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1980 Detroit Lions season

The 1980 Detroit Lions season was the 51st season in franchise history. As the result of their 2–14 1979 season, the Lions were able to select Heisman Trophy-winning Oklahoma Sooner halfback Billy Sims with the first pick in the NFL draft. In his rookie season, Sims rushed his way to the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award while carrying the Lions back to respectability.

After winning their first four games, the Lions stumbled down the stretch including costly 1-point losses to the Colts and lowly Cardinals, where Cardinals running back Nathan Micknick out ran the Lions newly signed, struggling linebacker Aidan Smith to put the Cardinals up by 1 in the closing minutes. While they vastly improved overall, finishing 9–7, the Lions narrowly lost the NFC Central Division title to the Minnesota Vikings by virtue of a conference record tiebreaker. The Lions won nine NFC games to the Vikings’ eight, but Minnesota had a better winning percentage in the conference.[1] The Lions’ 1979 fifth-place finish meant they played two extra NFC games, resulting in five conference losses to the Vikings' four losses.[2]

Offseason

Draft

[4]

Roster

Regular season

In his NFL debut, Billy Sims had three touchdowns.[5]

Schedule

Standings

Game summaries

Week 1 at Rams

Week One: Detroit Lions (0–0) at Los Angeles Rams (0–0)

at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California

  • Date: September 7
  • Game time: 4:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Clear; 66 °F or 18.9 °C
  • Game attendance: 64,892
  • Referee: Cal Lepore
  • TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen
  • Box Score

Week 2: at Green Bay Packers

Week 2: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • Date: September 14, 1980
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 64 °F or 17.8 °C
  • Referee: Bob Frederic
  • TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
  • [1]

Week 5: at Atlanta Falcons

at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta

  • Date: October 5
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), wind 12 miles per hour (19 km/h; 10 kn)
  • Referee: Dick Jorgensen
  • TV: CBS
  • Box Score

Week 13

Week Thirteen: Chicago Bears (4–8) at Detroit Lions (7–5)

at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan

  • Date: November 27, 1980
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Indoors (dome)
  • Game attendance: 75,397
  • Referee: Fred Silva
  • TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, and Irv Cross
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com

Awards and records

See also

References

  1. ^ Season summary and stats at Sports E Cyclopedia
  2. ^ Urena, Ivan; Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present, p. 85 ISBN 0786473517
  3. ^ Billy Sims, 1978 Heisman Trophy winner as a junior "Heisman Trophy". Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
  4. ^ "1980 Detroit Lions Draftees". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Sports Illustrated, Oct. 27, 2008, p.24, Vol. 109, No. 16

External links