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| Date | December 29, 1957 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 55,263 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||
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]
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.
- ^ Berry, Jack (December 30, 1957). "Lions overcome many obstacles on way to title". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). United Press. p. 14.
- ^ a b Johnson, Chuck (December 30, 1957). "Rote's passes, play calling smash Cleveland, 59 to 14". Milwaukee Journal. p. 7, part 2.
- ^ a b Sell, Jack (December 30, 1957). "Lions crush Browns, 59 to 14, to win title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18.
- ^ a b Jones, Eddie T. (December 30, 1957). "Browns show off collapsing defense". Toledo 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 Maule, Tex (January 6, 1958). "All hail the lusty Lions". Sports Illustrated. p. 8.
- ^ a b "Lions thrilling rally wins playoff, 31-27". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. p. 20.
- ^ "Lions lose Layne but win, 20-7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 9, 1957. p. 26.
- ^ Jones, Eddie T. (December 9, 1957). "Lions roar back into title chase". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 18.
- ^ Lea, Bud (December 29, 1957). "Lions face Browns for pro title". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1C.
- ^ "Browns oppose Detroit today for NFL title". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 29, 1957. p. 24.
- ^ Strickler, George (December 29, 1957). "Browns 3-point favorites in NFL playoff today". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 2.