The newly-liberated Cards had little chance of success in the 1945 season; not only were they riding a sixteen-game losing streak dating back to 1942, but the schedule-makers did them no favours, either.
After losses in Cleveland and Philadelphia, the Cardinals actually returned to Chicago to take on their cross-city rivals, the Bears -- and got their only win of the season, a 16-7 triumph in Wrigley Field, as Leo Cantor scored twice.
Frank Seno was the team's top rusher with 355 yards, while Leo Cantor scored five of the club's fifteen touchdowns.
They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season, since the creation of divisions and the NFL Championship game in 1933.
Things looked bleak for the lowly Cardinals and their fans -- but just two years later, Chicago would race to an NFL title, only the second in their history -- and as of 2023, their last one to date,