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.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

NAMES

Portsmouth Spartans	(1930-1933)
Detroit Lions	(1934-PRESENT)

LOCATION

Portsmouth,OH	(1930-1933)
Detroit,MI	(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)
NFC North Division (2002-)

SEASONS

Click the "Seasons" text to hide and show the seasons.

Franchise records according to Pro-Football-Reference.com

SEASON	LEAGUE	CONF	DIVISION	FINISH	W	L	T	PLAYOFFS
Portsmouth Spartans
1930	NFL			8th	5	6	3	The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932
1931	NFL			2nd	11	3	0	The NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932
1932	NFL			3rd	6	2	4	Lost Playoff Game (BEARS) 0-9
1933	NFL	Western		2nd	6	5	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
Detroit Lions
1934	NFL	Western		2nd	10	3	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1935	NFL	Western		1st	7	3	2	Won NFL Championship (1) (GIANTS) 26-7
1936	NFL	Western		3rd	8	4	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1937	NFL	Western		T-2nd	7	4	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1938	NFL	Western		2nd	7	4	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1939	NFL	Western		3rd	6	5	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1940	NFL	Western		3rd	5	5	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1941	NFL	Western		3rd	4	6	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1942	NFL	Western		5th	0	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1943	NFL	Western		3rd	3	6	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1944	NFL	Western		T-2nd	6	3	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1945	NFL	Western		2nd	7	3	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1946	NFL	Western		5th	1	10	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1947	NFL	Western		5th	3	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1948	NFL	Western		5th	2	10	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1949	NFL	Western		4th	4	8	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1950	NFL	National		4th	6	6	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1951	NFL	National		T-2nd	7	4	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1952	NFL	National		T-1st	9	3	0	Won Conference Playoff (Rams) 31-21
1952	NFL	National		T-1st	9	3	0	Won NFL Championship (2) (BROWNS) 17-7
1953	NFL	Western		1st	10	2	0	Won NFL Championship (3) (BROWNS) 17-16
1954	NFL	Western		1st	9	2	1	Lost NFL Championship (BROWNS) 10-56
1955	NFL	Western		6th	3	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1956	NFL	Western		2nd	9	3	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1957	NFL	Western		1st	8	4	0	Won Conference Playoff (49ERS) 31-27
1957	NFL	Western		1st	8	4	0	Won NFL Championship (4) (BROWNS) 59-14
1958	NFL	Western		5th	4	7	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1959	NFL	Western		5th	3	8	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1960	NFL	Western		T-2nd	7	5	0	Won Playoff Bowl (BROWNS) 17-16
1961	NFL	Western		2nd	8	5	1	Won Playoff Bowl (Eagles) 38-10
1962	NFL	Western		2nd	11	3	0	Won Playoff Bowl (Steelers) 17-10
1963	NFL	Western		T-4th	5	8	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1964	NFL	Western		4th	7	5	2	DID NOT QUALIFY
1965	NFL	Western		6th	6	7	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1966	NFL	Western		T-6th	4	9	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1967	NFL	Western	Central	3rd	5	7	2	DID NOT QUALIFY
1968	NFL	Western	Central	4th	4	8	2	DID NOT QUALIFY
1969	NFL	Western	Central	2nd	9	4	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1970	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	10	4	0	Lost DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS (COWBOYS) 0-5
1971	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	7	6	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1972	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	8	5	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1973	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	6	7	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1974	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	7	7	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1975	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	7	7	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1976	NFL	NFC	Central	3RD	6	8	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1977	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	6	8	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1978	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	7	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1979	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	2	14	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1980	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	9	7	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1981	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	8	8	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1982	NFL	NFC		8th	4	5	0	Lost First Round Playoffs (REDSKINS) 7-31
1983	NFL	NFC	Central	1st	9	7	0	Lost DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS (49ERS) 23-24
1984	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	4	11	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
1985	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	7	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1986	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	5	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1987	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	4	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1988	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	4	12	0
1989	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	7	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1990	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	6	10	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1991	NFL	NFC	Central	1st	12	4	0	Won DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS (COWBOYS) 38-6
1991	NFL	NFC	Central	1st	12	4	0	Lost NFC CHAMPIONSHIP (REDSKINS) 10-41
1992	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	5	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1993	NFL	NFC	Central	1st	10	6	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (PACKERS) 24-28
1994	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	9	7	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (PACKERS) 12-16
1995	NFL	NFC	Central	2nd	10	6	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (Eagles) 37-58
1996	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	5	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1997	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	9	7	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (BUCCANEERS) 10-20
1998	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	5	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
1999	NFL	NFC	Central	3rd	8	8	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (REDSKINS) 13-27
2000	NFL	NFC	Central	4th	9	7	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2001	NFL	NFC	Central	5th	2	14	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2002	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	13	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2003	NFL	NFC	North	4th	5	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2004	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	6	10	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2005	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	5	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2006	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	13	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2007	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	7	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2008	NFL	NFC	North	4th	0	16	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2009	NFL	NFC	North	4th	2	14	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2010	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	6	10	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2011	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	10	6	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (SAINTS) 28-45
2012	NFL	NFC	North	4th	4	12	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2013	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	7	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2014	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	11	5	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (COWBOYS) 20-24
2015	NFL	NFC	North	3rd	7	9	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2016	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	9	7	0	Lost WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (SEAHAWKS) 6-26
2017	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	9	7	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2018	NFL	NFC	North	4th	6	10	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2019	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	10	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
2020	NFL	NFC	North	4th	5	11	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2021	NFL	NFC	North	4th	3	13	1	DID NOT QUALIFY
2022	NFL	NFC	North	2nd	9	8	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2022	NFL	NFC	NORTH	2nd	9	8	0	DID NOT QUALIFY
2023	NFL	NFC	NORTH	1ST	12	5	0	Won WILD CARD PLAYOFFS (Eagles) 24-23 Won DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS (Buccaneers) 31-23 LOST NFC CHAMPIONSHIP (49ERS) 31-34

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

4
1935 | 1952 | 1953 | 1957

NFL CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCES

	SEASON	W/L	OPPONENT	SCORE	HOST CITY	VICTORY	APP
1935	16TH	W	NEW YORK GIANTS	26-7	DETROIT	1	1
1952	33RD	W	CLEVELAND BROWNS	17-7	CLEVELAND	2	2
1953	34TH	W	CLEVELAND BROWNS	17-16	DETROIT	3	3
1954	35TH	L	CLEVELAND BROWNS	56-10	CLEVELAND	-	4
1957	38TH	W	CLEVELAND BROWNS	59-14	DETROIT	4	5

SUPER BOWL APPEARANCES

(0)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

4
NFL NATIONAL	1	1952
NFL WESTERN	3	1953-1954, 1957

DIVISION TITLES

9
NFL WESTERN	4	1935, 1953-1954, 1957
NFL NATIONAL	1	1952
NFC CENTRAL/NORTH	4	1983, 1991, 1993, 2023

PLAYOFFS APPEARANCES

1935, 1952-1954, 1957, 1970, 1982-1983, 1991, 1993-1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2023

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)	(2017-2023)

(2024-)

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-)