Gradually, scoreless ties have become less common in the NFL, and there has not been a scoreless tie in the NFL for 80 years and counting.
On November 7, 1943, the New York Giants and Detroit Lions played the last scoreless tie game.
The 1943 season marked the 24th year of the NFL, and it had only eight teams. There was pressure from the Second World War, and each team played a regular season schedule of 10 games.
On April 8, 1943, the 1943 NFL draft was held, but the impact of World War II on team rosters was massive. Military service removed hundreds of players from the league’s ten teams, effectively removing them from the possibility of participating in gameplay.
The season started on Sunday, September 19, and ended on Sunday, December 12, 1943.
It ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game played the day after Christmas. Moreover, it was the first time in NFL history that a playoff game was played so late in the year.
The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season due to the lack of players who left to serve in the war.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers merged their players to form a combined team named Phil-Pitt. However, fans called them Steagles, and they played four home games in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh.
In 1943, the U.S. was all-in on World War II. Over 600 NFL players left to serve their country, leaving teams across the league scrambling to find enough men just to fill out a roster. Some franchises barely had five or six players under contract… the war had gutted the league.
Daily Athlete
Detroit Lions And New York Giants Played A Scoreless Game In 1943
On November 7, 1943, the Detroit Lions and New York Giants made history by failing to score a single point in a game.
The two teams fought to a 0-0 tie at Briggs Stadium in a match dominated by miserable weather. It marked the 73rd scoreless tie in NFL history.
@game_changers_podcast 11/7 in Sports History: Giants, Lions Scoreless Tie #nygiantsfootball #detroitlionsfootball #nflhistory ♬ original sound – Game Changers Podcast
Cold, steady rain turned the field into a muddy mess, making offensive production nearly impossible. Slippery conditions made both passing and kicking games difficult, resulting in a defensive struggle that yielded just nine combined first downs.
Detroit Lions’ Frank Sinkwich, the 1942 Heisman Trophy winner, managed just 28 passing yards, while New York’s Tuffy Leemans completed only one pass for three yards.
The Lions had slightly more success on the ground, rushing for over 100 yards, but neither team could sustain a scoring drive.
The Giants’ lone scoring chance came when Hall of Famer Mel Hein returned an interception to the Lions’ 20-yard line. However, Ward Cuff missed a 15-yard field goal attempt.
Furthermore, Lions’ Augie Lio also struggled, botching three field goal tries, including two in the fourth quarter.
By 1943, scoreless ties were already rare, and most had occurred in the NFL’s early years. This game remains the last 0-0 tie in league history.
The Lions had come off a 0-11 season in 1942 and showed signs of improvement under Dorais’s first season as head coach in 1943.
Meanwhile, Steve Owen led the Giants and held a record of 2-2 as they looked to improve off a 5-5-1 season in 1942.
The Unlikely WWII-Era Merger Of The Steelers And Eagles
During World War II, the NFL faced a significant crisis as many players were drafted into military service, leaving teams struggling to field full rosters.
In 1943, two of Pennsylvania’s football franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, were particularly hard hit by player shortages.
Rather than suspend operations, the league made an unprecedented decision to temporarily merge two bitter rivals into a single team, officially dubbed the “Phil-Pitt Combine.”
Though the NFL’s records refer to the team by its formal name, fans and sportswriters quickly named the playful portmanteau “Steagles,” a nickname that has endured far longer than the team itself.
The merger was not a choice, but a necessity, as neither franchise could have competed alone due to a lack of available players.
Rather than shut down operations, the NFL made a wild choice: they allowed teams to merge. The most famous result? The “Steagles” — a one-season Frankenstein combo of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Steagles were an unusual experiment, and the team struggled with internal divisions, coached by the Eagles’ Earle “Greasy” Neale and the Steelers’ Walt Kiesling.
The coaches clashed over strategy, and players from both original teams initially kept to themselves. Practices were split between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, which added logistical headaches.
Despite the challenges, the Steagles managed a respectable 5-4-1 record in 1943, finishing third in the Eastern Division. Halfback Jack Hinkle and receiver Tony Bova gave standout performances, which helped to keep the team competitive.
The merger lasted only one season. Later, the Pittsburgh Steelers merged with the Chicago Cardinals in 1944 and formed “Card-Pitt.”
Meanwhile, the Eagles resumed solo operations.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- The 1943 NFL draft was held at Chicago’s Palmer House Hotel, and the Detroit Lions selected running back Frank Sinkwich from the University of Georgia with their first pick.
- Ten teams participated in the 1943 NFL draft, selecting a total of 300 players.
- The head protectors were made mandatory for all players under the revised rules book of 1943.
