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1958 NFL Championship Game

1958 NFL Championship Game
1 2 3 4 OT Total
Baltimore Colts 0 14 0 3 6 23
New York Giants 3 0 7 7 0 17
Date December 28, 1958
Stadium Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York
Referee Ron Gibbs
Attendance 64,185
TV in the United States
Network NBC
Announcers Chris Schenkel, Chuck Thompson
Radio in the United States
Network NBC (national)
WBAL (Colts)
WCBS (Giants)
Announcers Joe Boland, Bill McColgan (NBC)
Bob Wolff, Bailey Goss (WBAL)
Les Keiter, Bob Cook (WCBS)

The 1958 National Football League Championship Game was the 26th NFL championship game, played on December 28 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. It was the first NFL playoff game to go into sudden death overtime. The final score was Baltimore Colts 23, New York Giants 17, and the game has since become widely known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played."

It marked the beginning of the NFL's popularity surge, and eventual rise to the top of the United States sports market. A major reason was that the game was televised across the nation by NBC. Baltimore receiver Raymond Berry recorded 12 receptions for 178 yards and a touchdown. His 12 receptions set a championship record that stood for 55 years.

Both teams finished the 1958 season with a 9–3 record. For the Giants, it was their fifth consecutive winning season, a stretch that included an NFL Championship in 1956. In contrast, 1958 was only the second winning season in Colts' history since the team's founding in 1953.

Baltimore started off the season winning their first six games before losing to New York, 24–21, in week 7 of the regular season. However, Colts starting quarterback Johnny Unitas was injured at the time and did not play in the game. Three weeks later, Unitas returned to lead the Colts to a critical come-from-behind win against Hall of Fame quarterback Y. A. Tittle and his San Francisco 49ers. Trailing 27–7 at halftime, Baltimore stormed back with four unanswered touchdowns to win, 35–27, clinching the Western Conference championship. This allowed them to rest their starters for the final two games of the regular season, both on the road in California.


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