1988 Detroit Lions season

NFL team season

The 1988 Detroit Lions season was the 59th season in franchise history. The team fell a step further from their 4–11 record in the strike-affected 1987 season, losing 12 of 16 games and suffering their fifth successive losing record. Head coach Darryl Rogers, who had served since 1985, was fired after 11 games and replaced by defensive coordinator Wayne Fontes.[1]

The 1988 Lions’ offense was historically inept; their 3,405 offensive yards gained is the second-lowest all-time in a 16-game season, and the lowest total of the 1980s.[2] Their 220 points scored (13.75 per game) is the fifth-fewest of the 1980s.[3] They scored 20 or more points only three times all season.

Offseason

NFL Draft

1988 Detroit Lions draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 3 Bennie Blades *  S Miami (FL)
2 29 Chris Spielman *  LB Ohio State
2 32 Pat Carter  TE Florida State
3 58 Ray Roundtree  WR Penn State
4 85 William White  S Ohio State
5 111 Eric Andolsek  G LSU
6 142 Carl Painter  RB Hampton
7 169 Jeff James  WR Stanford
8 196 Gary Hadd  DT Minnesota
9 223 Kip Corrington  S Texas A&M
9 234 Todd Irvin  OT Mississippi
10 254 Paco Craig  WR UCLA
11 281 Danny McCoin  QB Cincinnati
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[4]

Personnel

Staff

1988 Detroit Lions staff

Front office

  • Owner and president – William Clay Ford Sr.
  • Executive vice president and general manager – Russ Thomas
  • Treasurer – William Clay Ford Jr.
  • Vice president for finance – Chuck Schmidt
  • Vice president for player personnel – Jerry Vainisi
  • Director of player personnel – Joe Bushofsky
  • Director of pro scouting – Ron Hughes

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams – Carl Battershell

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning coordinator – Don Clemons

Roster

1988 Detroit Lions final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

  •  3 Eddie Murray K
  •  6 Jim Arnold P
 Reserve lists

47 active, 11 inactive

Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Attendance
1 September 4 Atlanta Falcons W 31–17 1–0 31,075
2 September 11 at Los Angeles Rams L 10–17 1–1 46,262
3 September 18 New Orleans Saints L 14–22 1–2 32,943
4 September 25 New York Jets L 10–17 1–3 29,250
5 October 2 at San Francisco 49ers L 13–20 1–4 58,285
6 October 9 Chicago Bears L 7–24 1–5 64,526
7 October 16 at New York Giants L 10–30 1–6 74,813
8 October 23 at Kansas City Chiefs W 7–6 2–6 66,926
9 October 30 New York Giants L 10–13 OT 2–7 38,354
10 November 6 at Minnesota Vikings L 17–44 2–8 55,573
11 November 13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 20–23 2–9 25,956
12 November 20 at Green Bay Packers W 19–9 3–9 44,327
13 November 24 Minnesota Vikings L 0–23 3–10 46,379
14 December 4 Green Bay Packers W 30–14 4–10 28,124
15 December 11 at Chicago Bears L 12–13 4–11 55,010
16 December 18 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 10–21 4–12 37,778
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1

1 234Total
Falcons 3 0014 17
• Lions 0 10147 31
Scoring summary
1ATLGreg Davis 19 yard field goalFalcons 3–0
2DETPete Mandley 7 yard pass from Chuck Long (Eddie Murray kick)Lions 7–3
2DETEddie Murray 37 yard field goalLions 10–3
3DETGarry James 1 yard run (Eddie Murray kick)Lions 17–3
3DETGeorge Jamison 4 yard fumble return (Eddie Murray kick)Lions 24–3
4ATLAlex Higdon 9 yard pass from Chris Miller (Greg Davis kick)Lions 24–10
4DETMark Lewis 1 yard pass from Chuck Long (Eddie Murray kick)Lions 31–10
4ATLJohn Settle 2 yard run (Greg Davis kick)Lions 31–17

[5]

Week 8

1 234Total
• Lions 0 700 7
Chiefs 0 330 6
  • Date: October 23
  • Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 58 °F or 14.4 °C; wind 20 miles per hour (32 km/h; 17 kn)
Scoring summary
Q2KCLowery 38 yard field goalKC 3–0
Q2DETChadwick 14 yard pass from Hilger (Murray kick)DET 7–3
Q3KCLowery 43 yard field goalDET 7–6

[6]

Week 12

1 234Total
• Lions 3 6010 19
Packers 0 036 9
Scoring summary
Q1DETMurray 42 yard field goalDET 3–0
Q2DETMurray 37 yard field goalDET 6–0
Q2DETMurray 19 yard field goalDET 9–0
Q3GBDawson 32 yard field goalDET 9–3
Q4DETWilliams 1 yard run (Murray kick)DET 16–3
Q4DETMurray 26 yard field goalDET 19–3
Q4GBMatthews 3 yard pass from Majkowski (kick failed)DET 19–9

[7]

Week 14

1 234Total
Packers 0 0014 14
• Lions 10 1703 30
Scoring summary
Q1DETMurray 26 yard field goalDET 3–0
Q1DETMandley 21 yard run (Murray kick)DET 10–0
Q2DETMurray 23 yard field goalDET 13–0
Q2DETMitchell 90 yard interception return (Murray kick)DET 20–0
Q2DETJames 2 yard run (Murray kick)DET 27–0
Q4GBWest 4 yard pass from Wright (Dorsey kick)DET 27–7
Q4DETMurray 23 yard field goalDET 30–7
Q4GBSharpe 24 yard pass from Wright (Dorsey kick)DET 30–14

[8]

Standings

NFC Central
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 W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Chicago Bears(1) 12 4 0 .750 6–2 9–3 312 215 L1
Minnesota Vikings(4) 11 5 0 .688 6–2 9–3 406 233 W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5 11 0 .313 4–4 4–8 261 350 W1
Detroit Lions 4 12 0 .250 2–6 3–11 220 315 L2
Green Bay Packers 4 12 0 .250 2–6 3–9 240 313 W2

References

  1. ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 114
  2. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1978 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Total Yds.
  3. ^ In a 16-game season, Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1980 to 1989, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Points For.
  4. ^ "1988 Detroit Lions Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  5. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com
  6. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Dec-28.
  7. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Nov-07.
  8. ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Nov-07.

External links

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Detroit Lions
  • Founded in 1928
  • Formerly the Portsmouth Spartans (1928–1933)
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Formerly the Portsmouth Spartans (1930–1933)
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