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| Date | December 29, 1963 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Wrigley Field Chicago,Illinois | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Larry Morris (Linebacker; Chicago) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Norm Schachter | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 45,801 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Jack Brickhouse Chris Schenkel George Connor | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Jim Gibbons Pat Summerall | ||||||||||||||||||
The1963 NFL Championship Game was the 31st annual championship game, played on December 29 atWrigley Field inChicago,Illinois.[1][2] The game pitted the visitingNew York Giants (11–3) of the Eastern Conference against theChicago Bears (11–1–2) of the Western Conference.[3][4][5][6]
Originally,NFL CommissionerPete Rozelle had asked Bears owner/coachGeorge Halas to move the game toSoldier Field due to its higherseating capacity and lights, and the possibility the game could extend into multiple overtime periods; Wrigley Field did not have lights until1988.[7]
After Halas declined the request, Rozelle moved the game's starting time up to 12:05 p.m.CST for increased daylight,[8] similar to the situation in1960 atFranklin Field. The Championship Game was played in temperatures under 10 °F (−12 °C).[3][9]
The Giants were in their third consecutive championship game and fifth in the last six seasons. They lost to theBaltimore Colts in1958 and1959, and theGreen Bay Packers in1961 and1962. The Bears were in their first Championship Game since a loss to the Giants in1956 atYankee Stadium, and had last won in1946, defeating the Giants at thePolo Grounds.
This was the fifth and final NFL Championship Game at Wrigley Field, which hosted the first in1933, as well as1937,1941, and1943. The Bears won four, with the only loss in 1937.
Tickets were $12.50, $10, and $6.[10][11]NBC paid the league $926,000 for the broadcast rights.[12][13][14]
The Giants, coached byAllie Sherman, were known for their powerful offense, which scored 448 points in 14 games. They were led byquarterbackY. A. Tittle who threw 36 touchdown passes during the season, then an NFL record. Other contributing players on offense werePro BowlersDel Shofner andFrank Gifford. Wide receiver Shofner caught 64 passes for 1,181 yards and 9touchdowns. Flanker Gifford had 42 receptions for 657 yards and 7 touchdowns. Formerly a star halfback, he had switched to the flanker position in1962, having sat out the1961 season following a devastating hit by linebackerChuck Bednarik in November1960. The Giants also used a plethora of players at running back, with the main two beingPhil King andJoe Morrison. Although neither one had significant individual statistics, they combined for 1,181 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns.
The Giants defense allowed 280 points, ranking fifth overall in the 14-team NFL. This group was led by futurePro Football Hall of FamelinebackerSam Huff. Other contributing players on defense weredefensive linemen,Jim Katcavage, andJohn LoVetere; linebackerTom Scott; anddefensive backsErich Barnes andDick Lynch.
Meanwhile, the Bears were known for their defense, nicknamed theMonsters of the Midway. Led bydefensive coordinatorGeorge Allen, this unit yielded 144 points in 14 games. The defensive line consisted ofEd O'Bradovich,Fred Williams,Stan Jones, and future hall of famerDoug Atkins. The linebacking corps was led byJoe Fortunato,Bill George, andLarry Morris, while the defensive backs were led byRichie Petitbon andRosey Taylor. Accomplishments by the Bears defense during the regular season included making 36 pass interceptions, surrendering only 1 touchdown in two games versus theGreen Bay Packers, and not allowing any passing touchdowns in its two games against quarterbackJohnny Unitas and theBaltimore Colts. Writers in New York were especially fearful of the trio at linebacker, stating that Tittle had yet to see a group like them all year.[15]
Chicago's offense did not come close to the Giants' in terms of points scored or yards gained. The group only scored 301 points, ranking 10th out of the league's then-14 teams. The offense was led by quarterbackBill Wade, the first overall pick of the1952 NFL draft. Wade ran a simplified game plan, nicknamed "three yards and a cloud of dust," in which they would play it safe by running the ball or tossing short passes to the ends or backs instead of risking giving up an interception. Wade threw almost as many passes as Tittle in 1963 - 356 vs. 367 - but Y.A. favored longer throws, as evidenced by 8.6 yards-per-attempt vs. Wade's 6.5. Wade's favorite targets weretight endMike Ditka and wide receiver,Johnny Morris.
The Giants entered the title game as slight favorites.[12][16]
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The Giants opened the scoring in the first quarter when Tittle led New York on a 41-yard drive capped off by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gifford. The drive was set up by Billy Wade's fumble on the Bears' 41-yard line, which was recovered by former BearErich Barnes.[17] Later in the first period, Larry Morris hit Tittle's left knee with his helmet as the quarterback threw. The injured Tittle was much less effective for the rest of the game.[18] After Del Shofner failed to hang onto a Tittle pass in the end zone, Morris intercepted Tittle's screen pass and returned the ball 61 yards to the Giants' 6-yard line. Two plays later, Wade scored a touchdown on a two-yardquarterback sneak to tie the game at 7.
In the second quarter, the Giants retook the lead, 10–7, on a 13-yard field goal. But on New York's next drive, Tittle reinjured his left knee on another hit by Morris. With Tittle out for two possessions, the Giants struggled, only able to advance 2 yards in 7 plays. Allie Sherman even punted on third down, showing no confidence in backup Glynn Griffing. The score remained 10–7 athalftime.
Tittle came back in the third period, but neededcortisone,Novocaine, and heavy taping and bandaging to continue. For the rest of the game, he was forced to throw off his back foot (poor mechanics for a quarterback). An interception on another screen pass by the Bears' Ed O'Bradovich was brought deep into Giant territory, setting up Wade's 1-yard touchdown to give Chicago a 14–10 lead. The score held up, and the Bears iced the game on Richie Petitbon's interception in the end zone with 10 seconds left. It was Tittle's 5th interception. Defensive coordinator George Allen was given the game ball due to his defense's spectacular play. Tittle was held to only 11 completions in 29 attempts, and the Bears' superior scouting and preparation were evidenced by their success defending against the Giants' screen passes.
Although the youngAmerican Football League (AFL) was completing itsfourth season, the NFL still regarded itself as the premiere professional league of American football, as reflected in WGN radio broadcasterJack Quinlan's comment as the clock ticked to zero on the final play: "The Chicago Bears are world's champions of professional football!" It was22 years before the Bears won another league championship.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Bears | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
atWrigley Field,Chicago, Illinois
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The NFL had five game officials in1963; the line judge was added in1965 and the side judge in1978.
The gate receipts for the game were about$500,000 and the television money was $926,000. For the first time, the NFL tried a closed-circuit telecast in the localblackout area, with 26,000 viewing on large screens in four locations:McCormick Place,International Amphitheatre,Chicago Coliseum, andChicago Stadium;[1][19][20] tickets ranged from $4 to$7.50.[19] Gross receipts were $1,493,954, with $35,402 from the closed-circuit telecast.[21]
Each player on the winning Bears team received $5,899, while Giants players made $4,218 each.[21][22] Both were a record, each a slight increase over theprevious year's championship game atYankee Stadium, despite a significantly lower attendance due to the venue.[21]
Riger, Robert.Best Plays of the Year: 1963. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 1964.
41°56′53″N87°39′22″W / 41.948°N 87.656°W /41.948; -87.656
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