1956 New York Giants season
NFL team season
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The 1956 New York Giants season was the franchise's 32nd season in the National Football League. After finishing with an 8–3–1 record, the Giants won their fourth league title by defeating the Chicago Bears 47–7 in the NFL championship game.
| 1956 New York Giants season | |
|---|---|
| |
| Owner | Tim Mara |
| Head coach | Jim Lee Howell |
| Home stadium | Yankee Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–3–1 |
| Division place | 1st NFL Eastern |
| Playoffs | Won NFL Championship (vs. Bears) 47–7 |
The game played at Yankee Stadium saw a field with icy conditions. The Giants used the same tactic in the 1934 title game by wearing sneakers. It was their first NFL title in eighteen years; the Giants did not win another championship until the 1986 season.
Transactions
- July 27, 1956: Andy Robustelli was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Giants in exchange for New York's first round selection in the next NFL draft on November 26.[1] The Rams used that pick, the eleventh overall, to select receiver Del Shofner of Baylor.
Roster
Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
Special teams (ST)
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|
Regular season
- Through the 1955 season, the Giants played their home games at the Polo Grounds. Their first game at Yankee Stadium was on October 21 against the Pittsburgh Steelers,[2][3] and the attendance was 48,108.[4][5]
Schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 30 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 38–21 | 1–0 | Kezar Stadium | 41,751 | Recap | ||
| 2 | October 7 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 27–35 | 1–1 | Comiskey Park | 21,799 | Recap | ||
| 3 | October 14 | at Cleveland Browns | W 21–9 | 2–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 60,042 | Recap | ||
| 4 | October 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 38–10 | 3–1 | Yankee Stadium | 48,108 | Recap | ||
| 5 | October 28 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 20–3 | 4–1 | Yankee Stadium | 40,960 | Recap | ||
| 6 | November 4 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 17–14 | 5–1 | Forbes Field | 31,240 | Recap | ||
| 7 | November 11 | Chicago Cardinals | W 23–10 | 6–1 | Yankee Stadium | 62,410 | Recap | ||
| 8 | November 18 | at Washington Redskins | L 7–33 | 6–2 | Griffith Stadium | 26,261 | Recap | ||
| 9 | November 25 | Chicago Bears | T 17–17 | 6–2–1 | Yankee Stadium | 55,191 | Recap | ||
| 10 | December 2 | Washington Redskins | W 28–14 | 7–2–1 | Yankee Stadium | 26,261 | Recap | ||
| 11 | December 9 | Cleveland Browns | L 7–24 | 7–3–1 | Yankee Stadium | 27,707 | Recap | ||
| 12 | December 15 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–7 | 8–3–1 | Connie Mack Stadium | 16,562 | Recap | ||
| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. | |||||||||
Postseason
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 30 | Chicago Bears | Yankee Stadium | W 47–7 | 56,836 | Recap |
Game summaries
Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers
Week One: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 17 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| 49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California
- Date: September 30
- Game attendance: 41,751
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at Chicago Cardinals
Week Two: New York Giants at Chicago Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 6 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at Comiskey Park, Chicago
- Date: October 7
- Game attendance: 21,799
| Game information |
|---|
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Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
Week Three: New York Giants at Cleveland Browns
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 14
- Game attendance: 60,042
| Game information |
|---|
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Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Four: Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steelers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Giants | 0 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York City
- Date: October 21
- Game attendance: 48,108
| Game information |
|---|
|
Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week Five: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Giants | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: October 28
- Game attendance: 40,960
| Game information |
|---|
|
Week 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Six: New York Giants at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 4
- Game attendance: 31,240
| Game information |
|---|
|
Week 7: vs. Chicago Cardinals
Week Seven: Chicago Cardinals at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Giants | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: November 11
- Game attendance: 62,410
| Game information |
|---|
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Week 8: at Washington Redskins
Week Eight: New York Giants at Washington Redskins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Redskins | 7 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 33 |
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 18
- Game attendance: 26,261
| Game information |
|---|
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Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Nine: Chicago Bears at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
| Giants | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: November 25
- Game attendance: 56,836
| Game information |
|---|
|
Week 10: vs. Washington Redskins
Week Ten: Washington Redskins at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Giants | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: December 2
- Game attendance: 46,361
| Game information |
|---|
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Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week Eleven: Cleveland Browns at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: December 9
- Game attendance: 27,707
| Game information |
|---|
|
Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week Twelve: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia
- Date: December 15
- Game attendance: 15,562
| Game information |
|---|
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Standings
| NFL Eastern Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
| New York Giants | 8 | 3 | 1 | .727 | 7–3 | 264 | 197 | W1 | |
| Chicago Cardinals | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 7–3 | 240 | 182 | W1 | |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 5–5 | 183 | 225 | L2 | |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 4–6 | 167 | 177 | L1 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 4–6 | 217 | 250 | W1 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 3–7 | 143 | 215 | L3 | |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
| NFL Western Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 8–2 | 363 | 246 | W2 | |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 300 | 188 | L1 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 5–5 | 233 | 284 | W3 | |
| Baltimore Colts | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 3–7 | 270 | 322 | W1 | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 291 | 307 | W2 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 264 | 342 | L2 | |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
NFL Championship Game
1956 NFL Championship: Chicago Bears at New York Giants
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Giants | 13 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 47 |
at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: December 30
- Game attendance: 56,836
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Roster
Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
Special teams (ST)
|
Reserve
|
Awards and honors
- Rosey Brown, All-Pro selection
- Sam Huff, All-Pro selection
- Sam Huff, Rookie of the Year
- Frank Gifford, NFL MVP
- Frank Gifford, All-Pro selection
- Frank Gifford ranked fifth in the league with 819 rushing yards, first with 5.2 yards per carry, and third in receiving with 51 catches for 603 yards. No other player had reached the Top 5 in all of these categories before Gifford.[6]
- Rosey Grier, All-Pro selection
- Andy Robustelli, All-Pro selection
- Emlen Tunnell, All-Pro selection