By Darin December 26, 1960. While this date may sound like any other day in NFL history, it marks a monumental anomaly: the only time Vince Lombardi ever lost a playoff game as a head coach. The game, played at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, pitted Lombardi’s burgeoning Green Bay Packers against the resilient Philadelphia Eagles. The stakes were monumental, and the resulting contest etched itself permanently into football lore.
During our 2025 series to salute the pre-Super Bowl era NFL Title games, our friend Historian Scott Ferguson Greene joined us to discuss this pivotal game in 1960.
The Game: Eagles 17, Packers 13
The 1960 NFL Championship was a gritty, hard-fought battle of attrition, taking place on a freezing cold day in front of 67,325 bundled-up fans. The game itself was a defensive showcase that saw the Philadelphia Eagles ultimately prevail with a score of 17–13 over the Green Bay Packers.
The contest is most famous for its dramatic final moments. With the Packers driving deep into Eagles territory in the final minute, quarterback Bart Starr was trying to connect for the winning touchdown. However, the Eagles’ defense, marshaled by legendary player Chuck Bednarik—who famously played both center and linebacker—held strong. Bednarik tackled Green Bay running back Jim Taylor inside the 10-yard line as time expired, dramatically ensuring the victory for Philadelphia. Bednarik’s iconic phrase to Taylor: “You can get up now, you’re on the twenty-yard line!” (though Taylor was closer to the 9-yard line) captured the intensity.
Article from Dec 27, 1960 Johnson City Press (Johnson City, Tennessee)
For the Eagles, the victory delivered their third NFL title and their first championship since 1949, capping a spectacular season. For the Packers, it was a crucial learning moment. Immediately after the loss, Coach Lombardi told his team they would never lose another championship game, a promise he famously kept throughout the rest of his career, leading the Packers to five NFL Championships and two Super Bowl victories in the following decade.
Conclusion: A Turning Point in History
The 1960 NFL Championship was more than just a single game; it was a pivot point. For the Eagles, it was the crowning achievement of a veteran team. For the Packers, it served as the painful, yet necessary, catalyst that forged the NFL’s next great dynasty. The 17–13 defeat remains the single, isolated asterisk on Vince Lombardi’s flawless postseason record.
We had the help from not only Mr. Greene for this story but Newspapers.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com
