1940 NFL Championship Game 1940 NFL Championship Game The 1940 National Football League Championship Game, sometimes referred to as 73-0, was the eighth title game of the National Football League (NFL), played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. on December 8, with a sellout capacity attendance of 36,034. The Chicago Bears (8–3) of the Western Division met the Washington Redskins (9–2), champions of the Eastern Division. Neither team had played in the title game since 1937, when the Redskins won a close game at Chicago's Wrigley Field. For this game in Washington, the Bears entered as slight favorites. The Bears scored eleven touchdowns and
History of the Chicago Bears first place in the league. The teams played an "unofficial" championship playoff game, held on December 18 at Chicago Stadium. The Bears won the game 9–0 and captured the NFL Championship before 11,198 fans. The popularity of the game prompted the NFL to institute various rule changes for the 1933 season, including the splitting of the league into two geographical divisions and the establishment of an officially scheduled championship game to determine the NFL champion. In 1933, George Halas made his return to coaching the Bears. Halas led the Bears to win the first ever Western Division title and the