1957 NFL Championship Game
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Date | December 29, 1957 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Stadium | Briggs Stadium, Detroit | ||||||||||||||||||
Referee | Ron Gibbs | ||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 55,263 | ||||||||||||||||||
TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Van Patrick, Ken Coleman, and Red Grange | ||||||||||||||||||
Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Ray Scott, Bill McColgan | ||||||||||||||||||
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 526: Unable to find the specified location map definition: "Module:Location map/data/USA relief" does not exist. The 1957 National Football League championship game was the 25th annual championship game, held on December 29 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan.[1][2][3][4]
The Detroit Lions (8–4), winners of the Western Conference, 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.[5][6] 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.
It was the fourth pairing of the two teams in the championship game, they met previously in 1952, 1953, and 1954. The Browns were favored by three points,[7][8] but the home underdog Lions scored two touchdowns in each quarter and won in a rout, 59–14.[1][2][3][4]
Starting lineups
Detroit | Position | Cleveland | |
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OFFENSE | |||
Jim Doran | LE | Pete Brewster | |
Lou Creekmur | LT | Lou Groza | |
Harley Sewell | LG | Herschel Forester | |
Frank Gatski | C | Art Hunter | |
Stan Campbell | RG | Fred Robinson | |
Ken Russell | RT | 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 (linebacker) | 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
Eleven individuals (including coaches and administration) who were involved in this game are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[9] Another Lions Hall-of-Famer, QB Bobby Layne, was injured and did not play in the game.
Detroit Lions
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Cleveland Browns
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Game summary
The home underdog Lions were without starting quarterback Layne due to a broken ankle three weeks earlier against the Browns.[5][6][8] 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.[10] 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 30-yard touchdown swing 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,[2][11] and won by 45 points, 59–14.[1][2][3]
Scoring summary
Sunday, December 29, 1957
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. EST[8]
- First quarter
- DET – FG Jim Martin, 31 yards, 3–0 DET
- DET – Tobin Rote 1-yard run (Martin kick), 10–0 DET
- DET – Gene Gedman 1-yard run (Martin kick), 17–0 DET
- Second quarter
- CLE – Jim Brown 29-yard run (Lou Groza kick), 17–7 DET
- DET – Steve Junker 26-yard pass from Rote (Martin kick), 24–7 DET
- DET – Terry Barr 19-yard interception (Martin kick), 31–7 DET
- Third quarter
- CLE – Lew Carpenter 5-yard run (Groza kick), 31–14 DET
- DET – Jim Doran 78-yard pass from Rote (Martin kick), 38–14 DET
- DET – Junker 23-yard pass from Rote (Martin kick), 45–14 DET
- Fourth quarter
- DET – Dave Middleton 32-yard pass from Rote (Martin kick), 52–14 DET
- DET – Howard Cassady 17-yard pass from Jerry Reichow (Martin kick), 59–14 DET
Officials
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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 US$594,000, the highest to date. Each player on the winning Lions team received $4,295, while Browns players made $2,750 each.[2][3]
Lions' last title
The Lions have not appeared in an NFL championship game (including the Super Bowl) since this title 67 years ago; the closest was the 1991 team, which lost the NFC Championship Game 41–10 to the Washington Redskins, who went on to win Super Bowl XXVI.
Video
- You Tube – 1957 NFL Championship Game – highlight film
References
- ^ a b c Johnson, Chuck (December 30, 1957). "Rote's passes, play calling smash Cleveland, 59 to 14". Milwaukee Journal. p. 7, part 2.
- ^ a b c d e Sell, Jack (December 30, 1957). "Lions crush Browns, 59 to 14, to win title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18.
- ^ a b c d Jones, Eddie T. (December 30, 1957). "Browns show off collapsing defense". Toldeo Blade. Ohio. p. 11.
- ^ a b Strickler, George (December 30, 1957). "Lions crush Browns, 59-14; win title". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
- ^ a b "Lions lose Layne but win, 20-7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 9, 1957. p. 26.
- ^ a b Jones, Eddie T. (December 9, 1957). "Lions roar back into title chase". Toledo Blade. Ohio. p. 18.
- ^ a b Strickler, George (December 29, 1957). "Browns 3-point favorites in NFL playoff today". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 2.
- ^ a b c Lea, Bud (December 29, 1957). "Lions face Browns for pro title". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1C.
- ^ Ted Maher, Bob Gill (1997). The Pro Football Encyclopedia. New York: Macmillan Inc. ISBN 0-02-861989-7.
- ^ "Lions thrilling rally wins playoff, 31-27". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. p. 20.
- ^ 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