Pirates would alternate picking 2nd or 3rd in each round.
The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with.Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
| = Pro Bowler [2] | = Hall of Famer |
| Rd | width=5% style="background:#00cc00;" | Pick | width=15% style="background:#00cc00;" | Player | width=5% style="background:#00cc00;" | Position | width=15% style="background:#00cc00;" | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | George McAfee | Quarterback | Duke | ||||
| 2 | 13 | John Schiechl | Center | Santa Clara | ||||
| 3 | 17 | Dick Favor | Back | Oklahoma | ||||
| 4 | 28 | Eberle Schultz | Guard | Oregon State | ||||
| 5 | 32 | Frank Emmons | Back | Oregon | ||||
| 6 | 43 | Saul Singer | Tackle | Arkansas | ||||
| 7 | 52 | Hal Pegg | Center | Bucknell | ||||
| 8 | 63 | Don Looney | End | Texas Christian | ||||
| 9 | 72 | Don Jones | Back | Washington | ||||
| 10 | 83 | Frank Maher | Back | Toledo | ||||
| 11 | 92 | Elmer Hackney | Back | Kansas | ||||
| 12 | 103 | Durward Horner | End | Texas Christian | ||||
| 13 | 112 | Ted Hennis | Back | Purdue | ||||
| 14 | 123 | Bill Bunsen | Back | Kansas | ||||
| 15 | 132 | Don Crumbaker | End | Kansas State | ||||
| 16 | 143 | J. R. Green | Tackle | Rice | ||||
| 17 | 152 | Jim Molnar | Back | Bradley | ||||
| 18 | 163 | Ernie Schwartzer | Guard | Boston College | ||||
| 19 | 172 | Bill Schneller | Back | Mississippi | ||||
| 20 | 183 | Bill Debord | Tackle | Kansas State | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 15 | at Green Bay Packers | L 20–27 | 0–1 | 11,657 | |||
| 2 | September 22 | at Cleveland Rams | L 13–21 | 0–2 | 15,941 | |||
| 3 | September 28 | New York Giants | L 14–20 | 0–3 | 26,431 | |||
| 4 | October 4 | at Brooklyn Dodgers | L 17–30 | 0–4 | 24,008 | |||
| 5 | October 13 | at New York Giants | L 7–17 | 0–5 | 30,317 | |||
| 6 | October 20 | Washington Redskins | L 17–34 | 0–6 | 25,062 | |||
| 7 | October 26 | Brooklyn Dodgers | L 7–21 | 0–7 | 6,500 | |||
| 8 | November 10 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 3–7 | 0–8 | 9,556 | |||
| 9 | November 17 | Detroit Lions | L 0–21 | 0–9 | 6,327 | |||
| 10 | November 28 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 7–0 | 1–9 | 4,200 | |||
| 11 | December 1 | at Washington Redskins | L 6–13 | 1–10 | 25,838 | |||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | ||||||||
A recap of the scoring plays and the game scores by quarters during the year. The record after the team's name reflects this games outcome also.[3]
Sunday September 15, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | ||
| – align=left | Philadelphia Eagles (0–1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| -align=left | Green Bay Packers (1–0) | 21 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 27 |
| SCORING PLAYS | PHIL | GB | TIME | |||
| 1st | Packers | Packers Cecil Isbell 39-yard rush (Don Hutson kick) | - align="center" | 0 | - align="center" | 7 |
| Packers | Carl Mulleneaux 6-yard pass from Cecil Isbell (Don Hutson kick) | - align="center" | 0 | - align="center" | 14 | |
| Packers | Carl Mulleneaux 7 yard pass from Cecil Isbell (Tiny Engebretsen kick) | 0 | - align="center" | 21 | ||
| 2nd | Eagles | Dick Riffle 8-yard pass from Davey O'Brien (kick failed) | - align="center" | 6 | - align="center" | 21 |
| 3rd | Packers | Clarke Hinkle 45-yard field goal | - align="center" | 6 | - align="center" | 24 |
| Packers | Clarke Hinkle 45-yard field goal | - align="center" | 6 | - align="center" | 27 | |
| 4th | Eagles | Don Looney 31-yard interception return (John Cole kick) | - align="center" | 13 | - align="center" | 27 |
| Eagles | Don Looney 32 yard pass from Davey O'Brien (John Cole kick) | 20 | - align="center" | 27 |
Sunday September 22, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–2–0) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Cleveland Rams (1–0–0) | 13 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 21 |
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
Saturday September 28, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| New York Giants (1–1–1) | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–3–0) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
4th Quarter Scoring PlaysNONE
Friday, October 4, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–4–0) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers (2–1–0) | 17 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 30 |
Scoring1st Quarter Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
Eagles Elmer Hackney 1-yard rush (Fran Murray kick)4th Quarter Scoring Plays
Sunday, October 13, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–5–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| New York Giants (2–1–1) | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 17 |
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
Sunday, October 20, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Washington Redskins (5–0–0) | 7 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 34 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–6–0) | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
Saturday, October 26, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers (4–2–0) | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–7–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
Sunday, November 10, 1940
This was the final game in NFL history as of in which neither team was penalized.[4]
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–8–0) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers (2–6–2) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
Sunday, November 17, 1940
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Detroit Lions (5–4–1) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 21 |
| Philadelphia Eagles (0–9–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring
1st Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
Thursday November 28, 1940 – Thanksgiving Day
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | ||
| – align="left" | Pittsburgh Steelers (2–7–2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – align="left" | Philadelphia Eagles (1–9–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| SCORING PLAYS | PITT | PHIL | TIME | ||||
| 4th | Eagles | Eagles Dick Riffle 17-yard rush (George Somers kick) | - align="center" | 0 | - align="center" | 7 |
Sunday, December 1, 1940
This was the Eagles 2nd game in 3 days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (1–10–0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Washington Redskins (9–2–0) | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
2nd Quarter Scoring Plays
3rd Quarter Scoring Plays
4th Quarter Scoring Plays
The Eagles with a 1–10–1 record finished last in the NFL Eastern Division and fail to make it to the 1940 NFL Championship Game. The game was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., on December 8, 1940. The Chicago Bears, with an 8–3 record, defeated the Washington Redskins, with a 9–2 record, 73–0, the most one-sided victory in NFL history. The Bears scored on 3 interception returns of Washington passes during the game.This was the first NFL title game that was broadcast nationwide on radio by Mutual Broadcasting System.
(All time List of Philadelphia Eagles players in franchise history)
| = 1940 Pro Bowl Pro All-Star[5] | = Hall of Famer |
| NO. | width=15% style="background:#00cc00;" | Player | width=4% style="background:#00cc00;" | AGE | width=6% style="background:#00cc00;" | POS | width=4% style="background:#00cc00;" | GP | width=4% style="background:#00cc00;" | GS | width=4% style="background:#00cc00;" | WT | width=4% style="background:#00cc00;" | HT | width=4% style="background:#00cc00;" | YRS | width=20% style="background:#00cc00;" | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - align=left | 45 | Coach | 1940 record 1–10 | NFL-Eagles Lifetime 10–44–2 | 5th last | - align=left | Pennsylvania | |||||||||||
| - align=left | 28 | HB-WB-DB BB-KR-PR | 9 | 3 | 210 | 6–1 | 3 | - align=left | ||||||||||
| - align=left | Dick Bassi * | 25 | G | 11 | 9 | 214 | 5–11 | 2 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | 25 | B | 11 | 4 | 216 | 6–0 | 2 | - align=left | ||||||||||
| - align=left | Joe Carter | 30 | E | 6 | 4 | 201 | 6–1 | 7 | - align=left | Austin College and SMU | ||||||||
| - align=left | 24 | C-LB | 11 | 5 | 215 | 6–1 | 3 | - align=left | ||||||||||
| - align=left | John Cole | ? | FB | 7 | 1 | 197 | 5–9 | 2 | - align=left | St. Joseph's (PA) | ||||||||
| - align=left | Woody Dow | 24 | BB-FB | 11 | 0 | 195 | 6–0 | 2 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Frank Emmons | 22 | B | 11 | 5 | 213 | 6–1 | Rookie | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | 22 | T | 2 | 2 | 229 | 6–0 | 1 | - align=left | ||||||||||
| - align=left | Jerry Ginney | 24 | G | 1 | 0 | 217 | 5–11 | Rookie | - align=left | Santa Clara | ||||||||
| - align=left | 24 | FB | 8 | 1 | 205 | 6–2 | Rookie | - align=left | ||||||||||
| - align=left | 30 | C | 9 | 6 | 227 | 6–4 | 3 | - align=left | Austin | |||||||||
| - align=left | Bill Hughes | 25 | G-C | 7 | 6 | 226 | 6–1 | 3 | - align=left | Texas | ||||||||
| - align=left | 24 | HB-E | 10 | 5 | 201 | 6–4 | 1 | - align=left | ||||||||||
| - align=left | Don Looney * | 23 | E | 11 | 8 | 182 | 6–2 | Rookie | - align=left | TCU | ||||||||
| - align=left | Les McDonald | 26 | E | 9 | 0 | 200 | 6–4 | 3 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Fran Murray | 25 | B | 11 | 6 | 200 | 6–0 | 1 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | 24 | FB-HB | 3 | 2 | 204 | 6–0 | 1 | - align=left | ||||||||||
| - align=left | Davey O'Brien | 23 | QB-TB | 11 | 11 | 151 | 5–7 | 1 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Phil Ragazzo | 25 | T-G | 6 | 5 | 216 | 6–0 | 2 | - align=left | Case Western Reserve | ||||||||
| - align=left | Red Ramsey | 29 | E | 11 | 8 | 196 | 6–0 | 2 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Dick Riffle | 25 | B | 11 | 6 | 200 | 6–1 | 2 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Theodore Schmitt | 24 | G | 11 | 2 | 219 | 5–11 | 2 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Elbie Schultz | 23 | T-G | 11 | 3 | 252 | 6–4 | Rookie | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | George Somers | 25 | T | 10 | 7 | 253 | 6–2 | 1 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Russ Thompson | 28 | T | 11 | 5 | 249 | 6–5 | 4 | - align=left | Nebraska | ||||||||
| - align=left | Milt Trost | 27 | T-E | 7 | 2 | 206 | 6–1 | 5 | - align=left | |||||||||
| - align=left | Foster Watkins | 23 | QB-HB | 9 | 0 | 163 | 5–9 | Rookie | - align=left | West Texas A&M | ||||||||
| - align=left | Joe Wendlick | 25 | E | 9 | 2 | 213 | 6–0 | Rookie | - align=left | Oregon State | ||||||||
| - align=left | 26 | T | 10 | 3 | 214 | 6–1 | 2 | - align=left | ||||||||||
| 30 Players Team Average | 24.3 | 11 | 209.5 | 6–0.7 | 1.8 |
In the off season Davey O'Brien turned down a salary raise and retired from the NFL.
In December 1940, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney sold the Steelers to Alexis Thompson and used half of the proceeds to buy a half interest in the Philadelphia Eagles from his friend Bert Bell. Before the start of the 1941 season Rooney, Bell, and Thompson swapped city and NFL rights for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers players of 1940 and before thereby became Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia Eagles players of 1940 and before likewise became members of the Pittsburgh Steelers – with the exception of several players who were traded between the two teams.