The 1960 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 28th in the National Football League, and culminated in the Eagles' defeat of the Green Bay Packers in the NFL championship game to win their third league title. The victory over the Packers was also the first and only playoff defeat of the great Vince Lombardi's coaching career.
.
The 1960 season was the Eagles' first postseason appearance since their last NFL championship season of 1949. It was their only postseason appearance in the 28 seasons from 1950 to 1977.
Off Season
On March 13, 1960, there was an expansion draft to stock the Dallas Rangers, who soon changed their name to the "Cowboys." [1] In this draft the Eagles lost tight end Dick Bielski, tackle Jerry DeLucca, and linebacker Bill Striegel to Dallas.
As since 1951, the Eagles held training camp at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This is the longest they have trained at one site continuously up to then and into 1995, when they started at Lehigh University in Bethlehem. The last year at Hershey was 1967.
NFL Draft
The 1960 NFL draft and the 1960 AFL Draft were held separately for college players (the common draft was initiated in 1967).
- The NFL Draft was a draft of 20 rounds with 12 teams picking. The Eagles would rotate having the 7th, 8th or 9th pick in the draft rounds, with Chicago and Cleveland. The quickly assembled NFL franchise of the Dallas Cowboys did not have a chance to pick, as the draft was held on November 30, 1959, before they were formed, January 28, 1960.
- The AFL draft was a list made the teams of territorial players they claimed first. Then a draft was held by drafting players by position instead of any available player. When Minneapolis left league other AFL teams pursued those picks. Oakland got the rights after they joined the league.
- The Philadelphia Eagles lost 4 players to the AFL including 1st round pick Ron Burton a running back out of the Northwestern University. A total of 6 NFL 1st round picks in this draft would sign with the AFL this year.
Player Selections
The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick.[2] It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with.
Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
Regular season
During the 1960 season, Chuck Bednarik is perhaps best known for knocking Frank Gifford of the New York Giants out of football for over eighteen months, considered one of the most famous tackles in NFL history.[8] It occurred late in the game at Yankee Stadium on November 20.[9][10]
Bednarik was the last player to play the whole game. He averaged 58 minutes a game, starting at center and linebacker in the second half of season.[11]
Schedule
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Record |
Attendance |
1 |
September 25 |
Cleveland Browns |
L 24–41 |
0–1 |
56,303 |
2 |
September 30 |
at Dallas Cowboys |
W 27–25 |
1–1 |
18,500 |
3 |
October 9 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
W 31–27 |
2–1 |
33,701 |
4 |
October 16 |
Detroit Lions |
W 28–10 |
3–1 |
38,065 |
5 |
October 23 |
at Cleveland Browns |
W 31–29 |
4–1 |
64,850 |
6 |
October 30 |
Bye |
7 |
November 6 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
W 34–7 |
5–1 |
58,324 |
8 |
November 13 |
Washington Redskins |
W 19–13 |
6–1 |
39,361 |
9 |
November 20 |
at New York Giants |
W 17–10 |
7–1 |
63,571 |
10 |
November 27 |
New York Giants |
W 31–23 |
8–1 |
60,547 |
11 |
December 4 |
at St. Louis Cardinals |
W 20–6 |
9–1 |
21,358 |
12 |
December 11 |
at Pittsburgh Steelers |
L 21–27 |
9–2 |
22,101 |
13 |
December 18 |
at Washington Redskins |
W 38–28 |
10–2 |
20,558 |
- A bye week was necessary in 1960, as the league expanded to an odd-number (13) of teams (Dallas); one team was idle each week.
Game summaries
Week 1
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Browns |
14 |
10 | 7 | 10 |
41 |
Eagles |
3 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
24 |
|
[12]
Week 2
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Eagles |
3 |
10 | 0 | 14 |
27 |
Cowboys |
3 |
3 | 6 | 13 |
25 |
- Date: September 30
- Location: Cotton Bowl, Dallas
- Game attendance: 18,500
- Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C); Wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
|
[13]
Week 3
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Cardinals |
7 |
7 | 3 | 10 |
27 |
• Eagles |
7 |
14 | 0 | 10 |
31 |
|
[14]
Week 4
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Lions |
0 |
3 | 7 | 0 |
10 |
• Eagles |
7 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
28 |
|
[15]
Week 5
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Eagles |
7 |
0 | 14 | 10 |
31 |
Browns |
3 |
12 | 7 | 7 |
29 |
|
[16]
Week 6
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Steelers |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
7 |
• Eagles |
14 |
3 | 7 | 10 |
34 |
|
[17]
Week 7
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Redskins |
3 |
0 | 7 | 3 |
13 |
• Eagles |
0 |
3 | 6 | 10 |
19 |
|
[18]
Week 8
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Eagles |
0 |
0 | 7 | 10 |
17 |
Giants |
7 |
3 | 0 | 0 |
10 |
|
|
|
[19]
Week 9
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Giants |
17 |
3 | 3 | 0 |
23 |
• Eagles |
0 |
17 | 0 | 14 |
31 |
|
[20]
Week 10
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Eagles |
3 |
7 | 3 | 7 |
20 |
Cardinals |
0 |
0 | 6 | 0 |
6 |
|
[21]
Week 11
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Eagles |
0 |
0 | 0 | 21 |
21 |
• Steelers |
13 |
14 | 0 | 0 |
27 |
|
[22]
Week 12
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
• Eagles |
7 |
10 | 7 | 14 |
38 |
Redskins |
7 |
7 | 7 | 7 |
28 |
- Date: December 18
- Location: Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Game attendance: 20,558
- Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C); Wind 3 mph (5 km/h)
|
[23]
Playoffs
1960 NFL Championship Game unused ticket
NFL Championship
NFL Championship
Green Bay Packers (8–4) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (10–2)
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|
Packers |
3 |
3 | 0 | 7 |
13 |
• Eagles |
0 |
10 | 0 | 7 |
17 |
- Date: December 26
- Location: Franklin Field, Philadelphia
- Game start: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 67,325
- Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C); Wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
- Referee: Ron Gibbs
- Television network: NBC
|
|
|
[24]
You can get up now, Taylor. This (expletive deleted) game's over.
“
”
~Chuck Bednarik, as he lay on top of Jim Taylor after making the tackle on the game's final play.
Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Results
NFL Championship
Personnel
1960 Philadelphia Eagles final roster |
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams |
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Reserve lists
Practice squad
- Source
- pro-football-reference.com, Retrieved 2016-Feb-06
- Head coach
- Assistant coaches
Rookies in italics
Active, Inactive, Practice squad
|
Post season
Soon after the championship game against Green Bay, 61-year-old Buck Shaw retired as head coach of the Eagles.[25] Quarterback and 12-year veteran Norm Van Brocklin retired after the game also and expected to be named head coach, bur assistant coach Nick Skorich was promoted;[26] he led the Eagles for the next three years, through the 1963 season.
Van Brocklin, age 34, was named head coach of the expansion Minnesota Vikings in January 1961.[27][28]
In the 1961 expansion draft the Eagles lost guard Gerry Huth, defensive back Gene Johnson, and center Bill Lapham to Minnesota.
Awards and honors
1960 Pro Bowl Players:
- QB – Norm Van Brocklin
- TE – Pete Retzlaff
- OE – Bobby Walston
- FL – Tommy McDonald
|
- DT – Marion Campbell
- LB – Maxie Baughan
- LB – Chuck Bednarik
- CB – Tom Brookshier
|
League Leaders[29]
- Norm Van Brocklin finishes 2nd to Johnny Unitas in Passing Attempts, Completions,Yards, and TDs
- Norm Van Brocklin finishes 2nd to Mike Plum in Yards per Attempt and Passer Rating
- Ted Dean leads league in KO Returns and 2nd in Punt Returns
Other Awards
- Chuck Bednarik, All-Pro Selection
- Norm Van Brocklin, Bert Bell Award[30]
- AP NFL MVP – Norm Van Brocklin
- UPI MVP – Norm Van Brocklin
References
- ↑ The Dallas Cowboys were initially called the Dallas Rangers but were renamed to avoid confusion with a local minor league baseball club in Dallas."Dallas Will Get Gigantic Test In Grid Season.". Free Lance-Star. February 1, 1960. p. S4.
- ↑ http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.aspx?release_id=1450
- ↑ Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their careers.
- ↑ Players are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star team at any time in their careers.
- ↑ Ron Burton signed with the Boston Patriots of the AFL
- ↑ Minneapolis owners were offered a NFL franchise. To replace Minneapolis the AFL put a team in Oakland
- ↑ Don Norton signed with the Dallas Texans of the AFL
- ↑ http://prosportsblogging.com/psb/uploads/2010/12/Chuck-Bedrarick-vs-Frank-Gifford-1960.jpg Photo after the hit with Gifford on ground and Bednarik standing over him
- ↑ "Gifford of Giants hurt as Eagles rally, 17-10". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. November 21, 1960. p. 13, part 2.
- ↑ "Bad blood erupts as high-flying Eagles bounce New York 17-10". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. UPI. November 21, 1960. p. 2.
- ↑ "Bednarik may play both ways Sunday". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. November 25, 1960. p. 2, final.
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
- ↑ "Buck Shaw makes retirement official". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 28, 1960. p. 1D.
- ↑ "Nick Skorich named Eagles head coach". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. January 23, 1961. p. 11, part 2.
- ↑ "Van Brocklin signs as Vikings' coach". Times-News. Hendersonville, North Carolina. January 19, 1961. p. 10.
- ↑ "Van Brocklin hired to coach Vikings". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. January 18, 1961. p. 1D.
- ↑ http://www.databasefootball.com/leagues/leagueyear.htm?lg=nfl&yr=1960
- ↑ http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org/content/awards/bell/past_bell.htm
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Franchise | |
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Stadiums | |
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Culture | |
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Lore | |
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Rivalries | |
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Division championships (13) | |
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Conference championships (3) | |
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League championships (3) | |
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Media | |
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Current league affiliations | |
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Seasons (83) | |
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Championship seasons in bold |