“You win some, you lose some. And the ones you lose, you try to learn from.” – Weeb Ewbank, Coach of the Baltimore Colts during the late 1950s dynasty, speaking about the relentless pursuit of victory required in the postseason.
The Daily Times Salisbury, Maryland · Thursday, January 01, 1959 Clipping via Newspapers.com
Factoid: On December 28, 1958, the NFL officially kicked off its first-ever “sudden death” overtime period in a playoff game. Though the famous 1958 NFL Championship (“The Greatest Game Ever Played”) popularized the concept, this date marks a less-remembered precursor. It was the 1958 Divisional Playoff where the Baltimore Colts (who would go on to win the NFL Championship later that month) defeated the San Francisco 49ers 35-27 in the conference tie-breaker. This earlier game also utilized sudden death, showcasing the new drama and intensity of the league’s evolving playoff structure.
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By Darin 
