| Dates | December 22–29, 1957 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 1957 | ||||
| Teams | 3 | ||||
| Games played | 2 | ||||
| NFL Championship Game site | |||||
| Defending champions | New York Giants (did not qualify) | ||||
| Champions | Detroit Lions | ||||
| Runners-up | Cleveland Browns | ||||
| Conference runners-up | |||||
| |||||
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 tie thus required a one-game playoff to be held between the two teams. This conference championship game was played on December 22 at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco; down 27–7 early in the second half, Detroit rallied with 24 unanswered points to win 31–27.[1]
The Lions moved on to host the Cleveland Browns on December 29 in the championship game, and won in a 59–14 rout at Briggs Stadium for their third title in six years.[2][3][4][5] Through 2024, it is Detroit's most recent league title, and fourth-most recent victory in a postseason game.
- ^ "Lions thrilling rally wins playoff, 31-27". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. p. 20.
- ^ Johnson, Chuck (December 30, 1957). "Rote's passes, play calling smash Cleveland, 59 to 14". Milwaukee Journal. p. 7, part 2.
- ^ Sell, Jack (December 30, 1957). "Lions crush Browns, 59 to 14, to win title". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18.
- ^ Jones, Eddie T. (December 30, 1957). "Browns show off collapsing defense". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 11.
- ^ Maule, Tex (January 6, 1958). "All hail the lusty Lions". Sports Illustrated. p. 8.