1934 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1934 NFL season was the 15th regular season of the National Football League
. Before the season, the Portsmouth Spartans
moved to Detroit, Michigan
and were renamed the Detroit Lions
.
The Cincinnati Reds
lost their first eight games, then were suspended for not paying league dues. The St. Louis Gunners
, an independent team, played the last 3 games of the season for the Reds.
The season ended with the NFL Championship Game when the New York Giants
defeated the Chicago Bears
in what has come to be known as the "Sneakers Game".
, New York City
, December 9, 1934
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Before the season, the Portsmouth Spartans
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
moved to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and were renamed the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
The Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds (NFL)
The Cincinnati Reds were a National Football League team that played the 1933 season and the first eight games of the 1934 season. The football Reds played most of their home games at Crosley Field...
lost their first eight games, then were suspended for not paying league dues. The St. Louis Gunners
St. Louis Gunners
The St. Louis Gunners, were an independent professional football team based in St. Louis, Missouri, who played the last three games of the 1934 National Football League season, replacing the Cincinnati Reds on the league schedule after the Reds' league membership was suspended...
, an independent team, played the last 3 games of the season for the Reds.
The season ended with the NFL Championship Game when the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
defeated the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in what has come to be known as the "Sneakers Game".
Major rule changes
- A hand-to-hand forward pass made behind the line of scrimmageLine of scrimmageIn American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
that becomes incomplete (hits the ground before it is caught) is to be ruled as a fumble.
Final standings
P = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points AgainstNFL Championship Game
N.Y. Giants 30, Chi. Bears 13 at Polo GroundsPolo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, December 9, 1934
League leaders
| Statistic | Name | Team | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | Arnie Herber | Green Bay | 799 |
| Rushing | Beattie Feathers | Chicago Bears | 1004 |
| Receiving | Joe Carter, Red Badgro | Philadelphia, New York | 238 |