1935 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1935 NFL season was the 16th regular season
of the National Football League
. The season ended when the Detroit Lions
defeated the New York Giants
in the NFL Championship Game.
Were it not for a cancellation due to heavy snow
, this would have been the first season where all NFL teams played the same number of games. This standardisation was formalised the following year and has continued ever since, with the number of games being slow increased to sixteen.
in Brooklyn, as the 5–4 Dodgers
hosted the 6–3 Giants. A Brooklyn win would have tied the teams at 6–4, but New York won, 21–0, eventually finishing at 9–3. The same Thanksgiving Day saw the Lions and the Cardinals
both win, giving them records of 6–3–2 and 6–3–1 respectively, and ties didn't count. Three days later on December 1, the Lions beat Brooklyn 28–0; the Cardinals were losing to the Bears before tying them 7–7, but Detroit finished its season at 7–3–2 while the Cards were at 6–3–2. The Chicago Cardinals needed a win in order to have a chance for a playoff, and faced the Bears again on December 8. This time, the Bears won 13–0, and the Lions were the division champs.
Note 1: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
Note 2: The November 17 Boston at Philadelphia game was canceled due to rain and snow.
, Detroit, Michigan
, December 15, 1935
Regular season (NFL)
The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
of the National Football League
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...
. The season ended when the Detroit Lions
1935 Detroit Lions season
The 1935 Detroit Lions season resulted in the Lions winning their first NFL Championship. In their second season in Detroit, the Lions placed first in the NFL's Western Division and went on to defeat the New York Giants in the 1935 NFL Championship Game. The team was coached by Potsy Clark...
defeated the New York Giants
1935 New York Giants season
The 1935 New York Giants season was the 11th season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-See also:*List of New York Giants seasons...
in the NFL Championship Game.
Were it not for a cancellation due to heavy snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
, this would have been the first season where all NFL teams played the same number of games. This standardisation was formalised the following year and has continued ever since, with the number of games being slow increased to sixteen.
Major rule changes
- The inbounds lines or hashmarks were moved closer to the center of the field, 15 yards from the sidelines.
Division races
In the Eastern Division, the key game took place on Thanksgiving Day at Ebbets FieldEbbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
in Brooklyn, as the 5–4 Dodgers
1935 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season
The 1935 Brooklyn Dodgers season was their sixth in the National Football League. The team improved on their previous season's output of 4-7, winning five games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
hosted the 6–3 Giants. A Brooklyn win would have tied the teams at 6–4, but New York won, 21–0, eventually finishing at 9–3. The same Thanksgiving Day saw the Lions and the Cardinals
1935 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1935 Chicago Cardinals season was their 16th in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 5-6, winning six games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
both win, giving them records of 6–3–2 and 6–3–1 respectively, and ties didn't count. Three days later on December 1, the Lions beat Brooklyn 28–0; the Cardinals were losing to the Bears before tying them 7–7, but Detroit finished its season at 7–3–2 while the Cards were at 6–3–2. The Chicago Cardinals needed a win in order to have a chance for a playoff, and faced the Bears again on December 8. This time, the Bears won 13–0, and the Lions were the division champs.
Final standings
P= Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points AgainstNote 1: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
Note 2: The November 17 Boston at Philadelphia game was canceled due to rain and snow.
NFL Championship Game
Detroit 26, N.Y. Giants 7, at University of Detroit StadiumUniversity of Detroit Stadium
University of Detroit Stadium, also known as U of D Stadium, Titan Stadium, or Dinan Field, was a stadium in Detroit, Michigan on the campus of the University of Detroit...
, Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, December 15, 1935
League leaders
| Statistic | Name | Team | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | Ed Danowski | New York | 794 |
| Rushing | Doug Russell | Chicago Cardinals | 499 |
| Receiving | Tod Goodwyn | New York | 432 |