NFL
When Was the Last Time the Detroit Lions Made the NFL Playoffs?
Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting. Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes. In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke's work has appeared on The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.
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While the Detroit Lions won four NFL Championships back in the day, including three in six years in the 1950s, they haven’t been much of a factor since.
They’re one of a dozen current NFL franchises to have never won a Super Bowl and one of just four to have never even played in one, joining the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Truth be told, they haven’t given themselves many chances to play in one. Since the first Super Bowl was played following the 1966 season, the Lions have earned a spot in the NFL Playoffs just 12 times. And in 11 of those instances, they lost their postseason opener.
In fact, Detroit has just one playoff win in the Super Bowl era, which came following the 1991 season when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round, 38-6, before losing to Washington in the NFC Championship Game, 41-10.
So when was the last time the Detroit Lions made the NFL Playoffs?
When was the last time the Detroit Lions made the NFL Playoffs?
The last time the Detroit Lions made the NFL Playoffs was following the 2016 season.
Coming off a 7-9 campaign in 2015, Detroit won its 2016 season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, 39-35, but then dropped three straight. Jim Caldwell’s crew then went on a tear, winning eight of nine to get to 9-4.
They then lost their final three games to finish 9-7 and tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the sixth and final spot in the NFC. But as Matthew Stafford & Co. had the better record against common opponents, they got the nod.
However, the Lions’ postseason losing streak extended to nine as they were soundly beaten by the NFC West champion Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round, 26-6.
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