Due to heavy snow and bitter cold, the game was played inside Chicago Stadium on an 80-yard field, with a few rule adjustments to compensate for the non-regulation field.
With both teams scoreless early in the fourth quarter, Bear Dick Nesbitt intercepted a pass and returned it to the Portsmouth 13-yard line. Several plays later, Bronko Nagurski faked a run from the 2-yard line and threw a touchdown pass to Red Grange. This drew a protest from Portsmouth, as they claimed that Nagurski was not 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage, then a requirement for forward passes. The call stood as a touchdown, and a late safety gave the Chicago Bears a 9-0 win, and the NFL title.