1957 Reg Season Detriot 20 Cleveland 7

[LeonardRachiele]

1957 Detroit Defeated Eastern Conference Leader-Cleveland by 20 to 7.

The Detroit Lions were the Western Conference Champions in 1957. After going 3-3, the Lions won five of the next six to finish 8-4. The Browns were 9-2-1 and won the Eastern Conference. The Lions and 49ers each had records of 8-4 and there was a playoff game. For now, lets go back to week 11 at Detroit where the Lions defeated the Browns 20 to 7. Wins over teams that make it to the title game are always big.

The Lions were great on defense with only one breakdown-a 58 yard touchdown pass from Milt Plum to Ray Renfro in the third quarter. Even with rookie sensation Jim Brown, the entire team gained only 69 yards rushing. In passing Tobin Rote and Bobby Layne were seven for 22 for 104 yards with Dave Middleton catching a 10 yard touchdown pass. John Henry Johnson ran four yards to finally sink Cleveland in the fourth quarter.

The score was only 3 to 0 in the Lions’ favor early in the fourth quarter. Jim Martin kicked two field goals, both of 27 yards in the first and fourth quarters. For the Browns Darrell “Pistol Pete” Brewster caught four passes for 63 yards and Preston Carpenter caught six passes for 48 yards. Milt Plum for the Browns completed 12 passes for 21 yards and 190 yards. Also hurting Cleveland were seven penalties for 48 yards. Lions 20 Browns 7.

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[RichardBak]

You left out the most important aspect of the game: In the second quarter, Bobby Layne fractured his lower right leg and dislocated his ankle in a pileup. Tobin Rote came in and guided the Lions to a 20-7 win over Cleveland, but Layne’s season was over.

Three weeks later on the same field, Rote & Lions would shred the Browns, 59-14, in the title game.

[LeonardRachiele]

I did not know that.