1956 Detroit Lions season
| 1956 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Buddy Parker |
| Home field | Tiger Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–3 |
| Division place | 2nd NFL Western |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1956 Detroit Lions season was their 27th in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 3–9, winning nine games.[1] Despite the improvement, they missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Detroit held the top spot by a half game in the Western Conference entering the final game of the season against the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field, which the Lions lost, 38–21. After completing a handoff early in the second quarter, Detroit quarterback Bobby Layne was concussed and removed from the game, due to an unsportsmanlike conduct foul by Ed Meadows, for which Meadows was ejected.[2][3][4]
The following season, the Lions won the Western Conference and the NFL championship, their third of the decade. The Lions won the NFL title in 1952 and 1953, and were runners-up in 1954.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 30 | at Green Bay Packers | W 20–16 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | October 6 | at Baltimore Colts | W 31–14 | 2–0 | |
| 3 | October 14 | Los Angeles Rams | W 24–21 | 3–0 | |
| 4 | October 21 | San Francisco 49ers | W 20–17 | 4–0 | |
| 5 | October 28 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 16–7 | 5–0 | |
| 6 | November 4 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 17–13 | 6–0 | |
| 7 | November 11 | at Washington Redskins | L 18–17 | 6–1 | |
| 8 | November 18 | Baltimore Colts | W 27–3 | 7–1 | |
| 9 | November 22 | Green Bay Packers | L 24–20 | 7–2 | |
| 10 | December 2 | Chicago Bears | W 42–10 | 8–2 | |
| 11 | December 9 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 45–7 | 9–2 | |
| 12 | December 16 | at Chicago Bears | L 38–21 | 9–3 | |
Standings
| NFL Western Conference | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | CONF | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Chicago Bears | 9 | 2 | 1 | .818 | 8–2 | 363 | 246 | W2 | |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 3 | 0 | .750 | 8–2 | 300 | 188 | L1 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 6 | 1 | .455 | 5–5 | 233 | 284 | W3 | |
| Baltimore Colts | 5 | 7 | 0 | .417 | 3–7 | 270 | 322 | W1 | |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 291 | 307 | W2 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 3–7 | 264 | 342 | L2 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
References
- ↑ 1956 Detroit Lions
- ↑ Strickler, George (December 17, 1956). "Bears win West title; beat Lions, 38-21". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1, part 4.
- ↑ Lea, Bud (December 17, 1956). "Bears win Western crown, 38-21". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 2, part 2.
- ↑ "Lions charge Bears 'play dirty'". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. December 17, 1956. p. 20.