Once upon a time, the Detroit Lions were one of the most feared teams in the National Football League. In fact, the Lions won the NFL Championship three times in six seasons, including their last championship on December 29, 1957.
That’s right, it has been 60 long years since the Lions last sat at the top of the NFL when all was said and done.
But on that chilly December day, in front of 55,263 fans at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, the Lions were absolutely dominant in a 59-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game.
In fact, the Lions were the better team from the opening kickoff as they jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter following rushing touchdowns by quarterback Tobin Rote and running back, Gene Gedman.
The Browns tried to fight back as Jim Brown scored on a 29-yard touchdown run but the Lions answered back with two touchdowns own, the second being a 19-yard interception return to the house by Terry Barr. With Detroit leading 31-7 at halftime, the rest of the game was just a formality.
The second half was more of the same as the Lions outscored the Browns 28-7 to make the final score 59-14.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaesfxS7GKw
The star of the game was Lions quarterback Tobin Rote who completed 12 of 19 passes for 280 yards and four touchdown passes. He also carried the ball seven times for 27 yards and a touchdown. Steve Junker led the Lions in receiving, catching five passes for 109 yards and two scores.
Despite the blowout victory, the Browns were able to do some damage with their ground game as future Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown (who was a rookie) and his partner in crime, Lew Carpenter combined for 151 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Unfortunately, December 29, 1957, was the last time the Detroit Lions and their fans were able to celebrate a World Championship.
