The 1936 NFL Championship Game was the fourth championship game played in the National Football League (NFL). It took place on December 13 at Polo Grounds in New York City, making it the first NFL title game held on a neutral field.

The Eastern Division champion Boston Redskins (7–5) were the home team, but their owner George Preston Marshall, the Packers and the league mutually agreed to move the game from Fenway Park to the Polo Grounds due to low ticket sales in Boston.

Several days after the game, Marshall announced he would move the team to his hometown of Washington, D.C. for the following season.

This was the first championship game for both the Redskins and the Western Division champion Green Bay Packers (10–1–1), who were favored. The Packers won 21–6 for their fourth NFL title, all under longtime head coach Curly Lambeau, having previously won league championships awarded by league standing in 1929, 1930, and 1931.

61 years later, the Packers would then defeat the Boston team that replaced the Redskins, the New England Patriots, in Super Bowl XXXI.

Background

The Green Bay Packers went 10–1–1 during the regular season to secure the Western Division title, while the Boston Redskins went 7–5 to win the Eastern Division.

Game summary Box score

Starters Players played both ways, offensively and defensively, in 1936. Thus, there were only these eleven starters for each squad.Roger Treat, The Official National Football League Football Encyclopedia. New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1952; p. 235.

Green Bay Packers LE - Milt Gantenbein LT - Ernie Smith LG/K - Paul "Tiny" Engebretsen C - George Svendsen RG - Lon Evans RT - Louis Gordon RE - Don Hutson ‡

QB † - Hank Bruder LHB - George Sauer RHB - Arnie Herber ‡ FB - Clarke Hinkle ‡

Boston Redskins LE - Wayne Millner ‡ LT - Turk Edwards ‡ LG - Les Olsson C - Frank Bausch RG - Jim Karcher RT - James Barber RE - Charley Malone

QB - Riley Smith LHB - Ed "Chug" Justice RHB - Cliff Battles ‡ FB - Don Irwin

† - Note: The quarterback in the single-wing offense was sometimes called the "blocking back", the ball was generally shotgun snapped to a halfback or the fullback. ‡ - Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Officials

The NFL had only four game officials in ; the back judge was added in , the line judge in , and the side judge in . The following were the four officials who called the 1936 championship game.

Referee: Jordie Jordan Umpire: Bobby Cahn Head linesman: Maurice J. Meyer Field judge: William Halloran

References