On This Date in Sports December 27, 1953: Lions Down Browns Again
The Detroit Lions win a second consecutive NFL Championship, edging the Cleveland Browns 17-16 in the title game at Briggs Stadium. The Lions joined the Chicago Bears (1940 & 1941) and Philadelphia Eagles (1948 and 1949) as the only team to win two straight championships since the NFL Championship Game was first played in 1933. Bobby Layne’s 33-yard touchdown pass to Jim Doran with 2:08 remaining proved the game-winner.
After being upset by the Detroit Lions 17-7 in the 1952 NFL Championship, the Cleveland Browns, coached by Paul Brown, looked like a juggernaut, winning their first 11 games easily with the Eastern Conference straight season. Dating back to their days in the AAFC, the Browns had played in the championship game in their first eight seasons. After losing the NFL Championship in 1951 to the Los Angeles Rams and 1952 to the Lions, the Browns sought to regain the crown after posting a record of 11-1.
Briggs Stadium in Detroit was packed with 54,577 fans on hand to cheer for their Lions. Detroit got a big break early when Otto Graham fumbled at the 12. A few plays later, the Lions cashed in on the opportunity as Doak Walker scored from the one-yard line. Late in the first quarter, the Browns got a break when Bob Hoernschmeyer fumbled at the six-yard line. Detroit’s defense did a masterful job, as the Browns were forced to settle for a 13-yard field goal by Lou Groza at the start of the second quarter. The Lions answered with a 23-yard field goal by Walker and led 10-3 at the half after Groza missed from the 44.
The game swung in Cleveland’s favor in the third quarter as Ken Gorgal picked off Bobby Layne. The Browns would go down the field and tie the game 10-10 as Chick Jagade scored on a nine-yard run. The Lions missed a chance to retake the lead as Doak Walker missed a 33-yard field goal. With Jagade leading the way on the ground with 102 yards, the Browns began to seize control of the came as Lou Groza hit a 15-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Groza added a 43-yarder to extend the Browns’ lead to 16-10.
Down by six points, the Lions faced desperation as they had been shut down the entire second half as they got the ball at their own 20 with four minutes left. Layne took the Lions on his shoulder and quickly took them down the field, hitting Jim Doran just before the two-minute warning with a 33-yard touchdown pass. Doak Walker added the extra point to give the Lions a 17-16 lead. The Browns had a chance to answer, but Otto Graham, who had a miserable game, was intercepted by Carl Karilivacz, sealing the win for Detroit.