• First, Otto Graham, the only QB the franchise had ever known, announced at the Pro Bowl in January 1954 that he was contemplating retirement. He eventually decided that the upcoming campaign would be his last.
• Then Paul Brown lost two of his assistants, one with his blessing and the other contentiously. Blanton Collier, Brown's right hand man, replaced Bear Bryant as head coach at the University of Kentucky, Blanton's native state. Paul agreed that his friend could not pass up UK's lucrative offer.
• However, the departure of Weeb Ewbank to become the head coach of the Baltimore Colts proved to be another matter entirely. Weeb was the chief architect of the Browns' draft plans. So Brown insisted that Ewbank stay with Cleveland through the draft, and Commissioner Bert Bell agreed. But the plan backfired as the Colts several times picked players that the Browns had on their list, including WR Raymond Berry. It turned out that Weeb, while ostensibly having no contact with Baltimore officials during the draft as ordered by the commissioner, passed notes to them via a Baltimore sportswriter.
  
  Paul Brown with Weeb Ewbank and Blanton Collier
• The Cleveland roster underwent upheaval as well. Eleven veterans from the '53 squad departed. With MG Bill Willis having retired and FB Marion Motley sitting out the '54 season with a knee injury, only four original Browns re­mained: Graham, T-K Lou Groza, WR Dante Lavelli, and C Frank Gatski. Even Gatski announced his retirement after a third straight loss in the title game, but Brown persuaded him to return. The coach would also entice veteran HB Dub Jones out of retirement in September.
• Some new players would perform admirably replacing the old standbys. Rookie Maurice Bassett from tiny Langston College, who was spotted play­ing military ball in California, and Curly Morrison, obtained from the Bears, became serviceable replacements for Motley. rushing for over 800y between them. Mike McCormack returned from two years in military service and ably replaced Willis at MG.

When the '54 season began, the Browns looked like a team in turmoil.

• The Eagles spanked them in the opener, 28-10. Then, after a 31-7 victory over the lowly Chicago Cardinals, the Browns were clobbered by the Pitts­burgh Steelers 55-27, the team's worst loss since joining the NFL in 1950.
• After a morose train ride home from the Steel City, Brown gained optimism from watching the film of the game, which included two INT returns for Steel­er TDs and a 78y pass for another. "You know, we played some pretty good football. Actually, the pictures were reassuring. We still are a pretty good football team."
• With sportswriters trumpeting the demise of a dynasty, the Browns proved their coach's point by ripping off eight straight victories, including revenge wins over the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, to clinch the East Division with one game to play.
• The Browns thus continued their streak of playing in their league's champ­ionship game every year of their existence starting in the All-America Football Conference in 1946.

The West also produced the same champion for the third year in a row.

• With essentially the same team that won the NFL title in '52 and '53, Detroit won eight of their first nine.
• A tie with the Eagles clinched the division and rendered the following week's loss to the Bears meaningless.
• The Lions won their division despite QB Bobby Layne missing four games. Tom Dublinski served as an adequate replacement, completing 56% of his passes for 1,073y and 8 TDs.
• As luck would have it, the Lions had one more game to play before the title game against none other than their opponents in that game, the Browns. Originally scheduled for Cleveland October 3, the contest was postponed to the open week before the title game because of the World Series in Munici­pal Stadium that weekend. Since the NFL followed baseball's lead and alter­nated the site of the championship game between the two divisions regard­less of the teams' records, the game amounted to nothing more than a dress rehearsal for the following week's title clash. Both coaches rested some injured regulars.
• Just as they did in the 1953 championship game, the Lions drove for the winning TD in the final minute to capture the lackluster contest in a steady snowfall 14-10. Following a very conservative game plan, Graham threw just six passes and completed only one for a grand total of 15y.
• Brown shrugged off the defeat. "We never seem to have much luck against Detroit. We try to get a little more information about the Lions than any of the other clubs. So far, it hasn't seemed to help." Cleveland fans were aghast that their coach took such a casual attitude toward yet another loss to their nemesis.
• Since that moved Detroit's record to 7-0-1 against Cleveland (counting ex­hibition games), odds makers installed the Lions as 2 1/2 point favorites when they returned to the Mistake by the Lake the following Sunday.
• Already in a foul mood because baseball's New York Giants had swept their Indians in the World Series, many Cleveland fans had a fatalistic attitude toward the rematch with Detroit. In fact, enthusiasm for the Browns had waned all year, with attendance averaging right at 30,000 per game.
• Buddy Parker and his Lions simply had Cleveland's number, as Coach Brown had practically admitted.

Even the Browns players bought into that philosophy but determined to do some­thing about it.

• Graham had chafed for years in the straitjacket that Brown threw around him and thought he could call a better game. Otto had the freedom to audi­ble at the line of scrimmage, but he'd better be able to justify his decision to the head man, especially if the change didn't work. Since this would be his last game, he had no fear of reprisal.
• Frustrated by their coach's conservative play calling in the three consecutive championship game losses, members of the offense met the night before the game and decided, "If we're going to lose, let's lose our way." With nothing to fear since he was retiring and with his poor play in the 1953 final game still eating at him, Graham told his mates that, if they fell behind the Lions, he would ignore the plays Brown sent in with his messenger guards.

• Spurred by the unseasonably good weather the day after Christmas, 43,827, a surprisingly good crowd after only 24,000 tickets were sold in advance, gathered in hopes of seeing the Browns break the Lions jinx.
• Cleveland would play without veteran LB Tony Adamle, out with a broken leg. RBs Maurice Bassett (thigh), the team's leading rusher, and Billy Rey­nolds (ankle) would be limited. However, WR Ray Renfro, perhaps the fast­est Brown, had recovered sufficiently from a bad knee six weeks earlier to give it a go.
• Parker pronounced his boys ready to go as his Lions tried to become the first NFL club to win three straight championships. "We are in good shape, as good as we've been all year. Every man is ready, including Dick Stanfel, our ace LB." Carl Karilivacz returned to the secondary, freeing Doak Walk­er to concentrate on offense.
• The Detroit coach couldn't explain why his team had never lost to the Browns. "I guess maybe it's because the boys have a lot of pride, and they put out as much as they can."
• Paul Brown had a theory though. "If you get a clutch performance by a player or two, you win games like these. And the Lions have been getting these clutch performances from fellows like Layne, Walker, Leon Hart, etc."
• The game would again be televised by the DuMont network to a record 187 cities. Mutual would handle the radio end. The TV and radio rights earned the league $101,250, all of which went into the players' pool.
• Commissioner Bell would watch the action from his Philadelphia home after collapsing for the second time on Wednesday. "I will be watching alongside a telephone," Bert said, "and if any important decisions must be made, I'll make them."
• Detroit's 335-pound MG Les Bingaman announced he would hang up his cleats after the game.

• Quarter 1
  Jack Christiansen returned Groza's kick from the 1 to the 17. On the very first play, rookie FB Bill Bowman broke through a gaping hole up the middle for a 50y gain to the 33 where he was tackled by Tommy James and Warren Lahr. However, Lew Carpenter took his eyes off a pitchout and fumbled on the next play, and Browns T John Kissell fell on the ball at the 37.
  Kissell (along with E Mac Speedie) had taken a lucrative offer from the Canadian League but returned after just one year to help replace DT Bob Gain, who fulfilled his military obligation. Gain came home from Korea in December in time to play in the last two games, enough to make him eligible for the championship game.
  Moments later, LB Joe Schmidt intercepted Graham's wobbly pass intended for Warren Brewster and returned it 13y to put the Lions back in business on the 35. "Here we go again," many Cleveland fans must have thought.
  Taking the first snap, Layne launched a long pass to Dorne Dibble raced toward the pylon at the 6 a step in front of James. But the pigskin went right through Dibble's hands. It was a portent of the Lions fate on the afternoon. Layne tossed a delayed screen to the right to Carpenter who started up­field with plenty of open space and a blocker in front of him. But Kissell made another great play by tackling Lew from behind after only a 5y gain. After the next play gained only 2, Detroit settled for Doak Walker's 36y FG. Lions 3 Browns 0
  Billy Reynolds, scheduled to enter the Air Force in a month, showed no sign of being injured when he returned Jim Martin's kickoff 46y to the Detroit 41 where Walker made a TD-saving ankle tackle. But the Browns gained only 6 on two runs and an incompletion. So Horace Gillom came on to punt. The result was a confusing play that helped the Browns keep possession. Jug Girard signalled for a fair catch, then moved three strides to his right before being smacked down by a Brown. Meanwhile, the referee threw a flag for roughing the kicker against Harley Sewell. After conferring, the officials ruled that Girard bobbled the ball and never had enough control to warrant a fair-catch infraction. So, instead of offsetting penalties, the roughing the punter violation prevailed and gave the Browns a first down on the 35. A pitchout from Graham to Bassett lost 2y. Then Otto faded straight back behind maximum protection, waited for Ray Renfro to split Bill Stits and Carl Karilivacz, and threw to Ray who caught the ball in stride on the 8 for a TD. It was Otto's first TD pass in a championship game against the Lions. Groza started a perfect day on PATs. Browns 7 Lions 3 with 8:50 on the clock.
  While studying film of previous games against Detroit, Brown noticed that, each time Cleveland lined up in a tight T-formation, the CBs came up in anticipation of a sweep. So he had LWB Renfro circle out of the backfield around the defense into the clear. The play would work beautifully again in Q2.
  Starting from the 20 after Christiansen's return, Layne completed a 17y pass to Dibble. But the possession bogged down on a 4y sack by DE Doug Atkins.
  After Jug Girard's punt to the 23, Graham ran far back to escape two runners, then circled forward for 7y. Bassett gained a first down, but on the next play Christiansen ran in front of Lavelli and snagged Graham's pass, retaining possession long enough before fumbling out of bounds on the 31.
  But on the next play, Layne and his receiver seemed to have their signals crossed. Bobby's pass went straight to Don Paul who meandered 33y to the 8.
  After recovering his own fumble for a loss of 2, Graham tossed a slant in to LE Darrell Brewster, who was knocked down on a necktie tackle by Schmidt. But, not being detained by a defender, Pete lunged the final 2y for the score.
  Browns 14 Lions 3
  When the Lions had to punt, Reynolds took the ball on his 46. Taking advantage of a great block by Chet Hanulak, Billy ran down the sidelines, then cut inside until punter Girard, the last line of defense, brought him down on the 12.
  Bassett broke several tackles to the 4. As the quarter ended, the home team had the ball on the 1' line.

Christiansen intercepts a pass intended for Dante Lavelli.