The Lions enjoyed their best season in seven years, and their first winning campaign since 1964 by finishing in second place in the NFL Central Division with a solid 9–4–1 record led by a stingy defense that only allowed 188 total points on the season.
However, the Lions still failed to qualify for the postseason for the 12th straight season.
[1] The Lions were the only team to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers, doing so in week 1 of the season.
The loss to the Steelers proved costly to the Lions as it served as a big blow to their playoff hopes.
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.