View source for 1959 NFL Championship Game

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox NFLChamp
| type = nflc
| name = 1959
| image = Colts-Giants-gameprogram-591227.jpg
| caption = Cover of the game program
| visitor = [[1959 New York Giants season|New York Giants]]
| visitor_abbr = NYG
| home = [[1959 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]]
| home_abbr = BAL
| visitor_coach = [[Jim Lee Howell]]
| home_coach = [[Weeb Ewbank]]
| visitor_conf = Eastern
| home_conf = Western
| visitor_record = 10–2
| home_record = 9–3
| visitor_qtr1 = 3
| visitor_qtr2 = 3
| visitor_qtr3 = 3
| visitor_qtr4 = 7
| visitor_total = 16
| home_qtr1 = 7
| home_qtr2 = 0
| home_qtr3 = 0
| home_qtr4 = 24
| home_total = 31
| date = December 27, 1959
| stadium = [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]]
| city = [[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]]
| attendance = 57,545
| network = [[NFL on NBC|NBC]]
| HOFers = '''Giants:''' [[Wellington Mara]] (owner), [[Rosey Brown]], [[Frank Gifford]], [[Sam Huff]], [[Andy Robustelli]] <br> '''Colts:''' [[Weeb Ewbank]] (coach), [[Raymond Berry]], [[Art Donovan]], [[Gino Marchetti]], [[Lenny Moore]], [[Jim Parker (American football)|Jim Parker]], [[Johnny Unitas]]
| announcers = [[Chuck Thompson]], [[Chris Schenkel]]
| radio = [[NFL on NBC Radio|NBC]]
| radioannouncers = [[Van Patrick]]
}}

The '''1959 NFL World Championship Playoff''' was the 27th NFL [[History of the National Football League championship|championship game]], played on December 27 at [[Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)|Memorial Stadium]] in [[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]].<ref name=pctretn>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RkMxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5w8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5065%2C2546681 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=UPI |title=Pick Colts to retain pro crown |date=December 27, 1959 |page=1C}}</ref><ref name=ppgpro>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A39IAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7340%2C4704915 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |last=Sell |first=Jack |title=Colts destroy Giants for pro crown 31-16 |date=December 28, 1959 |page=20}}</ref><ref name=mscorlly>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R0MxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5w8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7108%2C3340982 |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=Associated Press |title=Colts' 24 pt. rally sinks Giants |date=December 28, 1959 |page=2, part 2 }}</ref><ref name=eversaw>{{cite news |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1960/01/04/582350/the-best-team-you-ever-saw  |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Maule |first=Tex |author-link=Tex Maule |title=The best team you ever saw |date=January 4, 1960 |page=12}}</ref>

It was a rematch of the [[1958 NFL Championship Game|1958 championship game]] that went into overtime. The defending champion [[1959 Baltimore Colts season|Baltimore Colts]] (9–3) again won the Western Conference, while the [[1959 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] (10–2) repeated as Eastern Conference champions.
The Colts were favored to repeat as champions by 3½ points.<ref name=pctretn/><ref name=pfewut>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D20pAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4786%2C3626586 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Pro football epic will unfold today |date=December 27, 1959 |page=2, sports }}</ref><ref name=ctcgbftt>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1959/12/27/page/29/article/tv-blackout-moves-200-000-fans-into-baltimore-traffic-jam-as |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |last=Strickler |first=George |title=Colts, Giants battle for title today |date=December 27, 1959 |page=1, part 2}}</ref>

This game also went down to the last quarter, but the Colts did not need any heroics in overtime. Trailing 9–7 at the start of the fourth quarter, Baltimore scored 24 straight points and won, 31–16.<ref name=ppgpro/><ref name=mscorlly/><ref name=geobown>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ajBJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=M4QMAAAAIBAJ&pg=962%2C3597925 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator |location=(Ohio) |agency=Associated Press |title=Baltimore explodes for 24 points in final period to rout New York, 31-16 |last=Bowen |first=George |date=December 28, 1959 |page=20 }}</ref><ref name=ctcrettl>{{cite news |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1959/12/28/page/57/article/colts-retain-title-beat-giants-31-16 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |last=Strickler |first=George |title=Colts retain title; beat Giants, 31-16 |date=December 28, 1959 |page=1, part 2}}</ref>

This was the only NFL championship game played in Baltimore.

==Scoring summary==
''Sunday, December 27, 1959''<br>
Kickoff: 2:05&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]<ref name=pctretn/><ref name=pfewut/>

*'''First quarter'''
**BAL – [[Lenny Moore]] 60-yard pass from [[Johnny Unitas]] ([[Steve Myhra]] kick), BAL 7–0
**NYG – FG [[Pat Summerall]] 23, BAL 7–3
*'''Second quarter'''
**NYG – FG Summerall 37, BAL 7–6
*'''Third quarter'''
**NYG – FG Summerall 22, NYG 9–7
*'''Fourth quarter'''
**BAL – Unitas 4-yard run (Myhra kick), BAL 14–9
**BAL – [[Jerry Richardson]] 12-yard pass from Unitas (Myhra kick), BAL 21–9
**BAL – [[Johnny Sample]] 42-yard interception return (Myhra kick), BAL 28–9
**BAL – FG Myhra 25, BAL 31–9
**NYG – [[Bob Schnelker]] 32-yard pass from [[Charlie Conerly]] (Summerall kick), BAL 31–16

==Officials==
{{col-begin}}{{col-break}}
*'''Referee:''' [[Ronald Gibbs|Ron Gibbs]]
*'''Umpire:''' [[Lou Palazzi]]
*'''Head linesman:''' [[Charlie Berry]]
*'''Back judge:''' Cleo Diehl
*'''Field judge:''' [[Chuck Sweeney]]<ref name=ctcrettl/>
{{col-break|gap=4em}}
*Alternate: William Downes
*Alternate: Joe Connell
*Alternate: John Highberger
*Alternate: [[Stan Javie|Stan Jaworowski]]
*Alternate: [[Herm Rohrig]]<ref name=ctcgbftt/>
{{col-end}}

The NFL had five game officials in {{nfly|1959}}; the line judge was added in {{nfly|1965}} and the side judge in {{nfly|1978}}.

The officiating crew for 1959 championship game was identical to the one from the previous year. 

==Players' shares==
The gross receipts for the game, including<!-- $xx,000 for--> radio and television rights, were just over [[United States dollar|$]]666,000, slightly below the previous year. Each player on the winning Colts team received $4,674, while Giants players made $3,083 each.<ref name=geobown/>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* Chris Schenkel (narrator), [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTTU81mcp6s "New York Giants vs. Baltimore Colts in Football's World Championship,"] Ballantine Beer and the National Football League, via YouTube.com, Nov. 15, 2017.

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{{1959 NFL season by team}}
{{1959 Baltimore Colts}}
{{Indianapolis Colts}}
{{New York Giants}}
{{NFL pre-sb}}
{{NFL on NBC}}

[[Category:1959 NFL season|Championship Game]]
[[Category:NFL Championship games]]
[[Category:Baltimore Colts postseason]]
[[Category:New York Giants postseason]]
[[Category:1959 in sports in Maryland|NFL Championship Game]]
[[Category:December 1959 sports events in the United States|NFL Championship Game]]
[[Category:1950s in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Baltimore]]
[[Category:American football in Baltimore]]
[[Category:American football competitions in Maryland]]