2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE

teammates to win their next six
games.
Dec. 22, 1991 Lions finish regular season
with 12 wins (most in franchise
history) and claim the NFC
Central Championship, Detroit’s
first division title since 1983.
Jan. 5, 1992
Lions host first playoff game in
the Silverdome and first home
playoff game since 1957. Detroit
defeats Dallas, 38-6, for the
team’s first playoff win since
1957.
Jan. 12, 1992 Lions make their first appearance
in NFC Championship Game,
losing to the Redskins, 41-10, in
Washington.
Nov. 22, 1992 Barry Sanders becomes the
Lions’ all-time leading rusher,
surpassing Billy Sims’ record of
5,106 career yards.
Jan. 2, 1994
Lions clinch NFC Central Division
championship for the second
time in three years with a 30-20
victory over Green Bay in the
Silverdome.
Oct. 23, 1994 Mel Gray becomes the all-time
NFL leader in kickoff return
yards.
Nov. 13, 1994 Barry Sanders runs for a clubrecord
237 yards on 26 carries in
Detroit’s 14-9 win over Tampa
Bay at the Silverdome. He would
finish the season with a then-
Lions’ record of 1,883 yards.
Dec. 31, 1994 In Detroit’s third playoff
appearance in four seasons, the
Lions drop a 16-12 Wild Card
contest at Green Bay.
Feb. 15, 1995 William Clay Ford, Jr. named
Lions Vice-Chairman.
Dec. 10, 1995 Quarterback Scott Mitchell
breaks Bobby Layne’s 44-yearold
club record for most
touchdown passes in a season
(26). Mitchell ends the year with
32 touchdown passes.
Dec. 17, 1995 Receivers Herman Moore and
Brett Perriman set NFL record for
most catches and receiving yards
by teammates in a season.
Dec. 23, 1995 Herman Moore sets NFL record
with 123 catches in a season.
Dec. 30, 1995 The Lions play in their third
straight wild card playoff game,
losing 58-37 at Philadelphia.
July 27, 1996 Former lineman Lou Creekmur is
enshrined in the Pro Football Hall
of Fame.
Dec. 26, 1996 Wayne Fontes and his coaching
staff are dismissed.
Jan. 13, 1997 Bobby Ross named head coach.
Dec. 21, 1997 Barry Sanders becomes only the
third player in league history to
rush for over 2,000 yards in a
season. He rushes for 184 yards
in the final game to push his
season total to 2,053 yards, the
second-highest seasonal tally in
NFL history.
Dec. 28, 1997 The Lions play their fourth
playoff game in five years, losing
a wild card outing at Tampa Bay,
20-10.
Dec. 20, 1998 Herman Moore becomes the
fastest player in NFL history to
record 600 career receptions.
July 28, 1999 Barry Sanders announces his
retirement from the NFL one day
prior to the opening of training
camp.
Nov. 16, 1999 Lions host groundbreaking
ceremony “From the Ground Up”
at the Old Hudson’s Warehouse
building in downtown Detroit to
unveil renderings and officially
announce the name of their new
stadium, Ford Field.
Jan. 8, 2000
Nov. 6, 2000
Jan. 9, 2001
Lions reach the playoffs for the
second time in three years under
Bobby Ross, losing a wild card
contest at Washington 27-13.
Bobby Ross resigns as head
coach following nine games and
Gary Moeller is named Head
Coach.
Matt Millen is hired as President
and CEO and assumes control of
team operations. Chuck Schmidt
resigns as Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating
Officer.
Jan. 24, 2001 Gary Moeller and his coaching
staff are dismissed.
Jan. 25, 2001 Marty Mornhinweg is named head
coach.
Jan. 6, 2002
Lions defeat the Dallas Cowboys
15-10 in their final game played
at the Pontiac Silverdome.
April 1, 2002 Lions’ front office moves from
the Silverdome to the team’s
new Headquarters and Training
Facility in Allen Park.
Aug. 24, 2002 Lions play first game at Ford
Field, dropping an exhibition
contest 34-22 to the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
Sept. 22, 2002 Inaugural game at Ford Field is
played as the Lions fall to the
Green Bay Packers 37-31.
Nov. 28, 2002 Lions host New England Patriots
at Ford Field in first Thanksgiving
Day game played in downtown
Detroit since 1974.
Jan. 28, 2003 Marty Mornhinweg is dismissed
as head coach.
Feb. 4, 2003
Steve Mariucci named head
coach.
April 24, 2003 Lions introduce first major
addition to the team’s classic
uniform since the Leaping Lion
logo was placed on the helmet
in 1961. The new uniform now
features black trim on the
helmet, jerseys and pants, black
shoes and black facemasks.
Sept. 7, 2003 Lions defeat the Arizona
Cardinals 42-24 at Ford Field
in Head Coach Steve Mariucci’s
Detroit debut.
DETROIT LIONS
HISTORY