1958 NFL season
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 28 – December 14, 1958 |
| East Champions | New York Giants |
| West Champions | Baltimore Colts |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Baltimore Colts |
The 1958 NFL season was the 39th regular season of the National Football League.
The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23–17, in the first sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game. The game became known to American football fans as "The Greatest Game Ever Played".
Conference races
The 1958 Colts–Giants title game was a milestone in the popularity of pro football, but the Giants almost didn't make it there. The Cleveland Browns led the Eastern Conference title race up until the final week. On December 14, the 9–2 Browns visited the 8–3 Giants. As a snowstorm swept over Yankee Stadium, the Browns' 10–3 lead gave way to a 10–10 tie game on Frank Gifford's pass to Bob Schnelker, which would still have suited Cleveland. The Giants' Pat Summerall missed a 31-yard field goal with 4½ minutes left. With two minutes to play, Summerall got another opportunity from 49 yards out, in inclement weather and connected for a 13–10 win. The goal post from that game was broken down and a part of it was later used by FOX Sports as part of a plaque that was given to Summerall for his retirement gift following Super Bowl XXXVI, which he and John Madden called for Fox. The Browns and Giants finished with 9–3 records, and in the playoff the next week, the Giants won again at Yankee Stadium, 10–0.
The Western Conference race was over after ten games, with the Colts at 9–1, and the Bears and Rams mathematically eliminated at 6–4. The Colts lost their final two games on the road in California to finish at 9–3, a game ahead of the Bears.
The Green Bay Packers finished with a league-worst record of 1–10–1 and hired Vince Lombardi, offensive coach of the Giants, as head coach in January 1959.
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 246 | 183 |
| Cleveland Browns | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 302 | 217 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 261 | 230 |
| Washington Redskins | 4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 214 | 268 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 2 | 9 | 1 | .182 | 261 | 356 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 9 | 1 | .182 | 235 | 306 |
| Western Conference | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Colts | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 381 | 203 |
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 298 | 230 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 344 | 278 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 257 | 324 |
| Detroit Lions | 4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 261 | 276 |
| Green Bay Packers | 1 | 10 | 1 | .091 | 193 | 382 |
Playoffs
- Home team in capitals
Eastern Conference Playoff Game
- New York 10, Cleveland 0
NFL Championship Game
- Baltimore 23, New York 17 (OT)
Awards
| Most Valuable Player | Jim Brown, Running Back, Cleveland |
| Coach of the Year | Weeb Eubank, Baltimore Colts |
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1951–1960 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)