“Deadline to Glory" | 1963 NFL Championship Game

Dec. 29, 1963 - The Chicago Bears won the championship of the National Football League today by defeating the New York Giants, 14-10, before 45,801 fans at Wrigley Field. Victory for the Bears came by way of a strong defensive effort that prevented the Giants from scoring in the second half and through the interception of five of Y.A. Tittle’s passes. Tittle twisted his left knee in the first half. He was taken out of action at 8:45 of the second quarter, but he played through the third and fourth quarters with yards of adhesive tape supporting his knee. During the halftime intermission, he had received an injection of Novocain and one of cortisone. However, Tittle completed only 8 of 21 passes during the last 30 minutes, and four were intercepted by George Halas’s Bears. When healthy in the opening quarter, Tittle threw one touchdown pass — an easy one to Frank Gifford. The Giants also got a 13-yard field goal by Don Chandler in the second period, but that was all. Both Chicago touchdowns were set up by interceptions of screen passes thrown by Tittle, and the game turned on these two plays. The first interception was by Larry Morris, the Bears’ right linebacker, who returned the ball 61 yards to the Giant 6. “I was so tired I knew I was going to get caught,” said Morris, who was named by Sport magazine as the outstanding player of the game. Bill Wade, Chicago’s quarterback, made the touchdown on a sneak over center from the 2. The second score in the third quarter was only a bit harder. Ed O’Bradovich, defensive end, intercepted another screen pass at the Giant 24 and returned it to the 14. Five plays later, Wade made the game’s biggest touchdown from the 1, again going over behind the blocking of his center, Mike Pyle. Bob Jencks kicked the conversion to make the score 14-10. During the remaining 17:12 of play, the Giants had their chances but could do nothing. They had 26 offensive plays, but never came closer to the Bear goal than Chicago’s 36. Twice, Bear defenders intercepted Tittle’s passes in the end zone. As Tittle limped off the field, the frustrated 37-year-old quarterback slammed down his blue helmet on the frozen field three times. It had not been Y.A.’s day. The loss was the Giants’ third in three years in the NFL championship game. The winning Bears will receive about $6,000 each and the losing Giants about $4,200 each.

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