1921 APFA Season — Final Standings
Final standings for the last season under the APFA name (renamed NFL for 1922). Chicago and Buffalo finished the schedule level at 9-1, but with different tie totals (Chicago 9-1-1, Buffalo 9-1-2) after the league counted a December 4 rematch that Buffalo had wanted treated as a non-counting exhibition; under the league's tiebreaker rule that weighted the more recent head-to-head meeting more heavily, Chicago's 10-7 win in that game secured the title over Buffalo's own 7-6 win in their first meeting — an outcome Buffalo fans dubbed the "Staley Swindle." This was the final season under the Staleys name for George Halas's franchise, which would become the Chicago Bears the following year.
Final Standings
| Seed | Team | W | L | T | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CSChicago Staleys | 9 | 1 | 1 | .900 | - |
| — | BAABuffalo All-Americans | 9 | 1 | 2 | .900 | - |
| — | APAkron Pros | 8 | 3 | 1 | .727 | 1.5 |
| — | CBCanton Bulldogs | 5 | 2 | 3 | .714 | 2.5 |
| — | RIIRock Island Independents | 4 | 2 | 1 | .667 | 3 |
| — | ECGEvansville Crimson Giants | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 3.5 |
| — | GBPGreen Bay Packers | 3 | 2 | 1 | .600 | 3.5 |
| — | DTDayton Triangles | 4 | 4 | 1 | .500 | 4 |
| — | CCChicago Cardinals | 3 | 3 | 2 | .500 | 4 |
| — | RJRochester Jeffersons | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 4.5 |
| — | CICleveland Indians | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | 5 |
| — | WSWashington Senators | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 4.5 |
| — | HPHammond Pros | 1 | 3 | 1 | .250 | 5 |
| — | MMMinneapolis Marines | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 5 |
| — | CCCincinnati Celts | 1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | 5 |
| — | DTDetroit Tigers | 1 | 5 | 1 | .167 | 6 |
| — | CPColumbus Panhandles | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | 7.5 |
| — | LBLouisville Brecks | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 5 |
| — | MFMuncie Flyers | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 5 |
| — | NYBNew York Brickley Giants | 0 | 2 | 0 | .000 | 5 |
| — | TKTonawanda Kardex | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 4.5 |
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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