| Type: | nflc |
| 1944 | |
| Visitor: | Green Bay Packers |
| Home: | New York Giants |
| Visitor Coach: | Curly Lambeau |
| Home Coach: | Steve Owen |
| Visitor Conf: | Western |
| Home Conf: | Eastern |
| Visitor Record: | 8–2 |
| Home Record: | 8–1–1 |
| Visitor Abbr: | GB |
| Home Abbr: | NYG |
| Visitor Qtr1: | 0 |
| Visitor Qtr2: | 14 |
| Visitor Qtr3: | 0 |
| Visitor Qtr4: | 0 |
| Visitor Total: | 14 |
| Home Qtr1: | 0 |
| Home Qtr2: | 0 |
| Home Qtr3: | 0 |
| Home Qtr4: | 7 |
| Home Total: | 7 |
| Date: | December 17, 1944 |
| Stadium: | Polo Grounds |
| City: | New York City |
| Attendance: | 46,016 |
| Odds: | Green Bay by 7 points |
| Referee: | Ronald Gibbs |
| Radio: | Blue |
| Radioannouncers: | Harry Wismer |
| Hofers: | Packers: Curly Lambeau (coach/gm), Tony Canadeo, Don Hutson Giants: Tim Mara (owner/founder), Wellington Mara (administrator), Steve Owen (coach), Mel Hein, Arnie Herber, Ken Strong |
The 1944 NFL Championship Game was the 12th National Football League (NFL) title game, played on December 17 at the Polo Grounds in New York City,[1] with an attendance of 46,016.[2] [3] [4] The game featured the Green Bay Packers (8–2), champions of the Western Division versus the Eastern Division champion New York Giants (8–1–1).[5]
The Packers were led by longtime head coach Curly Lambeau and its stars were running back Ted Fritsch, end Don Hutson, and quarterback Irv Comp. The Giants were led by head coach Steve Owen, running back Bill Paschal, former Packers quarterback Arnie Herber, and a dominant defense.
The Packers were slight favorites, despite the Giants' 24–0 shutout win four weeks earlier.[6] [7] Prior to the game, the Packers had spent over a week preparing in Charlottesville, Virginia;[7] they had completed their regular season on November 26, while the Giants finished on December 10. If the title game ended in a tie, the teams would share the championship.[6] Green Bay scored two touchdowns in the second quarter then yielded one early in the fourth to win 14–7 for their sixth and final league title under Lambeau,[8] [9] [10] their first since 1939.[11] [12]
The Packers did not return to the championship game for sixteen years, and won the following year in 1961, the first of five titles in seven seasons in the 1960s under head coach Vince Lombardi.
Sunday, December 17, 1944
Kickoff: 2 p.m. EWT (EDT)[6]
The NFL had only four game officials in ; the back judge was added in, the line judge in, and the side judge in .
The players' shares were the highest to date: each Packer player received about $1,500 while each Giant saw about $900.[11]