| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 29 – December 22, 1957 |
| East Champions | Cleveland Browns |
| West Champions | Detroit Lions(playoff) |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Detroit Lions |
The1957 NFL season was the 38thregular season of theNational Football League. After a 6-game preseason slate, the league's 12 teams played a 12-game league schedule — 72 regular season contests in all.
The season ended on Sunday, December 28, with a"World's Championship Playoff" held in the home city of the Western Conference champions,[1] won 59–14 by theDetroit Lions over theCleveland Browns.
This was followed by the"All Star Pro-Bowl Game" held January 11, 1959, in Los Angeles,[1] a game won by the East, 28–21.
The1957 NFL draft was held on November 26, 1956, and January 31, 1957, atPhiladelphia'sWarwick Hotel andThe Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. With the first pick, theGreen Bay Packers selected halfbackPaul Hornung from theUniversity of Notre Dame.
Cleveland won its opener, 6–3 over theGiants and led the Eastern Division from wire to wire. A 17–7 loss to theEagles inWeek Four forced the Browns to share the lead with New York, but the Giants lost the following week and spent the rest of the season trying to catch Cleveland.
The Western Division race was more protracted.Baltimore, Detroit, andSan Francisco were tied for the lead several times and had identical 7–4 records at the end of the penultimate week.[2] When two teams tied for first place, they would meet in a one-game playoff. The NFL did have a provision for this situation: "If all three teams win, tie, or lose, then a two-week playoff series begins next Sunday with Baltimore drawing a bye, San Francisco playing Detroit, and the winner meeting the Colts at Baltimore December 29."[3] Detroit and San Francisco both won while starting their backup quarterbacks (Tobin Rote and rookieJohn Brodie, respectively), but the Colts lost, meaning the additional playoff was not required.
| Week | Western | Record | Eastern | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 teams (Bal, GB, LA) | 1–0–0 | 3 teams (Cards, Cle, Pit) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | Baltimore Colts | 2–0–0 | Cleveland Browns | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | Baltimore Colts | 3–0–0 | Cleveland Browns | 3–0–0 |
| 4 | 3 teams (Bal, Det, SF) | 3–1–0 | Tie (Cle, NYG) | 3–1–0 |
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers | 4–1–0 | Cleveland Browns | 4–1–0 |
| 6 | San Francisco 49ers | 5–1–0 | Cleveland Browns | 5–1–0 |
| 7 | San Francisco 49ers | 5–2–0 | Cleveland Browns | 6–1–0 |
| 8 | 3 teams (Bal, Det, SF) | 5–3–0 | Cleveland Browns | 6–1–1 |
| 9 | Baltimore Colts | 6–3–0 | Cleveland Browns | 7–1–1 |
| 10 | Baltimore Colts | 7–3–0 | Cleveland Browns | 8–1–1 |
| 11 | 3 teams (Bal, Det, SF) | 7–4–0 | Cleveland Browns | 8–2–1 |
| 12 | (tie) Detroit Lions | 8–4–0 | Cleveland Browns | 9–2–1 |
| 12 | San Francisco 49ers | 8–4–0 |
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Western Conference Playoff Game
| AP NFL Most Valuable Player | Jim Brown,Fullback, Cleveland |
| AP NFL Coach of the Year | George Wilson, Lions |
TheGreen Bay Packers moved fromCity Stadium toNew City Stadium, renamed Lambeau Field in 1965
