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.

This article is about the football team. For the baseball team of the same name at this time, see 1956 New York Giants (MLB) season.

1956 New York Giants season
Head coach	Jim Lee Howell
Owner	Tim Mara
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	41,751
2	October 7	at Chicago Cardinals	L 35–27	1–1	21,799
3	October 14	at Cleveland Browns	W 21–9	2–1	60,042
4	October 21	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 38–10	3–1	48,108
5	October 28	Philadelphia Eagles	W 20–3	4–1	40,960
6	November 4	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 17–14	5–1	31,240
7	November 11	Chicago Cardinals	W 23–10	6–1	62,410
8	November 18	at Washington Redskins	L 33–7	6–2	26,261
9	November 25	Chicago Bears	T 17–17	6–2–1	55,191
10	December 2	Washington Redskins	W 28–14	7–2–1	26,261
11	December 9	Cleveland Browns	L 24–7	7–3–1	27,707
12	December 15	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 21–7	8–3–1	16,562

Postseason

Main article: 1956 NFL Championship Game

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
Championship	December 30, 1956	Chicago Bears	Yankee Stadium	W 47–7	56,836

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

First quarter NYG Alex Webster 43-yard pass from Don Heinrich (Frank Gifford kick) NYG Gifford 59-yard run (Gifford kick) NYG Gifford 17-yard FG Second quarter NYG Mel Triplett 35-yard pass from Heinrich (Gifford kick) SF Hugh McElhenny 16-yard run (Gordie Soltau kick) Third quarter NYG Triplett 1-yard run (Gifford kick) SF Billy Wilson 33-yard pass from Y. A. Tittle (Soltau kick) Fourth quarter SF McElhenny 2-yard run (Soltau kick) NYG Triplett 13-yard run (Don Chandler kick)

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

First quarter NYG Triplett 2-yard run (kick failed) Second quarter CHC Lamar McHan 2-yard run (Pat Summerall kick) NYG Triplett 2-yard run (Gifford kick) CHC Night Train Lane 66-yard interception return (Summerall kick) Third quarter CHC Don Stonesifer 58-yard pass from McHan (Summerall kick) CHC Gern Nagler 17-yard pass from McHan (Summerall kick) Fourth quarter CHC McHan 13-yard run (Summerall kick) NYG Triplett 1-yard run (Gifford kick) NYG Ken MacAfee 4-yard pass from Charlie Conerly (Gifford kick)

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
Second quarter NYG Webster 2-yard pass from Heinrich (Gifford kick) CLE Ed Modzelewski 1-yard run (Lou Groza kick) Third quarter NYG Webster 1-yard run (Chandler kick) Fourth quarter NYG Webster 34-yard run (Chandler kick) CLE Junior Wren tackled Conerly in end zone for a Safety

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

First quarter PIT Gary Glick 35-yard FG Second quarter NYG MacAfee 14-yard pass from Conerly (Ben Agajanian kick) NYG Webster 21-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) NYG Agajanian 14-yard FG Third quarter NYG Gifford 1-yard run (Agajanian kick) NYG Kyle Rote 19-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) Fourth quarter PIT Elbie Nickel 14-yard pass from Ted Marchibroda (Glick kick) NYG Gene Filipski 35-yard run (Agajanian kick)

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
First quarter PHI Bobby Walston 15-yard FG NYG Agajanian 20-yard FG Second quarter NYG Agajanian 39-yard FG NYG Webster 1-yard run (Agajanian kick) Third quarter NYG Gifford 20-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick)

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
First quarter NYG Webster 1-yard run (Agajanian kick) Second quarter NYG Agajanian 32-yard FG Third quarter PIT Sid Watson 1-yard run (Glick kick) NYG Rote 3-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) Fourth quarter PIT Watson 6-yard run (Glick kick)

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
First quarter NYG Andy Robustelli tackled Dave Mann in end zone for a Safety Second quarter NYG MacAfee 6-yard pass from Heinrich (Agajanian kick) CHC Summerall 30-yard FG Third quarter NYG Webster 12-yard run (Agajanian kick) Fourth quarter NYG Gifford 11-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) CHC Ollie Matson 11-yard pass from Jim Root (Summerall kick)

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
First quarter WAS Billy Wells 15-yard run (Sam Baker kick) Second quarter WAS Johnny Carson 7-yard pass from Al Dorow (Baker kick) WAS Baker 49-yard FG WAS Wells recovered fumble in end zone (Baker kick) Third quarter WAS Baker 28-yard FG NYG Bob Schnelker 12-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) Fourth quarter WAS Steve Meilinger 51-yard pass from Dorow (kick failed)

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
First quarter NYG Agajanian 17-yard FG Second quarter NYG Rote 17-yard pass from Heinrich (Agajanian kick) Third quarter NYG Webster 2-yard run (Agajanian kick) CHB George Blanda 22-yard FG Fourth quarter CHB Harlon Hill 79-yard pass from Bill McColl (Blanda kick) CHB Hill 56-yard pass from Ed Brown (Blanda kick)

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
First quarter NYG MacAfee 29-yard pass from Gifford (Agajanian kick) NYG Gifford 6-yard run (Agajanian kick) WAS Meilinger 6-yard pass from Dorow (Baker kick) Third quarter NYG Gifford 14-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) Fourth quarter NYG Gifford 11-yard run (Agajanian kick) WAS John Paluck 76-yard fumble return (Baker kick)

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
First quarter CLE Tommy O'Connell 1-yard run (Groza kick) Second quarter NYG Gifford 6-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) CLE Groza 41-yard FG CLE Curly Morrison 6-yard pass from O'Connell (Groza kick) Third quarter CLE O'Connell 1-yard run (Groza kick)

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
Second quarter NYG Rote 6-yard pass from Gifford (Agajanian kick) NYG Gifford 10-yard run (Agajanian kick) Third quarter NYG Webster 7-yard run (Agajanian kick) Fourth quarter PHI Walston 15-yard pass from Adrian Burk (Walston kick)

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	177	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

Main article: 1956 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

First quarter NYG Triplett 17-yard run (Agajanian kick) NYG Agajanian 17-yard FG NYG Agajanian 43-yard FG Second quarter NYG Webster 3-yard run (Agajanian kick) CHB Rick Casares 9-yard run (Blanda kick) NYG Webster 1-yard run (Agajanian kick) NYG Henry Moore recovered blocked punt in end zone (Agajanian kick) Third quarter NYG Rote 9-yard pass from Conerly (kick failed) Fourth quarter NYG Gifford 14-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick)

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

• List of New York Giants seasons

References

1. Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.10, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
2. Sell, Jack (October 20, 1956). "Giants open their home season". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 14.
3. Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.68, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
4. Sell, Jack (October 22, 1956). "48,198 watch Conerly pass for 3 Giant touchdowns". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 26.
5. Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.70, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6
6. Giants Among Men, Jack Cavanaugh, p.120, 2008, Random House, ISBN 978-1-4000-6717-6

• Giants on Pro Football Reference

External links

• New York Giants official website—history section

Preceded by Cleveland Browns 1955	NFL champion 1956	Succeeded by Detroit Lions 1957