1961 NFL season The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League . The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings , after the team ' s owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League . The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per team to 14 games per team . The Vikings were placed in the Western Conference , and the Dallas Cowboys were switched from the Western Conference to the Eastern . Addition of the Vikings returned the NFL to an even number of teams . The season ended when the Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants 37 – 0 in the NFL Championship Game . Conference races . The new Minnesota Vikings started at 1 . 000 when they upset the Chicago Bears team , 37 – 13 , on September 17 , 1961 . Mike Mercer made the Vikings ' first points on a 12 yard field goal , and Fran Tarkenton guided the team to five touchdowns . The Vikings finished at 3 – 11 after that good start . With 14 teams in two conferences , each NFL team now played a 14 game schedule : a home - and - away series with the other six teams in their division , and two interconference games . In " Week Five " , the Giants and Eagles led the Eastern , and the Packers and 49ers led the Western , all with records of 4 – 1 . The following week , the 49ers lost to the Bears , 31 – 0 , while Green Bay beat Minnesota 33 – 7 . The Giants and Eagles , both winners , remained tied in the Eastern standings at 5 – 1 . In " Week Seven " , Dallas edged the Giants 17 – 16 , while the Eagles beat the Redskins 27 – 24 on Sonny Jurgensen ' s last quarter touchdown pass to Tommy McDonald . In " Week Nine " ( November 12 ) , the Giants beat the Eagles , 38 - 21 , to give both teams 7 – 2 records , while Green Bay survived a game at Chicago , 31 - 28 , that would otherwise have tied both teams at 6 – 3 ; Green Bay led the Western race the rest of the way . In " Week Ten " , New York ' s 42 – 21 win over Pittsburgh put it at 8 – 2 , while Cleveland ' s 45 – 24 win over Philadelphia put both those teams at 7 – 3 . In " Week 12 " ( December 3 ) , New York lost 20 – 17 to Green Bay , while the Eagles won 35 – 24 at Pittsburgh , tying the race again . The Giants and Eagles , both at 9 – 3 , met the following week in Philadelphia ( December 10 ) . After New York trailed 10 – 7 , Coach Allie Sherman replaced Y . A . Tittle with Charlie Conerly , who at 40 was the NFL ' s oldest player . Conerly threw for three touchdowns for the 28 – 24 win . The winning score came after the Eagles were penalized for roughing the kicker on the Giants ' fourth down , giving the Giants first down on the 24 . . At season ' s end ( December 17 ) , the Eagles rallied to beat Detroit 27 – 24 , and hoped for a Giants ' loss to force a playoff . At that moment , New York and Cleveland were tied 7 – 7 with two minutes left . A long punt by the Giants ' Don Chandler pinned the Browns on their own 7 yard line , and ended any threat of a loss . Final standings . " W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , PCT = Winning Percentage , PF = Points For , PA = Points Against " " Note : Prior to 1972 , the NFL did not include tie games when calculating a team ' s winning percentage in the official standings " NFL Championship Game . Green Bay 37 , New York 0 at City Stadium , Green Bay , Wisconsin , December 31 , 1961