1939 New York Giants season

This article is about the football team. For the baseball team of the same name in 1939, see 1939 New York Giants (MLB) season.

1939 New York Giants season
Owner	Tim Mara
Head coach	Steve Owen
Home field	Polo Grounds
Local radio	WEAF
Results
Record	9–1–1
Division place	1st NFL Eastern
Playoff finish	Lost NFL Championship (at Packers) 0–27

The 1939 New York Giants season was the franchise's 15th season in the National Football League.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	Bye
2	Bye
3	September 24	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 13–3	1–0	Philadelphia Municipal Stadium	Recap
4	October 1	at Washington Redskins	T 0–0	1–0–1	Griffith Stadium	Recap
5	October 8	at Pittsburgh Pirates	W 14–7	2–0–1	Forbes Field	Recap
6	October 15	Philadelphia Eagles	W 27–10	3–0–1	Polo Grounds	Recap
7	October 22	Chicago Bears	W 16–13	4–0–1	Polo Grounds	Recap
8	October 29	at Brooklyn Dodgers	W 7–6	5–0–1	Ebbets Field	Recap
9	November 5	at Detroit Lions	L 14–18	5–1–1	Briggs Stadium	Recap
10	November 12	Chicago Cardinals	W 17–7	6–1–1	Polo Grounds	Recap
11	November 19	Pittsburgh Pirates	W 23–7	7–1–1	Polo Grounds	Recap
12	November 26	Brooklyn Dodgers	W 28–7	8–1–1	Polo Grounds	Recap
13	December 3	Washington Redskins	W 9–7	9–1–1	Polo Grounds	Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 3: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Three: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	6	0	7	13
Eagles	3	0	0	0	3

at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 24
• Game attendance: 30,864

Game information
First quarter PHI Henry Reese 15-yard FG Second quarter NYG Ken Strong 18-yard FG NYG Ward Cuff 35-yard FG Fourth quarter NYG Tuffy Leemans 16-yard run (Cuff kick)

Week 4: at Washington Redskins

Week Four: New York Giants at Washington Redskins

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	0	0	0
Redskins	0	0	0	0	0

at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.

• Date: October 1
• Game attendance: 26,342

Week 5: at Pittsburgh Pirates

Week Five: New York Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	14	0	14
Pirates	0	7	0	0	7

at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 8
• Game attendance: 9,663

Game information
Second quarter PIT Swede Johnston 1-yard run (Armand Niccolai kick) Third quarter NYG Cuff 20-yard pass from Ed Danowski (Cuff kick) NYG Cuff 5-yard pass from Danowski (Cuff kick)

Week 6: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week Six: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	7	0	0	10
Giants	0	7	10	10	27

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Date: October 15
• Game attendance: 34,471

Game information
First quarter PHI Henry Reese 43-yard FG Second quarter PHI Theodore Smith 63-yard fumble return (Fran Murray kick) NYG Jiggs Kline 4-yard pass from Eddie Miller (Strong kick) Third quarter NYG Hank Soar 40-yard interception return (Soar kick) NYG Cuff 38-yard FG Fourth quarter NYG Len Barnum 1-yard run (Strong kick) NYG Strong 19-yard FG

Week 7: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Seven: Chicago Bears at New York Giants

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	0	13	13
Giants	3	7	0	6	16

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Date: October 22
• Game attendance: 58,963

Game information
First quarter NYG Cuff 43-yard FG Second quarter NYG Barnum 13-yard run Fourth quarter NYG Cuff 40-yard FG NYG Cuff 24-yard FG CHB Dick Plasman 68-yard pass from Sid Luckman (conversion failed) CHB Maniaci 3-yard rush (Jack Manders kick) Rushing CHB – Joe Maniaci – 15 CAR, 102 YDS, TD

Week 8: at Brooklyn Dodgers

Week Eight: New York Giants at Brooklyn Dodgers

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	7	0	0	7
Dodgers	3	0	3	0	6

at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, New York

• Date: October 29
• Game attendance: 34,032

Game information
First quarter BRK Ralph Kercheval 20-yard FG Second quarter NYG Leemans 2-yard run (Strong kick) Third quarter BRK Kercheval 47-yard FG

Week 9: at Detroit Lions

Week Nine: New York Giants at Detroit Lions

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	14	0	14
Lions	3	3	3	9	18

at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 5
• Game attendance: 47,492

Game information
First quarter DET Chuck Hanneman 34-yard FG Second quarter DET Phil Martinovich 37-yard FG Third quarter NYG Leemans 47-yard pass from Barnum (Cuff kick) DET Martinovich 19-yard FG NYG Al Owen 5-yard pass from Danowski (Strong kick) Fourth quarter DET Kent Ryan 6-yard pass from Dwight Sloan (conversion failed) DET Martinovich 33-yard FG

Week 10: vs. Chicago Cardinals

Week Ten: Chicago Cardinals at New York Giants

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	7	0	0	7
Giants	10	7	0	0	17

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Date: November 12
• Game attendance: 28,217

Game information
First quarter NYG Soar 3-yard run (Soar kick) NYG Barnum 47-yard FG Second quarter NYG Leemans 8-yard pass from Barnum (Barnum kick) CHC Marshall Goldberg 3-yard run (George Faust kick)

Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Week Eight: New York Giants at Brooklyn Dodgers

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Pirates	0	0	0	7	7
Giants	7	6	3	7	23

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Date: November 19
• Game attendance: 19,372

Game information
First quarter NYG Soar 2-yard run (Strong kick) Second quarter NYG Barnum 37-yard FG NYG Barnum 28-yard FG Third quarter NYG Strong 24-yard FG Fourth quarter PIT Boyd Brumbaugh 19-yard run (Niccolai kick) NYG Miller 21-yard run (Barnum kick)

Week 12: vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

Week Eight: Brooklyn Dodgers at New York Giants

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Dodgers	0	0	0	7	7
Giants	0	7	7	14	28

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Date: November 26
• Game attendance: 30,144

Game information
Second quarter NYG Jim Lee Howell 9-yard pass from Barnum (Strong kick) Third quarter NYG Kink Richards 10-yard run (Cuff kick) Fourth quarter BRK Manders 2-yard run (Bruiser Kinard kick) NYG Leemans 3-yard run (Barnum kick) NYG Howell pass from Miller (Strong kick) Rushing BRK – Clarence "Pug" Manders – 21 CAR, 101 YDS, TD

Week 13: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Eight: Brooklyn Dodgers at New York Giants

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Redskins	0	0	0	7	7
Giants	3	3	3	0	9

at Polo Grounds, New York, New York

• Date: December 3
• Game attendance: 62,404

Game information
First quarter NYG Cuff 40-yard FG Second quarter NYG Strong 19-yard FG Third quarter NYG Cuff 15-yard FG Fourth quarter WAS Bob Masterson 20-yard pass from Frank Filchock (Masterson kick)

Playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Recap
Championship	December 10	at Green Bay Packers	L 0–27	Wisconsin State Fair Park	Recap

NFL Championship Game

Main article: 1939 NFL Championship Game

1939 NFL Championship Game: New York Giants at Green Bay Packers

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	0	0	0	0
Packers	7	0	10	10	27

at Wisconsin State Fair Park, West Allis, Wisconsin

• Date: December 10
• Game attendance: 32,279

Game information

First quarter GB Milt Gantenbein 7-yard pass from Herber (Tiny Engebretsen kick) Third quarter GB Engebretsen 29-yard FG GB Laws 31-yard pass from Cecil Isbell (Engebretsen kick) Fourth quarter GB Ernie Smith 42-yard FG GB Ed Jankowski 1-yard run (Smith kick) Passing NYG – Ed Danowski – 4/12, 47 YDS, 3 INT GB – Arnie Herber – 5/8, 62 YDS, TD, 3 INT Rushing NYG – Tuffy Leemans – 12 CAR, 22 YDS GB – Andy Uram – 10 CAR, 35 YDS Receiving NYG Tuffy Leemans – REC, 37 YDS GB Joe Laws – REC, 31 YDS, TD

Standings

NFL Eastern Division
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	PF	PA	STK
New York Giants	9	1	1	.900	7–0–1	168	85	W4
Washington Redskins	8	2	1	.800	6–1–1	242	94	L1
Brooklyn Dodgers	4	6	1	.400	3–4–1	108	219	L3
Pittsburgh Pirates	1	9	1	.100	1–7	114	216	W1
Philadelphia Eagles	1	9	1	.100	1–6–1	105	200	L2

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

See also

• List of New York Giants seasons

References

• 1939 New York Giants season at Pro Football Reference