1995 Detroit Lions season
| 1995 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | William Clay Ford, Sr. |
| General manager | Chuck Schmidt |
| Head coach | Wayne Fontes |
| Home field | Pontiac Silverdome |
| Results | |
| Record | 10–6 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Lost NFC Wild Card Game (Eagles) 58–37 |
The 1995 Detroit Lions season was the team's 66th in the National Football League (NFL). It marked the Lions third consecutive playoff appearance, and fourth in five seasons. For the third consecutive year, however, the Lions could not win a playoff game and were eliminated.
At the end of Week 10, the Lions had posted a record of just 3–6, and looked poised for a losing season. However, starting with a Week 11 win over Tampa Bay, the Lions won their final seven games of the season, securing second place in the NFC Central and a playoff berth.
Herman Moore had a career season as he broke Cris Carter’s record for most receptions in a season. Moore and teammate Brett Perriman (108 catches) became the first WR duo to each catch more than 100 receptions in the same season.
In his highly successful 1995 season, Moore caught a career high 123 balls (an NFL record at the time). The Lions' 436 points scored was the most in franchise history until it was eclipsed by the 2011 team.[1]
Offseason
NFL Draft
| 1995 Detroit Lions draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Luther Elliss * | Defensive tackle | Utah | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3, 1995 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 23–20 | |
| 2 | September 10, 1995 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 20–10 | |
| 3 | September 17, 1995 | Arizona Cardinals | L 20–17 | |
| 4 | September 25, 1995 | San Francisco 49ers | W 27–24 | |
| 5 | Bye | |||
| 6 | October 8, 1995 | Cleveland Browns | W 38–20 | |
| 7 | October 15, 1995 | at Green Bay Packers | L 30–21 | |
| 8 | October 22, 1995 | at Washington Redskins | L 36–30 OT | |
| 9 | October 29, 1995 | Green Bay Packers | W 24–16 | |
| 10 | November 5, 1995 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 34–22 | |
| 11 | November 12, 1995 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 27–24 | |
| 12 | November 19, 1995 | at Chicago Bears | W 24–17 | |
| 13 | November 23, 1995 | Minnesota Vikings | W 44–38 | |
| 14 | December 4, 1995 | Chicago Bears | W 27–7 | |
| 15 | December 10, 1995 | at Houston Oilers | W 24–17 | |
| 16 | December 17, 1995 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 44–0 | |
| 17 | December 23, 1995 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 37–10 | |
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| (3) Green Bay Packers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 404 | 314 | W2 |
| (5) Detroit Lions | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 436 | 336 | W7 |
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 392 | 360 | W2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 412 | 385 | L2 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 238 | 335 | L2 |
Playoffs
NFC Wild Card Game: At Philadelphia Eagles
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 14 | 16 | 37 |
| Eagles | 7 | 31 | 13 | 7 | 58 |
at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 66,099
- Referee: Ron Blum
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Eagles scored 31 points in the second quarter, recorded 6 interceptions, forced 7 total turnovers and held future hall of fame running back Barry Sanders to just 40 rushing yards en route to a 58–37 victory in the 2nd highest scoring game in NFL postseason history. The two teams combined for 874 total yards of offense.
Awards and honors
- Scott Mitchell, Thanksgiving Day Record, Most passing yards by a Lions quarterback, 410 yards
- Herman Moore, Single Season Record, Most Receptions in a Season
- Barry Sanders, All-Pro
- Barry Sanders, NFC Pro Bowl Selection
Milestones
- Barry Sanders, 7th consecutive 1000 yard season
- Herman Moore, 100 reception season,[3]
References
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, playing for the Detroit Lions, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points For.
- ^ "1995 Detroit Lions Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 440