Even When They're Good, the Detroit Lions End Up Looking Bad

The Detroit Lions were the most intriguing team of the entire 1995 NFL season.

Some good. Some bad.

The Lions started 0-3 and then 3-6 but managed to make the playoffs as they rode the most explosive offense in the league to seven-straight wins to finish the season.

The offense was led by QB Scott Mitchell (yes he was actually good for once), RB Barry Sanders and a great WR trio of Johnnie Morton, Brett Perriman and Herman Moore. Detroit also featured two pro-bowl offensive lineman in Kevin Glover and Lomas Brown.

After its horrible 3-6 start, Detroit would go on to finish 10-6 and were a team no one wanted to face going into the playoffs.

Despite their hot finish, the Lions were forced to go on the road to start the playoffs but were still huge favorites in Philadelphia against the Eagles, who were ironically led by former Lion QB Rodney Peete.

Naturally, Detroit quickly reverted back to its old embarrasing franchise form and got blownout 58-37 in a game that was actually more lopsided than the score would indicate.

And the Lions still haven't recovered.

The franchise hasn't won a single playoff game since and haven't been to the playoffs since 1999.

I guess you can call it the curse of the early Barry Sanders retirement, or the curse of Matt Millen or the curse of having a paper Lion logo.

Whatever it is, it doesn't look like the curse will be ending anytime soon, so Lions fans should cherish the '95 season like it was their last because it seems that it might have been.