I am of the belief that we as fans don’t think about, talk about, learn about, or even hear about the earliest years of the NFL. Sure, we’ll see some grainy footage of Johnny Unitas throwing a bomb to John Mackey or Bart Starr sealing the deal with a QB sneak, but most pre-Joe Namath events are out of sight out of mind.¹

Today, I’m going to go back to the decade in which Unitas and Starr were born and look at the offensive performances of the teams from that decade. We only have fumble and first down data starting from 1935, and we only have other offensive stats dating back to 1932. For this reason, I have split the data into a 1932-1934 table and a 1935-1939 table.²

My primary method for measuring offensive performance is Total Adjusted Yards, which gives bonuses for touchdowns and first downs and gives penalties for turnovers. In case you forgot, here is the formula:

TAY = Yds + 20*TD + 9*(1d – TD) – 45*Int – 25*Fmb

Where fumbles and first downs are unavailable, they are omitted from the calculation. Because schedules weren’t standardized until 1936 (with teams prior to that playing as many as 20 or as few as 1 game in a season), I have included TAY per game for your convenience.

1930s NFL Offenses: 1932-1934

The table below is sorted by TAY per game, but you can sort and search to your heart’s content. Read it thus: The 1934 Chicago Bears played in 13 games. They scored 286 points and gained 3802 yards on 759 plays. They gained 5.0 yards per play and had 24 turnovers. This gives them 3442 TAY at 4.53 per play. Their TAY/P is 1.56 over the league average, giving them (1.56 * 759 =) 1186 marginal adjusted yards. They gained 265 TAY per game.

Yr	Tm	G	PF	Yds	Ply	Y/P	TO	TAY	TAY/P	MAY/P	MAY	TAY/G
1934	Chicago Bears	13	286	3802	759	5.0	24	3442	4.53	1.56	1186	265
1934	Detroit Lions	13	238	3487	774	4.5	15	3412	4.41	1.44	1111	262
1933	Portsmouth Spartans	11	128	2679	626	4.3	18	2189	3.50	1.06	666	199
1933	New York Giants	14	244	2972	654	4.5	19	2717	4.15	1.72	1126	194
1932	Chicago Bears	14	160	2602	661	3.9	7	2707	4.10	0.97	643	193
1934	New York Giants	13	147	2731	716	3.8	17	2306	3.22	0.25	178	177
1933	Green Bay Packers	13	170	2699	696	3.9	18	2269	3.26	0.83	576	175
1934	Philadelphia Eagles	11	127	2452	623	3.9	23	1777	2.85	-0.12	-75	162
1933	Boston	12	103	2774	573	4.8	25	1889	3.30	0.86	495	157
1932	New York Giants	12	93	2260	587	3.9	14	1870	3.19	0.06	37	156
1932	Chicago Cardinals	10	72	1545	436	3.5	4	1525	3.50	0.37	163	153
1933	Brooklyn Dodgers	10	93	2241	526	4.3	21	1516	2.88	0.45	236	152
1932	Staten Island Stapletons	12	77	2298	621	3.7	16	1798	2.90	-0.23	-141	150
1933	Chicago Bears	13	133	2963	708	4.2	29	1938	2.74	0.30	216	149
1934	Green Bay Packers	13	156	2348	653	3.6	19	1853	2.84	-0.13	-88	143
1932	Portsmouth Spartans	12	116	1853	486	3.8	12	1613	3.32	0.20	95	134
1934	Pittsburgh Pirates	12	51	2479	604	4.1	23	1564	2.59	-0.38	-231	130
1932	Green Bay Packers	14	152	2131	568	3.8	14	1821	3.21	0.08	47	130
1934	Boston	12	107	2127	553	3.8	22	1417	2.56	-0.41	-227	118
1934	St. Louis Gunners	3	27	679	162	4.2	10	289	1.78	-1.19	-193	96
1932	Brooklyn Dodgers	12	63	1695	527	3.2	16	1155	2.19	-0.93	-491	96
1934	Chicago Cardinals	11	80	1443	448	3.2	13	1018	2.27	-0.70	-314	93
1932	Boston Braves	10	55	1465	396	3.7	15	890	2.25	-0.88	-347	89
1933	Cincinnati Reds	10	38	1152	422	2.7	15	517	1.23	-1.21	-510	52
1933	Philadelphia Eagles	9	77	1760	503	3.5	34	430	0.85	-1.58	-794	48
1934	Cincinnati Reds	8	10	979	285	3.4	14	369	1.29	-1.68	-478	46
1934	Brooklyn Dodgers	11	61	1557	470	3.3	26	507	1.08	-1.89	-890	46
1933	Pittsburgh Pirates	11	67	1943	534	3.6	40	283	0.53	-1.90	-1016	26
1933	Chicago Cardinals	11	52	1487	507	2.9	30	237	0.47	-1.97	-996	22

In 1932, the Bears and Packers scored by far the most points. However, they played two more games than any other team, so those numbers can be deceptive (for one of those teams, at least). Despite the standout season from the legendary Arnie Herber, Green Bay ranked behind five other teams in total offensive output per game. They also ranked fourth on a per play basis. The Bears, on the other hand, led the league is both per play efficiency and per game volume. They also happened to pick up an NFL championship.

In 1933, it was the Portsmouth Spartans³ who had the most productive offense each game (and the number two per play). However, an implosion in the latter part of the season earned them three straight losses and a 6-5 record, eliminating them from any title talk. The offense that boasted the best mix of volume and efficiency was the New York Giants, losers of the NFL title game. The champion Bears had an offense in the middle of the pack, but they managed to win a bunch of close games behind the play of legendary Bronko Nagurski.

During their undefeated march through the 1934 regular season, the Bears scored by far the most points per game of any team in the NFL. However, their proclivity for turnovers decreased the gap between them and the second-ranked Lions. The Bear still ranked first in TAY, TAY per play, and TAY per game. Unfortunately for them, their offense could only muster 13 points in a championship game loss to Ed Danowski‘s Giants.

It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, of course. The Cincinnati Reds’ offenses were more than one adjusted yard worse than average in both 1933 and 1934.  The 1933 Cardinals and Pirates, as well as the 1934 Dodgers, were nearly two adjusted yards below average. In fact, the Cardinals could only muster 22 TAY per game!⁴

1930s NFL Offenses: 1935-1939

Like the table above, this one is sorted by TAY/G but can be sorted and searched as is your wont. Read it thus: Read it like you read the first one.

Yr	Tm	G	PF	Yds	Ply	Y/P	TO	1D	TAY	TAY/P	MAY/P	MAY	TAY/G
1939	Chicago Bears	11	298	4008	660	6.1	19	148	4211	6.38	2.39	1579	383
1939	Green Bay Packers	11	233	3445	748	4.6	15	149	4134	5.53	1.54	1151	376
1936	Detroit Lions	12	235	3703	737	5.0	23	170	4060	5.51	2.11	1555	338
1939	Washington	11	242	3488	611	5.7	18	125	3470	5.68	1.69	1033	315
1938	Green Bay Packers	11	223	3037	664	4.6	20	134	3392	5.11	1.51	1005	308
1936	Green Bay Packers	12	248	3293	745	4.4	19	148	3656	4.91	1.51	1124	305
1937	Green Bay Packers	11	220	3184	699	4.6	26	140	3254	4.66	1.22	852	296
1936	Chicago Bears	12	222	3305	722	4.6	21	145	3517	4.87	1.47	1063	293
1935	Chicago Bears	12	192	3317	760	4.4	21	140	3135	4.13	1.65	1252	261
1937	Chicago Bears	11	201	2626	626	4.2	13	114	2812	4.49	1.06	661	256
1938	Detroit Lions	11	119	2640	620	4.3	16	129	2812	4.54	0.94	584	256
1937	New York Giants	11	128	2543	679	3.7	11	127	2810	4.14	0.70	476	255
1938	New York Giants	11	194	2692	652	4.1	19	132	2782	4.27	0.67	439	253
1937	Detroit Lions	11	180	2705	604	4.5	18	120	2762	4.57	1.14	686	251
1937	Washington	11	195	2920	672	4.3	20	149	2752	4.10	0.66	443	250
1939	Detroit Lions	11	145	2844	633	4.5	20	133	2716	4.29	0.30	191	247
1939	Cleveland Rams	11	195	2675	640	4.2	21	131	2603	4.07	0.08	50	237
1935	Detroit Lions	12	191	2693	674	4.0	20	121	2702	4.01	1.53	1032	225
1939	New York Giants	11	168	2252	625	3.6	11	109	2472	3.96	-0.03	-21	225
1936	New York Giants	12	115	2724	696	3.9	17	146	2592	3.72	0.33	226	216
1938	Chicago Bears	11	194	2908	658	4.4	18	141	2328	3.54	-0.06	-37	212
1935	Green Bay Packers	12	181	3011	678	4.4	27	125	2493	3.68	1.20	813	208
1938	Brooklyn Dodgers	11	131	2204	552	4.0	9	96	2282	4.13	0.54	298	207
1938	Washington	11	148	2960	636	4.7	28	147	2188	3.44	-0.15	-98	199
1935	New York Giants	12	180	2400	651	3.7	19	112	2352	3.61	1.14	739	196
1939	Brooklyn Dodgers	11	108	2351	583	4.0	16	113	2030	3.48	-0.51	-295	185
1938	Philadelphia Eagles	11	154	1928	537	3.6	19	86	1844	3.43	-0.16	-86	168
1937	Chicago Cardinals	11	135	2392	574	4.2	21	99	1825	3.18	-0.26	-148	166
1936	Chicago Cardinals	12	74	2632	742	3.5	26	138	1969	2.65	-0.75	-553	164
1936	Boston	12	149	2556	649	3.9	23	113	1951	3.01	-0.39	-255	163
1938	Chicago Cardinals	11	111	2489	622	4.0	26	121	1737	2.79	-0.80	-499	158
1938	Pittsburgh Pirates	11	79	2330	651	3.6	32	103	1622	2.49	-1.10	-718	147
1937	Pittsburgh Pirates	11	122	2337	657	3.6	27	105	1527	2.32	-1.11	-731	139
1939	Philadelphia Eagles	11	105	2147	596	3.6	22	97	1525	2.56	-1.43	-852	139
1935	Chicago Cardinals	12	99	2133	674	3.2	23	107	1492	2.21	-0.26	-178	124
1939	Pittsburgh Pirates	11	114	2222	649	3.4	34	113	1321	2.04	-1.95	-1268	120
1938	Cleveland Rams	11	131	2161	581	3.7	34	101	1200	2.07	-1.53	-888	109
1936	Pittsburgh Pirates	12	98	2178	670	3.3	28	117	1265	1.89	-1.51	-1012	105
1936	Brooklyn Dodgers	12	92	1921	505	3.8	23	90	1210	2.40	-1.00	-507	101
1937	Brooklyn Dodgers	11	82	1977	536	3.7	25	88	1079	2.01	-1.42	-763	98
1937	Cleveland Rams	11	75	1769	538	3.3	21	88	1042	1.94	-1.50	-807	95
1937	Philadelphia Eagles	11	86	1733	492	3.5	24	68	1022	2.08	-1.36	-669	93
1935	Brooklyn Dodgers	12	90	1826	545	3.4	23	90	992	1.82	-0.66	-358	83
1935	Philadelphia Eagles	11	60	1877	580	3.2	30	82	707	1.22	-1.26	-730	64
1939	Chicago Cardinals	11	84	2005	568	3.5	33	101	698	1.23	-2.76	-1568	63
1935	Boston	11	65	2032	623	3.3	35	95	677	1.09	-1.39	-867	62
1936	Philadelphia Eagles	12	51	2018	643	3.1	36	99	546	0.85	-2.55	-1640	46
1935	Pittsburgh Pirates	12	100	1504	561	2.7	40	64	-326	-0.58	-3.06	-1716	-27

In 1935, the Bears boasted the top offense in the land. Unfortunately, they played in the brutal West division and finished the season with a 6-4-2 record. Led by Hall of Famer Dutch Clark, the Lions owned the second best offense and used it to win the West and eventually throttle the Giants in the title game. That same year, the Pirates set a new mark for futility, gaining 3.06 TAY/P below average and actually ending the season as the only team in recorded history to end the season with negative total output.

In 1936, the West was a veritable murderer’s row of offenses, with the top three (and four of the top five) all in the division. On both a total and a per play basis, the Lions came out on top of the ratings. They also had the top scoring differential in the league. It was the rival Packers, however, who went on to win the division and represent the West in the championship game. Despite winning the East, Boston had a below average offense. It showed in the title game when Green Bay won 21-6.

1937 was Slingin’ Sammy Baugh‘s first year in the league. He capped off one of the great rookie seasons any quarterback has ever had with an upset championship win over the Chicago Bears. Despite Baugh’s personal success, Washington’s offense was little more than above average. It was the Arnie Herber to Don Hutson connection of the Packers that just surpassed the Bears as the most efficient offense. With a less than stellar defense, Green Bay was unable to keep pace with their well-rounded rivals from the Second City.

In 1938, the New York Giants won the title, and center Mel Hein took home the league MVP award⁵ But it was the Packers, not the Giants, who fielded the best offense in the NFL. This time, it was the oft-overlooked Cecil Isbell chucking the ball to Hutson. However, after falling behind early in the championship game, Green Bay (with Hutson out of the lineup) never caught up to the Giants.

At the close of the decade, the Bears had the most efficient and effective offense in the NFL. However, a a few inconsistent performances kept them from winning the West division. Green Bay fielded the second best offense, and their more consistent play led them to the West crown. Washington had the number three offense in the league, based in large part on their games against bad defenses. They performed poorly against good teams and lost enough games to cede the East title to the New York Giants. The Giants’ offense was middling, but their defense only allowed 10 or more points three times. That defense didn’t hold in the championship game, where the Packers put up 27 points in a shutout victory.

1930s NFL Offenses in a Nutshell

The table below illustrates league average offensive performance throughout the decade. The headings all mean what they meant in the first table.

Yr	PF	Yds	Ply	TAY	TAY/P	TAY/G
1932	98.5	1981.1	535.3	1671.6	3.12	139.4
1933	110.5	2267.0	574.9	1398.5	2.43	122.7
1934	117.3	2189.5	549.7	1634.0	2.97	149.6
1935	128.7	2310.3	638.4	1581.7	2.48	132.9
1936	142.7	2703.3	678.8	2307.3	3.40	192.3
1937	142.4	2418.6	607.7	2088.5	3.44	189.9
1938	148.4	2534.9	617.3	2218.7	3.59	201.7
1939	169.2	2743.7	631.3	2518.0	3.99	228.9

Offenses of the thirties were far removed from “three yards and a cloud of dust,” but they were nowhere near the Sid Gillman passing revolution. Unsophisticated offenses were often at the mercy of relentless defenses. The rules of the era prohibited offensive lineman from using their open hands to block pass rushers, and they also permitted defenders to effectively assault receivers downfield. Protecting the quarterback was an afterthought, and the in-game treatment of the signal callers would make even Charles Martin wince. The ball itself was not nearly as manageable as the one modern players use. It became elongated as the passing game gained prominence, but the white ball used in the 1930s was slippery and disadvantageous to offenses.

Also of note is the fact that football was simply not a popular sport at this time in its history. If a man wanted to make a living as an athlete, he played baseball. If he couldn’t play baseball, he got a real job that paid much better money. The league was also segregated, which kept a large pool of talent off the fields and out of the stands. Both of these issues had an effect on offense and defense, of course, but they’re important to understand in order to have a complete picture of the league at the time.

The Packers, Bears, and Giants all won multiple titles in the thirties, and they also happened to put the most consistently good offenses on the field. Each team fielded only one below average offense from 1932-1939. The Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions won only one championship during the decade, but they are the only team not to produce a sub par offense.

A far cry from their offensive successes under Andy Reid and Chip Kelly, the Eagles of the 1930s were consistently disappointing when the ball was in their hands. The Cardinals were even worse, hitting rock bottom before turning it around in the 40s.⁶

As you can see from the tables, the overall offensive performance of the league as a whole rapidly increased throughout the decade. Over the course of the next several articles, I’ll explain how it eventually took a giant leap from 1946 to 1947, increased slowly until about 1962, and took a turn for the worse until rules changes in 1978 opened up the passing game. We’ll also look at the Bill Walsh and Sam Wyche explosion in the early 80s, the stagnation of the 90s and early 2000s, and the sharp incline since 2005.