October 20, 2026
October 20, 2026
1991 Detroit Lions: Surprise of Michigan
The Detroit Lions organization had not experienced much success since winning the NFL Championship back in 1957. Along the way, the Lions had a few good seasons, but many others were riddled with unusual circumstances and losing. However, the Lions and their fans were given a glimmer of hope in the latter part of the 1980s, when running back Barry Sanders burst onto the scene.
The 1991 Detroit Lions went 12-4, finishing just 1 game ahead of the Chicago Bears to win the NFC Central division. The Lions went 6-2 in divisional play and 8-4 in conference play. They went a perfect 8-0 at their home field, the Pontiac Silverdome, while going 4-4 on the road.
Playing time was split between 2 quarterbacks who carried the load for Detroit under center. Erik Kramer started 8 games and went 6-2, completing 136 of 265 pass attempts for 1,635 yards and 11 touchdowns while throwing just 8 interceptions. Rodney Peete started 8 games and also went 6-2, completing 116 of 194 pass attempts for 1,339 yards and 5 touchdowns while throwing 9 interceptions.
Barry Sanders was by far one of the most mobile and elusive running backs ever to play the game of football. He was extremely hard to tackle because of the way he made defensive players miss, constantly shifting his feet and body into positions where he could easily get away. Sanders started 15 games and rushed for 1,548 yards on 342 attempts, scoring 16 touchdowns. He also had 41 receptions for 307 yards and 1 touchdown.
Wide receiver Brett Perriman started 14 games and had 52 receptions for 668 yards and 1 touchdown. Robert Clark had 47 receptions for 640 yards and 6 touchdowns. Willie Green had 39 receptions for 592 yards and 7 touchdowns. Mike Farr had 42 receptions for 431 yards and 1 touchdown. Handling special teams duties, running back and wide receiver Mel Gray had 25 punt returns for 385 yards and 1 touchdown, along with 36 kick returns for 929 yards. Kicker Eddie Murray made 19 of 28 field goals for a 67.9% field goal percentage.
Detroit’s defense was more reliable than many sports critics gave it credit for. Left inside linebacker Chris Spielman was a tackling machine, recording 126 tackles along with 3 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries. Strong safety William White had 87 tackles and 2 interceptions. Left cornerback Ray Crockett had 86 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 6 interceptions for 141 yards and 1 touchdown.
Left outside linebacker George Jamison had 86 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 interceptions. Right inside linebacker Dennis Gibson had 62 tackles. Right defensive end Dan Owens had 51 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries. Left defensive end Marc Spindler had 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Right outside linebacker Tracy Hayworth had 43 tackles and 2 fumble recoveries for 28 yards and 1 touchdown. Defensive end Jeff Hunter had 6 sacks.
Though they weren’t a dominant team, the Lions found a way to win football games on a consistent basis. They put together 2 separate winning streaks during the regular season. The first was 5 games long, starting with a 23-14 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 on September 8 and ending with a 24-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 on October 6. The second was 6 games long, starting with a 21-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 on November 17 and ending with a 17-14 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 17 on December 22.
The Dallas Cowboys went on to become the team of the 1990s in the NFL as a Super Bowl dynasty, but that didn’t matter at all to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round on January 5, 1992. The Lions blew out the Cowboys 38-6. In the 1st quarter, Willie Green caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Erik Kramer, and Dallas kicker Ken Willis made a 28-yard field goal. In the 2nd quarter, defensive back Mel Jenkins returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown.
Willis kicked another 28-yard field goal for the Cowboys, and that would be all the scoring for Dallas. Eddie Murray kicked a 36-yard field goal before halftime. In the 3rd quarter, Green caught a 9-yard touchdown pass, and then wide receiver Herman Moore had a 7-yard touchdown reception. Topping off the blowout in the 4th quarter, Barry Sanders broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run. Overall, the Lions outgained the Cowboys in total yards, 421 to 276.
Erik Kramer completed 29 of 38 passes for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns while taking only 1 sack. Willie Green had 8 receptions for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they found themselves on the other end of a blowout, falling to the Washington Redskins 41-10 in the 1991 NFC Championship Game on January 12. The Redskins had also blown out the Lions 45-0 in Week 1 on September 1, and they went on to win Super Bowl XXVI.
Ultimately, the 1991 Detroit Lions will go down as the surprise of Michigan at the beginning of the 1990s. The Lions would field competitive teams for a few more years before they hit more bumps in the road.
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