The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee.
The Green Bay Packers won their first ten games, until losing 26–14 on November 22 at Detroit. The Lions' win put them a game behind the Pack rather than 2 games behind, but in the final week, they lost to Chicago, 3–0. Even a Lions win would have been made moot when Green Bay won 20–17 at L.A. to finish with a record of 13–1.
In the Eastern Division, the Redskins were unbeaten after six games. Their four wins and two ties would have been an .833 record in later years, but in 1962, a tie game was not counted at all. In Week Seven (October 28), the Giants handed the Skins their first loss, 49–34. When Washington lost again the next week, 38–10 to Dallas, the Giants 31–28 win over St. Louis gave them a 6–2 record and the division lead. The Giants rode a nine-game winning streak to capture the Eastern title and the right to host the title game against Green Bay.
The Playoff Bowl was between the division runners-up, for third place in the league. This was its third year (of ten) and it was played a week after the title game.