1947 Chicago Cardinals season

Last updated

1947 Chicago Cardinals season
Head coach Jimmy Conzelman
Home field Comiskey Park
Results
Record9–3
Division place1st NFL Western
Playoff finishWon NFL Championship
(vs. Eagles) 28–21

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]

Contents

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

1947 Chicago Cardinals draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
17 Tex Coulter  *  T Army A member of the New York Giants
318 Ermal Allen   QB Kentucky Played with the Cleveland Browns (AAFC)
641 Ben Raimondi   TB Indiana Played with the New York Yankees (AAFC)
750 Howard Turner   B NC State
860George Maddock  T Northwestern
970 Art Dufelmeier   B Illinois Returned to Illinois
1082 Ray Ramsey   B Bradley
1190Dave Wallace  B Oklahoma
12101 Charley Sarratt   QB Oklahoma
13112 Harden Cooper   T Tulsa
14120Carl Russ  B B Rice
15131Buddy Mulligan  B Duke
16142 Charles Smith   HB Georgia
17150 Bob Ravensberg   E Indiana Played with the Cardinals in 1948–49
18162Barney Barnett  E Northeastern State
19171Scotty Deeds  B BYU
20180 Clarence Esser   E Wisconsin
21192Shelton Ballard  C LSU
22201 Wade Walker   T Oklahoma Returned to Oklahoma
23210Tom Carroll  T Minnesota
24222Tom Dorsey  B Brown
25231 Otto Schnellbacher  *  DB Kansas
26240Larry Joe  B Penn State
27252Dick Abrams  B Washington State
28260Joe Smith  E Texas Tech
29270Tony Rutunno  B St. Ambrose
30282Clyde Lindsley  E LSU
31289 Bob Callahan   C Michigan
32296Johnny Karamigios  B Denver
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[3]

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1 Bye
2September 28 Detroit Lions W 45–211–0 Comiskey Park Recap
3October 5 Chicago Bears W 31–72–0Comiskey Park Recap
4October 12at Green Bay Packers W 14–103–0 City Stadium Recap
5October 19at Los Angeles Rams L 7–273–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
6October 26 Boston Yanks W 27–74–1Comiskey Park Recap
7November 2 Los Angeles Rams W 17–105–1Comiskey Park Recap
8November 9at Detroit Lions W 17–76–1 Briggs Stadium Recap
9November 16 Green Bay Packers W 21–207–1Comiskey Park Recap
10November 23at Washington Redskins L 21–457–2 Griffith Stadium Recap
11November 30at New York Giants L 31–357–3 Polo Grounds Recap
12December 7at Philadelphia Eagles W 45–218–3 Shibe Park Recap
13December 14at Chicago Bears W 30–219–3 Wrigley Field Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs

RoundDateOpponentResultVenueGame
recap
Championship December 28 Philadelphia Eagles W 28–21 Comiskey Park Recap

Standings

NFL Western Division
WLTPCTDIVPFPASTK
Chicago Cardinals 930.7507–1306231W2
Chicago Bears 840.6674–4363241L2
Green Bay Packers 651.5455–3274210L1
Los Angeles Rams 660.5004–4259214W2
Detroit Lions 390.2500–8231305L3

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Final roster

1947 Chicago Cardinals roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

  • None - Vacant

Practice squad

  • None - Vacant

rookies in italics

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

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References

  1. ↑ "The Cards' Dream Season In '47". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 1, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  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. ↑ "1947 Chicago Cardinals Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Philadelphia Eagles Playoff History and Results". Archived from the original on January 15, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
  5. ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN   0-7611-2480-2, p. 447
  6. ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, ISBN   0-7611-2480-2, p. 449
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