| 1972 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Joe Schmidt |
| Results | |
| Record | 8–5–1 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| |
The 1972 Detroit Lions season was their 43rd in the National Football League (NFL). The team improved on their previous season's output of 7–6–1, winning eight games. The team missed the playoffs for the second straight season. It would also be the team's last winning season until 1980
Linebacker Wayne Walker established a new team record for games played at 200. It was also the final season for longtime defensive back Dick LeBeau.
Offseason
NFL Draft
Main article: 1972 NFL draft| 1972 Detroit Lions draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Herb Orvis | DE | Colorado | |
| 3 | 65 | Ken Sanders | DE | Howard Payne | from Philadelphia |
| 6 | 145 | Charles Potts | DB | Purdue | |
| 7 | 172 | Charles Stoudmire | WR | Portland State | |
| 8 | 197 | Henry Stuckey | DB | Missouri | |
| 9 | 224 | Bill McClintock | DB | Drake | |
| 10 | 249 | Jim Teal | LB | Purdue | |
| 11 | 276 | Bob Waldron | DT | Tulane | |
| 12 | 301 | Paul Bradley | WR | SMU | |
| 13 | 328 | John Kirschner | TE | Memphis State | |
| 14 | 353 | Eric Kelley | OT | Whitworth | |
| 15 | 380 | Steve Roach | LB | Kansas | |
| 16 | 405 | Leon Jenkins | DB | West Virginia | |
| 17 | 432 | Mike Tyler | DB | Rice | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Notes
- Detroit traded QB Greg Barton to Philadelphia in exchange for the Eagles' second- and third-round selections (40th and 65th) and second-round selection in 1971.
- Detroit traded the 40th selection received from Philadelphia to Atlanta in exchange for RB Paul Gipson.
- Detroit traded its second-round selection (41st) to Atlanta in exchange for CB Rudy Redmond, RB Sonny Campbell and Atlanta's fourth-round selection in 1973.
- Detroit traded its third-round selection (68th) to Philadelphia in exchange for QB Bill Cappleman.
- Detroit traded its fourth-round selection (93rd) to Dallas in exchange for WR Ron Jessie.
- Detroit traded its fifth-round selection (120th) to Los Angeles in exchange for DT Dick Evey.
Roster
| Detroit Lions roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
|
Offensive linemen
|
Linebackers
|
Reserve lists
rookies in italics | |||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | New York Giants | W 30–16 | 54,418 |
| 2 | September 24 | Minnesota Vikings | L 10-34 | 54,418 |
| 3 | October 1 | at Chicago Bears | W 38–24 | 55,701 |
| 4 | October 8 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 26–23 | 58,850 |
| 5 | October 16 | Green Bay Packers | L 23-24 | 54,418 |
| 6 | October 22 | San Diego Chargers | W 34–20 | 54,371 |
| 7 | October 30 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 24-28 | 65,378 |
| 8 | November 5 | Chicago Bears | W 14–0 | 54,418 |
| 9 | November 12 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 14-16 | 49,784 |
| 10 | November 19 | New Orleans Saints | W 27–14 | 53,752 |
| 11 | November 23 | New York Jets | W 37–20 | 54,418 |
| 12 | December 3 | at Green Bay Packers | L 7-33 | 56,263 |
| 13 | December 10 | at Buffalo Bills | T 21–21 | 41,583 |
| 14 | December 17 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 34–17 | 71,761 |
Season summary
Week 13 at Bills
See also: 1972 Buffalo Bills season Week Thirteen: Detroit Lions (7–5) at Buffalo Bills (3–9)| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York
- Date: December 10
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C)
- Game attendance: 41,583
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Green Bay Packers | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 5–1 | 8–3 | 304 | 226 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 8 | 5 | 1 | .607 | 2–4 | 6–5 | 339 | 290 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 4–2 | 6–5 | 301 | 252 | L2 |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | 9 | 1 | .321 | 1–5 | 3–7–1 | 225 | 275 | L1 |
See also
References
| Detroit Lions | |
|---|---|
| |
| Franchise | |
| Records | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture | |
| Lore | |
| Rivalries | |
| Division championships (9) | |
| League championships (4) | |
| Media | |
| Current league affiliations |
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| Detroit Lions seasons | |
|---|---|
| Formerly the Portsmouth Spartans (1930–1933) | |
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| Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–69) or Super Bowl (1966–present) victory Italics indicates NFL Championship (1920–69) or Super Bowl (1966–present) appearance |