DETROIT LIONS
Updated: 10 july 2020
Founded: 1930
Location: Detroit, MI
Division: NFC North
STADIUM

(FORD FIELD)
(65,000)

Detroit Lions were founded in 1930 as the Portsmouth Spartans, based in Portsmouth, OH. Despite their success, the team could not survive in Portsmouth, then the NFL's second smallest city (after Green Bay,WI) and relocated to Detroit as the Lions for the 1934 season.
Despite winning 4 NFL Championships, they last won a title in 1957 and they have the second longest NFL Championship drought behind the Arizona Cardinals (who last won in 1947). They are one of 4 current NFL teams and the only NFC team yet to play in the Super Bowl and the only franchise in operation for all 54 seasons of the Super Bowl era without having appeared in one (the Cleveland Browns were not in operation for the 1996 to 1998 seasons). They last appeared in the playoffs in 2016 but their last Playoff win was in 1991.
NAMES
Portsmouth Spartans (1930-1933)
Detroit Lions (1934–PRESENT)
AFFILIATIONS
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE (1930-)
Western Division (1933-1949)
National Conference (1950-1952)
WESTERN CONFERENCE (1953-1969)
Central Division (1967–1969)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE (1970-)
Central Division (1970-2001)
North Division (2002-)
AWARDS
LEAGUE TITLES (4)
  • NFL CHAMPIONSHIPS (4): 1935, 1952-1953, 1957
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (4)
  • NFL NATIONAL: 1952
    NFL WESTERN: 1953-1954, 1957
DIVISION TITLES (8)
  • NFL WESTERN (4): 1935, 1953-1954, 1957
    NFL NATIONAL (1): 1952 NFC CENTRAL (3): 1983, 1991, 1993
PLAYOFFS APPEARANCES (17)
1935, 1952-1954, 1957, 1970, 1982-1983, 1991, 1993-1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016
SEASONS (SINCE 2010)
SEASON DIVISION FINISH RECORD PLAYOFFS
2010 NFC NORTH 3RD 6-10 -
2011 NFC NORTH 2ND 10-6 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (@ Saints) 45–28
2012 NFC NORTH 4TH 4-12 -
2013 NFC NORTH 3RD 7-9 -
2014 NFC NORTH 2ND 11-5 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (@ Cowboys) 24–20
2015 NFC NORTH 3RD 7-9 -
2016 NFC NORTH 2ND 9-7 Lost Wild Card Playoffs (@ Seahawks) 26–6
2017 NFC NORTH 2ND 9-7 -
2018 NFC NORTH 4TH 6-10 -
2019 NFC NORTH 4TH 3-12-1 -
NFL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES
SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP W/L OPPONENT SCORE LOCATION VICTORY #
1935 16TH W  NEW YORK 23-21 CHICAGO 3
1934 2ND L  NEW YORK 30-13 NEW YORK -
1937 18TH L  WASHINGTON 28-21 CHICAGO -
1940 21ST W  WASHINGTON 73-0 WASHINGTON, D.C. 4
1941 22ND W  NEW YORK 37-9 CHICAGO 5
1942 23RD L  WASHINGTON 14-6 CHICAGO -
1943 23RD W  WASHINGTON 41-21 CHICAGO 6
1946 27TH W  NEW YORK 24-14 NEW YORK 7
1956 37TH L  NEW YORK 47-7 NEW YORK -
1963 44TH W  NEW YORK 14-10 CHICAGO 8
LOGOS
(1952-1960)
(1961-1969)
(1970-2002)
(2003-2008)
(2009-2016)
(2017-)
HELMETS
(1952-1960)
(1961-1967)
(1968-OCTOBER 11, 1970)
(OCTOBER 18, 1970-1983)
(1984-2002)
(2003-2008)
(2009-2016)
(2017-)
STADIUMS
Universal Stadium (Portsmouth, MI) (1930–1933)
University of Detroit Stadium (Detroit, MI) (1934–1940)
TIGER STADIUM
(DETROIT, MI)
(1938-1939/1941-1974)
PONTIAC SILVERDOME
(PONTIAC, MI)
(1975-2001)
FORD FIELD
(DETROIT, MI)
(2002-)