1957 NFL Championship Game

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1957 NFL Championship Game
Cleveland Browns
(Eastern)
(9–2–1)		 Detroit Lions
(Western)
(8–4)
1459
Head coach:
Paul Brown 		Head coach:
George Wilson
1234Total
Cleveland Browns 077014
Detroit Lions 1714141459
DateDecember 29, 1957
Stadium Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
Attendance55,263
Hall of Famers
Browns: Paul Brown (coach/gm), Jim Brown, Len Ford, Lou Groza, Henry Jordan, Mike McCormack
Lions: Jack Christiansen, Lou Creekmur, Frank Gatski, John Henry Johnson, Yale Lary, Bobby Layne, Joe Schmidt
TV in the United States
Network NBC
Announcers Van Patrick, Ken Coleman, Red Grange
Radio in the United States
Network NBC, WGAR, WWJ
Announcers Ray Scott, Bill McColgan
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Detroit
class=notpageimage|
Location in the United States
Relief map of USA Michigan.png
Red pog.svg
Detroit 
class=notpageimage|
Location in Michigan

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. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

The Detroit Lions (8–4), winners of the Western Conference in a playoff the previous week, [7] hosted the Cleveland Browns (9–2–1), champions of the Eastern Conference. Detroit had won the regular season game 20–7 three weeks earlier on December 8, also at Briggs Stadium, but lost quarterback Bobby Layne with a broken right ankle late in the first half. [8] [9] Reserve quarterback Tobin Rote, a starter the previous year with Green Bay, filled in for Layne and won that game with Cleveland, the next week at Chicago, and the tiebreaker playoff game at San Francisco. [7]

It was the fourth pairing of the two teams in the championship game; they met previously in 1952, 1953, and 1954. The Browns, idle the previous week, were favored by three points, [10] [11] [12] but the home underdog Lions scored two touchdowns in each quarter and won in a rout, 59–14. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Until 2006, this was the last time that major professional teams from Michigan and Ohio met in a postseason game (or series) in any sport. This was the last NFL playoff game played in the city of Detroit other than Super Bowl XL until 2024 as the Lions' other two home playoff games prior (1992 and 1994) were at the Silverdome in suburban Pontiac. This also remains as the Lions' fourth and most recent league title and most recent championship appearance (including the Super Bowl) as of 2024, starting a sixty-seven year championship drought for the Lions.

Starting lineups

Hall of Fame‡

DetroitPositionCleveland
OFFENSE
Jim Doran LE Pete Brewster
Lou Creekmur‡LT Lou Groza‡
Harley Sewell LG Herschel Forester
Frank Gatski‡C Art Hunter
Stan Campbell RGFred Robinson
Ken RussellRT Mike McCormack‡
Steve Junker RE Preston Carpenter
Tobin Rote QB Tommy O'Connell
Gene Gedman LHB Ray Renfro
Hopalong Cassady RHB Lew Carpenter
John Henry Johnson‡FB Jim Brown‡
DEFENSE
Darris McCord LDE Bill Quinlan
Ray Krouse LDT Bob Gain
Gil Mains RDT Don Colo
Gene Cronin RDE Len Ford‡
Bob Long LLB Galen Fiss
Joe Schmidt‡MLB Vince Costello
Roger Zatkoff RLB Walt Michaels
Carl Karilivacz DB Junior Wren
Jack Christiansen‡DB Ken Konz
Yale Lary‡DB Warren Lahr
Jim David DB Don Paul

Players in the Hall of Fame

Of those listed above, Lions' QB Bobby Layne was injured earlier in the month and did not play, and future Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Henry Jordan was a rookie for the Browns.

Game summary

The home underdog Lions were without starting quarterback Layne due to a broken ankle three weeks earlier against the Browns. [8] [9] [10] Backup quarterback Tobin Rote filled in admirably following Layne's injury, winning every game, including a 24-point rally in the tiebreaker playoff over the 49ers the previous week. [7] In his eighth season, Rote threw four touchdown passes in the title game, completing 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards, and also ran for a touchdown. Browns quarterbacks Tommy O'Connell and Milt Plum, on the other hand hit on a combined total of 9 of 22 passes for 112 yards. Taking full advantage of a pass interception and a fumble, Detroit ran up a 17–0 lead in the first quarter. Rookie running back Jim Brown gave the Cleveland rooters some hope with a 29-yard touchdown run at the start of the second period.

Things went from bad to worse for the Browns, hampered by injuries to quarterbacks O'Connell and Plum. The Lions romped for 14 points in each of the last three quarters, [3] [13] and won by 45 points, 59–14. [2] [3] [4] In their final six quarters of play (including their previous divisional playoff), the Lions outscored their opponents 83-17.

Scoring summary

Sunday, December 29, 1957
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. EST [10]

Officials

The NFL had five game officials in 1957; the line judge was added in 1965 and the side judge in 1978.

Players' shares

The gross receipts for the game, including radio and television rights, were just under $594,000, the highest to date. Each player on the winning Lions team received $4,295, while Browns players made $2,750 each. [3] [4]

Lions' last title

The Lions have not appeared in an NFL championship game (including the Super Bowl) since this title 67 years ago. It was their last postseason appearance until 1970, and their last postseason home game and victory until 1991.

1991 was also the first time the Lions advanced as far as the NFC Championship game, losing the NFC Championship Game 41–10 to the Washington Redskins, who went on to win Super Bowl XXVI. They would not advance to the NFC Championship Game again until 2024, where they would fall to the San Francisco 49ers 34-31, which is the closest the Lions have ever gotten to a Super Bowl to date.

Video

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References

  1. ↑ Berry, Jack (December 30, 1957). "Lions overcome many obstacles on way to title". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). United Press. p. 14.
  2. 1 2 3 Johnson, Chuck (December 30, 1957). "Rote's passes, play calling smash Cleveland, 59 to 14". Milwaukee Journal. p. 7, part 2.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Sell, Jack (December 30, 1957). "Lions crush Browns, 59 to 14, to win title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Jones, Eddie T. (December 30, 1957). "Browns show off collapsing defense". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 11.
  5. 1 2 Strickler, George (December 30, 1957). "Lions crush Browns, 59-14; win title". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
  6. 1 2 Maule, Tex (January 6, 1958). "All hail the lusty Lions". Sports Illustrated. p. 8.
  7. 1 2 3 "Lions thrilling rally wins playoff, 31-27". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. p. 20.
  8. 1 2 "Lions lose Layne but win, 20-7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 9, 1957. p. 26.
  9. 1 2 Jones, Eddie T. (December 9, 1957). "Lions roar back into title chase". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 18.
  10. 1 2 3 Lea, Bud (December 29, 1957). "Lions face Browns for pro title". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1C.
  11. ↑ "Browns oppose Detroit today for NFL title". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 29, 1957. p. 24.
  12. 1 2 Strickler, George (December 29, 1957). "Browns 3-point favorites in NFL playoff today". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
  13. ↑ Chuck Heaton, Lions Crush Browns, 59–14, Cleveland Plain Dealer December 29, 1957, Plain Dealer Browns' History Database Accessed December 12, 2007, http://www.cleveland.com/brownshistory/plaindealer/index.ssf?/browns/more/history/19571229BROWNS.html Archived October 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

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