1991 Detroit Lions season
Encyclopedia
The 1991 season
for the Detroit Lions
saw the team finish 12-4, win the NFC Central Division, and appear in the playoffs for the first time since 1983. It stands as the team's best season since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. The Lions finished the season undefeated in the Pontiac Silverdome
, including playoffs, and the team did not lose a game at an indoor facility the entire season, having made trips to Indianapolis
and Minnesota
during the year. The 1991 season saw the Lions debut of wide receiver Herman Moore
, the team's 1991 first round draft pick who went on to set records as part of an explosive passing offense later in the decade.
The Lions were plagued by injuries most of the season. Starting quarterback Rodney Peete
was lost for the season in the 9th game of the season, a 34-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys
. Second string quarterback Erik Kramer
, who had won the backup quarterback job from Andre Ware
(the team's #1 draft pick from the season before) during training camp, guided the team the rest of the way. Although Peete's injury was serious, perhaps the most devastating injury was the career-ending injury that befell guard Mike Utley
in a Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Rams
. Utley suffered a severe injury to two of his cervical vertebrae
, rendering him paralyzed from the chest down and ending his career. Unaware of this, Utley gave a thumbs-up gesture to the crowd as he was being wheeled from the field. For the rest of the season Lions players wore a decal with Utley's number 60 on their helmets to honor their fallen teammate.
Utley's injury gave inspiration to a team that at that point in the season was struggling, and the team won its last six games to steal the division title away from the Chicago Bears
, whose Week 17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers
left them a game behind the Lions who did not lose a game the rest of the season following Utley's injury. By winning the division and having one of the two best records in the conference, the Lions earned a bye into the divisional round. There they faced the Dallas Cowboys
, who had beaten the Bears the week before to get their first playoff win since 1982. Although the Cowboys held Lions' star running back Barry Sanders
in check for most of the game, Kramer threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns and Sanders closed the scoring with a 47-yard touchdown run for a 38-6 drubbing of Dallas.
The win earned the Lions a return trip to Washington for the NFC Championship Game and a chance to avenge the 45-0 defeat in the season opener. The Redskins jumped to an early 10-0 lead when Kramer was sacked and fumbled on the Lions' first possession, then was intercepted on the second. The Lions fought back with a touchdown pass to receiver Willie Green and a field goal by kicker Eddie Murray in the second quarter to stay within one score at the half. The Lions trailed 17-10 at the break, but failed to score again as Washington scored 24 points in the second half to put the game away. Ware replaced Kramer as quarterback in the fourth quarter. He promptly threw an interception which was returned by Darrell Green
for the game's final touchdown. The 1991 Lions' season thus ended the way it started, with a loss to the Redskins at RFK Stadium; the final in this game was 41-10 in favor of the eventual Super Bowl champions.
The Lions finished the season with a 9-0 record at home, counting their playoff win. The team did not play particularly well on the road- outside of their wins at Indianapolis and Minnesota, their only other outdoor wins came against the Green Bay Packers
in Week 16 and the eventual AFC Champion Buffalo Bills
in Week 17; the margin of victory in those games were four and three points respectively and the Lions gave up 30 or more points in three of their four road losses, two of which came to teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs (San Francisco 49ers
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
).
led the Lions to their first postseason victory since 1957 by completing 29 out of 38 passes for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns.
completed 12 out of 17 passes for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns. Detroit quarterback Erik Kramer was sacked 5 times, three of them by Washington linebacker Wilber Marshall. Lions future hall of fame running back Barry Sanders
, who rushed for 1,548 yards during the season, was held to just 44 yards on 11 carries.
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
saw the team finish 12-4, win the NFC Central Division, and appear in the playoffs for the first time since 1983. It stands as the team's best season since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. The Lions finished the season undefeated in the Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
, including playoffs, and the team did not lose a game at an indoor facility the entire season, having made trips to Indianapolis
RCA Dome
RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons ....
and Minnesota
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
during the year. The 1991 season saw the Lions debut of wide receiver Herman Moore
Herman Moore
Herman Joseph Moore is a former American National Football League wide receiver. At George Washington High School in Danville he played mostly as a kicker and also as a tight end. He went to the University of Virginia, where he was a 2-sport athlete...
, the team's 1991 first round draft pick who went on to set records as part of an explosive passing offense later in the decade.
The Lions were plagued by injuries most of the season. Starting quarterback Rodney Peete
Rodney Peete
Rodney Peete is a former American football quarterback from the University of Southern California who played in the National Football League for 16 years. He retired in 2004 and is now in broadcasting.-Early life:...
was lost for the season in the 9th game of the season, a 34-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Second string quarterback Erik Kramer
Erik Kramer
William Erik Kramer , is a former American football quarterback. He attended John Burroughs High School in Burbank, CA. After attending Los Angeles Pierce College and playing as their quarterback, Kramer transferred to North Carolina State University where he finished a successful college football...
, who had won the backup quarterback job from Andre Ware
Andre Ware
Andre Ware is a sports analyst and commentator and a former American football player. He was the 1989 Heisman Trophy winner as a quarterback for the University of Houston, becoming the first African-American quarterback to win the award. In the 1990 NFL Draft, Ware was the first round selection ...
(the team's #1 draft pick from the season before) during training camp, guided the team the rest of the way. Although Peete's injury was serious, perhaps the most devastating injury was the career-ending injury that befell guard Mike Utley
Mike Utley
Michael Utley is a former American football player. He is known for being paralyzed during an NFL game.-NFL career:...
in a Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. Utley suffered a severe injury to two of his cervical vertebrae
Cervical vertebrae
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
, rendering him paralyzed from the chest down and ending his career. Unaware of this, Utley gave a thumbs-up gesture to the crowd as he was being wheeled from the field. For the rest of the season Lions players wore a decal with Utley's number 60 on their helmets to honor their fallen teammate.
Utley's injury gave inspiration to a team that at that point in the season was struggling, and the team won its last six games to steal the division title away from the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, whose Week 17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
left them a game behind the Lions who did not lose a game the rest of the season following Utley's injury. By winning the division and having one of the two best records in the conference, the Lions earned a bye into the divisional round. There they faced the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, who had beaten the Bears the week before to get their first playoff win since 1982. Although the Cowboys held Lions' star running back Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
in check for most of the game, Kramer threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns and Sanders closed the scoring with a 47-yard touchdown run for a 38-6 drubbing of Dallas.
The win earned the Lions a return trip to Washington for the NFC Championship Game and a chance to avenge the 45-0 defeat in the season opener. The Redskins jumped to an early 10-0 lead when Kramer was sacked and fumbled on the Lions' first possession, then was intercepted on the second. The Lions fought back with a touchdown pass to receiver Willie Green and a field goal by kicker Eddie Murray in the second quarter to stay within one score at the half. The Lions trailed 17-10 at the break, but failed to score again as Washington scored 24 points in the second half to put the game away. Ware replaced Kramer as quarterback in the fourth quarter. He promptly threw an interception which was returned by Darrell Green
Darrell Green
Darrell Ray Green is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins from 1983 to 2002. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play football...
for the game's final touchdown. The 1991 Lions' season thus ended the way it started, with a loss to the Redskins at RFK Stadium; the final in this game was 41-10 in favor of the eventual Super Bowl champions.
The Lions finished the season with a 9-0 record at home, counting their playoff win. The team did not play particularly well on the road- outside of their wins at Indianapolis and Minnesota, their only other outdoor wins came against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in Week 16 and the eventual AFC Champion Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 17; the margin of victory in those games were four and three points respectively and the Lions gave up 30 or more points in three of their four road losses, two of which came to teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs (San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
).
Round one
| Pick # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
Herman Moore Herman Moore Herman Joseph Moore is a former American National Football League wide receiver. At George Washington High School in Danville he played mostly as a kicker and also as a tight end. He went to the University of Virginia, where he was a 2-sport athlete... |
Wide Receiver | Virginia University of Virginia The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson... |
Schedule
| Week | Home Team | Away Team | Result | Score | Overall Record | Divisional Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | Detroit | L | 45-0 | (0-1) | (0-0) | 52,958 |
| 2 | Detroit | Green Bay | W | 23-14 | (1-1) | (1-0) | 43,132 |
| 3 | Detroit | Miami | W | 17-13 | (2-1) | (1-0) | 56,896 |
| 4 | Indianapolis | Detroit | W | 33-24 | (3-1) | (1-0) | 53,396 |
| 5 | Tampa Bay | Detroit | W | 31-3 | (4-1) | (2-0) | 44,479 |
| 6 | Detroit | Minnesota | W | 24-20 | (5-1) | (3-0) | 63,423 |
| 7 | Detroit | Bye | (5-1) | (3-0) | |||
| 8 | San Francisco | Detroit | L | 35-3 | (5-2) | (3-0) | 61,240 |
| 9 | Detroit | Dallas | W | 34-10 | (6-2) | (3-0) | 74,906 |
| 10 | Chicago | Detroit | L | 20-10 | (6-3) | (3-1) | 57,281 |
| 11 | Detroit | Tampa Bay | L | 30-21 | (6-4) | (3-2) | 37,742 |
| 12 | Detroit | LA Rams | W | 21-10 | (7-4) | (3-2) | 60,873 |
| 13 | Minnesota | Detroit | W | 34-14 | (8-4) | (4-2) | 51,644 |
| 14 | Detroit | Chicago | W | 16-6 | (9-4) | (5-2) | 78,879 |
| 15 | Detroit | NY Jets | W | 34-20 | (10-4) | (5-2) | 69,304 |
| 16 | Green Bay | Detroit | W | 21-17 | (11-4) | (6-2) | 43,881 |
| 17 | Buffalo | Detroit | W | 17-14 (OT) | (12-4) | (6-2) | 78,059 |
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
|
Offensive Linemen
Lomas Brown Lomas Brown, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League for eighteen seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Brown played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played... T Bubba Paris William "Bubba" Paris is a former professional American football offensive lineman who played for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL from 1983 to 1990. He was a member of three 49er teams that won the Super Bowl... T Eric Andolsek Eric Thomas Andolsek was an offensive lineman with college football's LSU Tigers and the NFL's Detroit Lions, who died in a freak accident at the age of 25.-College career:... G Shawn Bouwens Shawn M. Bouwens is a former professional American football player who played guard for five seasons for the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars.-References:... G Kevin Glover Kevin Glover is a former American football Center for the Detroit Lions , and Seattle Seahawks . He attended the University of Maryland.-College career:... C Roman Fortin Roman Brian Fortin is a former NFL player from 1991-2000. He played center, guard, offensive tackle, tackle, and tight end through the course of his career. He was the quarterback for his high school team at Ventura High School... C/T Ken Dallafior Kenneth Ray Dallafior is a former American college and professional football offensive tackle who played eight seasons in the NFL.... G Eric Sanders Eric Sanders was a guard and tackle who played 12 seasons in the National Football League.... T Scott Conover Kelsey Scott Conover is a former professional football player.A native of Freehold Borough, New Jersey, Scott graduated from Freehold Borough HS and went on to attend and play football for Purdue University in Indiana. While at Purdue Scott was a defensive lineman for his first three seasons... T Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
George Jamison George R. Jamison, Jr. is a former American football linebacker who played twelve seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the Detroit Lions. Previously, he played in the United States Football League for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars for two seasons .... OLB Victor Jones Victor Purnell Jones is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, He played college football at Virginia Tech and was drafted in the twelfth round of the 1988 NFL Draft.... OLB Chris Spielman Charles Christopher "Chris" Spielman is a former American football player and is currently an analyst for ESPN's coverage of college football games.-Football career:... MLB Dennis Gibson Dennis Michael Gibson is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League from 1987-1995 for the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers... MLB Toby Caston Toby Caston was a professional American football player who played linebacker for seven seasons for the Houston Oilers and Detroit Lions. He was killed in a road accident.-References:... MLB Niko Noga Falaniko Noga is a former football linebacker who played eight seasons in the NFL.-Family Links:Brothers Pete and Al played at the University of Hawai'i and later in the NFL.-References:... MLB Tracy Hayworth Tracy Keith Hayworth is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.... OLB Anthony Bell Anthony Bell is a retired American football linebacker that played at Michigan State University and for the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL.... OLB Defensive Backs
Special Teams
|
Reserve Lists
Mike Utley Michael Utley is a former American football player. He is known for being paralyzed during an NFL game.-NFL career:... G/T Rookies in italics |
|||
NFC Divisional Playoff
Quarterback Erik KramerErik Kramer
William Erik Kramer , is a former American football quarterback. He attended John Burroughs High School in Burbank, CA. After attending Los Angeles Pierce College and playing as their quarterback, Kramer transferred to North Carolina State University where he finished a successful college football...
led the Lions to their first postseason victory since 1957 by completing 29 out of 38 passes for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns.
NFC Championship Game
The Redskins crushed the Lions, 41-10, as quarterback Mark RypienMark Rypien
Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL.-Biography:...
completed 12 out of 17 passes for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns. Detroit quarterback Erik Kramer was sacked 5 times, three of them by Washington linebacker Wilber Marshall. Lions future hall of fame running back Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
, who rushed for 1,548 yards during the season, was held to just 44 yards on 11 carries.
Awards and honors
- Mel Gray, NFL Kickoff Return Leader
- Barry Sanders, All-ProAll-ProAll-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
- Barry Sanders, NFC Pro Bowl Selection
- Barry Sanders, Bert Bell AwardBert Bell AwardThe Bert Bell Award for the Professional American football Player of the Year is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. This award is named in honor of Bert Bell , Commissioner of the National Football League and founder of the Maxwell Club...