1989 Detroit Lions season
Encyclopedia
The 1989 season
was the beginning of the Barry Sanders
era. Considered one of the greatest drafts ever, Barry Sanders was drafted 3rd overall by the Lions. The Lions' divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers
had the 2nd pick overall but they passed on Sanders. Instead, they opted for Tony Mandarich
. After starting the season with 2 wins and 9 losses, the Lions won five in a row to finish the season with 7 wins and 9 losses. Sanders did not disappoint as he was named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
was the beginning of the Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record...
era. Considered one of the greatest drafts ever, Barry Sanders was drafted 3rd overall by the Lions. The Lions' divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
had the 2nd pick overall but they passed on Sanders. Instead, they opted for Tony Mandarich
Tony Mandarich
Ante Josip "Tony" Mandarich is a former football offensive lineman of the NFL. He was the first round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1989, second overall behind quarterback Troy Aikman, and ahead of the third selection, running back Barry Sanders, the fourth selection, linebacker Derrick...
. After starting the season with 2 wins and 9 losses, the Lions won five in a row to finish the season with 7 wins and 9 losses. Sanders did not disappoint as he was named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.
NFL Draft
| Pick # | |Player | |College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
Barry Sanders Barry Sanders Barry Sanders is a former American football running back who spent all of his professional career with the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Sanders left the game just short of the all-time rushing record... |
Running Back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Oklahoma State 1988 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team The 1988 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented the Oklahoma State University in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A college football season. Barry Sanders was in his junior year for the Cowboys.-Schedule:... |
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10, 1989 | Phoenix Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 16-13 | |
| 2 | September 17, 1989 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 24-14 | |
| 3 | September 24, 1989 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 47-27 | |
| 4 | October 1, 1989 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 23-3 | |
| 5 | October 8, 1989 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 24-17 | |
| 6 | October 15, 1989 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
W 17-16 | |
| 7 | October 22, 1989 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 20-7 | |
| 8 | October 29, 1989 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 23-20 | |
| 9 | November 5, 1989 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L 35-31 | |
| 10 | November 12, 1989 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 31-22 | |
| 11 | November 19, 1989 | at Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
L 42-7 | |
| 12 | November 23, 1989 | Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 13-10 | |
| 13 | December 3, 1989 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 21-14 | |
| 14 | December 10, 1989 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 27-17 | |
| 15 | December 17, 1989 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
W 33-7 | |
| 16 | December 24, 1989 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 31-24 | |
Standings
| NFC Central | ||||||
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings 1989 Minnesota Vikings season -Regular season:The defensive line of Chris Doleman, Keith Millard, Al Noga and Henry Thomas were key contributors in helping the Vikings rank number one in the NFL in total defense. In addition, the Vikings set a franchise record with 71 sacks in one season... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 351 | 275 |
| Green Bay Packers 1989 Green Bay Packers season The 1989 Green Bay Packers season was their 69th in the National Football League. The Packers posted a 10–6 record, their best since 1972, but failed to make the playoffs. The team was often referred to as the "Cardiac Pack" due to several close-game wins... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 362 | 356 |
| Detroit Lions | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 312 | 364 |
| Chicago Bears 1989 Chicago Bears season The 1989 Chicago Bears season was their 70th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 6-10 record, and did not make the playoffs for the first time since 1983.- Winds of Change :... |
6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 358 | 377 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1989 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 1989 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 5-11 season which finished winning 2 of the last 3 games including an upset of AFC East Champions.... |
5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 320 | 419 |
Roster
| Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen Defensive Linemen |
Linebackers Defensive Backs Special Teams |
Reserve Lists
Rookies in italics |
|||
Rushing
| Player | Attempts | Yards | Average | Long | Touchdowns |
| Barry Sanders | 280 | 1470 | 5.3 | 34 | 14 |
Receiving
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Average | Long | Touchdowns |
| Barry Sanders | 24 | 282 | 11.8 | 46 | 0 |
Awards and honors
- Barry Sanders, National Football League Rookie of the Year Award
- Walter Stanley, NFL Kickoff Return Leader