In today's Rewarding Moments In Washington History presented by Maryland Lottery My Lottery Rewards, we look back to when the Washington Football Team defeated the New York Giants in the 1943 playoffs.
The first time Washington and New York met in the playoffs was on Dec.19, 1943. Nearly 43,000 fans watched from the Polo Grounds in New York as Washington steamrolled the Giants, 28-0, to advance to the NFL Championship.
Heading into this matchup, both Washington and New York had 6-3-1 records, putting them in a tie for the top spot for the Eastern division. Washington was considered to be the underdog, as it lost to the Giants two weeks in a row leading up to this game. This gave head coach Dutch Bergman and quarterback Sammy Baugh added motivation, and they responded by leading Washington to an unexpected blowout.
Baugh completed 16 of his 21 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown, while fullback Andy Farkas rushed for 60 yards and three scores. Baugh, a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, also led the defense with two interceptions as a defensive back.
This win pushed Washington's record to 7-3-1 and sent them to its fifth NFL Championship game, where it lost to the Chicago Bears.
