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 2025, starting a sixty-eight year championship drought for the Lions, which is currently the fourth-longest championship drought in the four major North American sports leagues.[13]
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
First half
The Browns won the opening coin toss and elected to receive. Detroit forced Cleveland to punt on their opening possession, getting the ball at their own 11. The Lions converted four straight first downs, including a Tobin Rote 20-yard pass to Steve Junker that put them into Brown territory. They would convert on a Jim Martin 31-yard field goal to take the early 3–0 lead. The Browns would give the ball right back after a Tommy O'Connell interception by Bob Long that was returned 17 yards. The Lions, helped by a Rote 17-yard rush, punched it in with a quarterback sneak to go up 10–0. On the kickoff return, Milt Campbell fumbled it over to Detroit. Detroit would capitalize with a Gene Gedman 1-yard score. The Browns would get on the board with a Jim Brown 29-yard touchdown. The two teams traded punts before the Lions got the ball at their own 13. They got down to the Browns 26-yard line, and looked to kick a field goal on 4th and 11. However, Rote, as the holder, took the snap and threw it to Junker in the endzone for the 26-yard touchdown pass to go up 24–7. On their responding drive, the Browns attempted a trick play with halfback Chet Hanulak, however his pass was intercepted. Detroit gave the ball right back with a Junker fumble, but an O'Connell errant throw was picked off by Terry Barr, who returned it 19 yards for the touchdown. The Browns benched O'Connell in favor of Milt Plum, who was immediately intercepted on his third pass of the game in Lions' territory. Detroit punted, before a Browns fumble put them in range for a field goal try. However, the 44-yard kick was no-good, setting the halftime score at 31–7.[14]
Second half
Detroit punted on their first possession of the second half, as Cleveland took the ball 80-yards to score on a Lew Carpenter 5-yard touchdown run. On their first drive, Rote took a deep shot to Jim Doran who hauled it in at the Browns' 42 and proceeded to run it all the way for the 78-yard touchdown score. The Browns punted on their next drive before the Lions extended their lead with a Rote–Junker 23-yard touchdown pass to go up 45–14. Plum was intercepted on the third play of their ensuing drive, as Detroit ran it up with another Rote touchdown pass, this time to Dave Middleton. The Browns took their next drive into Detroit territory, before a sack forced them back 40 yards behind the first-down marker which resulted in a turnover on downs. Both teams traded punts before Detroit scored their last touchdown of the game on a Jerry Reichow pass to Howard Cassady.[14]
Scoring summary
Sunday, December 29, 1957 Kickoff: 2:00p.m. EST[10]
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]
The Lions have not appeared in an NFL championship game (including the Super Bowl) since this title 68years ago. It was their last postseason appearance until 1970, and their last postseason home game and victory until 1992.
1992 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 advance to the NFC Championship game again 32 years later in 2024, where they would fall to the San Francisco 49ers 34–31 after leading by as many as 17 points, which is the closest the Lions have ever gotten to a Super Bowl to date.
1– Dates in the list denote the season, not necessarily the calendar year in which the championship game was played. For instance, Super Bowl LIV was played in 2020, but was the championship for the 2019 season.
2– From 1966 to 1969, the first four Super Bowls were "World Championship" games played between two independent professional football leagues, AFL and NFL, and when the league merged in 1970 the Super Bowl became the NFL Championship Game.
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