1958 NFL Championship Game

About

The 1958 NFL Championship Game was the 26th NFL championship game, played on December 28 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. It was the first NFL game to be decided in sudden death overtime. The Baltimore Colts won their first championship in franchise history over the New York Giants 23–17 in what soon became widely known as "the Greatest Game Ever Played". Its legendary status in the pantheon of historic NFL games was again confirmed by a nationwide poll of 66 media members in 2019, who voted it the best game in the league's first 100 years.

It marked the beginning of the NFL's popularity surge and eventual rise to the top of the United States sports market. A major reason was that the game was televised across the nation by NBC. Baltimore receiver Raymond Berry recorded 12 receptions for 178 yards and a touchdown. His 12 receptions set a championship record that stood for 55 years until it was broken by Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in Super Bowl XLVIII. Unitas set the record for most passing yards in an NFL Championship Game with 349 prior to the dawn of the Super Bowl. The game also proved to be the only league championship decided in overtime until Super Bowl LI, 58 seasons later. It remains one of only three overtime championship games, along with Super Bowl LVIII, which occurred 65 seasons after the 1958 championship and seven seasons after Super Bowl LI.