| 1948 Chicago Cardinals season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Violet Bidwill Wolfner |
| Head coach | Jimmy Conzelman |
| Home stadium | Comiskey Park |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–1 |
| Division place | 1stWestern |
| Playoffs | LostNFL Championship (atEagles) 0–7 |
The1948Chicago Cardinals season was the 29th season in franchise history. The Cardinals won the Western division on the final weekend atWrigley Field over the cross-townBears,[1] and appeared in theNFL championship game for the second consecutive year. The defending champions lost 7–0 to theEagles in a snowstorm inPhiladelphia.[2][3][4][5] It was their final postseason appearance as a Chicago team; they relocated southwest toSt. Louis in1960.
The Cardinals scored 395 points (32.9 per game) in 1948, the most in the ten-team NFL, and the second most all-time in a 12-game season.[6] They also led the league in offensive yards, yards per play, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.[7] The team's plus-169 point-differential remains the best in franchise history.[8]
The 1948 NFL season produced more points-per-game per team than any other season, and according toCold Hard Football Facts:
"Jimmy Conzelman's Chicago Cardinals were the best of the bunch. They led the NFL in scoring that year (32.9 [points-per-game]) and they produced what was probably the greatest four-week stretch of offense in pro football history. From October 17 to November 7, the 1948 Cardinals beat theGiants 63–35; theBoston Yanks, 49–27; theL.A. Rams 27–22; and theLions, 56–20. That's a four-week average of 48.8 [points-per-game] for those of you keeping score at home.
"Yes, turnovers were common in 1948, so maybe that fact made life easier for offense. The Cardinals, for example, picked off 23 passes in 12 games. But they scored just two defensive touchdowns all year, while adding four on special teams. Mostly, they ripped off touchdowns, a remarkable 47 on offense. They kicked a mere eight field goals.
"Mostly, the offense was virtually unstoppable and it didn't settle often for the cheap, soccer-style field goals that pad offensive team totals today."[9]
The Cardinals had three players in the top six in rushing in 1948: halfbacksCharley Trippi (690 yards), andElmer Angsman (638), andfullback/linebacker/placekickerPat Harder (554).[10] Harder led the league in scoring in 1948, with 110 points (6 rushingtouchdowns, 7field goals, and 53extra points).[11] He was named the league'sMVP byUnited Press International.
This was the Cardinals' last playoff game until1974, although they did win thethird placePlayoff Bowl inMiami overVince Lombardi'sGreen Bay Packers in January1965. The Cardinals' next appearance in an NFL championship game was sixty years later inSuper Bowl XLIII in January2009.
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 24 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–14 | 1–0 | Comiskey Park | 25,875 | Recap | ||
| 2 | October 4 | Chicago Bears | L 17–28 | 1–1 | Comiskey Park | 52,765 | Recap | ||
| 3 | October 10 | atGreen Bay Packers | W 17–7 | 2–1 | State Fair Park | 34,369 | Recap | ||
| 4 | October 17 | atNew York Giants | W 63–35 | 3–1 | Polo Grounds | 35,584 | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 24 | Boston Yanks | W 49–27 | 4–1 | Comiskey Park | 23,423 | Recap | ||
| 6 | October 31 | atLos Angeles Rams | W 27–22 | 5–1 | L.A. Memorial Coliseum | 32,149 | Recap | ||
| 7 | November 7 | Detroit Lions | W 56–20 | 6–1 | Comiskey Park | 24,051 | Recap | ||
| 8 | November 14 | atPittsburgh Steelers | W 24–7 | 7–1 | Forbes Field | 33,364 | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 21 | Los Angeles Rams | W 27–24 | 8–1 | Comiskey Park | 29,031 | Recap | ||
| 10 | November 25 | atDetroit Lions | W 28–14 | 9–1 | Briggs Stadium | 22,957 | Recap | ||
| 11 | December 5 | Green Bay Packers | W 42–7 | 10–1 | Comiskey Park | 26,072 | Recap | ||
| 12 | December 12 | atChicago Bears | W 24–21 | 11–1 | Wrigley Field | 51,283 | Recap | ||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text. Thanksgiving Day: November 25 | |||||||||
| NFL Western Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Chicago Cardinals | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 7–1 | 395 | 226 | W10 | |
| Chicago Bears | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 7–1 | 375 | 151 | L1 | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 3–5 | 327 | 269 | W3 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 154 | 290 | L7 | |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 1–7 | 200 | 407 | L3 | |
The 1948 NFL championship game was the sixteenth NFL title game and a rematch of theprevious year's game between the Chicago Cardinals of the Western Division and the Eastern Division'sPhiladelphia Eagles. It was played atPhiladelphia'sShibe Park on December 19 and the host Eagles won 7–0 in the snow.[3][4][5][12]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 19 | atPhiladelphia Eagles | L 0–7 | 0–1 | Shibe Park | 36,309 (paid), 28,864 (actual) |
| 1948 Chicago Cardinals final roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks Running backs Receivers
| Linemen/Linebackers
| Defensive backs
rookies in italics | ||||||
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| Franchise | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture | |
| Lore | |
| Rivalries | |
| Division championships (7) | |
| Conference championships (1) | |
| League championships (2) | |
| Retired numbers | |
| Current league affiliations |
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