| 1953 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Head coach | Buddy Parker |
| Home stadium | Briggs Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–2 |
| Division place | 1stNFL Western |
| Playoffs | WonNFL Championship (vs.Browns) 17–16 |
| All-Pros | |
| Pro Bowlers | |
The1953 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 24th season in theNational Football League. The Lions won their second consecutive and third overallNational Football League (NFL) championship. In their fourth year under head coachBuddy Parker, the Lions compiled a 10–2 record during the regular season, outscored opponents 271 to 205, finished in first place in the NFL'sWestern Division, and defeated theCleveland Browns 17–16 in theNFL Championship Game atBriggs Stadium inDetroit.
The 1953 Lions ranked fifth in the NFL in scoring offense. The offense was led by quarterbackBobby Layne who compiled 2,431 yards of total offense (2,088 passing, 343 rushing) and 16 passing touchdowns. HalfbackDoak Walker totaled 839 yards from scrimmage, (337 rushing, 502 receiving) and was the team's leading scorer with 93 points on five touchdowns, 12 field goals, and 27 extra points. For the fourth year in a row,Bob Hoernschemeyer was the team's leading rusher, contributed 764 yards from scrimmage (482 rushing, 282 receiving) and scored nine touchdowns.
The team also ranked second in the NFL in scoring defense. Defensive backJack Christiansen led the NFL with 12 interceptions and 238 interception return yards. Eight members of the 1953 Lions were selected as first-team All-NFL players for the 1953 season: middle guardLes Bingaman, Christiansen, offensive guardLou Creekmur, Hoernschemeyer, Layne, defensive tackleThurman McGraw, guardDick Stanfel, and Walker. Seven members of the team, Christiansen, Creekmur, safetyYale Lary, Layne, linebackerJoe Schmidt, guardDick Stanfel, and Walker, were later inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame.
According to the team, a total of 21,606 season tickets were sold by the Lions for the 1953 campaign.[1] The Lions played their home games inBriggs Stadium (Tiger Stadium), which had a regular listed seating capacity of 46,194, with an additional 7,000 bleacher seats for football to bring total capacity to 53,194.[1]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 27 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 38–21 | 1–0 | Briggs Stadium | 44,587 |
| 2 | October 3 | atBaltimore Colts | W 27–17 | 2–0 | Memorial Stadium | 25,159 |
| 3 | October 11 | San Francisco 49ers | W 24–21 | 3–0 | Briggs Stadium | 58,079 |
| 4 | October 18 | Los Angeles Rams | L 19–31 | 3–1 | Briggs Stadium | 55,772 |
| 5 | October 25 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 14–10 | 4–1 | Kezar Stadium | 54,662 |
| 6 | November 1 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 24–37 | 4–2 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 93,751 |
| 7 | November 7 | Baltimore Colts | W 17–7 | 5–2 | Briggs Stadium | 46,208 |
| 8 | November 15 | atGreen Bay Packers | W 14–7 | 6–2 | City Stadium | 20,834 |
| 9 | November 22 | atChicago Bears | W 20–16 | 7–2 | Wrigley Field | 36,165 |
| 10 | November 26 | Green Bay Packers | W 34–15 | 8–2 | Briggs Stadium | 52,547 |
| 11 | December 6 | Chicago Bears | W 13–7 | 9–2 | Briggs Stadium | 58,056 |
| 12 | December 13 | atNew York Giants | W 27–16 | 10–2 | Yankee Stadium | 28,390 |
| NFL Western Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Detroit Lions | 10 | 2 | 0 | .833 | 8–2 | 271 | 205 | W6 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 372 | 237 | W4 | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 8 | 3 | 1 | .727 | 7–3 | 366 | 236 | W2 | |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 2–7–1 | 218 | 262 | L2 | |
| Baltimore Colts | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 2–8 | 182 | 350 | L7 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 9 | 1 | .182 | 2–7–1 | 200 | 338 | L5 | |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | December 27 | Cleveland Browns | W 17–16 | 1–0 | Briggs Stadium | 54,577 |
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL)
| Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Reserve lists
Rookies in italics |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| •Detroit | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
On September 27, 1953, the Lions defeated thePittsburgh Steelers, 38–21, before a crowd of 44,587 atBriggs Stadium.Lew Carpenter intercepted aJim Finks pass and returned it 73 yards for the Lions' first touchdown in the first quarter. The Lions scored 17 points in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run byGene Gedman, a 40-yard field goal byDoak Walker, and a 49-yard touchdown pass fromBobby Layne toLeon Hart. Walker returned a kickoff 60 yards and scored 14 points on a third-quarter touchdown pass from Layne, the second-quarter field goal, and five extra point kicks.Bob Hoernschemeyer scored Detroit's final touchdown on a 29-yard pass from Layne. Layne passed for 364 yards in the game. In his first regular season NFL game, rookie linebackerJoe Schmidt was, according to theDetroit Free Press, "making tackles all over the field" and a key in holding the Steelers to 96 rushing yards.[6][7]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Detroit | 7 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 27 |
| Baltimore | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
On October 3, 1953, the Lions won, 27–17, in a close game with theBaltimore Colts in a Saturday night game in front of 25,159 spectators atMemorial Stadium inBaltimore. The Lions' passing attack had an off night as the Colts intercepted six of Detroit's 17 passes.Bob Hoernschemeyer scored a touchdown in the first quarter on a 49-yard run that theDetroit Free Press called "one of the best runs in Lion history". Doak Walker kicked a field goal in the second quarter to give the Lions a 10–7 lead, but the Colts responded with a touchdown and field goal to take a 17–10 lead at halftime. The Lions responded with 17 points in the third quarter.Yale Lary returned a punt 74 yards for another touchdown, and backup quarterbackTom Dublinski, taking over with the score tied at 17, ran for a touchdown and kicked a field goal.[8][9]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| •Detroit | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
On October 11, 1953, the Lions defeated theSan Francisco 49ers, 24–21, in front of a record crowd of 58,079 atBriggs Stadium. The victory broke a five-game losing streak against the 49ers. On the third play from scrimmage, the Lions scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass fromDoak Walker toCloyce Box. Walker also kicked a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter, andBob Hoernschemeyer ran for a touchdown in the third quarter.Bobby Layne threw a 36-yard touchdown pass toLeon Hart in the third quarter, but the 49ers closed the Lions' lead to three points on a short run byY. A. Tittle.Jim David andJack Christiansen hit Tittle as he scored, resulting in a triple fracture of Tittle's cheekbone.Les Bingaman also blocked a San Francisco field goal attempt in the game.[10][11][12]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Los Angeles | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Detroit | 0 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 19 |
On October 18, 1953, the Lions lost to theLos Angeles Rams, 31–19, in front of a crowd of 55,772 atBriggs Stadium. The defeat broke a six-game winning streak for the Lions, dating back to November 1952. The 31 points allowed was the highest allowed by the Lions since the 1951 season.Woodley Lewis was the star for the Rams, returning punts for 22, 45, and 78 yards (the latter for a touchdown), and kickoffs for 30, 69, 25, and 16 yards. Detroit scored on two touchdown passes fromBobby Layne toLeon Hart (16 yards in the second quarter) andDorne Dibble (36 yards in the third quarter) and twoDoak Walker field goals of 40 and 35 yards.[13][14]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Detroit | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| San Francisco | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
On October 25, 1953, the Lions defeated theSan Francisco 49ers, 14–10, in front of 54,862 spectators atKezar Stadium in San Francisco. The victory was the first by a Lions team in San Francisco. The 49ers took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter on a short run byJoe Perry and extended their lead on a field goal in the second quarter, but were held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Late in the second quarter, the Lions cut the 49ers lead to three points on 47-yard touchdown pass fromBobby Layne toDorne Dibble. The Lions scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 24-yard pass from Layne toOllie Cline. The winning touchdown was set up by a fake punt on fourth down, withYale Lary carrying the ball 21 yards to the San Francisco 24-yard line.Y. A. Tittle, who fractured his cheekbone two weeks earlier against the Lions, appeared briefly in the game and was intercepted on both of his passes. The 49ers outgained the Lions, 351 yards to 239 yards.[15][16]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| •Los Angeles | 0 | 9 | 21 | 7 | 37 |
On November 1, 1953, the Lions lost for the second time to theLos Angeles Rams, 37–24, in front of 97,751 spectators at theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Lions took a 10–0 lead in the first quarter on 38-yard field goal byDoak Walker and a 92-yard interception return byJack Christiansen.Bobby Layne threw a three-yard touchdown pass toLeon Hart in the second quarter, and the Lions led, 17–9, at halftime. The Rams scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter on a 74-yard run bySkeets Quinlan and two interception returns for touchdown.Norm Van Brocklin extended the Rams' lead to 37–17 with a 54-yard touchdown pass toVitamin Smith early in the fourth quarter.Bob Hoernschemeyer scored a late touchdown on a one-yard run.[17][18]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| •Detroit | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
On Saturday, November 7, 1953, the Lions defeated theBaltimore Colts, 17–7, in front of a crowd of 46,508 atBriggs Stadium. The Colts took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter on a run byCarl Taseff but were held scoreless in the final three quarters. The Lions tied the game in the second quarter on a 10-yard pass fromBobby Layne toBob Hoernschemeyer but missed an opportunity to tie when Layne fumbled at Baltimore's one-yard line. The Lions took the lead in the third quarter on a 14-yard field goal byDoak Walker and extended their lead in the fourth quarter as Layne threw an eight-yard pass toLeon Hart. The Detroit defense forced six turnovers, five interceptions of quarterbackFred Enke's passes (including three byJack Christiansen) and a recovery of aJohn Huzvar fumble byJim Cain. Enke completed only four of 15 passes for 69 yards.[19][20]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Detroit | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Green Bay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
On November 15, 1953, the Lions defeated theGreen Bay Packers, 14–7, in front of 20,834 spectators atCity Stadium inGreen Bay. The Packers outgained the Lions, 394 yards to 303, but the Lions intercepted four passes (three byYale Lary in the second half) to halt Green Bay's drives. Detroit's touchdowns came on passes byBobby Layne – an 83-yard completion toDoak Walker in the second quarter and a 22-yard completion toLeon Hart in the fourth quarter. The second touchdown deflected off a defensive back's hands and was caught by Hart at knee level.Harley Sewell andBob Forte were ejected from the game in the fourth quarter for fighting.[21][22]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Detroit | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| Chicago | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
On November 22, 1953, the Lions defeated theChicago Bears, 20–16, in front of a crowd of 36,165 atWrigley Field inChicago.Doak Walker scored all 20 Detroit points, and the Lions intercepted four ofGeorge Blanda's passes. The teams traded field goals by Blanda and Walker in the first quarter, and each scored touchdowns in the second quarter, though the Bears missed their extra point.Bob Hoernschemeyer scored for the Lions on a one-yard run. In the third period, the Bears took a 16–10 lead on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Blanda toBill McColl. Walker kicked his second field goal late in the third quarter, and the Lions took the lead in the fourth quarter after a long field goal attempt by Walker fell short, and Detroit centerVince Banonis downed the ball at the one-yard line. Blanda threw a pass from deep in Chicago territory, andBob Smith recovered the ball and returned it to the six-yard line. Walker then scored the winning touchdown on a two-yard run. The Lions gained a season-high 447 yards in the game.[23][24]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| •Detroit | 7 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 34 |
On Thursday, November 26, 1953, in the annual Thanksgiving Day game atBriggs Stadium, the Lions defeated theGreen Bay Packers, 34–15, before a crowd of 52,607. The game was played under the lights in snow squalls in what theDetroit Free Press dubbed the game a "comedy of errors". The teams combined for 13 turnovers – seven by the Lions (five on interceptions, two on fumbles) and six by the Packers (three on interceptions, three on fumbles). At one point,Tom Dublinski andBabe Parilli threw interceptions on three consecutive plays. AfterJoe Schmidt intercepted a Parilli pass early in the first quarter,Bob Hoernschemeyer scored on a short run, but the Packers then scored 15 unanswered points to take a 15–7 half time lead. The Lions responded with 27 unanswered points in the second half. The Lions' comeback began with the longest touchdown pass in team history – a 97-yard pass (65 yards in the air) fromBobby Layne toCloyce Box early in the third quarter. Hoernschemeyer ran 41 yards for a touchdown later in the third quarter, andGene Gedman ran four yards for the Lions final touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Jim Martin completed the scoring with two fourth-quarter field goals.[25][26]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| •Detroit | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
On December 6, 1953, the Lions defeated theBears, 13–7, in front of a crowd of 58,056, the second largest of the season, atBriggs Stadium. It was the first time the Lions had beaten the Bears twice in the same season since. The Lions took a 13–0 lead in the first half asDoak Walker kicked field goals of 41 and 36 yards, andBobby Layne threw a 38-yard touchdown pass toDorne Dibble. Walker's second field goal gave him a Lions' club record with 12 field goals for the season. Layne, playing with a sore arm, completed six of 17 passes for 137 yards. TheDetroit Free Press credited the "sparkling play" of Lions' defensive halfbacks with the victory, as they intercepted five ofGeorge Blanda's passes. The defense also held the Bears to 54 rushing yards.[27][28]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| •Detroit | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
| New York | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 16 |
On December 13, 1953, the Lions clinched the NFL Western Division championship with a 27–16 victory over theNew York Giants in front of 28,390 spectators at thePolo Grounds in New York.Bobby Layne threw two touchdown passes in the first half – a 25-yard completion toLeon Hart and a 34-yard completion toDoak Walker. Walker also ran 50 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Giants mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter with a touchdown and a safety, closing the score to 20–16. The Giants threatened three more times in the fourth quarter, but the defense intercepted two passes and stoppedFrank Gifford on a fourth-down play at the one-yard line. After aBob Smith interception,Gene Gedman sealed the Lions' victory with a four-yard run touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. With five interceptions in the game, the Lions totaled 38 for the season – four behind the NFL record of 42.[29][30]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
| •Detroit | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
On December 27, 1953, the Lions played theCleveland Browns in the1953 NFL Championship Game atBriggs Stadium inDetroit. Playing before a crowd of 54,577, the Lions defeated the Browns, 17–16. The Lions took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter on a one-yard touchdown run byDoak Walker. Walker andLou Groza both kicked field goals in the second quarter, and the Lions led, 10–3, at halftime. In the second half, the Browns scored 13 unanswered points and led, 16–10, with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Lions drove 80 yards for a touchdown, capped by a 33-yard pass fromBobby Layne toJim Doran with two minutes left in the game. On the ensuing drive,Carl Karilivacz intercepted anOtto Graham pass to clinch the victory. The Lions' defensive backfield as a whole contributed to the victory, limiting Graham, aPro Football Hall of Fame inductee, to two completions (and an equal number of interceptions) on 15 passes for a total of four passing yards. TheDetroit Free Press called it Graham's "darkest day in eight years of pro ball."[31][32]
At the end of the regular season, the Lions players voted offensive guardDick Stanfel as the team's most valuable player.[33]
The following eight Lions players won All-Pro honors from theAssociated Press (AP),United Press International (UPI) and/or theNew York Daily News:
In addition, seven Lions players were selected1954 Pro Bowl:
Several Lions players were also among the NFL leaders in various statistical categories, including the following:
Six members of the team were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are:
