1947 Chicago Cardinals season explained

Team:Chicago Cardinals
Year:1947
Record:9–3
Division Place:1st NFL Western
Coach:Jimmy Conzelman
Stadium:Comiskey Park
Playoffs:Won NFL Championship
(vs. Eagles) 28–21
Shortnavlink:Cardinals seasons

The 1947 Chicago Cardinals season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League. The Cardinals won the second NFL championship in team history against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team was led by its "Million Dollar Backfield" of Elmer Angsman, Charley Trippi, Paul Christman, and Pat Harder.[1] It was quite a turnaround for a franchise who was riding a 19-game losing streak just two years earlier.[2]

The Cards would win the Western Division again in 1948 but lose the Championship Game to the Eagles; it would be another 26 years until the now St. Louis Cardinals would win another division title. Also, it would be over half a century (and two franchise shifts) until the Cardinals would win another playoff game, in 1998; an NFL-record 51 years. As of the end of 2023, this remains the team's last NFL title, the longest active "championship drought" in American professional sports.

The last remaining active member of the 1947 Chicago Cardinals was Charley Trippi, who retired after the 1955 season.

Before the season

Draft

See main article: article and 1947 NFL Draft. [3]

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1Bye
2September 28Detroit LionsW 45–211–0Comiskey ParkRecap
3October 5Chicago BearsW 31–72–0Comiskey ParkRecap
4October 12at Green Bay PackersW 14–103–0City StadiumRecap
5October 19at Los Angeles RamsL 7–273–1Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumRecap
6October 26Boston YanksW 27–74–1Comiskey ParkRecap
7November 2Los Angeles RamsW 17–105–1Comiskey ParkRecap
8November 9at Detroit LionsW 17–76–1Briggs StadiumRecap
9November 16Green Bay PackersW 21–207–1Comiskey ParkRecap
10November 23at Washington RedskinsL 21–457–2Griffith StadiumRecap
11November 30at New York GiantsL 31–357–3Polo GroundsRecap
12December 7at Philadelphia EaglesW 45–218–3Shibe ParkRecap
13December 14at Chicago BearsW 30–219–3Wrigley FieldRecap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs

Standings

Final roster

Postseason

NFL Championship Game

The 1947 NFL Championship Game was the 15th annual championship game and was held December 28, 1947, at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The game featured the Western Division champion Chicago Cardinals (9–3) and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles (8–4). The Cardinals won the game by a score of 28–21.[4]

Awards and records

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Cards' Dream Season In '47. Pro Football Hall of Fame. September 3, 2016. January 1, 2005.
  2. If the woeful Card-Pitt (0-10 in 1944) season is included, the club actually lost an NFL-record 29 games in a row; however, the NFL considers the Cardinals and Card-Pitt to be separate franchises.
  3. Web site: 1947 Chicago Cardinals Draftees. Pro Football Reference. October 4, 2020.
  4. Web site: Philadelphia Eagles Playoff History and Results . March 28, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080115172845/http://football.about.com/cs/teamseagles/a/playoffhistphil.htm . January 15, 2008 . dead .
  5. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,, p. 447
  6. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,, p. 449