1954 NFL season


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.

Draft

The 1954 NFL Draft was held on January 28, 1954 at Philadelphia's Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. With the first pick, the Cleveland Browns selected quarterback Bobby Garrett from Stanford University.

Major rule changes

In the Western Division, the 49ers pulled ahead in Week Five 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 and Green Bay 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. 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, the Browns won 56–10.
WeekWesternEastern
13 teams 1–0–03 teams 1–0–0
23 teams 1–0–1Tie 2–0–0
3Tie 2–0–1Philadelphia Eagles3–0–0
4Tie 3–0–1Philadelphia Eagles4–0–0
5San Francisco 49ers4–0–13 teams 4–1–0
6Tie 4–1–13 teams 4–2–0
7Detroit Lions5–1–0Tie 5–2–0
8Detroit Lions6–1–0New York Giants6–2–0
9Detroit Lions7–1–0Cleveland Browns6–2–0
10Detroit Lions8–1–0Cleveland Browns7–2–0
11Detroit Lions8–1–1Cleveland Browns8–2–0
12Detroit Lions8–2–1Cleveland Browns9–2–0
13Detroit Lions9–2–1Cleveland Browns9–3–0

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

NFL Championship Game

Cleveland 56, Detroit 10 at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio, December 26, 1954

League leaders

Awards