1930 NFL Season - Championship Race

Championship Race

Defending champion Green Bay won its first 8 games, including a 14–7 home win over the New York Giants on October 4. By Week Nine, Green Bay was at 8–0–0 and New York right behind at 10–1–0. On November 16, the Packers lost to the Cardinals 13–6, but in New York, the Giants fell to the Bears, 12–0. On November 23, a crowd of 37,000 turned out as the Packers and the Giants met at the Polo Grounds in New York. The Giants' 13–6 win in Week Eleven gave it the lead, 11–2–0 (.846) to the Packers' 8–2–0 (.800). Missed extra points had a big effect, as four days later, the Giants were beaten on Thanksgiving Day by Staten Island, 7–6, while Green Bay defeated Frankford 25–7 to retake the lead, 9–2–0 (.818) vs. New York's 11–3–0 (.785). The Giants faltered again on Sunday, November 30, when Brooklyn beat them 7–6, again on a missed point after.

In Week Thirteen, the Giants beat the Yellow Jackets, 14–6, while the Packers lost to the Bears, 21–0, cutting Green Bay's hold on first place to 4/10ths of a percentage point, .769 to .765; the Giants finished their season at 13–4–0, while 10–3–0 Green Bay had a final game at Portsmouth. A loss would have given the Packers a 10–4–0 finish and a .714 percentage, and given the Giants .765 a championship. A tie (10–3–1 and .769) or a win (11–3–0 and .785) would assure Green Bay the 1930 title.

Once again, the point after decided the race. On December 14, the Packers scored on Red Dunn's touchdown pass to Wuert Engelmann, but the point after by Verne Lewellen failed, and their lead was 6–0. Chuck Bennett ran for a touchdown for the Spartans, but the extra point attempt by Tiny Lewis was blocked, and when the game ended, the 6–6 tie gave the Packers the 1930 title.