American Football Wiki
1940 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration September 8 - December 1, 1940
East Champions Washington Redskins
West Champions Chicago Bears
Championship Game
NFL Champions: Chicago Bears
National Football League seasons
 < 1939 1941 > 

The 1940 NFL season was the 21st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game, 73–0. This game still stands as the most one-sided victory in NFL history, and the 73 points by the Bears are the most ever scored by a team in NFL history. The Pittsburgh Pirates were renamed the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 1940 season.

Major rule changes[]

  • The penalty for a forward pass not from scrimmage is 5 yards.
  • Penalties for fouls that occur prior to a pass or kick from behind the line of scrimmage are enforced from the previous spot. However, penalties for fouls during a free ball or when the offensive team fouls behind their line are enforced from the spot of the foul.
  • Fouls enforced in the field of play cannot penalize the ball more than half the distance to the offender's goal line.
  • If the offensive team commits pass interference in their opponent's end zone, the defense has the choice of 15 yards from the previous spot and a loss of down, or a touchback.

Final standings[]

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against

Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972

Eastern Division
Team W L T PCT PF PA
Washington Redskins 9 2 0 .818 245 142
Brooklyn Dodgers 8 3 0 .727 186 120
New York Giants 6 4 1 .600 131 133
Pittsburgh Steelers 2 7 2 .222 60 178
Philadelphia Eagles 1 10 0 .091 111 211
Western Division
Team W L T PCT PF PA
Chicago Bears 8 3 0 .727 238 152
Green Bay Packers 6 4 1 .600 238 155
Detroit Lions 5 5 1 .500 138 153
Cleveland Rams 4 6 1 .400 171 191
Chicago Cardinals 2 7 2 .222 139 222


NFL Championship Game[]

For more details on this topic, see 1940 NFL Championship Game.

Chi. Bears 73, Washington 0, at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C., December 8

Awards[]

Joe F. Carr Trophy (Most Valuable Player)   Ace Parker, Halfback, Brooklyn

References[]

Template:1940 NFL season by team

NFL seasons

Early Era (1920-1969)

1920192119221923192419251926192719281929

1930193119321933193419351936193719381939
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969

Modern Era (1970-present)
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979

1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
2020202120222023202420252026