1944 New York Giants season

NFL team 20th season November 2013 March 2026 the football team the baseball team of the same name in 1944 1944 New York Giants (MLB) season New York Giants 1944 8–1–1 1st NFL Eastern John V. Mara Steve Owen Polo Grounds Lost NFL Championship(vs. Packers) 7–14 Giants seasons The 1944 New York Giants season was the franchise's 20th season in the National Football League. In an April 2013 article, football analytics website Cold Hard Football Facts named the 1944 Giants the "Stingiest Defense in NFL history,"Cold Hard Football Facts, The 100 Stingiest Defenses In Football History https://web.archive.org/web/20151114015519/http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/the-100-stingiest-defenses-football-history/21990/ November 14, 2015 April 1, 2013 as the team only surrendered 75 points in ten games. "The manpower shortage on NFL fields created a variety of statistical anomalies on both sides of the field," said the article, "and the 1944 Giants are no exception. But even then, the 1944 Giants were a truly awesome unit: the average team scored 18.0 points per game in 1944, well above the 7.5 PPG average surrendered by the Giants. But even the best defenses can’t get it done alone: Giants quarterback Arnie Herber threw four interceptions in New York's 14–7 NFL title game loss to Herber's former team, the Packers. The 1944 Giants were a mere No. 5 in scoring offense in the 10-team NFL." Schedule Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources 1 October 8 at Boston Yanks W 22–10 1–0 Fenway Park 17,463 Recap 2 October 15 at Brooklyn Tigers W 14–7 2–0 Ebbets Field 24,854 Recap 3 October 22 Card-Pitt W 23–0 3–0 Polo Grounds 40,734 Recap 4 October 29 Philadelphia Eagles L 17–24 3–1 Polo Grounds 42,639 Recap 5 November 5 Boston Yanks W 31–0 4–1 Polo Grounds 28,364 Recap 6 November 12 at Philadelphia Eagles T 21–21 4–1–1 Shibe Park 33,248 Recap 7 November 19 Green Bay Packers W 24–0 5–1–1 Polo Grounds 56,481 Recap 8 November 26 Brooklyn Tigers W 7–0 6–1–1 Polo Grounds 29,387 Recap 9 December 3 Washington Redskins W 16–13 7–1–1 Polo Grounds 47,457 Recap 10 December 10 at Washington Redskins W 31–0 8–1–1 Griffith Stadium 35,540 Recap Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Standings thumb|right|260px|Program for the October 29 game against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. It would be New York's only loss of the year. Game summaries Game 1: at Boston Yanks New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: New York Giants at Boston Yanks October 8 Giants 0 10 12 0 Yanks 3 0 7 0 Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts 17,463 First quarter BOS Augie Lio 47-yard FG Second quarter NYG Howie Livingston 38-yard run (Ken Strong kick) NYG Strong 36-yard FG Third quarter NYG Safety, George Cafego tackled in end zone BOS John Morelli 40-yard fumble return (Lio kick) NYG Vic Carroll 28-yard blocked punt return (Strong kick) NYG Strong 16-yard FG Game 2: at Brooklyn Tigers New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: New York Giants at Brooklyn Tigers October 15 Giants 0 7 0 7 Tigers 0 7 0 0 Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York 24,854 Second quarter BRK Rocky Uguccioni 12-yard blocked punt return (Bruiser Kinard kick) NYG Frank Liebel 26-yard pass from Hank Soar (Strong kick) Fourth quarter NYG Neal Adams 35-yard pass from Soar (Strong kick) Game 3: vs Cardinals-Pittsburgh Combine New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Cardinals-Pittsburgh at New York Giants October 22 Card-Pitt 0 0 0 0 Giants 0 9 7 7 Polo Grounds, New York, New York 40,734 Second quarter NYG Bill Paschal 4-yard run (Strong kick) NYG Safety, John McCarthy punt blocked out of end zone Third quarter NYG Paschal 3-yard run (Strong kick) Fourth quarter NYG Paschal 45-yard run (Ward Cuff kick) Game 4: vs. Philadelphia Eagles New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants October 29 Eagles 3 7 7 7 Giants 7 10 0 0 Polo Grounds, New York, New York 42,639 First quarter PHI Roy Zimmerman 22-yard FG NYG Liebel 63-yard fumble return (Strong kick) Second quarter NYG Strong 26-yard FG NYG Paschal 68-yard run (Cuff kick) PHI Steve Van Buren 6-yard run (Zimmerman kick) Third quarter PHI Zimmerman 15-yard pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman kick) Fourth quarter PHI Zimmerman 1-yard run (Zimmerman kick) Game 5: vs. Boston Yanks New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Boston Yanks at New York Giants November 5 Yanks 0 0 0 0 Giants 10 0 14 7 Polo Grounds, New York, New York 28,364 First quarter NYG Len Calligaro 1-yard run (Strong kick) NYG Strong 38-yard FG Third quarter NYG Cuff 40-yard pass from Joe Sulaitis (Strong kick) NYG Paschal 18-yard run (Strong kick) Fourth quarter NYG Bill Petrilas 67-yard interception return (Strong kick) Game 6: at Philadelphia Eagles New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles November 12 Giants 7 0 0 14 Eagles 7 7 7 0 Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 33,248 First quarter NYG Paschal 1-yard run (Strong kick) PHI Steve Van Buren 97-yard kickoff return (Zimmerman kick) Second quarter PHI Mel Bleeker 9-yard pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman kick) Third quarter PHI Bleeker 48-yard pass from Zimmerman (Zimmerman kick) Fourth quarter NYG Livingston 12-yard pass from Arnie Herber (Strong kick) NYG Liebel 58-yard pass from Herber (Strong kick) Game 7: vs. Green Bay Packers New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Green Bay Packers at New York Giants November 19 Packers 0 0 0 0 Giants 7 7 3 7 Polo Grounds, New York, New York 56,481 First quarter NYG Livingston 34-yard interception return (Strong kick) Second quarter NYG Liebel 36-yard pass from Herber (Strong kick) Third quarter NYG Strong 8-yard FG Fourth quarter NYG Paschal 1-yard run (Strong kick) Steve Owen won his 100th regular season game as Giants head coach. Tom Coughlin would be the next to accomplish the feat 61 years later. Game 8: vs. Brooklyn Tigers New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Brooklyn Tigers at New York Giants November 26 Tigers 0 0 0 0 Giants 7 0 0 0 Polo Grounds, New York, New York 29,387 First quarter NYG Paschal 1-yard run (Strong kick) Game 9: vs. Washington Redskins New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Twelve: Washington Redskins at New York Giants December 3 Redskins 0 10 3 0 Giants 10 0 0 6 Polo Grounds, New York, New York 47,457 First quarter NYG Petrilas 24-yard interception return (Strong kick) NYG Strong 17-yard FG Second quarter WAS Wilbur Moore 9-yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Joe Aguirre kick) WAS Aguirre 43-yard FG Third quarter WAS Aguirre 7-yard FG Fourth quarter NYG Paschal 2-yard run (conversion failed) Game 10: at Washington Redskins New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: New York Giants at Washington Redskins December 10 Giants 14 0 7 10 Redskins 0 0 0 0 Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. 35,540 First quarter NYG Cuff 22-yard pass from Herber (Strong kick) NYG Liebel 11-yard pass from Herber (Strong kick) Third quarter NYG Liebel 44-yard pass from Herber (Strong kick) Fourth quarter NYG Cuff 32-yard FG NYG Chuck Avedisian 48-yard interception return (Strong kick) Post-season Round Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Recap Sources Championship December 17 Green Bay Packers L 7–14 Polo Grounds 46,015 Recap 1944 NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers at New York Giants New York Giants 1944 2;text-align:center; autocollapse 1944 NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers at New York Giants December 17 Packers 0 14 0 0 Giants 0 0 0 7 Polo Grounds, New York, New York 46,015 Second quarter GB Ted Fritsch 1-yard run (Hutson kick) GB Fritsch 28-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) Fourth quarter NYG Cuff 1-yard run (Strong kick) Top passers GB – Irv Comp – 3/10, 73 YDS, TD, 3 INT NYG – Arnie Herber – 8/22, 117 YDS, 4 INT Top rushers GB – Joe Laws – 13 CAR, 74 YDS NYG – Ward Cuff – 12 CAR, 55 YDS, TD Top receivers GB – Don Hutson – 2 REC, 47 YDS NYG – Frank Liebel – 3 REC, 71 YDS Roster 1944 New York Giants final roster Backs 42 Hub Barker RB/S 44 Keith Beebe RB/S/P   2 Len Calligaro RB/S 21 Roy Clay RB/CB 14 Ward Cuff RB/CB/K 20 Arnie Herber RB/CB 25 Carl Kinscherf FB/LB 24 Howie Livingston FB/LB   8 Bill Paschal FB/LB   5 Bill Petrilas RB/CB 37 Joe Sulaitis RB/CB Linemen/Linebackers 55 Chuck Avedisian G/DG 32 Al Blozis T/DT 70 Roland Caranci T/DT 26 Vic Carroll T/DT 36 Frank Cope T/DT   7 Mel Hein C/LB 39 Herb Kane T/DT 29 Bill Piccolo C/LB 33 Jim Sivell G/DG 69 Frank Umont G/DG 31 Larry Visnic G/DG 60 Len Younce G/DGEnds/Receivers 30 O'Neal Adams 85 Verlin Adams 22 Frank Liebel 11 Johnny Weiss Special teams 50 Ken Strong K Reserve Win Pedersen T/DT (Military) rookies in italics See also List of New York Giants seasons References 1944 New York Giants season at Pro Football Reference Category:New York Giants seasons New York Giants New York Category:1940s in Manhattan Category:Washington Heights, Manhattan