NFL Championship Game, 1957
Encyclopedia
The 1957
National Football League
championship game was the 25th annual championship game. The NFL title game was held on December 29, 1957 at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
. The game was the fourth pairing of the Detroit Lions
and Cleveland Browns
in the championship game. The Lions beat the Browns in 3 of those 4 title games and have not appeared in or won a championship game (including the Super Bowl
) since.
The Browns had won the Eastern Conference with a record of 9-2-1 while the Lions had to play a playoff game
against the San Francisco 49ers
in the previous week.
, backup QB Tobin Rote
filled in admirably, throwing four touchdown passes, completing 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards, and running in for another touchdown.
Detroit Lions
Scoring
1957 NFL season
The 1957 NFL season was the 38th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions crushed the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game, 59–14.-Major rule changes:...
National Football League
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...
championship game was the 25th annual championship game. The NFL title game was held on December 29, 1957 at Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, 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...
. The game was the fourth pairing of 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...
and 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 championship game. The Lions beat the Browns in 3 of those 4 title games and have not appeared in or won a championship game (including the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
) since.
The Browns had won the Eastern Conference with a record of 9-2-1 while the Lions had to play a playoff game
NFL playoffs, 1957
The 1957 National Football League season resulted in a tie for the Western Conference championship between the Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers. The conference championship game was played on December 22, 1957 at Kezar Stadium. The Detroit Lions, after winning the game, moved on to host...
against the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the previous week.
Game summary
While the Lions were without injured starting quarterback Bobby LayneBobby Layne
Robert Lawrence "Bobby" Layne was an American football quarterback who played for 15 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Chicago Bears in 1948, the New York Bulldogs in 1949, the Detroit Lions from 1950–1958, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958–1962...
, backup QB Tobin Rote
Tobin Rote
Tobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
filled in admirably, throwing four touchdown passes, completing 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards, and running in for another touchdown.
Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe 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...
59, Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe 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...
14
Scoring
- DET - FG Martin 31 3-0 DET
- DET - RoteTobin RoteTobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
1 yard run (Martin kick) 10-0 DET - DET - GedmanGene GedmanEugene William Gedman was a National Football League running back from 1953 through 1958. He died August 9, 1974....
1 yard run (Martin kick) 17-0 DET - CLE - BrownJim BrownJames Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
29 yard run (GrozaLou GrozaLouis Roy Groza was an American football placekicker and offensive tackle who played his entire career for the Cleveland Browns....
kick) 17-7 DET - DET - JunkerSteve JunkerSteven Norbert Junker is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Xavier University and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1957 NFL Draft....
26 yard pass from RoteTobin RoteTobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
(Martin kick) 24-7 DET - DET - BarrTerry BarrTerry Albert Barr was an American football wide receiver. He played for nine seasons in the NFL, all with the Detroit Lions....
19 yard interception (Martin kick) 31-7 DET - CLE - CarpenterLew CarpenterLewis Glen "Lew" Carpenter was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Arkansas and professionally for ten seasons in the NFL as a halfback and fullback with the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Green Bay Packers...
5 yard run (Groza kick) 31-14 DET - DET - DoranJim DoranJames Robert Doran is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Iowa State University. He was a two-way player, playing both on offense and defense...
78 yard pass from RoteTobin RoteTobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
(Martin kick) 38-14 DET - DET - Junker 23 yard pass from RoteTobin RoteTobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
(Martin kick) 45-14 DET - DET - MiddletonDave MiddletonDavid Middleton was an American football wide receiver, who played for the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football at Auburn University....
32 yard pass from RoteTobin RoteTobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
(Martin kick) 52-14 DET - DET Cassady yard pass from ReichowJerry ReichowGaret Neal Reichow is a former professional American football player. A 6'2", 217 lbs. tight end from the University of Iowa, Reichow was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 1956 NFL Draft. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as a member of the Minnesota Vikings after the...
(Martin kick) 59-14 DET