2016 Detroit Lions
The 2016 Detroit Lions went 9–7, finishing 2nd in the NFC North, and lost in the Wild Card round. They scored 346 points and allowed 358.
- Record
- 9–7
- Home
- 6–2
- Road & neutral
- 3–5
- Points
- 346–358
- NFC North
- Place 2 of 4
- Postseason
- Lost Wild Card
Where the season ranked
They scored 346 points, the 13th-fewest among the 32 teams, and allowed 358, the 13th-fewest. Their point differential was -12.
How the season unfolded
The Lions started 1–3 and were 4–4 after eight games. They went 1–3 over the final four weeks to finish 9–7.
Their longest winning streak was five games, from Week 9 to Week 14.
Their longest losing streak was three games, from Week 2 to Week 4.
Best and worst games
Their biggest win was 28–13 over the New Orleans Saints in Week 13 (December 4, 2016).
Their heaviest loss was 42–21 to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 (December 26, 2016).
They scored a season-high 39 points against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 (September 11, 2016), winning 39–35.
In games decided by eight points or fewer, they went 8–5.
They played one overtime game and won it.
Division and playoff opponents
They went 3–3 against the NFC North, sweeping the Vikings, splitting with the Bears, and getting swept by the Packers.
Against teams that reached the playoffs, they went 0–5 in the regular season.
Postseason
In the Wild Card round, they lost to the Seattle Seahawks 26–6 on the road.
Before and after
That was a two-win improvement on 2015, when they went 7–9.
It was the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2014.
In 2017, they went 9–7 and missed the playoffs.
2016 schedule and results
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sep 11, 2016 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 39–35 |
| Week 2 | Sep 18, 2016 | vs Tennessee Titans | L 15–16 |
| Week 3 | Sep 25, 2016 | at Green Bay Packers | L 27–34 |
| Week 4 | Oct 2, 2016 | at Chicago Bears | L 14–17 |
| Week 5 | Oct 9, 2016 | vs Philadelphia Eagles | W 24–23 |
| Week 6 | Oct 16, 2016 | vs Los Angeles Rams | W 31–28 |
| Week 7 | Oct 23, 2016 | vs Washington | W 20–17 |
| Week 8 | Oct 30, 2016 | at Houston Texans | L 13–20 |
| Week 9 | Nov 6, 2016 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 22–16 (OT) |
| Week 11 | Nov 20, 2016 | vs Jacksonville Jaguars | W 26–19 |
| Week 12 | Nov 24, 2016 | vs Minnesota Vikings | W 16–13 |
| Week 13 | Dec 4, 2016 | at New Orleans Saints | W 28–13 |
| Week 14 | Dec 11, 2016 | vs Chicago Bears | W 20–17 |
| Week 15 | Dec 18, 2016 | at New York Giants | L 6–17 |
| Week 16 | Dec 26, 2016 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 21–42 |
| Week 17 | Jan 1, 2017 | vs Green Bay Packers | L 24–31 |
| Wild Card | Jan 7, 2017 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 6–26 |
Counted by WHYNFL from the final score of every 2016 game. Division place uses win percentage, then point differential; the NFL's full tiebreaker procedure is not applied.