Detroit Lions: 3 Vital statistics for 2019 season

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The starting quarterback was Erik Kramer. The backfield was manned by Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. The head coach was Wayne Fontes. The opponent was the Dallas Cowboys and the site was the Pontiac Silverdome.

It was the 1991 NFC Divisional Playoffs and the then-NFC Central champion Detroit Lions would take on Jimmy Johnson’s emerging club. Those Cowboys would take a thumping that afternoon in the Motor City, 38-6, but would rebound to win three of the next four Super Bowls.

For the Lions, it marks the last time the franchise emerged with a playoff victory. There have been nine postseason games for the Men from the Motor City since then and all resulted in defeat – the longest such streak in NFL annals and one that remains active.

Of course, the Lions also remain the only one of the 16 franchises in the NFC not to reach a Super Bowl to date. But these days, this is a league where dramatic changes take place on a yearly basis.

If the Lions are to end their playoff woes in 2019, the team can’t finish last in the NFC North for a second straight year. Moving up in the division won’t be easy as the Bears, Vikings and Packers all look like much-improved teams.