Detroit Lions
Value$8.02BHeartbreak#833.0Founded: 1930 · Metro Area: Detroit · NFC · NFC North · Home: Ford Field
Formerly based in Portsmouth.
Rating through time
Where Detroit Lions sat against the rest of the league at the end of every season it played, from 1930 to 2026. Above average in 46 of 97 seasons.
Tap or drag on the chart: the nearest season's rating, start, peak and low.
One point per season, at the rating it finished on, with a rule at every decade. Tap or drag any year for what it started on, where it peaked and where it finished. 1500 is the league average by construction, not a chosen line. The week-by-week detail for any season is on its own season page.
The Heartbreak Index33.0 · #8
The Damned · NFL, 1957
The Heartbreak Index33.0 · #8
The Damned · NFL, 1957
- NFL since 195716.0
- NFL final appearance since 19574.1
- 24-7 in Santa Clara · 2023 · 1.00 pangsNFC Championship, first in 32 years: led 24-7 at half, lost 34-31 after two fourth-down failures and a dropped go-ahead touchdown
- 15-2 and Out · 2024 · 0.70 pangsBest season in franchise history, the No. 1 seed, one home game in January: lost 45-31 to a six-seed Washington
- 0-16 · 2008 · 0.60 pangsThe first perfect losing season
fell one round short, 2023 · playoff run died early, 2024 · fell one round short, 1991 · playoff run died early, 2016
One formula, every club the site covers. See the whole board →
Championships
Pre-Super Bowl titles in slate; Super Bowl era titles in gold.
Championship appearances
Every championship game appearance, win or loss. Solid chip = won; outlined chip = lost. Same pre-Super Bowl / Super Bowl color split as titles.
All-time record
| Regular-season W-L-T | 615-717-34 |
| Win pct | 0.463 |
| Playoff record | 12-16-0 (0.429) |
| Championship appearances | 6 (4 wins) |
| Conference final appearances | 2 (0 wins) |
| Total seasons | 97 |
| .500 or better seasons | 47 |
| Most recent championship | 1957 |
Stadium history
Grouped by physical building. Naming-rights eras nested.
Ford Field
2002-presentPontiac Silverdome
1975-2001Tiger Stadium
1938-1974- Briggs Stadium 1938-1960
- Tiger Stadium 1961-1974
University of Detroit Stadium
1934-1937Universal Stadium
1930-1933Season-by-season1930 to 2026 · 97 seasons · click to expandShow tableHide table
Show all 97 seasons
In-progress 2026 row pulled from ESPN public standings, refreshed hourly. Replaced by the canonical workbook row after the season concludes.
Top 12 games
Highest-rated games in franchise history by the site's Game Score (ELO) metric, which combines hype, quality, stakes, and matchup rank. Losses can outrank routine wins because the formula scores game quality, not franchise spin.
Award winners
League-wide awards held by Detroit Lions players or coaches. Pulled from the AP, Bert Bell, Walter Payton, and Super Bowl MVP rolls. Plus 136 Pro Bowl selections all-time.
AP NFL MVP
- 1997Barry Sanders · RB
AP Offensive Player
- 1994Barry Sanders · RB
- 1997Barry Sanders · RB
AP Coach of the Year
- 1957George Wilson
- 1991Wayne Fontes
Bert Bell Award
- 1991Barry Sanders · RB
- 1997Barry Sanders · RB
AP Comeback Player
- 2011Matthew Stafford · QB
AP Offensive Rookie
- 1967Mel Farr · RB
- 1968Earl McCullouch · WR
- 1980Billy Sims · RB
- 1989Barry Sanders · RB
AP Defensive Rookie
- 1967Lem Barney · LCB
- 1978Al Baker · RDE
- 2010Ndamukong Suh · LDT