1957 Detroit Lions season | |
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Owner | Detroit Football Company |
General manager | Nick Kerbawy |
Head coach | George Wilson |
Home field | Briggs Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 8–4 |
Division place | 1st NFL Western (playoff) |
Playoff finish | Won Conference Playoff (at 49ers) 31–27 Won NFL Championship (vs. Browns) 59–14 |
Pro Bowlers | 7
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AP All-Pros | 5
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The 1957 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 24th as the Detroit Lions. Under first-year head coach George Wilson, the Lions won their fourth and most recent NFL title. [1] [2] [3] [4]
In the penultimate regular season game with the Cleveland Browns on December 8, Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne was lost for the season with a broken right ankle. With backup Tobin Rote in at quarterback in the second quarter, [5] the Lions won that game and overcame a ten-point deficit at halftime the following week to defeat the Chicago Bears 21–13, whom they had lost to three weeks earlier at home. [6] They ended the regular season with three consecutive wins and an 8–4 record. All four losses were within the Western Conference, splitting the two games with all but the Green Bay Packers, whom they swept.
Detroit tied with the San Francisco 49ers (8–4) for the conference title, which required a tiebreaker playoff game. Played at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco on December 22, the 49ers entered the game as three-point favorites. [7] Down by twenty points in the third quarter, Detroit rallied with a 24–0 run to win 31–27. [8] This also marks the last time the Lions have won a playoff game away from home; they are 0–12 on the road in NFL postseason games since.
The Lions were home underdogs for the NFL championship game against Cleveland. [9] Played on December 29 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, the Lions led 17–0 after the first quarter and won in a rout, 59–14. [1] [2] [3] [4] Through the 2023 season, the Lions have yet to win, or even return to, another NFL title game (including the Super Bowl), an absence of more than sixty years. It is the fourth-longest drought in all four major sports, and the second-longest in the NFL, behind the Arizona Cardinals (1947, when the team was still based in Chicago), although the Cardinals, unlike the Lions, have subsequently appeared in the Super Bowl.
According to the team, a total of 39,844 season tickets were sold by the Lions for the 1957 campaign. [10] The Lions played their home games in Briggs Stadium (Tiger Stadium), which had a regular listed seating capacity of 46,194, with an additional 7,000 bleacher seats for football to bring total capacity to 53,194. [10]
Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources | |
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1 | September 29 | at Baltimore Colts | L 14–34 | 0–1 | Memorial Stadium | 40,112 | Recap | ||
2 | October 6 | at Green Bay Packers | W 24–14 | 1–1 | New City Stadium | 32,132 | Recap | ||
3 | October 13 | Los Angeles Rams | W 10–7 | 2–1 | Briggs Stadium | 55,764 | Recap | ||
4 | October 20 | Baltimore Colts | W 31–27 | 3–1 | Briggs Stadium | 55,764 | Recap | ||
5 | October 27 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 17–35 | 3–2 | L.A. Memorial Coliseum | 77,314 | Recap | ||
6 | November 3 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 31–35 | 3–3 | Kezar Stadium | 59,702 | Recap | ||
7 | November 10 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 27–16 | 4–3 | Connie Mack Stadium | 29,320 | Recap | ||
8 | November 17 | San Francisco 49ers | W 31–10 | 5–3 | Briggs Stadium | 56,915 | Recap | ||
9 | November 24 | Chicago Bears | L 7–27 | 5–4 | Briggs Stadium | 55,769 | Recap | ||
10 | November 28 | Green Bay Packers | W 18–6 | 6–4 | Briggs Stadium | 54,301 | Recap | ||
11 | December 8 | Cleveland Browns | W 20–7 | 7–4 | Briggs Stadium | 55,814 | Recap | ||
12 | December 15 | at Chicago Bears | W 21–13 | 8–4 | Wrigley Field | 41,088 | Recap | ||
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. |
Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources |
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Conference | December 22 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 31–27 | Kezar Stadium | 60,118 | Recap | |
Championship | December 29 | Cleveland Browns | W 59–14 | Briggs Stadium | 55,263 | Recap |
NFL Western Conference | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
Detroit Lions | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 6–4 | 251 | 231 | W3 | |
San Francisco 49ers | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 7–3 | 260 | 264 | W3 | |
Baltimore Colts | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 6–4 | 303 | 235 | L2 | |
Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 5–5 | 307 | 278 | W2 | |
Chicago Bears | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 4–6 | 203 | 211 | L1 | |
Green Bay Packers | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–8 | 218 | 311 | L3 |
NFL Eastern Conference | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
Cleveland Browns | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 8–1–1 | 269 | 172 | W1 | |
New York Giants | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 6–4 | 254 | 211 | L3 | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 5–5 | 161 | 178 | W1 | |
Washington Redskins | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 4–5–1 | 251 | 230 | W3 | |
Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 4–6 | 173 | 230 | L2 | |
Chicago Cardinals | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–8 | 200 | 299 | L1 |
Detroit Lions 1957 roster | ||||||
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists
rookies in italics | |||
At the "Meet the Lions" banquet on Monday, August 12, seventh-year head coach Buddy Parker surprised the audience by abruptly announcing his resignation; [12] [13] longtime assistant coach George Wilson was promoted the following day. [14] [15] Two weeks later, Parker became the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. [16] [17]
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The Lions opened the regular season on the road with a 34–14 loss to the Baltimore Colts on September 29. Quarterback Johnny Unitas threw four touchdown passes while the Baltimore defense held the Lions to 23 rushing yards and intercepted Bobby Layne three times. Detroit's touchdowns were scored by Howard Cassady (a short run for his first NFL touchdown) and Jerry Reichow on a 32-yard pass from backup quarterback Tobin Rote. [18]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Lions | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
at New City Stadium, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Game information | ||
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On December 22, the Lions defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 31–27, in a Western Conference playoff game. The two teams had finished the regular season tied in the standings at 8–4, which called for a tiebreaker game.
The 49ers took a 24–7 lead at halftime, as Y. A. Tittle threw three touchdown passes in the first half. A field goal early in the third quarter extended the lead to 27–7, then the Lions responded with 24 unanswered points. Detroit's touchdowns were scored by Steve Junker on a four-yard pass from Tobin Rote, two runs by Tom Tracy (1-yard and 58-yard runs), and Gene Gedman on a two-yard run. [21]
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On December 29, the Lions defeated the Cleveland Browns 59–14 in the NFL championship game. The Browns had been favored to win by three points. Tobin Rote, filling in at quarterback after Bobby Layne broke his ankle on December 8, [5] was credited with "a brilliant performance" as he completed 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for a touchdown, leading the Lions to their greatest point total in history. [22] The Lions capitalized on five interceptions and two fumble recoveries, including a 19-yard interception return for touchdown by Terry Barr, and held Cleveland star rookie Jim Brown to 69 rushing yards on 20 carries. [22] [23]
The longest play of the game was a 78-yard touchdown pass from Rote to Jim Doran. Rookie Steve Junker was the Lions' leading scorer with 12 points on touchdown receptions covering 26 and 23 yards. Jim Martin followed with 11 points on eight extra-point conversions and a 31-yard field goal. [23] The victory gave the Lions their third NFL championship in six years. It was also referred to as "the perfect revenge" for the Browns' 56–10 rout of the Lions in the title game in 1954. [22]
Robert Lawrence Layne was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns before being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the third overall pick of the 1948 NFL draft and traded to the Chicago Bears. Layne played one season with the Bears, and then with the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950 to 1958, and the Steelers from 1958 to 1962.
Ewell Doak Walker II was an American professional football halfback and kicker who played with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons from 1950 to 1955. He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1948.
John Henry Johnson was an American professional fullback. His first professional stint was in Canada in the Western Interprovincial Football Union for one season with the Calgary Stampeders. He then played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers before spending his final season in the American Football League (AFL) with the Houston Oilers. Commonly referred to as simply John Henry, an allusion to the folk hero of the same name, Johnson was a tough and tenacious player who performed at a high level well into the tail end of his career.
The 1956 NFL season was the 37th regular season of the National Football League.
The 1957 NFL season was the 38th regular season of the National Football League. After a 6-game preseason slate, the league's 12 teams played a 12-game league schedule — 72 regular season contests in all.
Raymond Klein "Buddy" Parker was an American football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL), who served as head coach for the Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tobin Cornelius Rote was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the Rice Owls.
The 1952 NFL Championship Game was the 20th annual championship game, held on December 28 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 1953 NFL Championship Game was the 21st annual championship game, held on December 27 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit.
The 1954 NFL Championship Game was the National Football League's 22nd annual championship game, held on December 26 at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. Billed as the "1954 World Professional Football Championship Game," the turnover-plagued contest was won by the Cleveland Browns, who defeated the Detroit Lions 56–10.
The 1957 NFL Championship Game was the 25th annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), held on December 29 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan.
The 1957 National Football League season resulted in a tie for the Western Conference championship between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers. Both finished at 8–4 and had split their two games during the regular season in November, with the home team winning each.
The 1952 Cleveland Browns season was the team's third season with the National Football League and seventh season overall. They were 8–4 in the regular season and won the American Conference. Cleveland hosted the NFL Championship Game, but lost 17–7 to the Detroit Lions.
The 1953 Cleveland Browns season was the team's fourth season with the National Football League. Their start of eleven wins before losing their last game was the closest to a true perfect season in the NFL until the 1972 Miami Dolphins. After that fifteen-point loss at Philadelphia, the Browns met the Detroit Lions in the NFL Championship Game for the second straight year; the Lions won again, this time by a point at home.
The 1957 Cleveland Browns season was the team's eighth season with the National Football League. They were 9–2–1 in the regular season and won the Eastern Conference title, but lost the championship game to the Detroit Lions, 59–14.
David Hinton Middleton was an American football end, wide receiver, and halfback.
The 1957 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's eighth season in the NFL. Coming off a 5–6–1 record in 1956, the 49ers tied for the best record in the Western Conference at 8–4.
The 1953 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League. The Lions won their second consecutive and third overall National Football League (NFL) championship. In their fourth year under head coach Buddy Parker, the Lions compiled a 10–2 record during the regular season, outscored opponents 271 to 205, finished in first place in the NFL's Western Division, and defeated the Cleveland Browns 17–16 in the NFL Championship Game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit.
The 1952 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 23rd season in the National Football League. The Lions won their second National Football League (NFL) championship, having won their first championship 17 years earlier in 1935. The team's co-captains were halfback Robert Hoernschemeyer and defensive tackle John Prchlik, and defensive end Jim Doran was selected as the team's most valuable player. In their third year under head coach Buddy Parker, the 1952 Lions compiled a 9–3 record during the regular season, finished in a tie with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFL's National Conference, defeated the Rams in a tiebreaker game, and defeated the Cleveland Browns, 17–7, in the 1952 NFL Championship Game at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.
The 1958 season was Detroit Lions' 29th in the National Football League (NFL), their 18th playing in Briggs Stadium, and their second under head coach George Wilson. The defending NFL champions failed to improve on their 8–4 record from the previous season and finished at 4–7–1, fifth in the six-team Western Conference.