1953 NFL season
Encyclopedia
The 1953 NFL season was the 34th regular season of the National Football League
. The names of the American and National conferences were changed to the Eastern and Western conferences.
Meanwhile, a Baltimore, Maryland group headed by Carroll Rosenbloom
was granted an NFL team, and was awarded the holdings of the defunct Dallas Texans
organization. The new team was named the Colts
after the previous team
that folded after the 1950 NFL season
.
The season ended when the Detroit Lions
defeated the Cleveland Browns
in the NFL Championship Game for the second year in a row.
In the Eastern, the Cleveland Browns
won their first eleven games and led wire-to-wire, clinching a playoff spot by week 10. The Browns' shot at a 12–0–0 season was spoiled by a 42–27 loss on the last day, December 13, and spoiled even more by the championship game against the Lions.
Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
, December 27, 1953
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The names of the American and National conferences were changed to the Eastern and Western conferences.
Meanwhile, a Baltimore, Maryland group headed by Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom
Carroll Rosenbloom was an American entrepreneur and former owner of two professional football teams, the Baltimore Colts and the Los Angeles Rams....
was granted an NFL team, and was awarded the holdings of the defunct Dallas Texans
Dallas Texans (NFL)
The Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, the financially troubled New York Yanks franchise were put on the market. Ted Collins had founded that franchise in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, moved it to New...
organization. The new team was named the Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
after the previous team
Baltimore Colts (1947-50)
The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The first team to bear the name Baltimore Colts, they were members of the All-America Football Conference from 1947–1949, and then joined the National Football League for one season before folding...
that folded after the 1950 NFL season
1950 NFL season
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
.
The season ended when the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
defeated the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL Championship Game for the second year in a row.
Major rule changes
- The definition of illegal motion is clarified. A player must be moving directly forward at the snap to be considered illegally in motion.
Conference races
For 1953, the former American and National Conferences were renamed the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively. The Western race saw the Rams beat the Lions twice, in Detroit (October 18) and in L.A. (November 1), and at the midway point in Week Six, the Rams were a full game ahead in the race. In Week Seven (November 8), the 49ers beat the Rams 31–27, and the Lions won their game, to put all three teams at 5–2–0. In Week Eight, the Lions beat Green Bay 14–7, while the Rams were tied 24–24 by the Cards, and the 49ers lost 23–21 to the Browns. As both teams won their remaining games, San Francisco was always a game behind Detroit.In the Eastern, the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
won their first eleven games and led wire-to-wire, clinching a playoff spot by week 10. The Browns' shot at a 12–0–0 season was spoiled by a 42–27 loss on the last day, December 13, and spoiled even more by the championship game against the Lions.
| Week | WESTERN | EASTERN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 teams (Bal., Det, LA, SF) | 1–0–0 | Tie (Cle, Was) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | Tie (Det, SF) | 2–0–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | DETROIT LIONS | 3–0–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 3–0–0 |
| 4 | 3 teams (Det, LA, SF) | 3–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 4–0–0 |
| 5 | Tie (Det, LA) | 4–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 5–0–0 |
| 6 | LOS ANGELES RAMS | 5–1–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 6–0–0 |
| 7 | 3 teams (Det, LA, SF) | 5–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 7–0–0 |
| 8 | DETROIT LIONS | 6–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 8–0–0 |
| 9 | DETROIT LIONS | 7–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 9–0–0 |
| 10 | DETROIT LIONS | 8–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 10–0–0 |
| 11 | DETROIT LIONS | 9–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 11–0–0 |
| 12 | DETROIT LIONS | 10–2–0 | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 11–1–0 |
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points AgainstNote: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
NFL Championship Game
Detroit 17, Cleveland 16 at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, December 27, 1953