1958 NFL season

1958 National Football League season
Regular season
Duration	September 28 - December 14, 1958
East Champions	New York Giants
West Champions	Baltimore Colts
Championship Game
Champions	Baltimore Colts
National Football League seasons  < 1957 1959 >

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 would be 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 Browns and Giants finished with 9–3 records, and in the playoff that followed, the Browns lost 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.

Week	WESTERN		EASTERN
1	3 teams: (Bal, Chi, SF)	1-0-0	3 teams: (Cle, NYG, Was)	1-0-0
2	Baltimore Colts	2-0-0	Cleveland Browns	2-0-0
3	Baltimore Colts	3-0-0	Cleveland Browns	3-0-0
4	Baltimore Colts	4-0-0	Cleveland Browns	4-0-0
5	Baltimore Colts	5-0-0	Cleveland Browns	5-0-0
6	Baltimore Colts	6-0-0	Cleveland Browns	5-1-0
7	Baltimore Colts	6-1-0	Tie: (Cle, NYG)	5-2-0
8	Baltimore Colts	7-1-0	Cleveland Browns	6-2-0
9	Baltimore Colts	8-1-0	Cleveland Browns	7-2-0
10	Baltimore Colts	9-1-0	Cleveland Browns	8-2-0
11	Baltimore Colts	9-2-0	Cleveland Browns	9-2-0
12	Baltimore Colts	9-3-0	Tie: (Cle, NYG)	9-3-0

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

See: 1958 NFL playoffs

Home team in capitals

Eastern Conference Playoff Game

• N.Y. GIANTS 10, Cleveland 0

NFL Championship Game

• Baltimore 23, N.Y. GIANTS 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)
• 1958 season in details
• Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)

Template:1958 NFL season by team