List of Detroit Lions seasons

The Lions have won four NFL championships. The Lions were the first franchise to finish a full (non-strike shortened) regular season with no wins or ties since the move to sixteen season games in 1978, going 0–16 during the 2008 NFL season. They are also one of four current teams, and the only one in the NFC, to have never played in the Super Bowl.

Seasons

NFL champions (1950–1969)

Super Bowl champions (1970–present)

Conference champions

Division champions

Wild Card berth

One-game playoff berth

Season	Team	League	Conference	Division	Regular season				Postseason results	Awards	Head coaches
					Finish	W	L	T
Portsmouth Spartans
1930	1930	NFL			8th	5	6	3	The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932		Hal Griffin
1931	1931	NFL			2nd	11	3	0			George "Potsy" Clark
1932	1932	NFL			3rd[note 1]	6	2	4	Lost Playoff Game (at Bears) 9–0
1933	1933	NFL		Western	2nd	6	5	0
Detroit Lions
1934	1934	NFL		Western	2nd	10	3	0			George "Potsy" Clark
1935	1935	NFL		Western	1st	7	3	2	Won NFL Championship (1) (Giants) 26–7
1936	1936	NFL		Western	3rd	8	4	0
1937	1937	NFL		Western	T–2nd	7	4	0			Dutch Clark
1938	1938	NFL		Western	2nd	7	4	0
1939	1939	NFL		Western	3rd	6	5	0			Gus Henderson
1940	1940	NFL		Western	3rd	5	5	1			George "Potsy" Clark
1941	1941	NFL		Western	3rd	4	6	1			Bill Edwards
1942	1942	NFL		Western	5th	0	11	0			Bill Edwards (0–3) John Karcis (0–8)
1943	1943	NFL		Western	3rd	3	6	1			Gus Dorais
1944	1944	NFL		Western	T–2nd	6	3	1		Frank Sinkwich (MVP)
1945	1945	NFL		Western	2nd	7	3	0
1946	1946	NFL		Western	5th	1	10	0
1947	1947	NFL		Western	5th	3	9	0
1948	1948	NFL		Western	5th	2	10	0			Bo McMillin
1949	1949	NFL		Western	4th	4	8	0
1950	1950	NFL	National		4th	6	6	0
1951	1951	NFL	National		T–2nd	7	4	1			Buddy Parker
1952	1952	NFL	National		T–1st	9	3	0	Won Conference Playoff (Rams) 31–21 Won NFL Championship (2) (at Browns) 17–7
1953	1953	NFL	Western		1st	10	2	0	Won NFL Championship (3) (Browns) 17–16
1954	1954	NFL	Western		1st	9	2	1	Lost NFL Championship (at Browns) 56–10
1955	1955	NFL	Western		6th	3	9	0
1956	1956	NFL	Western		2nd	9	3	0
1957	1957	NFL	Western		1st	8	4	0	Won Conference Playoff (at 49ers) 31–27 Won NFL Championship (4) (Browns) 59–14	George Wilson (COY)	George Wilson
1958	1958	NFL	Western		5th	4	7	1
1959	1959	NFL	Western		5th	3	8	1
1960	1960	NFL	Western		T–2nd	7	5	0	Won Playoff Bowl[note 2] (vs. Browns) 17–16
1961[note 3]	1961	NFL	Western		2nd	8	5	1	Won Playoff Bowl[note 2] (vs. Eagles) 38–10
1962	1962	NFL	Western		2nd	11	3	0	Won Playoff Bowl[note 2] (vs. Steelers) 17–10
1963	1963	NFL	Western		T–4th	5	8	1
1964	1964	NFL	Western		4th	7	5	2
1965	1965	NFL	Western		6th	6	7	1			Harry Gilmer
1966	1966	NFL	Western		T–6th	4	9	1
1967[note 4]	1967	NFL	Western	Central	3rd	5	7	2		Mel Farr (OROY) Lem Barney (DROY)	Joe Schmidt
1968	1968	NFL	Western	Central	4th	4	8	2		Earl McCullouch (OROY)
1969	1969	NFL	Western	Central	2nd	9	4	1
1970	1970	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	10	4	0	Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Cowboys) 5–0
1971	1971	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	7	6	1
1972	1972	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	8	5	1
1973	1973	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	6	7	1			Don McCafferty
1974	1974	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	7	7	0			Rick Forzano
1975	1975	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	7	7	0
1976	1976	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	6	8	0		Greg Landry (CBPOY)	Rick Forzano (1–3) Tommy Hudspeth (5–5)
1977	1977	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	6	8	0			Tommy Hudspeth
1978[note 5]	1978	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	7	9	0		Al Baker (DROY)	Monte Clark
1979	1979	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	2	14	0
1980	1980	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	9	7	0		Billy Sims (OROY)
1981	1981	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	8	8	0
1982	1982	NFL	NFC	—	8th[note 6]	4	5	0	Lost First Round Playoffs (at Redskins) 31–7
1983	1983	NFL	NFC	Central	1st	9	7	0	Lost Divisional Playoffs (at 49ers) 24–23
1984	1984	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	4	11	1
1985	1985	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	7	9	0			Darryl Rogers
1986	1986	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	5	11	0
1987[note 7]	1987	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	4	11	0
1988	1988	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	4	12	0			Darryl Rogers (2–9) Wayne Fontes (2–3)
1989	1989	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	7	9	0		Barry Sanders (OROY)	Wayne Fontes
1990	1990	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	6	10	0
1991	1991	NFL	NFC	Central	1st	12	4	0	Won Divisional Playoffs (Cowboys) 38–6 Lost NFC Championship (at Redskins) 41–10	Wayne Fontes (COY)
1992	1992	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	5	11	0
1993	1993	NFL	NFC	Central	1st	10	6	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Packers) 28–24
1994	1994	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	9	7	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Packers) 16–12	Barry Sanders (OPOY)
1995	1995	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	10	6	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Eagles) 58–37
1996	1996	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	5	11	0
1997	1997	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	9	7	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Buccaneers) 20–10	Barry Sanders (MVP)	Bobby Ross
1998	1998	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	5	11	0
1999	1999	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	8	8	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Redskins) 27–13
2000	2000	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	9	7	0			Bobby Ross (5–4) Gary Moeller (4–3)
2001	2001	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	2	14	0			Marty Mornhinweg
2002	2002	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	13	0
2003	2003	NFL	NFC	North	4th	5	11	0			Steve Mariucci
2004	2004	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	6	10	0
2005	2005	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	5	11	0			Steve Mariucci (4–7) Dick Jauron (1–4)
2006	2006	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	13	0			Rod Marinelli
2007	2007	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	7	9	0
2008	2008	NFL	NFC	North	4th	0	16	0
2009	2009	NFL	NFC	North	4th	2	14	0			Jim Schwartz
2010	2010	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	6	10	0		Ndamukong Suh (DROY)
2011	2011	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	10	6	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Saints) 45–28	Matthew Stafford (CBPOY)
2012	2012	NFL	NFC	North	4th	4	12	0
2013	2013	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	7	9	0
2014	2014	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	11	5	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Cowboys) 24–20		Jim Caldwell
2015	2015	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	7	9	0
2016	2016	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	9	7	0	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Seahawks) 26–6
2017	2017	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	9	7	0
2018	2018	NFL	NFC	North	4th	6	10	0			Matt Patricia
2019	2019	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	12	1
2020	2020	NFL	NFC	North	4th	5	11	0			Matt Patricia (4–7) Darrell Bevell (1–4)
2021	2021	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	13	1			Dan Campbell
Totals 4 Division Titles 4 Conference Titles 4 NFL Titles						570	694	34	(1930–2021, regular season)
						7	13	0	(1930–2021, playoffs)
						577	707	34	(1930–2021, regular season and playoffs)

Notes

1. Finished tied for 1st (by winning percentage) at 6–1–4; lost tiebreaker playoff game to the Bears, which dropped them to 3rd place (by winning percentage). The tiebreaker game was considered a regular season game, so 3rd place at 6–2–4 is the Spartan's final standing.
2. The Playoff Bowl is considered an unofficial, exhibition post-season game.
3. In 1961, the NFL expanded its regular season schedule, which had been 12 games since 1947, to 14 games.
4. The 1967 NFL season marks the first season in the league's history where the league was divided into two conferences which were subdivided into two divisions. Up to 1967, the league was either divided into two divisions, two conferences, or neither.
5. In 1978, the NFL expanded its regular season schedule, which had been 14 games since 1961, to 16 games.
6. Due to the 1982 NFL strike, the league was split into two conferences, instead of its usual divisional alignment. The season was shortened to nine games, and the top eight teams in each conference earned berths in an expanded 16-team playoff tournament.
7. The 1987 NFL strike caused the schedule to be reduced to 15 games.

References

• "Detroit Lions History". CBS Sportsline. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
• "Detroit Lions History". Football @ JT-SW.com. John M. Troan. Retrieved December 3, 2016.