The NFL had been split into two divisions or conferences since 1933, with the overall champion being decided through an end-of-season playoff game. Known as the NFL Championship Game, the 1958 season decider saw the Baltimore Colts face the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
The Colts won the Western Division after ten games, having secured nine wins and only one loss which made it impossible for any other team to catch them. Meanwhile the Eastern Division had seen the Giants and the Cleveland Browns each finishing the season 9–3 after the New Yorkers beat the Browns in the final game of the season. A tie-break playoff between the two teams on 21 December saw the Giants secure a place in the Championship Game.
A week later, more than 20,000 Colts fans traveled to Yankee Stadium to watch their team face the Giants. The majority of the game saw a lot of uninspiring and often sloppy play, but with just seven seconds left of the match and the Giants leading 17–14, a field goal from the Colts’ Steve Myhra leveled the score.
Sudden death had been adopted for the NFL Championship Game in 1946. Consequently, after a period of confusion, overtime began. Despite winning the toss, the Giants were forced to punt and lost the game 23–17 after the Alan Ameche scored a touchdown for the Colts after 8 minutes and 15 seconds of overtime. Combined with the fact that the match was televised, these last few minutes of excitement helped it become known as ‘The Greatest Game Ever Played’.
