1989 Detroit Lions season
This was the first season with Heisman Trophy winner and future Pro Football Hall of Fame member Barry Sanders.
[5] [6] In a season deemed "Year of the Holdout",[7] eight draft selections held out in search for more favorable contracts along with five defensive starters and two special teams players.
[23] In the second game against defending AFC champions Cincinnati Bengals, Fontes would start veteran Rusty Hilger and play Eric Hipple at quarterback, showing limited time to fan favorite Peete.
Peete, a sixth-round pick who was the Heisman Trophy runner-up behind Barry Sanders in 1988,[31] started eight games, missing eight due to injury.
[34] Peete was ruled out for one week before making his return against the New Orleans Saints, but again reinjured his left knee, keeping him out for the season.
Running back Ottis Anderson rushed up the middle, but fumbled the ball into the endzone which was recovered by the Lions for a touchback.
After a pass interference call set the Lions at the Bears' 1-yard line, Gagliano rushed into the endzone after faking it to Sanders with the score at 20–27.
Due to the blowout, Jim Harbaugh came in to replace Mike Tomczak, who ran it in for a touchdown to mount the Bears lead to 47–27.
Both teams traded multiple punts before the Peete completed a pass to Clark that went for 46 yards, bringing them well into Pittsburgh territory at the 19-yard line.
Starting at at their own 5-yard line, an errant Hipple pass fell into the hands of Vikings linebacker Mike Merriweather who brought it to the endzone to put the Lions down 7–10.
After a three-and-out from the Lions, the Vikings orchestrated a 13 play drive which ended on a Kramer pass to Brent Novoselsky to extend their lead to 24–7.
On the succeeding Vikings drive, D. J. Dozier fumbled the ball on their own 40-yard line, setting the Lions up with prime opportunity to tie the game.
Having moved the ball from their own 16 to the Buccaneers 43, Peete threw another interception which was brought back for a touchdown to put the Lions down 3–7.
[44] The Lions converted three third downs on a drive that ended with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Peete to Robert Clark, tying it at 10 apiece.
On the ensuing kickoff, returner On first down at the goal line, Lorenzo White punched into the end zone to tie the game at 7 apiece.
But the Lions would give the ball right back after a pass from Peete to Clark was caught but Steve Brown jarred the football loose.
Houston then went on a long drive that took up 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, capping it off in the end zone with a Moon rushing touchdown on 4th and goal to extend their lead to 35–24.
On 3rd and 7, Peete attempted to find Clark, but the pass was broken up by Patrick Allen with Tracey Eaton nabbing the game-losing interception to seal it for the Lions 31–35.
The Lions offense couldn't get a first down, electing to kick a 45-yard field goal which Eddie Murray made to take the early 3–0 lead.
After a Lions punt in Packers territory, a Majkowski pass intended for Jeff Query was tipped and intercepted by Jerry Holmes and taken to the end zone.
Majkowski found Query in the end zone that went through his hands, sealing the game after Peete ran out of the back of the endzone to run the clock out to bring up a final score of 31–22.
The punt was subsequently blocked by Eric Thomas and recovered in the end zone by Barney Bussey for the Bengals' fourth touchdown of the quarter.
The Bengals moved quickly down the field and scored when Esiason found Mike Martin in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.
Threatening to score, Barry Sanders fumbled the ball forward through the end zone where it was recovered by the Browns for a touchback.
Bob Gagliano, substituting for an injured Peete, found Richard Johnson for the 75-yard touchdown pass to put the Lions up 21–14.
The Bears attempted to bring the game within a touchdown lead, but Butler missed the 37-yard field goal, solidifying the 27–17 win for the Lions.
The Lions received the opening kickoff and took 67 yards to score on a Bob Gagliano 2-yard pass to Richard Johnson to take the early 7–0 lead.
On the first play, Ferguson found Mark Carrier for a 69-yard touchdown with time expiring, denying the Lions their first shutout since Week 7 in 1987 and finalizing the score at 33–7.
Two punts and a Miller interception later, the Lions scored again on a Sanders rushing touchdown, this time from 18 yards out to take the 31–10 lead.
After the Lions went three-and-out, Miller passed six straight times before the Falcons scored on a Keith Jones 1-yard rushing touchdown.
