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1958: Colts 23, Giants 17 Trivia Quiz

Many fans call the 1958 NFL Championship the "greatest game ever played." Was it memorable? Take the quiz and find out!

A multiple-choice quiz by d2407. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
d2407

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
200,023

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
941

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 209 (6/10), Guest 47 (6/10), Guest 98 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Much of the reason the game is called the "greatest game ever played", stems from something that happened in this game that had never before happened in an NFL championship. What was that? Hint

The teams alternated scoring, so that each team took the lead when it scored

The entire game was broadcast live across the United States

Both quarterbacks passed for over 300 yards

The game went into sudden-death overtime

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Question 2 of 10

2. Kicking for the Giants in 1958, who was a man who went on to even more success as a broadcaster? Hint

Frank Gifford

Don Imus

Kyle Rote

Pat Summerall

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Question 3 of 10

3. The Colts and Giants had three coaches on their staffs who would later coach teams to victories in the Super Bowl. Which man listed below was not one of them? Hint

Weeb Ewbank

Tom Landry

Vince Lombardi

Jim Lee Howell

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Question 4 of 10

4. The Giants' first touchdown in this game was set up by an unusual play that gained 62 yards. What happened? Hint

Alex Webster picked up a Kyle Rote fumble and almost made it to the end zone

Flea flicker play

Fake punt

Halfback option pass by Frank Gifford

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Question 5 of 10

5. Before the Colts began their winning drive in the overtime period, what happened? Hint

Giants won the toss, crossed into Colt territory, and lost the ball on a fumble

Colts won the toss, Unitas threw an interception, and their defense stopped the Giants on three plays

Colts won the toss and traded punts with the Giants

Giants won the toss and were stopped on three plays

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Question 6 of 10

6. Why did an NBC television executive wander onto the field shortly before the Colts finally won the game, stopping play? Hint

He'd never seen a football game before and didn't know he was doing anything wrong

His wife had called, reminding him that he promised to come home with Giant quarterback Charlie Connerly's autograph

An equipment failure had disrupted the national broadcast of the game

He was intoxicated and believed it when he was told that the quickest path to a rest room was across the field

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Question 7 of 10

7. Driving toward an apparent win, Unitas pushed the Colts inside the Giants 10, then ignoring his coach's advice to keep the ball on the ground, threw a pass to bring the ball one yard from the goal line. What did he say after the game when asked if he was worried about being intercepted? Hint

"Am I missing something or did we win the game today?"

"When you know what you're doing, you're not intercepted"

"I'm Johnny Unitas. Who are you?"

"This is what I do for a living, gentlemen"

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Question 8 of 10

8. Who scored the Colts' winning touchdown? Hint

Johnny Unitas

Alan Ameche

Lenny Moore

Raymond Berry

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Question 9 of 10

9. It was a great game, but many Giants players and fans insist it never should have gone into overtime, and that the Giants actually won. Why? Hint

The Colts' field goal that tied the game and sent it into overtime was later shown to be wide

Replays later showed that a pass interference call that helped the Colts on their game-tying drive was incorrect

The officials should have assessed the Colts an offsides penalty on their field goal that tied the game and sent it into overtime

The officials denied Frank Gifford a first down late in the game that could have allowed the Giants to run out the clock

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Question 10 of 10

10. This game set a NFL record for longest NFL game played. Another record was also set in this game. What was the record, and who set it? Hint

Alan Ameche, most yards rushing in a championship game

The fans, largest attendance at an NFL game

Johnny Unitas and Charlie Connerly, most total passes thrown in a championship game

Raymond Berry, most receptions in a championship game

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Much of the reason the game is called the "greatest game ever played", stems from something that happened in this game that had never before happened in an NFL championship. What was that?

Answer: The game went into sudden-death overtime

The overtime rules had quietly been put into place in 1941 by the NFL, but this was the first time that overtime had been used to settle a championship. It was actually the second time the NFL had used overtime. The first was in an August 28, 1955 exhibition game between the Rams and the Giants, won 23-17 by the Rams.

In the early 1970s, the league felt that too many games were ending in ties, and implemented sudden death for regular season games starting with the 1974 season.

2. Kicking for the Giants in 1958, who was a man who went on to even more success as a broadcaster?

Answer: Pat Summerall

Summerall was a kicker for the Detroit Lions and Chicago Cardinals, before playing his final four NFL seasons with the Giants. His best season was 1959, in which he made all 30 extra point attempts and 20 of 29 field goals. He occasionally filled in as a defensive end or a pass receiver, logging one interception returned for a touchdown, and three pass receptions in his career.

3. The Colts and Giants had three coaches on their staffs who would later coach teams to victories in the Super Bowl. Which man listed below was not one of them?

Answer: Jim Lee Howell

Howell coached some great Giant teams and was an amazing developer of coaches, with Vince Lombardi handling his offense and Tom Landry coaching his defense. Colts coach Weeb Ewbank would later lead the New York Jets to victory over his former team, making him one of the very few coaches in US sports to win titles with more than one team.

4. The Giants' first touchdown in this game was set up by an unusual play that gained 62 yards. What happened?

Answer: Alex Webster picked up a Kyle Rote fumble and almost made it to the end zone

The play put the ball at the Colts' one, from where Mel Triplett slammed the ball across to bring New York to within 14-10.

5. Before the Colts began their winning drive in the overtime period, what happened?

Answer: Giants won the toss and were stopped on three plays

Unitas rose to the stuff of legends that day. He brought the Colts 73 yards in the final two minutes of regulation play to tie the game with a field goal, then the next time he got the ball, drove them 80 yards to the winning touchdown.

6. Why did an NBC television executive wander onto the field shortly before the Colts finally won the game, stopping play?

Answer: An equipment failure had disrupted the national broadcast of the game

Television equipment was prone to failure in 1958, and with viewers hanging on every play and NBC celebrating its broadcast triumph, disaster happened. The broadcast signal went dead, knocking the telecast off the sets of millions of viewers. Thinking quickly, an NBC executive pretended to be a disoriented drunk and wandered on to the field, creating a stir.

While officials dealt with that disturbance, the network discovered that someone had merely unplugged a power cord. The connection was restored, and the broadcast resumed 2 1/2 minutes later. Fans at home missed two plays, but saw the finish.

Answer: "When you know what you're doing, you're not intercepted"

Coach Weeb Ewbank had instructed Unitas to keep the ball on the ground once the Colts were in field goal range, but Unitas' throw to Jim Mutscheller was the second of two passes he used after the Colts reached the Giant 20. Alan Ameche scored on the next play.

8. Who scored the Colts' winning touchdown?

Answer: Alan Ameche

The iconic photograph of Ameche, head down, running through the wide opening into the end zone, in the eerie shadows of late afternoon Yankee stadium, is one of the most enduring images in American sports.

9. It was a great game, but many Giants players and fans insist it never should have gone into overtime, and that the Giants actually won. Why?

Answer: The officials denied Frank Gifford a first down late in the game that could have allowed the Giants to run out the clock

With less than three minutes to play, the Giants had the ball and a third-and-four. Frank Gifford ran more than three yards before disappearing into a pile of Colts. One of the Colts broke his leg on the play and the officials were more intent on getting medical attention to the injured player than in spotting the ball.

When the ball finally was spotted, it was short of a first down. The Giants punted, the Colts got the ball on their 14, and history was about to unfold. Giant players and fans continue to maintain that Gifford made the first down.

10. This game set a NFL record for longest NFL game played. Another record was also set in this game. What was the record, and who set it?

Answer: Raymond Berry, most receptions in a championship game

Berry's 12 receptions broke Cleveland's Dante Lavelli's record of 11, set in the 1950 NFL title game. Two of Berry's catches came in the overtime period, accounting for 33 of the 80 yards the Colts drove toward their historic game-winning touchdown.

Source: Author d2407

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
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