1956 New York Giants season
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. It was their first NFL title in eighteen years; the Giants did not win another for thirty more.
| 1956 New York Giants season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Tim Mara |
| Head coach | Jim Lee Howell |
| Home field | Yankee Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–3–1 |
| Division place | 1st NFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Won NFL Championship (Bears, 47–7) |
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.
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
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 30 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 38–21 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | October 7 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 35–27 | 1–1 | |
| 3 | October 14 | at Cleveland Browns | W 21–9 | 2–1 | |
| 4 | October 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 38–10 | 3–1 | |
| 5 | October 28 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 20–3 | 4–1 | |
| 6 | November 4 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 17–14 | 5–1 | |
| 7 | November 11 | Chicago Cardinals | W 23–10 | 6–1 | |
| 8 | November 18 | at Washington Redskins | L 33–7 | 6–2 | |
| 9 | November 25 | Chicago Bears | T 17–17 | 6–2–1 | |
| 10 | December 2 | Washington Redskins | W 28–14 | 7–2–1 | |
| 11 | December 9 | Cleveland Browns | L 24–7 | 7–3–1 | |
| 12 | December 15 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–7 | 8–3–1 |
Postseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 30, 1956 | Chicago Bears | Yankee Stadium | W 47–7 |
Game Summaries
Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers
Week One: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
| 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
| 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 |
|---|
|
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
Week Three: New York Giants at Cleveland Browns
| 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 |
|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Four: Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Giants
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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 |
|---|
|
Week 8: at Washington Redskins
Week Eight: New York Giants at Washington Redskins
| 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 |
|---|
|
Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Nine: Chicago Bears at New York Giants
| 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
| 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 |
|---|
|
Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week Eleven: Cleveland Browns at New York Giants
| 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
| 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 |
|---|
|
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 Championship Game
1956 NFL Championship: Chicago Bears at New York Giants
| 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 |
|---|
|
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
See also
References
- Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.10, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
- Sell, Jack (October 20, 1956). "Giants open their home season". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 14.
- Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.68, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
- Sell, Jack (October 22, 1956). "48,198 watch Conerly pass for 3 Giant touchdowns". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 26.
- Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.70, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
- Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.120, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
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