# 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.
The game played at Yankee Stadium saw a field with icy conditions. The Giants used the same tactic in the 1934 title game by wearing sneakers. It was their first NFL title in eighteen years; the Giants did not win another championship until the 1986 season.

## 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. 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, and the attendance was 48,108.

### Schedule

| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
| 1 | September 30 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 38–21 | 1–0 | Kezar Stadium | 41,751 | Recap |
| 2 | October 7 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 27–35 | 1–1 | Comiskey Park | 21,799 | Recap |
| 3 | October 14 | at Cleveland Browns | W 21–9 | 2–1 | Cleveland Municipal Stadium | 60,042 | Recap |
| 4 | October 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 38–10 | 3–1 | Yankee Stadium | 48,108 | Recap |
| 5 | October 28 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 20–3 | 4–1 | Yankee Stadium | 40,960 | Recap |
| 6 | November 4 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 17–14 | 5–1 | Forbes Field | 31,240 | Recap |
| 7 | November 11 | Chicago Cardinals | W 23–10 | 6–1 | Yankee Stadium | 62,410 | Recap |
| 8 | November 18 | at Washington Redskins | L 7–33 | 6–2 | Griffith Stadium | 26,261 | Recap |
| 9 | November 25 | Chicago Bears | T 17–17 | 6–2–1 | Yankee Stadium | 55,191 | Recap |
| 10 | December 2 | Washington Redskins | W 28–14 | 7–2–1 | Yankee Stadium | 26,261 | Recap |
| 11 | December 9 | Cleveland Browns | L 7–24 | 7–3–1 | Yankee Stadium | 27,707 | Recap |
| 12 | December 15 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 21–7 | 8–3–1 | Connie Mack Stadium | 16,562 | Recap |
| Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. |||||||||

### Postseason

| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources |
| Championship | December 30 | Chicago Bears | Yankee Stadium | W 47–7 | 56,836 | Recap | |

## Game summaries
### Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 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). Giants 7-0.
NYG Gifford 59-yard run (Gifford kick). Giants 14-0.
NYG Gifford 17-yard FG. Giants 17-0.
Second quarter
NYG Mel Triplett 35-yard pass from Heinrich (Gifford kick). Giants 24-0.
SF Hugh McElhenny 16-yard run (Gordie Soltau kick). Giants 24-7.
Third quarter
NYG Triplett 1-yard run (Gifford kick). Giants 31-7.
SF Billy Wilson 33-yard pass from Y. A. Tittle (Soltau kick). Giants 31-14.
Fourth quarter
SF McElhenny 2-yard run (Soltau kick). Giants 31-21.
NYG Triplett 13-yard run (Don Chandler kick). Giants 38-21.
Top passers
NYG - Don Heinrich - 7/10, 121 yards, 2 TD
SF - Y.A. Tittle - 25/40, 259 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
NYG - Frank Gifford - 8 rushes, 85 yards, 1 TD
SF - Hugh McElhenny - 13 rushes, 75 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
NYG - Alex Webster - 3 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD
SF - Dicky Moegle - 3 receptions, 79 yards :

### Week 2: at Chicago Cardinals

| Quarter | 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

### Week 3: at Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 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

### Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 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

### Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 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

### Week 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 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

### Week 7: vs. Chicago Cardinals

| Quarter | 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

### Week 8: at Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 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

### Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 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

### Week 10: vs. Washington Redskins

| Quarter | 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

### Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 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

### Week 12: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 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

### Standings

NFL Eastern Conference :
| viewtalkedit | 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 | 250 | 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 Western Conference :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 8–2 | 363 | 246 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 300 | 188 | L1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 5–5 | 233 | 284 | W3 |
| Baltimore Colts | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 3–7 | 270 | 322 | W1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 291 | 307 | W2 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 264 | 342 | L2 |
    Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

## NFL Championship Game

| Quarter | 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). Giants 7-0.
NYG Agajanian 17-yard FG. Giants 10-0.
NYG Agajanian 43-yard FG. Giants 13-0.
Second quarter
NYG Webster 3-yard run (Agajanian kick). Giants 20-0.
CHB Rick Casares 9-yard run (Blanda kick). Giants 20-7.
NYG Webster 1-yard run (Agajanian kick). Giants 27-7.
NYG Henry Moore recovered blocked punt in end zone (Agajanian kick). Giants 34-7.
Third quarter
NYG Rote 9-yard pass from Conerly (kick failed). Giants 40-7.
Fourth quarter
NYG Gifford 14-yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick). Giants 47-7.
Top passers
CHI - George Blanda - 12/27, 140 yards, 1 INT
NYG - Charlie Conerly - 7/10, 195 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CHI - Rick Casares - 14 rushes, 43 yards, 1 TD
NYG - Mel Triplett - 13 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers
CHI - Harlon Hill - 6 receptions, 87 yards
NYG - Frank Gifford - 4 receptions, 131 yards, 1 TD :

## 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.
* Rosey Grier, All-Pro selection
* Andy Robustelli, All-Pro selection
* Emlen Tunnell, All-Pro selection