Category: History

Lions win 10 games in back-to-back season for the first time ever

The Detroit Lions have won 10 games in back-to-back season for the first time ever

This run the Lions have been on has been nothing short of incredible. They’re doing things the franchise hasn’t seen in decades. Sunday, they achieved a feat that had never happened before in their franchise history.

For the first time, the Lions have won 10 games in consecutive seasons. The Lions moved to 10-1 after their 24-6 win over the Indianapolis Colts, maintaining a one-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings, 30-27 overtime winners over the Chicago Bears to move to 9-2. Detroit finished 12-5 in 2023, winning the NFC North division for the first time.

The Lions are 10-1 for the first time since 1934. They finished 10-3 that year. Something says this team will win a few more games. Their next three games are at home against the Bears, Packers and Bills followed by trips to the Bears and 49ers. They finish at home against the Vikings.

Lions aiming to snap some sordid series history vs. the Titans

Lions aiming to snap some sordid series history vs. the Titans, with Detroit never having beaten Tennessee

The Detroit Lions have never defeated the Tennessee Titans. As unlikely as that might seem, it’s a fact that dates back to the beginning of the 21st century.

That should change in Week 8. Should…

The Lions are favored on Sunday by more points in a game than they have been since before the Titans existed in Nashville. The line is now 11.5 points in Detroit’s favor, and that could very well go up now that the Titans have traded starting WR DeAndre Hopkins and top LB Ernest Jones this week.

That six-game losing streak to the Titans won’t erase itself, however. In the last meeting inside Ford Field, the Lions were six-point favorites. That was Week 2 of the 2016 season, Jim Caldwell’s final year coaching Detroit. The Mike Mularkey-coached Titans eked out a 16-15 win by scoring the final 13 points, all in the fourth quarter.

Because the Titans kept all the franchise records in their move from Houston, the series includes Tennessee’s decades as the Oilers, too. The Lions did beat the Oilers back in 1995 in the old Astrodome. That game featured two touchdown catches by Herman Moore from Scott Mitchell and 10 combined turnovers in a 24-17 Lions win that happened to be one of Barry Sanders’ worst career games (54 yards on 19 carries).

The Lions have only ever won one home game against the franchise, beating the Oilers in Week 5 of the 1986 season. Going back to that game some 38 years ago, it presents a cautionary tale for how this year’s heavily-favored Lions can avoid a stunning upset.

The box score says Houston dominated Detroit that day. Warren Moon threw for 398 yards for the Oilers, while Eric Hipple managed 93 in the air. However, the Lions picked off Moon three times, twice inside the Detroit 5-yard line. Grinding out 158 rushing yards on 47 carries — a figure they’ve not since topped — Daryl Rogers’ Lions ground Jerry Glanville’s run-and-shoot Oilers into submission.

That is the most sensical way the Titans can keep their unblemished record against Detroit intact–keep the Lions offense off the field and have Jared Goff make uncharacteristic mistakes. The odds say that’s an extreme longshot, and the Lions should end one of the weirder team vs. team anomalies in the NFL on Sunday.

 

 

 

PHOTOS: Tennessee-Alabama football series through the years

PHOTOS: A look at the Tennessee-Alabama football series through the years

The Tennessee-Alabama football series was first played in 1901. The Vols and Crimson Tide played to a 6-6 tie in Birmingham, Alabama.

The contest was played on Thanksgiving day at West End Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

The reason for the game being tied was due to an offsides penalty against Alabama within the first ten minutes of the second half.

The penalty occurred ten yards from the goal line. Alabama players contested the penalty and that is when two things occurred that ended the game early. First, spectators came onto the playing field and circled both teams, preventing any further play. Secondly, as the protest continued, darkness came which did not allow for the two teams to finish the contest with daylight gone.

Tennessee’s first win in the series came in 1904, defeating Alabama 5-0 in Birmingham.

The first game played in Knoxville, Tennessee took place in 1909. Tennessee defeated the Crimson Tide, 10-0.

Tuscaloosa played host in the series for the first time in 1913 with Alabama winning, 6-0.

Below are photos of the Tennessee-Alabama series through the years.

A look at the Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals series history

A brief look at the Lions’ series history against the Arizona Cardinals, dating back to the Portsmouth Spartans days.

The Lions hit the road for the first time this season as they head for Arizona for a Week 3 matchup with the Cardinals. The two teams have a long history with each other. Sunday will mark the 70th time the Lions and Cardinals meet. Detroit leads the all-time series 35-28-6.

The series dates all the way back to October 5, 1930, when the Lions were still the Portsmouth Spartans and the Cardinals were still playing in Chicago. That first meeting ended in a scoreless tie. The first win for the Spartans came in their third meeting on September 23, 1931. Portsmouth won 13-3.

The franchise’s first win in this series as the Detroit Lions came in a 6-0 victory on September 30, 1934. That was part of a stretch of Detroit/Portsmouth going unbeaten in 18 straight games against the Cardinals (14 wins, four ties).

December 6, 1959 was the last meeting between the two teams with the Cardinals still playing in Chicago. The teams moved to St. Louis in 1960 and played there until moving to Phoenix in 1988. The Lions won that game 45-21. In case you’re wondering, the teams did not meet in 1944 when the Cardinals were known as Card-Pitt, the team created by the temporary merger of the Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers that year due to the teams losing players to service during World War II.

The first meeting between the Lions and St. Louis Cardinals (yes, during that time there was an NFL and MLB franchise known as the St. Louis Cardinals) came on November 12, 1961 at Busch Stadium. The Lions won that game 45-14.

The Cardinals moved to Phoenix in 1988. The first meeting between the Lions and the new Phoenix Cardinals — they would become the Arizona Cardinals in 1994 — happened on September 10, 1989 with the Cardinals winning in Detroit 16-13. The Lions won for the first time in the desert on December 12, 1993, 21-14.

The Lions are unbeaten against the Cardinals in their last five meetings with four wins and a tie (27-27 to open the 2019 regular season which was also Kyler Murray’s NFL debut). The teams last met on December 19, 2021. Quarterback Jared Goff went 21-of-26 for 216 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-12 win. Craig Reynolds rushed for 112 yards on 26 carries and Amon-Ra St. Brown led the way with 90 receiving yards on eight catches. Jason Cabinda also had a receiving touchdown that day.

Herman Moore, Jason Hanson among Lions nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Herman Moore, Jason Hanson among Lions nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class of 2025

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has revealed the initial nominees for the induction class of 2025. Among the 167 players making the cut are several players with Detroit Lions ties.

Most notable is wide receiver Herman Moore, who has been nominated before but keeps getting snubbed as the voting progressed to finalists. Moore’s three-year career peak stands up against any other wideout in NFL history.

Kicker Jason Hanson is also on the list again. Hanson played in Detroit from 1992 to 2012 and finished in the top-5 in scoring, field goals, field goal attempts and made FGs from beyond 50 yards.

Venerable left tackle Lomas Brown is back for another nomination. Brown is another who should merit stronger consideration from voters to at least advance to the list of 25 finalists. Cornerback Dre Bly is also nominated again.

None of the first-time nominees on the list for 2025 ever played for the Lions. Other nominees who spent some time in Detroit but are primarily known for their NFL careers elsewhere include:

WR Anquan Boldin

DT Haloti Ngata

QB Jeff Garcia

OL T.J. Lang

LB Julian Peterson

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Lions and Buccaneers have an interesting series history

Lions vs. Buccaneers series history

For the second straight week to start the season, the Lions have themselves a rematch from last season’s playoffs. After knocking off the Los Angeles Rams once again, the Lions are preparing for a rematch of the Divisional Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The two teams have a long history with each other. Let’s touch on that history a bit here.

Sunday’s meeting will be the 63rd all-time meeting with the Lions and Buccaneers, including two postseason matchups. The Lions lead the all-time series 33-29. This will also be the second year in a row the teams meet in the regular season. Detroit won in the regular season, 20-6, then in the playoffs, 31-23.

The two franchises were once long-time division foes. From 1977-2001, the two teams resided in the old NFC Central. The Lions joined the division in 1970 while the Buccaneers joined in 1977 after spending their inaugural season of 1976 in the AFC West. The NFL wanted the two expansion franchises of 1976, the Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks, to play each other in the first two years as well as every other team in the NFL. Thus, the franchises swapped conferences in 1977 — the Seahawks played in the NFC West in 1976.

The two teams would remain in the NFC Central together until the NFL realigned the divisions in 2002 with the addition of the Houston Texans. The NFC Central effectively became the NFC North and the Lions were kept with the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, as they had all been in the same division since 1961. The Buccaneers joined the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers in the new NFC South.

As division rivals, the Lions were 27-24 against the Buccaneers with one postseason loss (1996 NFC Wild Card). Since realignment, Detroit has a 6-5 edge, including last year’s win in the Divisional postseason. Detroit has won two straight and three of the last five meetings. The Lions go for three straight in this series this Sunday afternoon.

The ‘Calvin Johnson rule’ happened 14 years ago today

The ‘Calvin Johnson rule’ happened 14 years ago today in a game between the Lions and Bears and it remains a terrible use of the NFL rule

On this date 14 years ago, September 12th of 2010, NFL fans learned the phrase “process of the catch” thanks to the Detroit Lions and Hall of Fame wideout Calvin Johnson. It was a (non)catch by Johnson in the Chicago end zone that brought the previously obscure rule into greater consciousness.

We know it now as the “Calvin Johnson rule.” Say those words and everyone–certainly in the Lions world–knows exactly what you’re talking about.

If you’re too young to remember it, or blocked it out of the memory banks in a combination of anger, sadness and disbelief (all valid emotions), here’s the play in question, via TikTok:

 

@javier.baezazz2 HOW IS THAT NOT A CATCH?!? 🤯 2010 Lions vs Bears Week 1 !! Calvin Johnson !! #widereciever #touchdown #catch #controversial #nflfootball #americanfootball #sports #football #gridironfootball #throwback #nfithrowback #throwbacknfl #oldnfl #nfl2010 #nfl2010s #nfltiktok #nflmemes #nflcomedy #calvinjohnson #lions #bears #megatron #nfl #fyp #explorepage #enjoy @Detroit Lions @Chicago Bears ♬ original sound – javier.ba3zaz

Johnson caught the ball on a pass from Shaun Hill, filling in for an injured Matthew Stafford. No. 81 landed with full control of the ball, getting both feet down inbounds. As he went to the ground, Johnson put the ball on the ground after palming it in his hand in clear control of the catch. Referee Gene Steratore’s crew ruled it incomplete on the field despite the official you see clearly raising his arms to indicate a touchdown in the clip. When Johnson put the ball on the ground before he had completed going to the ground, it meant the process of the catch wasn’t complete.

And that, for me, has always been the part the NFL truly got wrong. You don’t think Calvin Johnson did that on purpose knowing full well he’d scored a game-winning touchdown?! He completed the process of the catch and going to the ground as the rule dictates.

To this day, 14 years later, NFL analysts and broadcast commentators still refer to these sorts of situations as the Calvin Johnson Rule. It remains one of the most confusingly subjective rules in football.

Remembering college football’s patriotic scenes following Sept. 11, 2001

PHOTOS: Remembering college football’s patriotic scenes following Sept. 11, 2001

Sept. 11, 2001 started off as a normal day, and for the Tennessee football team it was game week to take on Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators.

The Vols and Gators were preparing for their ninth head-to-head meeting in which both schools were ranked in the top-10 since 1990.

Right after 8:45 a.m. EDT, game week changed. The country came to a standstill as the United States was attacked by terrorists in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.

Terror started when a first plane hit the north tower of the Twin Towers in New York at 8:46 a.m. EDT.

The game between No. 2 Florida and No. 8 Tennessee quickly became an afterthought and was eventually postponed.

College football games returned later in Sept. 2001.

Below are scenes across college football showcasing patriotism following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Looking at the Lions radical roster overhaul from the 2020 finale to now

Looking at the Detroit Lions radical roster overhaul from the 2020 finale to now, where only 2 starters remain with the team and almost no defensive players are still in the NFL

When the 2020 season ended and Lions owner Sheila Hamp kicked off the franchise overhaul, the team was in a very bad place. Radical changes needed to happen to everything, from the front office to the coaching staff, right down to almost every player in the starting lineup.

It took a little time, but that humiliating end to the Bob Quinn/Matt Patricia regime (they were fired before the end of the 2020 season) is but a distant memory in Detroit. The Lions are coming off the best season in the Super Bowl era and first-ever NFC North division title in 2023.

To get an idea of just how far the franchise has come, it’s worth a look back down to the bottom of the barrel that was the 2020 campaign. That year finished with a 5-11 record and a point differential of -142, the worst for any Detroit team since the 2009 season that kicked off a prior, failed rebuild.

This was the starting lineup in the final game of the 2020 season, a 37-35 loss in Ford Field to the Minnesota Vikings. First, the offense and where they are now

2020 finale – offense

QB – Matthew Stafford (Rams)

RB – D’Andre Swift (Bears)

TE – T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)

LT – Taylor Decker (Lions)

LG – Jonah Jackson (Rams)

C – Frank Ragnow (Lions)

RG – Oday Aboushi (FA)

RT – Halapoulivaati Vaitai (FA)

WR – Marvin Jones (retired)

WR – Mohamed Sanu (retired)

WR – Jamal Agnew (FA)

Decker and Ragnow, the Lions’ first-round picks in 2016 and 2018, respectively, are the only offensive starters still in Detroit. Both are coming off exceptional 2023 campaigns.

Detroit traded away Stafford, Hockenson and Swift–all before the 2023 season. Jackson left as a free agent after the ’23 campaign, in which he was the Lions’ regular starting left guard. Vaitai was on injured reserve in 2023 and is presumed to be retired, while Aboushi was not on any roster last season.

Of the depth players who saw action in that 2020 finale on offense, only Dan Skipper remains with the Lions. The reserve OL left Detroit for two other teams in the stead but returned, too. In fact, no other Lion who appeared on offense in that game was with the team after the 2022 season.

Defense

Spoiler alert: None of the players here are left in Detroit. In fact, only two of the starters were still with the Lions in 2023–and neither started last year.

DL – Danny Shelton

DL – John Penisini

DL – Nick Williams

OLB – Romeo Okwara

OLB – Christian Jones

LB – Jahlani Tavai

LB – Reggie Ragland

CB – Darryl Roberts

CB – Amani Oruwariye

S – Duron Harmon

S – Tracy Walker

As of July 6th, only Tavai (Patriots) and Oruwariye (Jaguars) are on any NFL rosters, though Walker is a free agent still looking. Nearly all the other defensive players have retired.

Reserve LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin is still with Detroit, though he spent one season with the Houston Texans before returning to the Lions. Reserve safety C.J. Moore missed the 2023 season due to a gambling suspension and was released, but he’s now efforting a return on the Lions roster for 2024. Of the other reserves from that game, only Will Harris (now in New Orleans) was with the Lions after 2021.

It’s no wonder the 2021 season was a rough one for Detroit. Pretty much everything except the core offensive line had to go–and did. GM Brad Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell and their staff had almost nothing to work with on defense, and needed to move on from valuable offensive players like Stafford and Hockenson for the greater good.

4 years after Sheila Hamp took over the Lions, no more ‘sell the team’ cries

4 years after Sheila Hamp took ownership of the Detroit Lions, no more ‘sell the team’ cries

Four years ago today, on June 23rd of 2020, Sheila Ford Hamp took over as the principal owner of the Detroit Lions. Hamp took the reins that day from her mother, Martha Firestone Ford, who had run the Lions since her late husband’s death in 2014.

In looking back on that fateful day, the initial response from fans was generally, uh, unsupportive–to be kind. The most common reaction from the One Pride fan base back in June of 2020 was the near-ubiquitous battle cry:

“Sell the team!”

The Ford family was, quite understandably, very unpopular as NFL owners at that time. Just one postseason victory in 57 years of Ford ownership of the Lions had made anyone associated with the family patently inept in the eyes of most fans.

This was the very first response to the above post, from a longtime Detroit-area sports personality:

That someone had gone through the effort and expense to create and unfurl a “sell the team” banner at a Lions home game featuring the nonagenarian owner demonstrates how lowly regarded the Ford family was in Detroit.

Flash forward to June 23, 2024 and think about this…

When was the last time you heard a Lions fan demanding Sheila Hamp sell the team for the greater good of Detroit sports? After a thorny start with an inherited coach and GM who might have been even more unpopular than the Ford family at the time, the change in public perception of Lions ownership in four short years is nothing short of miraculous.

Hamp got her first hirings right in GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell — both of which were not exactly universally embraced moves at the time either. She had the awareness of just how wretched of a state the team was in after deposing the failed QuinnTricia regime.

She had the gumption to bring back franchise legend Chris Spielman to help guide what everyone knew would be a rough rebuild.

She had the temerity to let these unknown rookies at their management positions trade away the face of the franchise.

She had the perseverance to not throw out the baby with the bathwater when the cleansing didn’t start so smoothly.

She authorized any resources, both on-field and off-field, that Holmes and his staff wanted for the organization.

She listened to fan complaints about Ford Field and actually did something about them.

She opened the pursestrings to reward premium, homegrown talent instead of overpaying for other teams’ expensive free agents.

She supported controversial choices by Holmes and Campbell, from draft trades to play calls.

In short, Sheila Hamp has made it possible to be proud to be a Lions fan. Not many expected that back in the early summer of 2020 when Hamp took over for her mother.

Happy ownership anniversary, Lions fans. This is one worthy of celebrating, finally!