Introduction from The Sports Time Traveler™
I have just returned from my virtual trip to Chicago, precisely 60 year ago, where I experienced the 1963 NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears.
This was a classic match up between the 2 NFL teams from America’s 2 largest cities at the time, and featuring 2 of the game’s greatest legends.
THE NEW YORK GIANTS
The Giants (11-3) featured an outstanding offense led by Yelberton Abraham Tittle, known more commonly as Y.A. Tittle.
Tittle, at age 37, had the best season of his storied 17 year NFL career in 1963. He broke his own NFL record for TD passes in a single season with 36. He led all QBs in most statistical categories and was named NFL MVP by the AP (NOTE: The UPI selected Jim Brown as MVP. Brown had his best season ever as well, bettering his own NFL record for most rushing yards in a season with 1,863).
Behind Tittle, the Giants scored 448 points in 14 regular season games for an average of 32 per game. They were the first NFL team to score more than 400 points since the 1950 Los Angeles Rams.
Coming into the championship game, the Giants were arguably far better than even their 11 - 3 record. The 3 losses each came with an asterisk. In the 2nd game of the season Tittle did not play, and without Tittle there was no offense. They lost that game to the Steelers 31 - 0. Their 2nd loss came in another early season game against the Browns, who defeated the Giants 35 - 24 at a time when the Browns were the hottest team in the league, and the only team that got off to a 6 - 0 start. The 3rd loss was one of the bizarre NFL contests played just 2 days after the tragedy of the JFK assassination, in which the Giants played flat, as many teams around the league did amid the days of national mourning.
When the Giants needed to turn it on in the 2nd half of the season, they did, thrashing the Browns in their 2nd meeting 33 - 6, and beating the Steelers for the Eastern Division title 33 - 17.
Tittle came into the 1963 championship game having done it all. He had led the Giants to the top of the Eastern Division in 3 consecutive seasons. He had amassed a record of 31 - 5 - 1 as the Giants starting QB since he was traded from San Francisco to the Giants before the 1961 season.
And Title had won 3 NFL MVP awards. He was the UPI selection in 1957 and 1962 and the AP selection in 1963.
But Y.A. Tittle had never won a championship game.
The Giants lost to the Packers in 1961 and 1962, the only times Tittle has played in the NFL’s title game.
The 1963 championship game presented another opportunity for Tittle to get a Title.
THE CHICAGO BEARS
The Bears (11-1-2) featured the most devastating defense in the NFL in 1963. They allowed just 144 points in 14 games, a little over 10 per game.
That’s the fewest points per game given up since the 1945 Washington Redskins.
8 times the Bears held teams to a touchdown or less in 1963.
The Bears beat the 2-time defending NFL Champion Packers twice by a combined score of 36 - 10.
The Bears one loss was an inexplicable lapse against the worst team in the league, the 49ers, in a 20 - 14 shocker in San Francisco. In that game, the 49ers went up 17 - 0 in the 2nd quarter and then held on for the win.
The 1963 championship game was viewed as a monumental one in Chicago. George Strickler of the Chicago Tribune wrote on the morning of the game, “The Bears can climax the career of one of football’s most influential and colorful figures - George Halas - with a victory… it could crown the career of a man, who after devoting his life to a sport, has at the age of 68, rescued the Bears from confusion to surpass the achievements of all the immortal members of his profession.”
Halas, also known as “Pa Pa Bear,” had been the head coach of Chicago since 1920. He had led the Bears to 5 NFL titles, but none since 1946.
The sports staff of the Decatur Herald Review wrote on game day, “It would be a glorious climax to a fabulous career if the Chicago Bears could win all the marbles for George Stanley “Pa Pa Bear” Halas this afternoon.”
So this game was not just any NFL championship game. It was destined to be a legacy maker for one of these 2 men and for one of these 2 largest cities in America.
Naturally there was no way I could miss this game. I had to dial the sports time travel machine back to December 29, 1963 to experience this contest.
Note that the by-line for the game is December 30th, the day I read the stories in the newspapers.
And now, here is my story of the game.
A Title for Tittle or a Halo for Halas?
WRIGLEY FIELD - December 30, 1963
I’m here in Chicago where yesterday the Bears and Giants met for the 1963 NFL Title.
Just over 30 years ago, on December 17, 1933, these same 2 teams met in the very 1st NFL Championship Game on this same field.
The Bears won that game 23 - 21 when Bronko Nagurski threw a 20 yard TD pass to Bill Karr with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter for the come from behind victory.
17,866 fans, the largest ever to see a pro football game in Chicago at that time, were on hand at Wrigley Field for that 1933 game when pro football had just a fraction of the public appeal it has here now in 1963.
In contrast to that 1933 game, one year earlier, the two 1932 World Series games that were played at Wrigley Field somehow crammed in crowds of 49,986 and 49,844.
Now forward fast 30 years to yesterday’s game, and Wrigley Field was filled with 45,801 fans, although it was officially 290 tickets short of a sellout.
In addition the game was broadcast live, via the miracle of television, to a national audience estimated at 55 million people.
Game time was 12 noon in Chicago and the temperature was somewhere between 5 and 8 degrees, which were the official high temperatures for the day at Midway and O’Hare airports.
You can experience the game by watching the highlights video below:
Here’s my recap of the game with the time stamp on the video tape noted for easy viewing:
2:35 - Announcer Chris Schenkel started the TV broadcast with the biggest highlight from the Giants - Steelers Eastern Division championship of 2 weeks ago. He showed what was being called the greatest catch of Frank Gifford’s career. It’s the play that swung the momentum in the game from the Steelers to the Giants and led to the touchdown that put the Giants on track for this title game showdown.
7:00 - After the Giants had recovered a fumble by Bears QB Billy Wade, Y.A. Tittle capped a 7 play, 41 yard drive with a perfect 14 yard TD toss to Frank Gifford.
Gene Ward wrote about the play in the New York Daily News, “Tittle never saw Giff make the grab for he was buried under a pile of Bears as the Chicago mob applied pressure.”
Ward also noted that Tittle hurt his knee on the play.
GIANTS 7 BEARS 0 - 7:38 remaining in the 1st quarter
10:00 - After the teams had traded punts and the Bears started a drive from their own 25, Willie Galimore ran for 6 yards, but fumbled giving the Giants a grand opportunity.
10:50 - On the first play from the Bears 31, Tittle dropped back to pass. He evaded 2 Chicago rushers and threw into the end zone where his top receiver, Del Shofner, was wide open. The throw was just a touch high, but clearly catchable, yet Shofner couldn’t reel it in.
11:15 - Continue watching the next play as Tittle tried a screen pass to running back Joe Morrison. But Bears linebacker Larry Morris saw the play all the way and stepped in front of Morrison for the interception. Then he dashed 61 yards before he was finally brought down at the Giants 5 yard line.
Morris told Gordon White Jr., in a special to the New York Times that the Bears were looking for the screen pass. Then Morris described what he was thinking as he ran the ball back after making the interception, “For the first 34 yards I was just praying no one would tackle me. For the last 30 I was praying someone would. I was getting pooped real quickly.”
The Bears quickly converted the interception into a touchdown on a Billy Wade 2 yard keeper.
13:30 - On the ensuing kickoff the Giants fumbled and the Bears recovered the ball at the 5 and were poised to take the lead. But the kickoff play was called back due to an offsides penalty.
The Giants had caught an unbelievable break as the 1st quarter ended.
GIANTS 7 BEARS 7 - End of 1st quarter
When the ball was kicked off again the Giants took possession at their own 38. The Giants drove the ball all the way to the Bears 3.
The Bears defense shut down the Giants on 3rd and goal and New York’s Don Chandler kicked a field goal to put the Giants back in front with 10 minutes to play in the 1st half.
Following the kickoff, the Bears offense couldn’t move the ball and the Bears had to punt away.
20:40 - Tittle was hit as he threw a pass and his knee was severely injured. Larry Morris told the New York Times, “I hit him just as he tossed that pass. His left leg was rigidly set on the ground and I slammed him just at the knee.”
Tittle had to be replaced by rookie backup QB Glynn Griffing.
Griffing passed incomplete on 3rd down and the Giants had to settle for a field goal attempt from the Bears 37.
The field goal was missed, but the Giants still led the game as the 1st half came to a close.
GIANTS 10 BEARS 7 - Halftime
At halftime Tittle received 2 injections of novocaine and cortisone to mask the pain in his knee according to The New York Times. And right before the 3rd quarter began head coach Allie Sherman asked Tittle if he could play to which Tittle replied affirmatively.
24:25 - The Giants opened the 2nd half with a bang as Hugh McElhenny returned the kickoff 47 yards to midfield.
25:00 - Tittle dropped back to pass on the 1st play of the quarter and was whacked just after he got off a throw. Joe Morrison caught the pass and gained 12 yards on the play. But Tittle was shaken badly.
25:43 - On the next play Tittle’s throw was wobbly to Del Shofner and was intercepted by the Bears Dave Whitsell.
The Bears drove the ball deep into Giants territory on long passes by Billy Wade, but they had to settle for a field goal attempt which was missed.
28:05 - With 5 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, Tittle set up deep in his own territory. His short pass was intercepted by the Bears Ed O’Bradovich who ran it back to the Giants 14.
29:35 - The Bears faced 3rd and 9 from the 13 when Billy Wade completed a pass to Mike Ditka who nearly scored.
2 plays later Wade took the ball into the end zone on a quarterback sneak and for the first time all afternoon, the Chicago Bears were ahead.
BEARS 14 GIANTS 10 - 2:12 remaining in the 3rd quarter
Early in the 4th quarter with the Giants near midfield, Joe Morrison fumbled. The Bears couldn’t convert the turnover into points as their drive stalled at the Giants 28 and they missed another field goal.
Tittle, limping noticeably, started the Giants drive at their own 20 and drove them once again into Bears territory. On 1st down at the Bears 36, Joe Morrison came out of the game injured. The Giants other running back Phil King had previously come out of the game. Tittle had no choice but to rely on the pass.
41:25 - Tittle threw to Aaron Thomas who was wide open in the end zone. The pass was just over his head and the Giants missed out on what would have been a go ahead touchdown with 5 minutes to play.
On the very next play, Tittle threw deep again, but he was hit by Larry Morris just as the ball was about to leave his hand and it flew way up in the air and was caught in the end zone by the Bears defensive back Bennie McRae.
44:00 - On 3rd and 2 at the Bears 40 the Giants caught another break when the Bears 2 yard run was inches short, bringing up 4th down and a Bears punt.
The Giants defense had stopped the Bears and now the Giants had the ball back with about 1 minute and 40 seconds to play.
THE 100 SECONDS
Now begins what Dick Young of the New York Daily News called “The One Hundred Seconds.”
This was Y.A. Tittle’s chance to win the big one.
He started the drive at his own 17 yard line.
Tittle would need to lead the team 83 yards to a touchdown.
45:00 - The 100 seconds began as Tittle dropped back to pass and fired a bullet to Aaron Thomas in the middle of the field for a 1st down on the Giants 27. The Giants caught another break as the officials stopped the clock to measure and confirm the 1st down.
There were now 84 seconds to play and 73 yards to go.
45:50 - Tittle threw over the middle again to Hugh McElhenny for 7 yards to the Giants 34. McElhenny couldn’t get out of bounds and the Giants had to call their last time out.
63 seconds to play. 66 yards to go.
46:15 - Tittle again hit McElhenny over the middle for short yardage. McElhenny had a chance to possibly run to the sideline, but instead turned to run up the middle. He was tacked for an 11 yard gain at the Giants 45, but the clock kept running.
46:36 - Tittle threw the ball away in an effort to stop the clock.
47:15 - Tittle made a sensational throw to Frank Gifford at the sideline inside the Bears 40. Gifford caught, got both his feet down and then his momentum carried him out of bounds. But the officials ruled him out of bounds and there was no completion.
It was now 3rd down and 10 from Giants 45.
32 seconds to play. 55 yards to go.
47:40 - Tittle completed a pass over the middle to Gifford who was slammed down to the ground at the Bears 40. It’s a 1st down. But the clock was running.
Tittle quickly got a snap and threw out of bounds to stop the clock.
10 seconds to play. 40 yards to go.
48:26 - Tittle dropped back to pass. He threw a long high pass into the end zone. It was caught by Richie Petibon, a Bears defensive back who immediately took a knee with 2 seconds remaining.
The other Bears defensive players hugged Petibon as they scampered off the field in celebratory mode. They were one snap away from winning the title.
A moment later it was official. The Chicago Bears were the 1963 NFL Champions.
The interception was the 5th of the day for Tittle. It’s the most interceptions he’s ever had in his career.
George Strickler of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “By their triumph, the Bears climaxed the career of one of football’s greatest coaches, 67 year-old George Halas, the venerable pro pioneer who is virtually everyone’s candidate for coach of the century.”
Halas compared the victory to his 1940 Bears 73 - 0 championship demolition of the Washington Redskins.
But he called this game, “my biggest personal satisfaction,” in an AP article.
The game ball however was not given to Halas, but to his defensive coach George Allen.
Allen had designed the defense that stopped the league’s best quarterback, Y.A. Tittle.
Both of Chicago’s touchdowns had come on short drives of less than 15 yards, made possible by interceptions of Tittle passes.
Allen told the Chicago Tribune, “Our objective was to protect against the screen… and of course, we were watching against the long bomb. We knew Tittle threw that well. We were waiting for it.”
Dick Young wrote in the New York Daily News, “Tittle need not feel he failed… He is a loser. But he is a magnificent loser. Rarely in victory, of which there has been much, has Tittle been as striking a figure as he was in those last One Hundred Seconds of television drama.”
Giants defensive end Andy Robustelli, also heaped praise on Y.A. Tittle. He told Jim McCulley in the New York Daily News, “We played with half a quarterback, they played with a full one, and that was the difference. If Tittle hadn’t been hurt, we’d have won. I know both teams played a tremendous game defensively. Tittle’s injury was the difference.”
Doug Atkins, the Bears big defensive end, summed up the game well in the Chicago Tribune, “We were lucky today. A defense isn’t supposed to beat a team, just hold them But we beat them, and nobody can argue about it.”
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