1957 Western Conference and tiebreakers

[conace21]

I was looking through the 1957 Western Conference when I noticed the Colts' streaks. W3, L3, W4, L2 on the often ill fated western road trip. I noticed Baltimore finished just one game behind the 49ers and Lions. If the Colts had beaten LA at the end of the year, (which was, admittedly, their only decisive loss,) what was the NFL's policy regarding a three way tie for first? Were there tiebreaker similar to the ones used today to determine the top two teams? It seems this and 1943 were the closest the NFL ever got to a three way tie. (Was and NYG were 6-3-1. The Steagles were 5-4-1 and lost to GB in the season finale.)

1951 National Conference also could have been a 3 or 4 way tie if LA and/or the Bears had tied in their season finale.

[BD Sullivan]

If all three teams had won (or all had lost), a two-week playoff would commence: Baltimore would have gotten the bye and the Niners would have traveled to Detroit. The winner then would have gone to Baltimore, with that winner then hosting the Browns on January 5.

If Baltimore had won that last game, they would have hosted in a standard two-team deadlock.

[ChrisBabcock]

Just curious... Why would Baltimore have gotten preference in that 3 way tie by getting a bye in that 2 week playoff?

[conace21]

I didn't know that there would have been multiple playoff games. So if Chi and LA had both tied in their season finales, I suppose there would have been two games equivalent to the wild card round, with the winners meeting in a divisional round, and that winner facing Cleveland for the championship.

And yes, why would Baltimore have won the bye week?

[BD Sullivan]

I didn't know that there would have been multiple playoff games. So if Chi and LA had both tied in their season finales, I suppose there would have been two games equivalent to the wild card round, with the winners meeting in a divisional round, and that winner facing Cleveland for the championship.

And yes, why would Baltimore have won the bye week?

The dreaded coin toss--From a UPI item on 12/9: "These possible playoffs were set up during the NFL meeting at Philadelphia on December 2. Carroll D. Rosenbloom won every toss."