Playoff glories of yesteryear

It is January, which can only mean one thing: post season football is near. Some of the greatest performances in NFL playoff history have occurred right here in New York and New Jersey. Let’s take a look back at some of them

- John Gidley

December 9, 1934

For the second consecutive season, the Giants met the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship game. The Bears had won the year before at Wrigley Field, 2321. This time, however, the scene shifted to Gotham, as the Giants hosted unbeaten Chicago on an icy day at the Polo Grounds. Things did not get off to a great start, as the Bears took a 10-3 lead into the halftime locker room. During intermission, the Giants made an infamous change in footwear, opting for sneakers in favor of cleats to gain better traction on the frozen field. After spotting Chicago a 13-3 lead through three quarters, the Giants stunned George Halas’ gang with 27 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, turning a potential ten-point loss into a 17-point win. You know this better, of course, as “The Sneakers Game.”

December 30, 1956