Sammy Baugh - the Pioneer of the NFL's Modern Passing Game

Sammy Baugh was one of the best players in the NFL during the 1930s and 1940s for the Washington Redskins. His passing statistics for the era were extraordinary in a run-first driven league. "Slinging Sammy" won six passing titles, five division titles and two NFL titles including one his rookie season in 1937 with Washington.

With so many teams running single-wing and other multiple-backs offensive formations, the Redskins used Baugh as a passing option and eventually made the switch to the T-formation in 1944 because of their success in the passing game. One of Baugh's most notable games is the famous 73-0 blowout against the Chicago Bears in 1940, the largest margin of victory in NFL history. Baugh also led one of the biggest upsets in NFL history against the same Chicago Bears two years later in the NFL championship game. The Bears came into the 1942 championship game undefeated at 11-0 and had outscored their opponents 376-84 during the season. They were coming off of two consecutive titles and very favored over the Redskins by 20 points in the game and paid betting odds of 8 to 1. Baugh led a smart attack that day, leaving the Bears in poor field position and intercepting a pass at the end of the game with the Bears driving to secure a 14-6 upset win.

Baugh was good sized by NFL standards back in 1940, 6'2" 180 lbs., and played multiple positions for most of his career. In addition to his gaudy passing statistics, Sammy had a career punting average of 45.1 yards (best in NFL history) and a 51.4 average in the 1940 season, which still stands as the all-time mark. Baugh's career passing statistics may be unimpressive for today's standards, but were stellar for the style of play before 1950. He passed for 22,085 yards at a 56.7 completion rate and 187 touchdowns. Baugh set the record for completion percentage in a season with 70.33% in 1945, which stood until Ken Anderson broke the record in 1982. Twice Sammy passed for 6 touchdowns in a game. He also intercepted four passes in a single game, a mark often matched but not broken more than 60 years later. One of the finest seasons in NFL history was Baugh's performance in 1943. He led the league in passing with 1,754 yards, punting with an average of 45.9 yards and interceptions with 11, returned for 112 yards.

Baugh's accolades, versatility and revolution of an offensive game plan are reasons why his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was an easy decision. Sammy Baugh is still sought-after for banquets and other occasions, but primarily attends the ones close to home a few times a year.