1958-59 NFL Champs

1958 NFL Championship - Colts 23 Giants 17

IT HAS BEEN called the greatest professional football game ever played. At the time, the Giants had the NFL's toughest defense while the Colts fielded the league's most potent offense. The Giants drew first blood as Pat Summerall kicked a 36-yard field goal to provide New York with an early 3-0 lead at Yankee Stadium. But the Colts struck back. Alan Ameche scored on the ground and Johnny Unitas connected with Raymond Berry to build a 14-3 halftime lead.

An 86-yard gain, the result of Alex Webster scooping up a fumble after Charlie Conerly connected with Kyle Rote, set up Mel Triplett's one-yard score to pull the Giants within 14-10 in the second half. Conerly then threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gifford to provide New York with 17-14 advantage.

The Giants had the lead and the ball with just over two minutes to play. Facing a third-and-four, the Colts expected a pass. Instead, Conerley pitched to Gifford on a sweep. Gino Marchetti wrestled Gifford to the turf near the first-down marker. As the play ended, Colts' defensive end Big Daddy Lipscomb fell across the pile and broke his leg. In the ensuing confusion, the officials forgot to mark the ball. When they did, it was short of the first down. And while Gifford still maintains he made the first down, the Giants punted.

Mixing the run and pass, Unitas marched his team down the field. With seven seconds left to play, Steve Myrah, who converted just 4-of-10 field goal attempts in the regular season, tied the game on a 13-yard field goal.

It marked the first time in NFL history that a championship game ended in a tie. The rules called for a sudden death overtime period. The Giants won the coin toss and but their offense sputtered and they were forced to punt. The Colts took over at their own 20 and Unitas orchestrated a 13-play drive that culminated with Ameche scoring on a one-yard run.