1956_New_York_Giants_season
1956 New York Giants season
NFL team 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 until the 1986 season .
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 (vs. Bears) 47–7 |
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- 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.
- 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 | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Championship | December 30 | Chicago Bears | Yankee Stadium | W 47–7 | 56,836 | Recap |
Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 17 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
49ers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Game information | ||
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at Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, California
- Date: September 30
- Game attendance: 41,751
Week 2: at Chicago Cardinals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 6 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
Game information |
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at Comiskey Park, Chicago
- Date: October 7
- Game attendance: 21,799
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
Game information |
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at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: October 14
- Game attendance: 60,042
Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Giants | 0 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
Game information |
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at Yankee Stadium, New York City
- Date: October 21
- Game attendance: 48,108
Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eagles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Giants | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
Game information |
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at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: October 28
- Game attendance: 40,960
Week 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Game information |
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at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 4
- Game attendance: 31,240
Week 7: vs. Chicago Cardinals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Giants | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
Game information |
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at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: November 11
- Game attendance: 62,410
Week 8: at Washington Redskins
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Redskins | 7 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 33 |
Game information |
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at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Date: November 18
- Game attendance: 26,261
Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bears | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 |
Giants | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Game information |
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at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: November 25
- Game attendance: 56,836
Week 10: vs. Washington Redskins
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redskins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Giants | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Game information |
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at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: December 2
- Game attendance: 46,361
Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Browns | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Game information |
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at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: December 9
- Game attendance: 27,707
Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Giants | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Game information |
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at Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia
- Date: December 15
- Game attendance: 15,562
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.
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Giants | 13 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 47 |
Game information | ||
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at Yankee Stadium, New York
- Date: December 30
- Game attendance: 56,836
- 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
- 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
Preceded by | NFL champion 1956 |
Succeeded by |