The 1957 Cleveland Browns season was the team's eighth season with the National Football League. They were 9âÂÂ2âÂÂ1 in the regular season and won the Eastern Conference title, but lost the championship game to the Detroit Lions, 59âÂÂ14.
The Browns missed the playoffs the previous season, ending ten straight years of league championship game appearances. The Browns came storming back in to finish 9âÂÂ2âÂÂ1 and win the Eastern Conference title by a relatively healthy margin over the defending world champion New York Giants (7âÂÂ5). The Browns took care of business against the Giants, "bookending," as it were, their arch rivals. They beat New York 6âÂÂ3 in the season opener and then edged them again 34âÂÂ28 in the finale. The Browns also posted two shutouts on the year, 24âÂÂ0 over the Pittsburgh Steelers and 31âÂÂ0 over the Chicago Cardinals.
The Eastern foe the Browns had the most trouble with was fourth-place Washington (5âÂÂ6âÂÂ1). Cleveland edged the Redskins 21âÂÂ17 and then had to settle for a 30âÂÂ30 tie in the rematch. The Browns fell to Detroit 20âÂÂ7, making them 0âÂÂ3 against the Lions in the regular season since joining the NFL in 1950.
Although they had a rookie All-American running back out of Syracuse by the name of Jim Brown, the Browns were by no means an offensive juggernaut overall. The future Hall of Famer was outstanding, rushing for 942 yards and nine TDs, but he was the only real standout that year. Tommy O'Connell, who had taken over for retired Hall of Famer Otto Graham in 1956 and was the quarterback during the 5âÂÂ7 finish that year, had the job for most of the way in 1957 as well. He and rookie Milt Plum combined for just 1,873 yards passing 12 touchdowns with 14 interceptions.
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