DETROIT — The Detroit Lions ended their historic season in heartbreak at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game Sunday.
And while the emotional defeat is still fresh in everyone's minds, almost all Lions fans are already looking back with pride at one of the best Detroit teams in the Super Bowl era.
There are only a few Lions teams in the Super Bowl era that even make the conversation, and this year's is definitely one of them.
The Lions have only made the playoffs 13 times since the first Super Bowl in 1967 and have only won three playoff games ever, including the two that they won this year.
But when it really comes to determining which Lions team is the best in the Super Bowl era, there are really only three teams that can make the cut.
The 3 Best Lions Teams in the Super Bowl Era
The 1991 Detroit Lions
Regular Season Record: 12-4 (.750)
Playoff Run: Won Divisional Game, Lost NFC Championship
Coach: Wayne Fontes
Pro Bowlers: 5
All-Pros: 5
Until the run this year, this was undeniably the all-time best Lions team in the Super Bowl era. The season began with QB Rodney Peete taking the snaps with Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders as his primary back.
It was a rocky start with a 45-0 loss to Washington in the opening game of the season, but the Lions would bounce back, winning the next seven of eight games. Peete would sustain a season-ending injury in week nine against the Dallas Cowboys after the Lions 5-2 start to the season.
Backup QB Erik Kramer would take over and drop the next two games against Chicago and Tampa Bay before going on a tear and winning out the next six games of the season.
Sanders would lead the league in touchdowns and average yards per game, making it to the end zone 16 times and averaging over 100 yards per game. He finished the regular season with over 1,500 rushing and over 300 yards receiving.
In the playoffs, the Lions resoundingly defeated the Cowboys at home 38-6 in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game. Kramer would pick up three touchdown passes and Sanders rushed for 69 yards and a TD.
The Lions then headed to Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium for the NFC Championship Game against the top-seeded Washington. The Lions would make it a close game in the first half before Washington scored 24 unanswered points to win 41-10.
Barry Sanders was recognized as the Player of the Year in the NFL, receiving his first of two Bert Bell Awards.
The 2014 Detroit Lions
Regular Season Record: 11-5 (.688)
Playoff Run: Lost Wild Card Game
Coach: Jim Caldwell
Pro Bowlers: 5
All-Pros: 3
The 2014 Lions was Detroit's best hope at a run in the playoffs in the Matthew Stafford era of the franchise. The regular season ended with the Lions' best record since 1991 and first playoff berth since 2011.
Matthew Stafford was in his sixth season with Detroit and had two Pro Bowl receivers in Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. The Lions also had two Pro Bowlers on the defensive end with Ndamukong Suh and Glover Quinn.
The regular season was one of the best showings the Lions had since the '90s, but it all ended in disappointment after two crushing defeats to close out the season.
The Lions would lose their final game of the season against the Green Bay Packers, earning the Packers an NFC North Title and relegating the Lions to a Wild Card Playoff Game against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Lions would lose their game against the Cowboys 24-20 after leading for the first three quarters.
The 2023 Detroit Lions
Regular Season Record: 12-5 (.706)
Playoff Run: Won Wild Card Game, Won Divisional Game, Lost NFC Championship
Coach: Dan Campbell
Pro Bowlers: 7
All-Pros: 5
The 2023 season for the Detroit Lions felt special even before the first game was played. The Lions already had huge momentum going into the season after finishing the 2022 season with an epic run. The Lions started 2022 with a dismal record of 1-6, but ended with a 9-8 record after only dropping two games in the final three months of the season. But despite the run, the Lions just barely missed the postseason.
2023 kicked off in Arrowhead Stadium as the Lions took on and defeated the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. After an overtime loss to Seattle in the second week of the regular season, the Lions would go on a tear, beating seven of their next eight opponents.
The Lions would go on to close out the season with 12 wins, tying the 1991 Lions for the most in franchise history. Detroit would also earn its first NFC North title, their first division title since the 1993 season.
Lions QB Jared Goff, already a legend in Detroit after just three seasons, played some of his best football during the 2023 season. The veteran QB racked up 30 touchdowns with a career-high completion percentage of over 67%.
Running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs also had big years for the Lions, both with over 1,000 yards rushing/receiving on the year.
Another big playmaker for the Lions in 2023 was rookie TE Sam LaPorta, who broke multiple NFL and franchise records in his first season. LaPorta earned eight Lions franchise records and four NFL records for his nearly 900-yard, 10-touchdown season.
The postseason for the Lions seemed bright with Detroit hosting its first home playoff game since 1993. The Lions took on their former QB Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, beating them 24-23.
The Lions then earned another home playoff game, this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detroit defeated the Bucs in front of a sold-out crowd at Ford Field 31-23.
The Lions were back in the NFC Championship Game for the first time in over 30 years. Detroit took on San Francisco, losing in a nail-biter 34-31 after the 49ers mounted a massive comeback. The Lions went into the half leading 24-7, but San Francisco scored 27 points in the second half to take home the win and keep the Lions Super Bowl drought alive.
What is the best Lions team in the Super Bowl Era?
The 1991, 2014 and 2023 Lions are pretty much the only teams since the first Super Bowl in 1967 that are worth talking about. Sure, there are some other years in there where the Lions would post a 10-win season, or even win the division, but those teams didn't stand out like the three above.
After reviewing the top teams, what do you think? Vote in the poll below and see which Lions team is on top:
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