The NFL Championship game on December 29, 1957 featured the Detroit Lions, top team in the Western Conference, hosting the Eastern Conference representative, the Cleveland Browns. The teams had faced off three times earlier in the decade for the league title, with the Browns routing the Lions the last time, in ’54.
The season got off to an awkward start for Detroit when
Head Coach Buddy Parker abruptly quit on the eve of the preseason and George
Wilson was elevated to the top job. The Lions had obtained QB Tobin Rote (pictured above) from
Green Bay to back up star starting QB Bobby Layne, and the deal paid off when
Layne went down with a broken leg in the ninth game. Another newcomer, FB John
Henry Johnson, came from the 49ers and led the club in rushing. As usual, the
defense was rugged, especially at linebacker with MLB Joe Schmidt and in the
backfield, led by safety Jack Christiansen. Detroit went 8-4 to tie for first
in the Western Conference and was coming off of a dramatic come-from-behind win
over the 49ers in the resulting playoff.
The Browns, coached by the innovative Paul Brown for the twelfth
year, had put together a 9-2-1 record to return to the NFL title game after a
one-year absence. Rookie FB Jim Brown was the league’s top rusher and the key
to the offense. QB Tom O’Connell led the NFL in passing efficiency, although he
rarely threw the ball, and was already being pushed by rookie QB Milt Plum, who
had been slated to start the title contest but suffered a hamstring injury during
a recent practice that limited his mobility. The defense was stingy, averaging a
league low of 14.3 points surrendered per game. Cleveland lost to the Lions
during the regular season but came into the championship contest as a slight
favorite.
There were 55,263 fans in attendance at Briggs Stadium,
where the lights were on although unneeded on a pleasant 32-degree afternoon.
They saw the home team score the first three times it had the ball. Jim Martin
set the tone by booming the opening kickoff through the end zone. Tom O’Connell
threw to end Pete Brewster for a Cleveland first down, but the series quickly
bogged down and the Browns punted. Detroit moved methodically, both running
with HB Gene Gedman and John Henry Johnson and with Rote passing effectively,
and accumulated four first downs. The 10-play,
66-yard drive finally faltered at the Cleveland 24 and Martin booted a 31-yard
field goal for the game’s first points.
The Lions regained the ball quickly when an O’Connell
pass was intercepted by LB Bob Long, who returned it to the Cleveland 19.
Following a short running play, Rote faked a pass and instead carried for 17
yards down the middle. Rote ran again for a one-yard touchdown, Martin added
the extra point, and Detroit was ahead by 10-0.
It got worse for the Browns when HB Milt Campbell fumbled
after returning the ensuing kickoff 19 yards and DB Terry Barr recovered for
the Lions at the Cleveland 15. Six plays later, Gedman dove into the end zone
from a yard out for another TD. Martin’s point after gave the home team a 17-0
lead.
As the game moved into the second quarter, the Browns
responded by advancing 78 yards in four plays. O’Connell passed to Brewster for
19 yards and flanker Ray Renfro gained 20 yards on a reverse. Jim Brown ran 29
yards for a touchdown and Lou Groza converted to narrow the Detroit margin to
17-7.
Following an exchange of punts, the Lions advanced into
Cleveland territory. Facing fourth-and-11 at the Cleveland 26, they lined up
for a field goal. But Rote, the holder on kicks, took the snap and spun to his
right, passing to end Steve Junker, who gathered the ball in at the six and
went the distance for a touchdown. Martin successfully converted.
Down 24-7 and with the Lions threatening once again, the
Browns seemingly got a break when Junker fumbled the ball away at the Cleveland
six. But facing third-and-10, O’Connell’s pass intended for Brewster was
instead intercepted by Barr (pictured below), who returned it 19 yards for a touchdown. Martin
added the extra point and the Lions held a commanding 31-7 lead.
The Lions got another chance thanks to a Cleveland
turnover when HB Chet Hanulak fumbled and DT Gil Mains recovered with five
seconds left in the half. But Martin missed a 44-yard field goal attempt and
the score remained unchanged.
Milt Plum had taken over at quarterback for Cleveland
late in the second quarter, and starting off the third quarter, the Browns
finally scored again at the completion of a 10-play, 80-yard series. HB Lew
Carpenter ran for the last five yards and a touchdown, and Groza added the
point after. But any lingering hopes for a Cleveland comeback in the second
half were snuffed out when, on the first play after the kickoff, Rote threw
long to end Jim Doran for a 78-yard touchdown.
Tempers flared late in the period as both teams drew
unnecessary roughness penalties. The rout was on as the Lions then padded their
lead with Rote again connecting with Junker, this time for a 23-yard TD. Plum
fumbled when being sacked by DE Gene Cronin on the last play of the period and
the fourth quarter started with Rote firing another touchdown pass, to end Dave
Middleton from 30 yards out.
Jerry Reichow relieved Rote at quarterback for the game’s
last seven minutes and capped the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown pass to HB
Howard “Hopalong” Cassady. Martin converted, as he had done successfully after
all of the TDs, and that provided the final score of 59-14.
The Lions achieved a franchise high for points scored in
a game and administered the worst defeat endured by the Browns up to that time.
They led in total yards (438 to 313) and first downs (22 to 17). Cleveland ran
effectively, gaining 218 yards on the ground, but also turned the ball over six
times, to one suffered by Detroit.
Tobin Rote was outstanding as he completed 12 of 19
passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns, with none intercepted, and also
rushed for 27 yards on seven carries that included a TD. Steve Junker (pictured below) had 5
catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns and Jim Doran gained 101 yards on his
three receptions that included the one long score. Hopalong Cassady led
Detroit’s rushers with 48 yards on 8 attempts and also pulled in two passes for
22 yards and a TD. Jim Martin made good on all 8 of his extra point attempts
and connected for one field goal in two tries.
For the Browns, Tom O’Connell was successful on four of
eight throws for 61 yards and gave up two interceptions. Milt Plum was 5 of 12
for 51 yards and also had two picked off. Lew Carpenter ran for 82 yards on 14
carries that included a TD and Jim Brown contributed 69 yards on 20 attempts
with one for a score and averaged 26.5 yards on four kickoff returns. End
Preston Carpenter was the team’s leading receiver with four catches for 43
yards and Pete Brewster gained 52 yards on his three receptions.
“It wasn’t altogether us. They were hot,” summed up
Cleveland’s Coach Brown regarding the defeat. “That was a great team we played
today. Rote had a day, didn’t he?”
While it was anticipated that the Lions would contend
again in 1958, they instead dropped to 4-7-1 and did not return to the
postseason until 1970. To date, 1957 remains the last year that Detroit attained
a NFL Championship. The Browns bounced back to go 9-3 in ’58 and tied for first
in the Eastern Conference, losing to the Giants in the resulting playoff. They
next reached the NFL Championship game in 1964.
