| 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
| |||
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
| Most Valuable Player | Jim Brown, Running Back, Cleveland |
| Coach of the Year | Weeb Eubank, Baltimore Colts |
References[edit | edit source]
- 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
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