1972 Detroit Lions season
| 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.[1] The team missed the playoffs for the second straight season. 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.
Roster
| Detroit Lions roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Rookies in italics | |||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17 | New York Giants | W 30–16 | |
| 2 | September 24 | Minnesota Vikings | L 10-34 | |
| 3 | October 1 | at Chicago Bears | W 38–24 | |
| 4 | October 8 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 26–23 | |
| 5 | October 16 | Green Bay Packers | L 23-24 | |
| 6 | October 22 | San Diego Chargers | W 34–20 | |
| 7 | October 30 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 24-28 | |
| 8 | November 5 | Chicago Bears | W 14–0 | |
| 9 | November 12 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 14-16 | |
| 10 | November 19 | New Orleans Saints | W 27–14 | |
| 11 | November 23 | New York Jets | W 37–20 | |
| 12 | December 3 | at Green Bay Packers | L 7-33 | |
| 13 | December 10 | at Buffalo Bills | T 21–21 | |
| 14 | December 17 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 34–17 |
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 |