Detroit Lions: Worst Team of the Decade

How bad has it been for Lions fans?

Well, the last time they fielded a winning team was in 2000.

However, even that Lions team was unremarkable as it finished the season with a 9-7 record, while scoring as many points (307) as it surrendered. Sadly, most Lions fans would probably kill for a 9-7 record. 

The Lions record since 2001 is a pathetic 33-111.

To put that into perspective just look at how the other teams in Lions division fared in contrast:

Packers: 95-65

Vikings: 84-76

Bears: 81-79

In those nine years, the Lions offense has never ranked higher than 16th in sport scored, while their defense has never ranked higher than 18th in points allowed.

In fact, in the last three years the Lions defense was dead last in points allowed:

In 2007 they gave up a league high 444 points (27.8/g).

In 2008 they gave up 517 points (32.3/g).

In 2009 they gave up 494 points (30.9/g).

The Lions best year offensively was in 2007 when they averaged  21.6 points a game.  Not surprising, the Lions had one of their best seasons of the decade finishing with a 7-9 record.

It has been said that the Lions are cursed franchise, and it's hard to rebuke this claim considering just how inept the Lions organization has been through the last half century.

The last time the Lions won a play off game was in 1992. To make matters worse, it's their only play off victory in the last fifty years.

In 2007, the Lions surprised every one by jumping out to a 6-2 start.

Finally it looked like thing's were starting to go their way.

Then they proceeded to lose seven out of their last eight games.

Bobby Layne still leads the franchise in passing yards—that's not a good thing, considering the last time Layne wore a Lions uniform was in 1957. 

The Lions have been in a rebuilding state for the last nine seasons.

They have gone through coaches and quarterbacks, like Kate Hudson goes through boyfriends.

The organization pins their entire hopes on young QBs (Joey Harrington, Matthew Stafford), but don't bother to draft the talent that could help them out.

Who can forget the sight of a horribly banged up Stafford trying to will something against the Packers defense on Thanksgiving, despite the fact that Lions were down 34-12 at the time.

Instead of pulling the young QB, Jim Schwartz allowed him to play, despite the futility of it all.

Bad management, bad coaching, underachieving players, yup that's the Lions for you.