The 1947 NFL season was the 28th regular season

Regular season (NFL)

The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...

 of the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

. The league expanded the regular season by one game from eleven games per team to twelve, a number that remained constant until the 1961 season

1961 NFL season

The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...

.

The season ended when the Chicago Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 defeated the Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 in the NFL Championship Game.

Major rule changes

• A fifth official, the Back Judge, is added to the officiating crew.
• When a team has less than 11 players on the field prior to a snap or kick, the officials are not to notify them.
• An illegal use of hands penalty will be called whenever a defensive player uses them to block the vision of a receiver during any pass behind the offensive team's line.
• During an unsuccessful extra point attempt, the play becomes dead as soon as failure is evident.
• Roughing the kicker will not be called if he kicks after recovering a loose ball or fumble on the play.
• All teams are required to use prescribed standard yardage chains, down boxes, and flexible shaft markers.

Division Races

Starting in 1947, the NFL teams played a 12 game schedule rather than 11 games. The twelfth game proved to be crucial for the Steelers, Eagles, Cardinals and Bears. In the Eastern Division, Pittsburgh took a half-game lead over Philadelphia after a 35-24 win in Week Five. On November 30, the Eagles won the rematch, 21-0, to take a 7-3-0 to 7-4-0 lead. The same day, the Cardinals lost to the Giants, 35-31, while the Bears beat Detroit 34-14; the 7-3-0 Cards were a game behind the 8-2-0 Bears in the Western Division.

In Week Twelve, the Cardinals beat the Eagles, 45–21. Pittsburgh beat Boston 17–7, while the Bears lost to the Rams, 17–14. The result was that the Steelers finished at 8–4, and the 7–4 Eagles had to win their last game. The Cardinals and Bears were both at 8–3, and the Western title would go to the winner of their December 14 season-closer. A crowd of 48,632 turned out at Wrigley Field to watch. The Cardinals won the game, 30–21, and the right to host the championship. The same day, Philadelphia beat Green Bay, 28–14, to force a playoff with Pittsburgh.

Final standings

W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972

Playoffs

See: 1947 NFL playoffs

Home team in capitals

Eastern Division Playoff Game

• Philadelphia 21, PITTSBURGH 0

NFL Championship Game

• CHI. CARDINALS 28, Philadelphia 21