Detroit Lions · Franchise era 3 of 7
The long wait: the Detroit Lions story
Franchise era
1959—1988
The long wait
Detroit Lions
The story in one sentence
Detroit produced elite players but only intermittent contention, and Sims's career-altering injury removed the brightest offensive hope.
01
Great defenders and Billy Sims cannot sustain a winner
02
Dick LeBeau, Lem Barney and Billy Sims gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for barry sanders.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1959
What came before
Layne's fearless passing and a loaded defense made Detroit the decade's defining challenger to Cleveland.
1970-12-26
Divisional Round: Detroit Lions vs Dallas Cowboys
1983-01-08
Wild Card: Detroit Lions vs Washington
1983-12-31
Divisional Round: Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers
After 1988
What came next
Sanders turned every carry into possibility and led the 1991 Lions to the NFC Championship Game, the franchise's lone playoff win of the era.
The core