Before the start of the season, on April 14, 1963, Commissioner Pete Rozelle banned defensive tackle Alex Karras from the Detroit Lions and running back Paul Hornung from defending champion Green Bay Packers for illegally betting on NFL games for life. Both were pardoned at the end of the season and were allowed to play again from the 1964 season.
The Chicago Bears were carried by a formidable defense that allowed only 144 points, a league record at the time, and won the Western Conference. The New York Giants were able to convince with very good performance in the offense , especially in the passing game for quarterback YA Tittle , which brought them the victory in the Eastern Conference. In the 1963 NFL Championship Game, the Bears beat the Giants 14:10.
The 11th matchday was marked by the assassination attempt on John F. Kennedy , which took place only two days before the scheduled games. Unlike the rival league AFL and the games of college football , the NFL did not postpone its games to a date after the funeral, which was to take place the following day, but let them play as usual. None of the games were televised.
