NFL franchise all-time power rankings: Which organization comes out on top?

23. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a franchise on the come-up, finishing this past season as one of the final four teams. They lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game despite having a huge lead. They won two previous playoff games before that, so they can’t blame it on inexperience. However, it seems like the players are in place, and the Lions can be good for a long time.

That would be much different than the Lions' history. They hadn’t won a playoff game since 1991. That seems impossible, but Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, two Hall of Famers, never won a playoff game. Barry Sanders won his first playoff game, and then he was a part of five straight losses. We’ll get back to Sanders in a moment, but the Lions have a very disappointing history in the Super Bowl era.  

The Lions have an extensive history prior to the AFL-NFL merger. They won four NFL Championships, the last coming in 1957. They were a constant contender until 1962. Then, things went down the tubes. From 1962 to this past season, the Lions had one playoff win. The Lions won double the playoff games this past season than they’ve won in the previous 60 years. 

Then, there’s the way players see the organization. Some franchises have that loveable loser vibe that causes players to be proud to wear the uniform. That hasn’t been the Lions in the past. Barry Sanders, the best running back of all time, told the Lions he’d repay his entire bonus if he was allowed to get traded or released. Instead, he stayed retired and never got a real chance at a playoff run. The end was just as strange for Calvin Johnson, who was forced to repay $1.6 million of his bonus when he retired after nine seasons.