1954 NFL season
| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| East Champions | Cleveland Browns |
| West Champions | Detroit Lions |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Cleveland Browns |
The 1954 NFL season was the 35th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Cleveland Browns defeated the Detroit Lions in the NFL Championship Game.
Major rule changes
- Whenever it is raining, or whenever the field is wet and slippery, the offensive team can request a new, dry playable ball at any time.
Conference races
In the Western Division, the 49ers pulled ahead in Week Five (October 24) with a 37–31 win over the Lions, but they lost four of their remaining seven games and finished 7–4–1. The Lions, on the other hand, lost only one game in their last seven, and finished 9–2–1. In the Eastern race, the Eagles got off to a 4–0 start, until dropping games to Pittsburgh (17–7) and Green Bay (37–14) to fall into a 3 way tie with the Giants and Steelers. The Browns, who got off to a 1–2 start, went on an 8-game winning streak, gradually catching up with a Halloween win over New York (24–14). A 6–0 win over Philadelphia on November 21 gave them the conference lead, and a 16–7 rematch win in New York the next week extended the margin. The Browns' streak was ended on December 19 with a 14–10 loss to the Lions. When the teams met in Cleveland again the next week (this time for the championship), the Browns won 56–10.
| Week | Western | Eastern | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 teams (Det, LA, SF) | 1–0–0 | 3 teams (NYG, Phi, Pit) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | 3 teams (Det, LA, SF) | 1–0–1 | Tie (Phi, Pit) | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | Tie (Det, SF) | 2–0–1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 3–0–0 |
| 4 | Tie (Det, SF) | 3–0–1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 4–0–0 |
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers | 4–0–1 | 3 teams (NYG, PHI, PIT) | 4–1–0 |
| 6 | Tie (Det, SF) | 4–1–1 | 3 teams (NYG, PHI, PIT) | 4–2–0 |
| 7 | Detroit Lions | 5–1–0 | Tie (NYG, PHI) | 5–2–0 |
| 8 | Detroit Lions | 6–1–0 | New York Giants | 6–2–0 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | 7–1–0 | Cleveland Browns | 6–2–0 |
| 10 | Detroit Lions | 8–1–0 | Cleveland Browns | 7–2–0 |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | 8–1–1 | Cleveland Browns | 8–2–0 |
| 12 | Detroit Lions | 8–2–1 | Cleveland Browns | 9–2–0 |
| 13 | Detroit Lions | 9–2–1 | Cleveland Browns | 9–3–0 |
Final standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against
Note: The NFL did not officially count tie games in the standings until 1972
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 336 | 162 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 284 | 230 |
| New York Giants | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 293 | 184 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 219 | 263 |
| Washington Redskins | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 207 | 432 |
| Chicago Cardinals | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 183 | 347 |
| Western Conference | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 337 | 189 |
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 301 | 279 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 4 | 1 | .636 | 313 | 251 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 5 | 1 | .545 | 314 | 285 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 234 | 251 |
| Baltimore Colts | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 131 | 279 |
NFL Championship Game
Cleveland 56, Detroit 10 at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio, December 26, 1954
Awards
- Sporting News NFL Player of the Year – Lou Groza, Cleveland Browns
- UPI NFL Most Valuable Player – Joe Perry, San Francisco 49ers
League leaders
| Statistic | Name | Team | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing | Norm Van Brocklin | Los Angeles | 2637 |
| Rushing | Joe Perry | San Francisco | 1049 |
| Receiving | Bob Boyd | Los Angeles | 1212 |
References
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 1-932994-36-X)
- NFL History 1951–1960 (Last accessed December 4, 2005)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0-06-270174-6)