1952 NFL season The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League . Prior to the season , New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL . A few days later , a new team was then awarded to an ownership group in Dallas , Texas after it purchased the assets of the Yanks . However , the new Dallas Texans went 1 – 11 , and was sold back to the league midway through the season . For the team ' s last five games , the league operated the Texans as a road team , using Hershey , Pennsylvania as a home base . Their final three " home " games were held at the Rubber Bowl in Akron , Ohio . After the season ended , the league folded the Texans , the last time an NFL team failed . This left Dallas without a professional football franchise until the births of the Dallas Cowboys and the AFL version of the Dallas Texans in 1960 . The Detroit Lions defeated the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game . Regular season highlights . In Week One September 28 , the Cleveland Browns hosted a rematch of their 1951 title game loss to the Rams , which had taken place in Los Angeles . That 24 - 17 loss was avenged with a 37 - 7 win for the Browns . The NFL ' s newest team , the Dallas Texans , played their first game , but a crowd of only 17 , 499 turned out to watch the visiting Giants . The Texans scored first , on a pass from George Taliaferro to Buddy Young , two of the few African - American players in the NFL at that time . The Giants scored the rest of the points in a 24 - 6 win . Week Three ( October 12 , the Giants beat the Browns 17 - 9 , and the 49ers shut out the Lions 28 - 0 , as both stayed unbeaten on the road . Week Four ( October 19 saw the 49ers stay unbeaten with a 40 - 18 win over the Bears , while the Chicago Cardinals spoiled the Giants ' home opener , 24 - 23 . San Francisco ' s streak finally ended on November 2 in Week Six when the Bears visited . The 49ers were leading , 17 - 10 in the 4th quarter , when Frankie Albert made an unnecessary gamble in a 4th and 4 on his own 31 yard line , trying to gain yardage on a fake punt . Chicago took over on downs and tied the game three plays later , and George Blanda ' s 48 yard field goal gave them a 20 - 17 win . In Week Seven ( November 9 ) , the 49ers lost in New York , 23 - 14 , while Detroit beat Pittsburgh 31 - 6 and Cleveland beat the Cardinals 28 - 13 . Both conference races were tied , with the Giants and Browns in the American , and the Lions joining the 49ers in the National , all with 5 - 2 - 0 records . In Dallas , only 10 , 000 turned out in a drizzle to watch the Texans fall to 0 - 7 - 0 in a 27 - 6 loss to the Rams . It proved to be the Texans ' last Cotton Bowl date , and the last pro football game played in the state of Texas until 1960 . After losses of $ 250 , 000 and failed attempts to get refinancing , the team ' s 16 stockholders surrendered the franchise three days later , the league took over its operations , and the remaining games in Dallas were moved . . In Week Eight ( November 16 , the Browns had a 22 - 0 lead over Pittsburgh and then withstood a four touchdown passing attack by Jim Finks in a 29 - 28 win . A safety , caused when Finks had been sacked in the end zone earlier , was the margin of victory . With the Giants ' 17 - 3 loss to Green Bay , Cleveland took over first place in the American Conference . Meanwhile , Detroit and San Francisco both won to stay tied in the National . Week Nine November 23 , saw an unprecedented seven - way tie for the NFL ' s best record , with more than half of the teams at 6 - 3 - 0 , and only three games left in the season . The 5 - 3 Rams beat the 6 - 2 49ers 35 - 9 , and the 5 - 3 Eagles beat the 6 - 2 Browns 28 - 20 . The 3 - 5 Bears upset the visiting 6 - 2 Lions , 24 - 23 , after George Blanda passed to Ed Sprinkle with 8 seconds to play . In addition , the 5 - 3 Giants and the 5 - 3 Packers won their games against Washington ( 14 - 10 ) and Dallas ( 42 - 14 ) respectively . . The oddity only lasted a few days . Week Ten began on Thanksgiving Day , as the Lions beat the Packers 48 - 24 . The same day , November 27 , the 0 - 9 - 0 Texans played the Bears in Akron , Ohio after Dallas and Chicago were unavailable . The Texans blew an 18 point lead , but with 0 : 34 to play , Frank Tripucka scored and the NFL ' s orphaned team registered its first , and last , win , 27 - 23 . About 3 , 000 Ohioans watched the game , compared to 14 , 800 who packed the stadium earlier that day to watch a high school match . On November 30 , the Rams and 49ers , both 6 - 3 - 0 , met for the second straight week , this time in San Francisco , and the L . A . team won 34 - 21 . The NFL ' s two other 6 - 3 teams , the Eagles and the Giants , both lost on the road . The Cards beat Philly 28 - 22 . The 3 - 6 Steelers , however , handed the Giants their worst defeat ever , beginning with a 91 yard return of the opening kickoff by Lynn Chandnois and ending 63 - 7 . With that , the Browns were alone in the National race , while the Lions and Rams were tied . The Browns , Lions and Rams won again in Week Eleven , as did Philadelphia , but the Giants were eliminated with a 27 - 17 loss to Washington . In the final games of the regular season ( December 14 ) in Week Twelve , Detroit won 41 - 6 in the last NFL game for the Dallas Texans , and the Rams beat Pittsburgh 28 - 14 , tying both for the American title at 9 - 3 - 0 , and forcing a playoff . In the National Conference , the 7 - 4 Eagles were hoping for the 8 - 3 Browns to lose , and Cleveland fell in New York , 37 - 34 , despite a fourth quarter comeback attempt . Playing against the last place ( 2 - 8 ) Redskins , the Eagles had a 21 - 14 lead in the fourth quarter , but Eddie LeBaron crossed the goal line with 0 : 18 to play , for Washington ' s only home win in 1952 , and handing the Browns the conference title . 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 " Playoffs . " See : 1952 NFL playoffs " National Conference Playoff Game NFL Championship Game