On This Date in Sports December 29, 1963: Bears Wear the Crown

The Chicago Bears win their eighth championship, beating the New York Giants 14-10 on a blustery day at Wrigley Field. With temperatures in the single digits, the Bears’ defense was able to rattle Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle all day, forcing six turnovers, including five interceptions. It was the third straight NFL Championship Game lost by New York and the fifth in six years, ending the golden age of Giants’ football.

The New York Giants were the NFL’s bridesmaid at the start of the 1960s. Dating back to the 1958 NFL Championship Game, they had been to the title game five times in six years but had yet to taste sweet victory as they lost twice to the Baltimore Colts and twice to the Green Bay Packers. Once again, the Giants were the best team in the Eastern Conference in 1963, posting a record of 11-3 under coach Allie Sherman as veteran quarterback Y.A. Tittle was named MVP after his best season at 37.

The NFL had wanted the Bears to move the game to Soldier Field, a larger stadium with lighting. However, Halas insisted on the game remaining on Wrigley Field, leading the league to move the kickoff time to noon to get more daylight. The earlier kickoff did not help with temperatures, as it was a mere ten degrees when the game began, with wind chills dropping below zero.

The Giants took advantage of an early Bears mistake as a fumble by Billy Wade set New York up at the Chicago 41. The Giants would score a touchdown as Frank Gifford caught a 14-yard pass from Tittle. Later in the first quarter, Tittle returned the favor, throwing an interception to set up the Bears’ first score of the game. Wade tied the game with a two-yard run.  The Giants would take a 10-7 lead into the half on a Don Chandler field goal, as Y.A. Tittle suffered a knee injury that would hobble him the remainder of the game.

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Heavily tapped and receiving a cortisone shot, Y.A. Tittle was ineffective in the second half, as he was intercepted five times, and Bears’ defensive coordinator George Allen received the game ball for stopping the league’s MVP. Eventually, the Bears defense would pay off, as Billy Wade scored his second touchdown with 3:12 left to give Chicago a 14-10 lead. The Giants would have one more shot to win the game, but Richie Petitbon sealed the victory by picking off Tittle in the end zone with ten seconds left.