1983 Detroit Lions season
1983 Detroit Lions season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Monte Clark |
Owner | William Clay Ford, Sr. |
Home field | Pontiac Silverdome |
Results | |
Record | 9–7 |
Division place | 1st NFC Central |
Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at 49ers) 23–24 |
The 1983 Detroit Lions season was the 54th season in franchise history. Despite an awful 1-4 start, the Lions rallied to finish with a 9-7 record. They were able to rise to the top of a weak NFC Central, to claim their first division championship since 1957 and the first time the team had made the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since making it three straight years from 1960-1962. The Lions would not return to the postseason for another eight years.
The offense ranked 15th in the NFL in points scored, leaving the defense to carry the load. The Lions’ defense turned out to be the second-best in the league in points allowed, keyed defensive tackle Doug English and his 13 sacks. English was the team’s only Pro Bowler, though he also got some help from defensive end William Gay, who registered 13 ½ sacks of his own. In the NFC playoffs, the Lions lead the San Francisco 49ers late into the 4th Quarter, until Joe Montana drove the 49ers down the field for a 14-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Solomon to give the 49ers a 24–23 lead. The Lions would have a chance to win the game, as Gary Danielson drove them into field goal range, but placekicker Eddie Murray missed a 44-yard field goal with five seconds remaining. [1]
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 4, 1983 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 11–0 | |
2 | September 11, 1983 | Cleveland Browns | L 31–26 | |
3 | September 18, 1983 | Atlanta Falcons | L 30–14 | |
4 | September 25, 1983 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 20–17 | |
5 | October 2, 1983 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 21–10 | |
6 | October 9, 1983 | Green Bay Packers | W 38–14 | |
7 | October 16, 1983 | Chicago Bears | W 31–17 | |
8 | October 23, 1983 | at Washington Redskins | L 38–17 | |
9 | October 30, 1983 | at Chicago Bears | W 38–17 | |
10 | November 7, 1983 | New York Giants | W 15–9 | |
11 | November 13, 1983 | at Houston Oilers | L 27–17 | |
12 | November 20, 1983 | at Green Bay Packers | W 23–20 OT | |
13 | November 24, 1983 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 45–3 | |
14 | December 5, 1983 | Minnesota Vikings | W 13–2 | |
15 | December 11, 1983 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 17–9 | |
16 | December 18, 1983 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 23–20 |
Game summaries
Week 1
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Standings
NFC Central | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Detroit Lions(3) | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 7–1 | 8–4 | 347 | 286 | W1 |
Green Bay Packers | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 429 | 439 | L1 |
Chicago Bears | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–7 | 311 | 301 | W2 |
Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 4–8 | 316 | 348 | W1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 1–7 | 1–11 | 241 | 380 | L3 |
Final Roster
1983 Detroit Lions final roster | |||||||||
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Postseason
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lions | 3 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 23 |
49ers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 59,286
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Dick Vermeil
References
- ↑ Season summary at Sports E Cyclopedia
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-Dec-23.