1957: 49ers Take Advantage of Fumbles to Defeat Giants

The San Francisco 49ers were trying to remain in the NFL Western Conference title hunt as they traveled to New York to face the Giants on December 1, 1957. Coached by Frankie Albert, the 49ers had a productive offense that featured the passing of QB Y.A. Tittle (pictured at right) and a formidable ground attack led by HB Hugh McElhenny and FB Joe Perry. But after getting off to a 5-1 start, the club had lost three straight games to come into New York with a 5-4 record that had them a game behind the Colts and Lions.

The Giants, under Head Coach Jim Lee Howell, were at 7-2 and trying to keep up with the resurgent Cleveland Browns in the Eastern Conference. QB Charlie Conerly was a savvy clutch passer at age 36, HB Frank Gifford an outstanding all-purpose back, and the defense was tough.

There was a big crowd of 54,121 fans at Yankee Stadium. Late in the first quarter, the 49ers took advantage of a Frank Gifford fumble recovered by LB Matt Hazeltine and drove 59 yards in nine plays. FB Gene Babb finished it off with an eight-yard touchdown run and Gordie Soltau added the extra point.

As the contest headed into the second quarter, the Giants responded with a nine-play, 80-yard possession that concluded with HB Alex Webster blasting over the middle from a yard out for a TD. Ben Agajanian kicked the game-tying point after. Following another New York fumble, this time by Conerly when hit by Hazeltine (pictured below) and recovered by DT Bill Herchman, San Francisco went 25 yards in seven plays that resulted in Joe Perry plunging three yards for a TD. Soltau’s conversion put the visitors back in front by 14-7.

The Giants continued to hurt themselves as Gifford fumbled again when hit by LB Ed Henke on a reverse and it was recovered at the New York 11. The Niners weren’t able to reach the end zone, but Soltau kicked a 42-yard field goal to stretch their advantage to ten points. On the final play of the first half, New York’s Agajanian kicked a 35-yard field goal and the San Francisco lead was trimmed to 17-10 at halftime.

The 49ers started off the third quarter by advancing 78 yards in nine plays that featured Y.A. Tittle passing to Hugh McElhenny for a 38-yard gain and to end Billy Wilson for an 11-yard touchdown. Soltau’s extra point extended the lead to 24-10. The Giants, now in a fourteen-point hole, responded with a 75-yard advance that took 11 plays. Conerly passed to Gifford for a six-yard TD and Agajanian added the point after.

As the game headed into the fourth quarter, the Giants had opportunities but were consistently thwarted by the spirited San Francisco defense. Finally, another turnover, this time an interception, set up another score for the visitors as Soltau connected on a 37-yard field goal to make it a ten-point lead. That was more than enough as the 49ers held on to win by a final score of 27-17.

San Francisco led in total yards (316 to 265), with 193 yards on the ground alone, while the Giants had more first downs (21 to 19). New York turned the ball over seven times, five of them fumbles in the first half, to four suffered by the 49ers.

Y.A. Tittle completed 11 of 16 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, although also giving up three interceptions, and ran the ball five times for 49 yards. Joe Perry rushed for 84 yards on 19 carries that included a TD and Gene Babb contributed 59 yards on 14 attempts. Billy Wilson topped the receivers with four catches for 64 yards and a TD and Hugh McElhenny contributed three pass receptions for 42 yards.

For the Giants, Charlie Conerly was successful on 17 of 25 throws for 215 yards and a TD along with an interception, but also coughed up four of the team’s fumbles. Frank Gifford (pictured at right), who was limited to 16 yards on 7 carries, caught 11 passes for 105 yards and a TD and accounted for two costly fumbles in the first half. Alex Webster topped the ground gainers with 33 yards on 9 attempts that included a score and added 38 more yards on two receptions.

“You don’t deserve to win when you lose the ball six times on fumbles,” summed up New York’s Coach Howell. “The 49ers gambled on shooting their linebackers through to get at Conerly and it paid off.”

The game proved to be a turning point heading into the final stretch for both teams.  San Francisco won its remaining two games, including a showdown with the Colts, to finish at 8-4 and tied with Detroit atop the Western Conference. In the resulting playoff game, the 49ers blew a big halftime lead to lose to the Lions. The Giants, on the other hand, lost their next two contests and placed second in the Eastern Conference at 7-5.

1956: Giants Defeat Eagles to Clinch Eastern Conference Crown

The New York Giants were looking to lock up the NFL Eastern Conference title as they faced the Philadelphia Eagles on December 15, 1956. Under the guidance of Head Coach Jim Lee Howell, the Giants had roared out to a 6-1 record and, following a 1-2-1 stretch, were now coming into the season finale at 7-3-1 and could gain a slot in the NFL Championship game with a win. New York operated a power-T offense that was the responsibility of assistant coach Vince Lombardi and emphasized a strong running game that utilized halfbacks Frank Gifford and Alex Webster (pictured above) and FB Mel Triplett. A platoon system was used at quarterback where Don Heinrich started games and the more-talented Charlie Conerly relieved when needed. Assistant coach Tom Landry handled the tough and talented defense.

The Eagles were going nowhere at 3-7-1 in their first year under Head Coach Hugh Devore.  They also used a two-quarterback platoon with Adrian Burk and Bobby Thomason and there was an able receiver in end Bobby Walston, but the ground attack was average at best. The defense was particularly sound at linebacker with All-Pro Chuck Bednarik and Wayne Robinson, but the backfield was a problem, particularly after the loss of safety Jerry Norton to injury.  

There were 15,562 fans in attendance on a foggy afternoon at Connie Mack Stadium and the contest was also nationally televised. It had rained the previous three days and the field was soft. The Giants had the first possession with Don Heinrich at quarterback and punted and, while the Eagles started off with runs by HB Ted Wegert for six yards and FB Dick Bielski for 12, they were forced to punt in turn. New York advanced into Philadelphia territory thanks primarily to the running of Mel Triplett and Frank Gifford, but the drive stalled at the 43 and Don Chandler punted into the end zone.

Following another punt by the Eagles, the Giants were driving as the game headed into the second quarter. Alex Webster started the series with a 14-yard carry and Heinrich threw to end Kyle Rote for a gain of 15 yards to the Philadelphia 30. An eight-yard run by Webster and 11-yard carry by Gifford (pictured below) got the ball inside the ten and Gifford then threw an option pass to Rote for a six-yard touchdown to complete the eight-play, 65-yard series. Ben Agajanian added the extra point.

Bobby Thomason was at quarterback for the Eagles on their next possession but a clipping penalty nullified a pass completion and Thomason was sacked for a loss of ten yards on third down to force another punt. Once again the running of Triplett and Webster advanced the ball into Philadelphia territory and Heinrich completed a pass to Gifford for nine yards to convert a third down. Following a five-yard carry by Triplett, Webster ran wide to the left for 10 yards that set up a 10-yard run by Gifford for a TD. Agajanian again converted to give the visitors a 14-0 lead.

The Eagles turned the ball over on the next series when DE Walt Yowarsky recovered an errant pitchout at the Philadelphia 35. But while the productive ground game got the Giants to the 14, Heinrich’s pass was intercepted by safety Lee Riley. The score remained unchanged at the half.

The Eagles had the ball first in the third quarter but a Thomason pass was picked off by safety Emlen Tunnell, who returned it 14 yards to the Philadelphia 27. Six plays later the Giants capitalized as Webster ran seven yards for a touchdown. Agajanian again booted the point after and New York held a comfortable 21-0 lead.

The teams exchanged punts and Riley briefly provided some excitement for the home team with a 35-yard return to midfield. But with Thomason giving way to Burk, the Eagles lost yardage from there and punted once again. Chuck Bednarik recovered a Triplett fumble on the next series at the Philadelphia 45 and the Eagles advanced into New York territory. Burk completed four passes, three of them to end Bobby Walston for gains totaling 36 yards, in the closing minutes of the period. But a run for negative yardage followed by a penalty on the offense to start the third quarter and an incomplete pass set up a fourth-and-30 situation, and Burk’s throw to Walston gained just 18 yards to turn the ball over on downs at the New York 12.

The Giants were able to put together a long series that was extended by a roughing-the-kicker call on a punt by Chandler. New York failed to extend its lead when Agajanian was wide on a 46-yard field goal attempt, but time was running out on the Eagles, who again had to punt.

Philadelphia finally put together a scoring drive of 64 yards in 14 plays that was helped along by a 26-yard pass interference penalty on the Giants. Burk completed two passes, one of which converted a fourth down, and had an 11-yard scramble in a third-and-10 situation. After an incomplete pass and 13-yard sack, the Eagles faced third-and-23 and Burk threw to end Hank Burnine for 13 yards and, on fourth down, to Walston for a 15-yard touchdown. Walston kicked the extra point, but while it averted a shutout, it was of no consequence with only 1:08 remaining in the contest. New York won by a final score of 21-7.

The Giants led significantly in total yards (332 to 174), with 291 of that total coming on the ground, and in first downs (22 to 13). Both teams turned the ball over twice. New York recorded four sacks, to none by the Eagles.

Alex Webster led the New York rushers with 132 yards on 23 carries that included a TD. Frank Gifford accumulated 81 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts and Mel Triplett contributed 72 yards on 14 carries. With the Giants in control, Don Heinrich remained in for the full game and completed three of 10 passes for 35 yards. Gifford and Kyle Rote each caught two passes, for 20 and 21 yards, respectively, and Rote scored a touchdown on a Gifford pass.

For the Eagles, Adrian Burk was successful on 12 of 26 throws for 124 yards and a TD while Bobby Thomason was two of four for 17 yards. Bobby Walston (pictured at right) led the receivers with 5 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Ted Wegert rushed for 31 yards on 11 attempts.

The win allowed the Giants to finish atop the Eastern Conference with an 8-3-1 record. In their first NFL Championship game appearance in ten years, they thrashed the Chicago Bears 47-7. For Philadelphia, the loss closed out the club’s worst season since 1942, finishing at the bottom of the conference with a 3-8-1 tally.

Frank Gifford received MVP honors as he led the league in yards from scrimmage (1422, with 819 rushing and 603 receiving). Alex Webster also ranked among the Top 10 rushers with 694 yards and seven TDs and Mel Triplett added 515 yards on the ground.  

1960: Eagles Come Back to Beat Giants in Eastern Showdown

The Philadelphia Eagles were 7-1 as they faced the New York Giants in the second of back-to-back games between the clubs on November 27, 1960 that would effectively determine the winner of the NFL Eastern Conference. Coached by Buck Shaw, Philadelphia was an overachieving team. QB Norm Van Brocklin was the undisputed leader of the offense and had reliable receivers in flanker Tommy McDonald and ends Pete Retzlaff and Bobby Walston, who was also the placekicker. When FB Clarence Peaks went down with a season-ending broken leg, rookie Ted Dean (pictured above) stepped in admirably and when LB Bob Pellegrini likewise was lost to injury, center Chuck Bednarik returned to that role, playing both ways in doing so. Rookie LB Maxie Baughan and veteran safety Don Burroughs, obtained from the Rams, also helped to bolster a much-improved defense.

In beating the Giants at Yankee Stadium the previous week, Bednarik had deprived New York of star HB Frank Gifford with a famously jolting tackle and now the 5-2-1 Giants, who topped the conference in each of the previous two seasons, were in a must-win situation. New York was also without veteran QB Charlie Conerly and relying on George Shaw to guide the offense. Still, under the direction of Head Coach Jim Lee Howell, this was a good veteran club with a sound defense and plenty of remaining capable players on offense.

There were 60,547 fans in attendance at Franklin Field for the final showdown between the two rivals. The Giants struck quickly on their first play from scrimmage as George Shaw went long for end Kyle Rote, who went the distance for a 71-yard touchdown. Pat Summerall added the extra point.

The Eagles turned the ball over when QB Norm Van Brocklin’s long bomb was intercepted by DHB Lindon Crow and New York scored again, this time driving 83 yards in eight plays. HB Ed Sutton ran around end for 34 yards on first down and HB Joe Morrison caught a pass for 17 yards and then rushed for 19 on the next play. Once again Shaw passed to Rote for a TD, this time from 11 yards out. Summerall’s conversion had the visitors up by 14-0.

The teams exchanged punts before Van Brocklin threw a pass that was intercepted by LB Harland Svare near midfield and returned to the Philadelphia 18. However, the Giants lost yardage from there and end Bob Schnelker dropped a third-down pass in the end zone, but they added three more points with a 35-yard Summerall field goal.

As the game headed into the second quarter, the Eagles had to punt and New York moved the ball effectively. However, safety Bobby Freeman intercepted a Shaw pass at the Philadelphia 44 and returned it all the way to the New York nine. The home team couldn’t reach the end zone from there, with a pass to Tommy McDonald in the end zone ruled out of bounds, but Bobby Walston kicked a 15-yard field goal to get the Eagles on the board.

Once again the Eagles intercepted a Shaw pass, this time the culprit being Maxie Baughan to give them possession at the New York 26. Van Brocklin (pictured at left) threw to Ted Dean for a 25-yard touchdown and, with Walston’s point after, the New York lead was narrowed to 17-10.

For the third time, Shaw was picked off, with Don Burroughs giving the Eagles the ball at the New York 33. Dean ran for 17 yards and Van Brocklin completed two passes to reach the six. From there, HB Billy Barnes ran to the one but fumbled, and OT J.D. Smith outmaneuvered two defenders to recover the ball in the end zone for a TD. Walston again converted and the score was tied at 17-17.

With time running out in the first half, the Giants, who had been reeling through most of the period, advanced into Philadelphia territory. FB Mel Triplett and Sutton combined for 18 yards on the ground and then Shaw completed a pass to Rote for 35 yards. New York moved back on top with a 31-yard Summerall field goal and the score was 20-17 heading into halftime.

Following a three-and-out series by the Eagles to start the third quarter, the Giants drove to the Philadelphia eight. Triplett and Morrison ran the ball well and Shaw tossed a pass to HB Alex Webster for 14 yards along the way. Summerall booted another field goal, this time from 15 yards, and the visitors were ahead by six points.

Again the Eagles had to punt, and once more Burroughs intercepted a pass, this time putting the home team in possession at the New York 49 to start the fourth quarter. On the next play, Van Brocklin fired long for Dean, who gathered in the pass at the 15 and, helped along by a block by Pete Retzlaff, ran the rest of the way for a 49-yard touchdown. Walston’s extra point gave Philadelphia the lead by a 24-23 score.

The Eagles forced another turnover on the next series when DE Joe Robb knocked the ball loose from Morrison and DHB Jimmy Carr recovered at the New York 30. Philadelphia again made the most of the opportunity, advancing 30 yards in eight plays. After converting a fourth-and-one play with Dean diving over the stacked defense for the necessary yard, Van Brocklin connected with Barnes for an eight-yard TD and, with Walston’s PAT, the Eagles were up by eight points.

The teams each had short possessions and punted, and Lee Grosscup came in at quarterback for the Giants. While Grosscup completed two passes, a penalty and a sack by Chuck Bednarik negated the gains. The Giants attempted to convert a fourth-and-one play from their 36, but Triplett was stopped short and the Eagles were able to run out the clock to win by a score of 31-23.

New York had the edge in total yards (337 to 211) and first downs (13 to 12). However, the Giants also turned the ball over five times, to three by Philadelphia, and that made the difference.

Norm Van Brocklin completed 13 of 23 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns, along with three interceptions. Ted Dean ran for just 28 yards on 11 carries but also caught 5 passes for 74 yards and two TDs. Billy Barnes gained 35 yards on 17 attempts but his lone pass reception was good for a touchdown. Tommy McDonald contributed three catches for 46 yards. On defense, Don Burroughs accounted for two of the interceptions.

For the Giants, George Shaw was successful on 9 of 19 throws for 179 yards and two TDs, but gave up the four big interceptions. Kyle Rote (pictured at right) caught four passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Ed Sutton topped the club in rushing with 57 yards on five carries and Joe Morrison added 54 yards on 17 attempts.    

The win over the Giants was also Philadelphia’s last home game of the regular season, but the Eagles went 2-1 on the road to wrap up the Eastern Conference with a 10-2 record. They defeated Green Bay for the NFL Championship. New York dropped to third at 6-4-2.

Norm Van Brocklin was a consensus MVP as well as All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection. He ranked second in pass attempts (284), completions (153), yards (2471), and TD passes (24) in what was his last year before moving to the sidelines as head coach of the expansion Minnesota Vikings.

Ted Dean rushed for 304 yards, gained 281 more on 15 pass receptions, and adding in kick returns, accumulated 1120 total yards. He capped a promising rookie season by starring in the NFL Championship game, where he scored the game-winning touchdown.

Kyle Rote had a solid season at age 32, catching 42 passes for 750 yards (17.9 avg.) and scoring a career-high 10 TDs.

1959: Colts Defeat Giants to Repeat as NFL Champions

The Baltimore Colts had defeated the New York Giants in an overtime classic, one of the most celebrated games in NFL history, in 1958. The two teams were matched up again on December 27, 1959.

The Colts, coached by Weeb Ewbank, came out on top of the Western Conference at 9-3. Star QB Johnny Unitas (pictured behind center above) was, if anything, just getting better at age 26 as he set a league record with 32 touchdown passes while also pacing the NFL with 2899 yards. End Raymond Berry led in pass receptions (66), yards (959), and touchdowns (14) and HB Lenny Moore and end Jim Mutscheller were highly productive as well. FB Alan “the Horse” Ameche continued to provide power between the tackles. The defense might be showing some signs of age but was solid, especially on the line.

Head Coach Jim Lee Howell’s Giants was known for outstanding defense and a conservative offense ably directed by 38-year-old QB Charlie Conerly (pictured below), the NFL’s leading passer who averaged 8.8 yards per attempt. Multi-talented HB Frank Gifford led a good stable of running backs that included FB Mel Triplett, HB Alex Webster, and HB Phil King. 5 ½ -point underdogs, they anticipated a tough defensive battle and would seek to shut down the two Baltimore ends, Berry and Mutscheller.


It was good football weather - cool and crisp – with 57,545 fans at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. The Giants came out passing on their first play as Conerly threw to end Kyle Rote for 20 yards. Gifford followed up with a 22-yard carry, but All-Pro DE Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb sacked Conerly for a 17-yard loss as the Colts defense held and New York was forced to punt.

Baltimore responded with Unitas, faking a handoff and then twice looking to throw short to Berry to his left, passing to Moore for a 60-yard touchdown and the Colts took the early advantage at 7-0.

Late in the first quarter, the Giants were on the move as Triplett gained 28 yards on a run up the middle. Triplett carried again for six more yards and Conerly threw to end Bob Schnelker. The drive made it to the three yard line but stalled when Lipscomb stopped Webster cold on a run into the line and a pass to Gifford behind the line of scrimmage turned into a six-yard loss. Conerly was sacked for the loss of another seven yards and the Giants were forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Pat Summerall.

Early in the second quarter, Steve Myhra was wide on a 43-yard field goal attempt for the Colts. New York’s defense was getting to Unitas, but the offense wasn’t able to move on Baltimore’s aroused defense. With time running out in the first half, Dave Sherer punted to the New York 17. It appeared that DHB Carl Taseff had intercepted a Conerly pass, but he bobbled the ball and Schnelker pulled it away for a 48-yard gain to the Baltimore 34. The Giants gained a few more yards before Summerall booted a 37-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to make it 7-6 at halftime, although the Colts thought the kick was wide and the home crowd booed loudly at the result.

The Giants took the lead in the third quarter on Summerall’s third field goal, from 22 yards. It was now 9-7 and New York’s defense had been successful at stopping Unitas, particularly in third down situations, but as the period wound down the tide began to turn.

The turning point came when the Giants advanced to the Baltimore 28 thanks to a 19-yard pass play to Gifford and a 10-yard throw to Schnelker. With fourth-and-inches, Coach Howell decided to forego another field goal attempt and try for the first down. A run by Webster came up short, and the Colts took over.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Colts drove 75 yards in 10 plays. Unitas ran it in himself on a sweep around end behind Moore’s block of LB Cliff Livingston to put Baltimore back in front. Key plays in the drive were a 17-yard pass to Berry in a third-and-eight situation and completion to Moore (pictured below) that gained 36 to the New York 13.


Safety Andy Nelson intercepted a Conerly pass and returned it 15 yards to the New York 15. Two plays later, Unitas threw to rookie flanker Jerry Richardson for a 12-yard TD, and the Colts were in control.

Conerly, who was intercepted just four times during the regular season, was picked off again, by safety Johnny Sample, who returned it 42 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Sample intercepted another pass, this time by Gifford on an option play, that gave the Colts the ball at the New York 27. Myhra kicked a 25-yard field goal to cap Baltimore’s 24-point final period.

The Giants got their only touchdown late in the fourth quarter as Conerly connected with Schnelker from 32 yards out, but by then it didn’t matter. The Colts were the champions for the second straight year by a score of 31-16.

New York outgained the Colts (323 yards to 280) and had more first downs (16 to 13). While Conerly was sacked five times, the Giants got to Unitas on six occasions and the Colts were held to just 73 rushing yards on 25 carries (to 118 for New York on the same number of running plays). However, the inability of the Giants to score touchdowns in the red zone, combined with three turnovers (to none by the Colts), had a significant effect on the outcome.

Johnny Unitas completed 18 of 29 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions; he also scored on the short running play. Lenny Moore gained just eight yards on four carries but caught three passes for 126 yards and a TD. Raymond Berry added 5 receptions for 68 yards and Jim Mutscheller also had five catches, for 40 yards. Alan Ameche was the team’s leading rusher with 31 yards on 9 carries.

For the Giants, Charlie Conerly went to the air 37 times and completed 17 for 226 yards with a TD and the two interceptions. Bob Schnelker (pictured below) had a big day catching the ball with 9 receptions for 175 yards and a score. Frank Gifford ran 8 times for 56 yards and added another 13 on his two catches; he also passed twice, completing one for 18 yards but was picked off on the other.


Baltimore GM Don Kellett summed it up by saying, “We didn’t win it easily, but we won it convincingly.”

Both teams missed the postseason in 1960. The Colts started off well at 6-2 in a bid for a third consecutive title, but lost their last four games to finish at 6-6 and in a disappointing fourth place. They would not return to the postseason until 1964. The Giants contended but ended up in third at 6-4-2 in their last year under Jim Lee Howell. Under his successor, Allie Sherman, they won the Eastern Conference for the next three seasons but failed to win a championship.

1960: Cowboys Tie Giants for Only Non-Loss of First Season

It had been a rough first year for the expansion Dallas Cowboys as they took on the New York Giants on December 4, 1960. Under Head Coach Tom Landry, who had previously been defensive coach of the Giants, the team was 0-10. The Cowboys had a capable quarterback in diminutive (5’9”, 168) Eddie LeBaron (pictured at right), formerly of the Redskins and dissuaded from retiring in order to lead the offense until rookie Don Meredith was ready. There were some capable veterans to throw to, such as flanker Billy Howton and TE Jim Doran, and the defense had a star in MLB Jerry Tubbs, but for the most part the new team was awash in mediocre players.

New York, coached by Jim Lee Howell, had won the Eastern Conference the previous two years, but the aging and injury-riddled club was 5-3-1 and coming off of back-to-back losses to the Philadelphia Eagles that had assured they would not finish first a third time. 39-year-old QB Charlie Conerly was one of the injured players, and backup George Shaw was behind center against the Cowboys. HB Alex Webster was also out, as was star HB Frank Gifford, who had been finished for the year – and the whole next season – after a noteworthy tackle by LB Chuck Bednarik in the first loss to Philadelphia.

There were 55,033 fans at Yankee Stadium, the smallest home crowd of the year for the Giants on a sunny afternoon. New York scored quickly on its first possession, taking just four plays with Shaw completing a 41-yard pass to end Bill Kimber and then throwing 10 yards to FB Mel Triplett for the touchdown. HB Joe Morrison followed up with a one-yard scoring plunge and the Giants had a 14-0 lead.


However, before the first quarter was over, HB L.G. Dupre (pictured at left) ran in for a five-yard TD to get the Cowboys on the board. Still, Shaw extended New York’s margin in the second quarter as he connected with end Kyle Rote on a 28-yard scoring play.

Dallas continued to fight back. LeBaron, who nearly sat the game out with a rib injury, tossed a pass to Dupre for a 21-yard TD and Fred Cone kicked an 11-yard field goal to narrow the score to 21-17 at halftime.

Pat Summerall posted the only points of the third quarter with a 26-yard field goal that gave the Giants a seven-point lead. The Cowboys knotted things up in the fourth quarter thanks to a 56-yard drive capped by LeBaron throwing again to Dupre for a 23-yard touchdown, followed by Cone’s extra point.

First-year backup QB Lee Grosscup put the Giants back ahead 5:45 into the final period with a 26-yard touchdown pass to end Bob Schnelker. With five minutes to go, Dallas DT Bill Herchman recovered a fumble by Morrison. LeBaron passed to Doran for 32 yards to the New York nine and two plays later connected with Howton for an 11-yard TD. Cone kicked the tying extra point, and that was it. The game ended in a 31-31 draw, the first non-losing game in Dallas franchise history.

The statistics reflected the evenness of the score. The Cowboys outgained New York by just one yard (328 to 327) and each team had 19 first downs. The Giants turned the ball over three times, to two by Dallas.


Eddie LeBaron completed 17 of 35 passes for 267 yards with three touchdowns and two intercepted. Billy Howton (pictured at right) caught 6 passes for 78 yards and a TD and Jim Doran added three receptions for 62 yards. The game’s scoring star, L.G. Dupre, accumulated the most receiving yards, however, with 82 on three catches that included two touchdowns while also rushing for 27 yards on 8 carries with another TD. HB Don McIlhenny was the leading ground gainer for the Cowboys with 34 yards on 8 attempts.

For the Giants, George Shaw was successful on 8 of 16 throws for 149 yards and two TDs against one interception. Lee Grosscup added five completions in 11 attempts that gained 75 yards and a touchdown (his only one of the season). Bob Schnelker hauled in 5 passes for 69 yards and a TD and Kyle Rote also gained 69 yards on his three receptions that included a score. HB Ed Sutton topped the running attack with 62 yards on 7 carries.

The Cowboys lost their season finale at Detroit and finished at the bottom of the Western Conference with a record of 0-11-1 (they shifted to the Eastern Conference in ’61). New York split its last two games and placed third in the conference at 6-4-2.

Eddie LeBaron had a respectable season for a bad team, although he led the NFL by tossing 25 interceptions. Still, he was in the top five in pass attempts (225), yards (1736), and yards per completion (15.6). L.G. Dupre’s accomplishments were more modest as he led the club in rushing with just 362 yards and caught 21 passes for 216 more. His three touchdowns against the Giants accounted for most of his season total of five.

1956: Giants Dominate Bears on Frozen Field for NFL Title

Temperatures in New York City were in the 20s and the field at Yankee Stadium was frozen for the NFL Championship game on December 30, 1956. The head coach of the host Giants, Jim Lee Howell, made the decision to have the players wear sneakers – reminiscent of the 1934 title game (although the sneakers were available prior to, rather than obtained during, the game). While in this instance the Bears did likewise, the result would be similar to the earlier contest.

The Giants had won the Eastern Conference with an 8-3-1 record. The offense, directed by assistant coach Vince Lombardi and led by 35-year-old QB Charlie Conerly, was conservative but effective and contained the consensus league MVP in HB Frank Gifford, who ran for 819 yards and added another 603 yards on 51 pass receptions. Defense was the team’s strength, however, coached by assistant Tom Landry and containing All-Pros in DT Roosevelt Grier, DE Andy Robustelli, and safety Emlen Tunnell. Rookie MLB Sam Huff had an impact, as did veteran newcomers HB Ed Hughes and DT Dick Modzelewski.

As had been the case in 1934, New York’s opponent was the Chicago Bears, leaders in the Western Conference at 9-2-1. George Halas still directed the club as owner, although he had retired as head coach (he came out of retirement in 1958) in favor of longtime assistant Paddy Driscoll. Chicago had the NFL’s leading rusher in FB Rick Casares (1126 yards) and the leading passer, QB Ed Brown (9.9 yards per attempt), who split time with George Blanda. All-Pro end Harlon Hill caught 47 passes for 1128 yards and 11 touchdowns. The defense, anchored by All-Pro middle guard Bill George, was rugged. The two teams had played to a 17-17 tie during the regular season and the Bears were favored coming into the title game.

The Giants were concluding their first season as tenants at Yankee Stadium, and there were 56,836 fans present. New York got off to a quick start as HB Gene Filipski returned the opening kickoff 53 yards to the Chicago 39 yard line. Four plays later, FB Mel Triplett ran 17 yards up the middle for a touchdown (pictured above). It didn’t get any better for the Bears when, on their first possession following the ensuing kickoff, Casares fumbled on the second play and Robustelli recovered for New York at the Chicago 15. Ben Agajanian ended up kicking a 17-yard field goal. Before the first quarter was over, Agajanian kicked for another three points, from 43 yards, after safety Jim Patton intercepted a Brown pass.


It was 13-0 after the first quarter as Conerly (pictured at right) entered the contest for the Giants. In an unorthodox arrangement, backup QB Don Heinrich typically started and ran the offense for the first couple of series while Conerly studied the defense’s tendencies from the sideline. With the veteran quarterback now directing the attack, New York’s lead was extended to 20-0 three minutes into the second quarter as HB Alex Webster ran three yards for a touchdown.

The Bears finally got a break when a punt was fumbled by Tunnell at the New York 25 and DT John Mellekas recovered for Chicago. A five-play drive was capped by Casares running nine yards for a TD. However, any hopes the Bears might have had of getting back into the game were dashed when the Giants responded by driving 72 yards in five plays, including a pass from Conerly to Webster that covered 50 yards and a 20-yard run by Triplett down to the Chicago two yard line. Webster finished off the possession with another short scoring run, this time from a yard out. Less than two minutes later, Giants guard Ray Beck blocked a punt by Brown that was recovered in the end zone for a TD by DB Henry Moore. The score was 34-7 at the half.

The second half added little of note. The New York defense continued to shut down the Bears, with either Brown or Blanda behind center, and Chicago even switched from the T-formation to the double-wing in an unsuccessful effort to generate offense. The Giants put together a third quarter scoring drive of 80 yards in four plays that ended with a Conerly pass to end Kyle Rote for a nine-yard touchdown (the extra point attempt failed).

New York scored once more, in the fourth quarter, as Conerly passed to Gifford for 14 yards. Backup Bobby Clatterbuck replaced the veteran quarterback at that point and the game ended with the Giants winning by a very convincing 47-7 margin.


The Giants outgained Chicago, 348 yards to 270, and held the Bears to just 67 yards on the ground. Charlie Conerly didn’t need to go to the air often, but was efficient when he did so, completing 7 of 10 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Mel Triplett was the leading rusher, gaining 71 yards on 13 carries with a TD, while Frank Gifford (pictured at left) had 30 yards on five attempts and also caught four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Alex Webster (pictured below right), who had the two short scoring runs among his 12 carries for 27 yards, added another 5 pass receptions for 76 yards.


The Bears went to the air 47 times, with Ed Brown completing just 8 of 20 passes for 97 yards with an interception and George Blanda succeeding on 12 of 27 throws for 140 yards, also having one picked off. Rick Casares gained only 43 yards on 14 carries with Chicago’s lone score, but also had the costly early fumble. Harlon Hill caught 6 passes for 87 yards, but most came after the outcome had been decided. End Jim Dooley added another 6 receptions for 66 yards.

“The frozen field was no excuse,” said Paddy Driscoll afterward. “They just ran on it and we didn’t…we just didn’t have it…the Giants played a great game.”

It was the first NFL Championship for the Giants in 18 years. While the team would make it back to the title game five times in the next seven seasons, the win in 1956 would be their last until the Super Bowl following the 1986 season.

1958: Summerall FG Lifts Giants Past Browns to Force Playoff

The battle for the NFL’s Eastern Conference had come down to the season finale on December 14, 1958 as the New York Giants hosted the Cleveland Browns at Yankee Stadium. The Giants were 8-3 and a game behind the 9-2 Browns. Thus, New York needed to win in order to force a playoff with Cleveland for the conference title. A loss or tie would propel the Browns into the championship game.

New York’s head coach was Jim Lee Howell, but he had two highly able assistants in Vince Lombardi to run the offense and Tom Landry to direct the defense. They were a solid, veteran club on both sides of the ball, featuring QB Charlie Conerly, halfbacks Frank Gifford and Alex Webster, OT Roosevelt Brown, and C Ray Wietecha on offense and DE Andy Robustelli, MLB Sam Huff, and safety Jim Patton on defense. However, they had played poorly in the preseason and got off to a 2-2 start in the regular season games before winning six of their last seven contests (one of their wins had been against the Browns in Cleveland).

As for Cleveland, Head Coach Paul Brown’s club featured second-year FB Jim Brown on offense, who had already broken the single-season rushing record. If teams concentrated too heavily on stopping him, rookie HB Bobby Mitchell made them pay with his outstanding outside running ability. Second-year QB Milt Plum was still something of a project, but the offensive line was a good one and the defense contained Pro Bowl-quality players in tackles Bob Gain and Don Colo, LB Walt Michaels, and HB Don Paul.

The Browns wasted no time in taking the lead as Jim Brown ran 65 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. There was no further scoring until the second quarter, when Giants DE Jim Katcavage recovered a fumble at the Cleveland 38 by HB Lew Carpenter and the Giants capitalized as Pat Summerall kicked a 46-yard field goal.

The Browns responded with a 22-yard Lou Groza field goal that was set up by a 51-yard pass play from Plum to flanker Ray Renfro. Cleveland held a 10-3 lead at the half.

In their first possession of the third quarter, the Browns drove to the New York 13 yard line. But in a call that was heavily second-guessed afterward, Paul Brown chose to try a fake field goal. Holder Bobby Freeman attempted to run around left end but was tackled for a loss by LB Harland Svare. Instead of potentially taking a 13-3 lead (Groza had missed two earlier attempts, but this would have been from just 20 yards with the ball well placed at the center of the field), the margin remained seven points.

The teams traded punts after the failure on the fake. Now in the fourth quarter, and following a fumble by Plum that the Giants recovered on the Cleveland 45, New York came back with trickery of its own. End Kyle Rote had noted that the Browns were vulnerable to the halfback option pass because HB Don Paul and safety Junior Wren were quick to run up and defend against the sweep coming in their direction. On the first play following the fumble recovery, Conerly pitched to Gifford, who ran to his right on an apparent power sweep. The Browns defense shifted to stop the run, and Gifford fired a pass to Rote, who was finally brought down after a 39-yard gain to the six yard line. After two running plays into the line lost yardage, the Giants again ran the option play and Gifford threw to end Bob Schnelker in the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown (pictured below). Following Summerall’s extra point, the score was tied at 10-10.


The Browns, playing conservatively to run the clock down since a tie was as good as a win for their purposes, punted the ball back to the Giants. New York proceeded to drive from its own 30 to the Cleveland 25, but Summerall missed a 33-yard field goal attempt with less than five minutes to play.

The New York defense again forced the Browns to punt, but punter Dick Deschaine, who encountered a heavy rush, got off a poor 22-yard kick that went out at the Cleveland 43. The Giants misfired on three passes, including a long throw to Webster at the goal line that the halfback dropped and one to Gifford that was ruled an incomplete pass (although the Browns insisted afterward that it was a fumble).

With just over two minutes left, Summerall, who had suffered a knee injury in the previous contest against Detroit and was listed as doubtful in the week leading up to the game, kicked a 49-yard field goal through the snow for the winning points (pictured at top). The final score was 13-10, setting up the rematch at the same venue the following week.


The game had been a tough defensive struggle, and the two Cleveland turnovers, against none by the Giants, played a key role. The Browns outgained New York, 257 yards to 226. Jim Brown (pictured at right) accounted for 148 yards on 26 carries (bringing his record total to 1527), but other than the game-opening 65-yard score, the great fullback had been well defensed. Cleveland passed for just 107 yards, to 162 for the Giants.

“Imagine having to beat the Browns three times in one season to even get into the championship game,” said Jim Lee Howell. “Once is tough enough. Twice, and now again.”

In the rematch of the two 9-3 teams for the conference title the following week, the Giants defense shut the Browns down even more effectively and won, 10-0. They lost the NFL Championship game to the Baltimore Colts in a 23-17 overtime classic.

Pat Summerall, in his first year with the Giants after a season in Detroit and five with the Chicago Cardinals, was successful on 12 of 23 field goals in 1958, none bigger than the kick to beat the Browns. As he returned to the sideline following the climactic field goal, Vince Lombardi said to him, “You know you can’t kick a football that far, don’t you?”

1958: Colts Defeat Giants in Overtime for NFL Title in “Greatest Game”

Perhaps no pro football game has received more attention than the NFL Championship game played at Yankee Stadium in New York on December 28, 1958. While it has been characteristically referred to as “the Greatest Game Ever Played”, such a statement is debatable – while it was certainly a very good game, there’s plenty of competition for that highly subjective title. But it was the most significant game in terms of fueling the rise of pro football and cementing its place on network television and in the national consciousness.

The host Giants, coached by Jim Lee Howell, had won the title two years previously and typically contended in the Eastern Conference. They had not had an easy road to the championship game, having won the last four contests of the season to end up in a tie with Cleveland. The last win had in fact been over the Browns in a nail-biting, must-win contest that came down to a late 49-yard field goal by Pat Summerall. The Giants had to then host the Browns once again in a tie-breaking playoff, and won once more, 10-0.

Baltimore was less well known nationally than the Giants, having only come into existence in 1953, and was in the postseason for the first time thanks to the coaching of Weeb Ewbank, who was in his fifth year. They boasted QB Johnny Unitas, who in his third season led the league in touchdown passes (19) and was already being referred to as one of the premier players at his position. Split end Raymond Berry tied for the NFL lead in pass receptions (56), and the Colts could run the ball formidably with FB Alan “The Horse” Ameche and halfbacks Lenny Moore (a great receiver out of the backfield as well) and L.G. Dupre.

There were 64,185 fans at Yankee Stadium and another 40 million watching on tv as the Giants took the early lead on a 36-yard Summerall field goal. But the Colts dominated play for the most part in the first half, and scored twice in the second quarter – on a two-yard run by Ameche and a 15-yard pass play from Unitas to Berry – to take a 14-3 lead into halftime.

It appeared that Unitas and the Colts were going to take decisive control of the game on their first possession of the third quarter, driving to the New York three yard line. But the Giants defense held at that point, and when the Colts went for it on fourth down, LB Cliff Livingston nailed Ameche for a four-yard loss. Momentum now shifted to the Giants, and QB Charley Conerly hit end Kyle Rote on a deep slant; he fumbled at the Baltimore 25, but HB Alex Webster, trailing the play, picked up the loose football and carried it down to the one. FB Mel Triplett scored from there to cut the Colts lead to 14-10.

On the next possession, Conerly connected on a pass to end Bob Schnelker for 46 yards, setting up the go-ahead touchdown on a 15-yard pass from Conerly to HB Frank Gifford. Less than a minute into the fourth quarter, New York led 17-14. The solid Giants defense stopped the next two Baltimore drives. With the clock dipping under three minutes, the Giants faced a third-and-four situation at their own 40 yard line; a first down would all but nail down the win. Conerly handed off to Gifford, who was hit hard by DE Gino Marchetti (who broke his leg on the play) and seemed very close to the necessary yardage; the officials placed the ball just short, and Coach Howell elected to punt.

Don Chandler’s punt was a good one that the Colts were forced to fair catch at their 14 yard line. Now it was Unitas driving the Colts down the field. On a third-and-ten play, he hit Moore for a first down at the 25. With the Giants double-teaming the multi-talented Moore, Unitas found Berry for a diving catch at the 35. Unitas kept going to Berry, who caught three passes for 62 yards on the drive to the New York 13. With the clock ticking down to 30 seconds, Steve Myhra kicked a 20-yard field goal (pictured below) to tie the game at 17-17 and set the stage for the first “sudden death” overtime in NFL history.


The Giants won the toss and received, but came up short on a third down Conerly bootleg and had to punt. Baltimore got the ball on their 20 yard line, and from there Unitas directed one of the most famous drives in pro football history. First, L.G. Dupre swept for 11 yards. After a pass intended for Moore was batted away by Giants defensive halfback Lindon Crow, Ameche gained two yards on a draw play. On third-and-eight, Unitas passed to Ameche who just made enough yardage for the first down.

Dupre ran again, but then Unitas was sacked by DT Dick Modzelewski. With a third-and-15 situation, Unitas found Berry on a 20-yard pass play to keep the drive going. Another big gain followed as Ameche rumbled for 23 yards on a trap play to the New York 21 yard line. After a short gain by Dupre, it was Unitas to Berry once again for 12 yards and a first down at the Giants 8. Ameche ran for a yard, and then Unitas surprised the Giants with a six-yard pass to end Jim Mutscheller that put the ball on the one. From there, Ameche ran in for the score (pictured at bottom) and the Colts had a 23-17 win and the championship.

Johnny Unitas completed 26 of 40 passes for 349 yards with a TD and an interception. Berry was the top receiver with 12 catches for 178 yards and a score, and Lenny Moore had 101 yards on 6 receptions (he had a 60-yard catch in the first half). Alan Ameche led the runners with 65 yards on 14 carries, including the two touchdowns.

For New York, Charley Conerly had a solid performance in completing 10 of 14 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. Frank Gifford ran for a team-high 60 yards on 12 carries and also led the Giants with three pass receptions, for 14 yards and a TD, although he also fumbled the ball away three times. Kyle Rote accumulated the most pass receiving yards with 76 on two catches, and Bob Schnelker was right behind with 63 yards on his two receptions.

There was plenty of room for second-guessing with a game that was so close and turned on a few key plays. The decision to play for the touchdown rather than a field goal at the end particularly drew speculation, but the fact was that the pass to Mutscheller was a second down play and, with the team on a roll and Myhra not a sure bet to make the kick (the Giants blocked an attempt in the first half), Unitas was not inclined to be too conservative; in this instance, it proved to be a successful strategy and helped to confirm the lanky quarterback’s reputation as a daring field general and skillful clutch performer.

The close calls and second guesses have provided fuel for discussion over the years, but the outstanding performances – especially by Unitas – and the “sudden death” overtime element have long given the game an iconic status. And it surely generated interest in the sport at a time when television was ready to provide more exposure. Maybe, when you put all of the elements together, it truly was “the Greatest Game”.