1942 Detroit Lions season
| 1942 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bill Edwards and Bull Karcis |
| Results | |
| Record | 0–11–0 |
| Division place | 5th NFL Western |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1942 Detroit Lions season resulted in the Lions having the first winless season since Cincinnati went 0–8 in 1934.[1] This was the first NFL season during U.S. involvement in World War II, which led to player shortages, and thus a depletion of talent. The Lions were hit especially hard by the loss of star halfback Byron “Whizzer” White and tackle Tony Furst.[2] Head coach Bill Edwards was sacked after three games,[2] but the decision had no effect on the Lions’ fortunes.
While there were talks of suspending play, it was ultimately decided to allow all professional sports to continue as morale boosters on the home front.[3] It would remain the only imperfect season for the Lions until 2008.
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 20, 1942 | at Chicago Cardinals | L 13–0 |
| 2 | September 27, 1942 | Cleveland Rams | L 14–0 |
| 3 | October 4, 1942 | Brooklyn Dodgers | L 28–7 |
| 4 | October 11, 1942 | at Green Bay Packers | L 38–7 |
| 5 | October 18, 1942 | Chicago Cardinals | L 7–0 |
| 6 | October 25, 1942 | Green Bay Packers | L 28–7 |
| 7 | November 1, 1942 | at Chicago Bears | L 16–0 |
| 8 | November 8, 1942 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 35–7 |
| 9 | November 15, 1942 | at Cleveland Rams | L 27–7 |
| 10 | November 22, 1942 | Chicago Bears | L 42–0 |
| 11 | November 29, 1942 | Washington Redskins | L 15–3 |
Standings
| NFL Western Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Chicago Bears | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 8–0 | 376 | 84 | W11 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 8 | 2 | 1 | .800 | 6–2 | 300 | 215 | W2 | |
| Cleveland Rams | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | 3–5 | 150 | 207 | L1 | |
| Chicago Cardinals | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | 3–5 | 98 | 209 | L6 | |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | 11 | 0 | .000 | 0–8 | 38 | 263 | L11 | |
- Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.
Roster
| Detroit Lions roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks
Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends |
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen |
Linebackers
Defensive Backs Special Teams |
Reserve Lists
Rookies in italics | |||
Awards and records
- Most giveaways, single game: 12 (vs. Chicago Bears)[4]
References
- ^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 301
- ^ a b Barnas, Jo-Ann; ‘Missing Their Engine Parts: War Machine Hampered the 1942 Lions, Who Went 0–11’; The Washington Post, December 9, 2001, p. D1A
- ^ "The 1942 Lions were a winless, toothless mess". Detroit Athletic. November 22, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
- ^ "NFL Records". www.nfl.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.