The game proved to be a tight affair, as both teams turned the ball over four times each. The Lions struck first with a
Doak Walker touchdown, and both scored field goals in the second quarter and the Lions led at halftime, 10–3. The Browns took the lead on a
Chick Jagade run in the third quarter while
Lou Groza kicked two field goals as Cleveland took the lead on 13 straight points in the second half. Trailing 16–10 with four minutes and 10 seconds of play remaining, the Lions started from their own 20-yard line and fought their way 80 yards in eight plays, the touchdown coming on a 33-yard pass from Bobby Layne to
Jim Doran in the end zone, and Walker's extra point gave the Lions the lead. Trailing 17–16, the Browns had one last chance;
Ken Carpenter started the drive with a run to his own 28, but an
Otto Graham pass intended for
Pete Brewster was deflected by rookie defensive halfback
Carl Karilivacz, who intercepted the throw, clinching the Lions their third title. Graham had a miserable game, finishing with a 0.0 passer rating on 2-of-15 passing while Detroit's
Bobby Layne went 12-of-25 for 179 yards. The leading rusher of the game was
Chick Jagade, who ran for 102 yards on 15 carries for Cleveland.
Scoring summary ==Officials==