Once upon a time, the NFL power was concentrated on the shores of Lake Erie. The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns faced off three years in a row in the NFL Championship game.

The second of those matchups took place on this date, December 27, back in 1953. The Lions defended their title from a year before by rallying to beat the Browns, 17-16, in a thriller that came down to the very end.

Cleveland led 16-10 after two Lou Groza field goals in the fourth quarter, but the Lions offense answered. Led by Hall of Famers Bobby Layne at QB and Doak Walker at RB, Detroit drove down the field and scored on a 33-yard Layne TD strike to Jim Doran.

The Browns had one last gasp, but the Briggs Stadium faithful cheered as rookie defensive back Carl Karilivacz picked off Hall-of-Famer Otto Graham to seal the victory for the Lions.

According to the Pittsburgh Press’ account of the game, it was an “indescribably brutal” game that featured several fistfights. Lions players each received a $2,424 bonus for winning the team’s second straight championship and third overall NFL title.

The Browns would win the title the next year, but Detroit captured the fourth meeting between the two teams in the 1957 Championship game. That, of course, is the Lions’ last NFL championship.