Moments in NFL History: Birth of NFL playoffs
Every winter, fans of the National Football League gather in front of their televisions, as the temperature begins to dip in most of the country, to watch playoff football. The hope? That their team is playing in one of those games and not on a golf course or beach somewhere.
The idea of a playoff is enticing. The best teams throughout the season taking part in a win-or-go-home format for the ultimate goal: hoisting the sterling silver Vince Lombardi Trophy over their heads. Today, 14 teams (seven from each conference) reach the NFL’s postseason.
The playoff format we know today has changed sizes and shapes throughout the years, which takes us back to the beginning of it all. On this date (July 8) in 1933, the NFL split, creating a championship playoff game between two division champions.
From the league’s formation in 1920 until 1932, the team with the best record was crowned the champion.
In 1932, however, the league and its fans got a taste of playoff football. The Portsmouth Spartans and the Chicago Bears both ended the regular season with a winning percentage of .857, and because both games between the teams in the regular season ended in ties, a final playoff game was created to decide the NFL champion.
Players and fans welcomed that game (won by the Bears, 9-0), leading to the events July 8, 1933.
Championed by Chicago Bears owner GEORGE HALAS and Boston Redskins owner GEORGE PRESTON MARSHALL, the league split into two divisions – Eastern and Western – with the winners from each division facing off in a championship game. This move, while not popular right away, split the 10-team league into five-team divisions geographically:
| EASTERN | WESTERN |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Dodgers | Chicago Bears |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Chicago Cardinals |
| New York Giants | Green Bay Packers |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Cincinnati Reds |
| Boston Redskins | Portsmouth Spartans |
The change became an overwhelming success.
From 1933 to 1966, when the league went through another overhaul with the AFL-NFL merger, this was the playoff format. If there happened to be a tie at the top of a division, those two teams would meet in a one-game playoff – thus creating the divisional playoff round. During these 33 seasons, the home field for the title game alternated, with the Eastern Division champion hosting in even years and the Western champion in odd years.
The 1933 Championship Game pitted the Western champion Chicago Bears against the Eastern champion New York Giants. In a thrilling, come-from-behind victory, the Bears emerged victorious 23-21, scoring with two minutes left. Several future Hall of Famers made an impact.
From the Giants:
- KEN STRONG (35 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown)
- RED BADGRO (38 receiving yards and a touchdown)
- MEL HEIN
- STEVE OWEN
- RAY FLAHERTY (28 receiving yards)
From the Bears:
- BRONKO NAGURSKI (2-for-2 passing for 42 yards and two touchdowns; 64 rushing yards)
- BILL HEWITT
- LINK LYMAN
- RED GRANGE (24 rushing yards)
- GEORGE MUSSO
- George Halas (head coach)
The 1933 season set the groundwork for the future of the game, and without the decision July 8, fans would not have witnessed some of the best games in the history of the National Football League.
This article, written by Jake Ray from the Hall of Fame’s Communications Team, is part of recurring series celebrating memorable moments in NFL history.
