In 1960, after a devastating hit by Chuck Bednarik that left him hospitalized with a deep concussion and unconscious for a few days, Frank Gifford retired. Even without his biggest offensive star, Allie Sherman's first year as a coach was a huge success.

With YA at QB (Sherman gave him a free hand in the huddle), Del Shofner to stretch the field, Kyle Rote running crossing routes, Joe Walton at TE (via a trade with the Redskins), and glue-fingered Alex Webster catching screens, the Giants became a glitzy aerial circus. They finished with a 10-3-1 record, good enough for the Eastern Division crown.

The Green Bay squad they met in the NFL championship game had been turned into division winners in two short years, losing the title contest to the Eagles in '60 (17-13.)  Using his personal relationship with JFK, Lombardi wangled a leave from the Army for Hornung so he could play in the '61 championship game.

Besides Hornung, the Pack fielded 10 other future HOFers.

Thanks to Hornung and Jim Taylor, they led the league in rushing (using the famous Green Bay sweep.) Outside of John Henry Johnson, Taylor was perhaps the most crazed RB in league history, habitually changing direction to deliberately ram into and over would-be tacklers.  

The game was far rougher at that time. Players could tackle and spear with the helmet, grab the face mask, horse collar, and check receivers at the line of scrimmage.  RBs like Taylor and Johnson (and later, Csonka) were adept at throwing forearm smashes at defenders.  (A Sam Huff helmet's in the HOF displaying a dent, the result of a collision with Taylor.)

The Giants had the league's stingiest defense, led the league in interceptions and included seven future HOFers on the roster.

In the first quarter, two miscues, both involving Kyle Rote, gave a hint of what kind of a day it would be:  wide open, he dropped a sure TD pass, and Bobby Gaiters (Giff's replacement) overthrew him all alone in the end zone.  
Rote was a marvelous athlete, a All-American triple threat back in college, who tore up his knee in his first training camp and the other knee two years later.  This was years before arthroscopic surgery.  To repair knees they opened them up, did the repairs, and closed them, creating big "zippers" in the flesh.  Speed gone, he never played RB for the Giants but had a great career as a receiver, going to the Pro Bowl a couple of times, I believe.  He had an uncanny knack to get into the clear (as did Giff.)

Early in the 2nd quarter, Hornung ran for a TD, putting the Pack up, 7-0.  QB Starr followed with two TD srikes and Hornung (who scored 19 points in the game) closed out the half with an FG.  Going into the dressing room, the Giants trailed, 24-0.  I'll spare you the rest of the gory details leading to a final score of 37-0

Hornung won the game MVP

Sherman was honored as Coach-of-the-Year.