# 1993 Detroit Lions season

The 1993 season was the Detroit Lions' 64th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 60th In Detroit, and their fifth under the head coach Wayne Fontes.The Lions improved upon their 5–11 record from the previous season, after a win against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9, finishing at 10–6 and winning the NFC Central Division for the second time in three years.
In the playoffs, the Lions were upset in the Wild Card Round at home by the Green Bay Packers on a Brett Favre 40-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe with 55 seconds left.
The 1993 season was the last time they would win the NFC Central and was their last division championship until 2023.

## Offseason

| Additions | Subtractions |
| TE Rodney Holman (Bengals) | DT Jerry Ball (Browns) |
| T Dave Lutz (Chiefs) | CB Sheldon White (Bengals) |
| LB Pat Swilling (Saints) | C Brad Leggett (Saints) |
| C Mark Rodenhauser (Bears) | WR Mike Farr (Patriots) |
| G David Richards (Chargers) | T/G Eric Sanders (retirement) |
| G Bill Fralic (Falcons) | |
| LB Burnell Dent (Packers) | |
| CB Tim McKyer (Falcons) | |

### NFL Draft

1993 Detroit Lions draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 2 | 33 | Ryan McNeil * | CB | Miami | from N.Y. Jets |
| 3 | 62 | Antonio London | DT | Alabama | |
| 3 | 68 | Mike Compton | C | West Virginia | from Cleveland |
| 6 | 147 | Greg Jeffries | S | Virginia | |
| 7 | 174 | Ty Hallock | LB | Michigan State | |
| 8 | 201 | Kevin Miniefield | CB | Arizona State | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes
* Detroit traded its first- and fourth-round selections (8th and 89th) to New Orleans in exchange for LB Pat Swilling.
* Detroit traded up from its second-round selection (36th) with the N.Y. Jets for the Jets' second-round selection (33rd), giving up its fifth-round selection (120th).
* Detroit received Cleveland's third-round selection (68th) in return for DT Jerry Ball.

### Undrafted free agents

1993 Undrafted Free Agents of note :
| Player | Position | College |
| Sean Conley | Kicker | Pittsburgh |
| Demeris Johnson | Wide receiver | Western Illinois |
| Joe Jacobs | Defensive End | Utah State |
| Ricky Logo | Defensive tackle | NC State |
| Kyle Moore | Defensive End | Kansas |
| Rick Perry | Defensive End | Southwest Missouri State |
| Larry Ryans | Wide receiver | Clemson |
| Marty Thompson | Tight end | Fresno State |
| Mack Travis | Defensive tackle | California |
| Dwayne Ware | Defensive back | Michigan |
| Shaumbee Wright-Fair | Running back | Washington State |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | September 5 | Atlanta Falcons | W 30–13 | 1–0 | Pontiac Silverdome | 56,216 |
| 2 | September 12 | at New England Patriots | W 19–16 (OT) | 2–0 | Foxboro Stadium | 54,151 |
| 3 | September 19 | at New Orleans Saints | L 3–14 | 2–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 69,039 |
| 4 | September 26 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 26–20 | 3–1 | Pontiac Silverdome | 57,180 |
| 5 | October 3 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 10–27 | 3–2 | Tampa Stadium | 40,794 |
| 6 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 7 | October 17 | Seattle Seahawks | W 30–10 | 4–2 | Pontiac Silverdome | 60,801 |
| 8 | October 24 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 16–13 | 5–2 | Anaheim Stadium | 43,850 |
| 9 | October 31 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 30–27 | 6–2 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 53,428 |
| 10 | November 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 23–0 | 7–2 | Pontiac Silverdome | 65,295 |
| 11 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 12 | November 21 | at Green Bay Packers | L 17–26 | 7–3 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 55,119 |
| 13 | November 25 | Chicago Bears | L 6–10 | 7–4 | Pontiac Silverdome | 76,699 |
| 14 | December 5 | Minnesota Vikings | L 0–13 | 7–5 | Pontiac Silverdome | 63,216 |
| 15 | December 12 | at Phoenix Cardinals | W 21–14 | 8–5 | Sun Devil Stadium | 39,393 |
| 16 | December 19 | San Francisco 49ers | L 17–55 | 8–6 | Pontiac Silverdome | 77,052 |
| 17 | December 26 | at Chicago Bears | W 20–14 | 9–6 | Soldier Field | 43,443 |
| 18 | January 2 | Green Bay Packers | W 30–20 | 10–6 | Pontiac Silverdome | 77,510 |

## Season summary
### Week 1

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| • Lions | 14 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
* Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com

### Week 4

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| • Lions | 6 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 26 |

## Standings

NFC Central :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(3)}$ Detroit Lions | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 298 | 292 | W2 |
| $^{(5)}$ Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 277 | 290 | W3 |
| $^{(6)}$ Green Bay Packers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 340 | 282 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 234 | 230 | L4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 237 | 376 | L1 |

## Playoffs

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
| Wild Card | January 8, 1994 | Green Bay Packers | L 28–24 | 68,479 |

### NFC Wild Card Game: vs Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Lions | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
* Date: January 8, 1994
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (Dome)
* https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199401080det.htm
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 47 yard field goal. Lions 3–0
Second quarter
GB – Sterling Sharpe 12 yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick). Packers 7–3
DET – Brett Perriman 1 yard pass from Erik Kramer. (Jason Hanson kick). Lions 10–7
Third quarter
DET – Mel Jenkins 15 yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick). Lions 17–7
GB – Sterling Sharpe 28 yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick). Lions 17–14
GB – George Teague 101 yard interception return (Chris Jacke kick). Packers 21–17
Fourth quarter
DET – Derrick Moore 5 yard rush (Jason Hanson kick). Lions 24–21
GB – Sterling Sharpe 40 yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick). Packers 28–24
Top passers
GB – Brett Favre – 15/26, 204 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
DET – Erik Kramer – 21/31, 248 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
GB – Darrell Thompson – 12 rushes, 41 yards
DET – Barry Sanders – 27 rushes, 169 yards
Top receivers
GB – Sterling Sharpe – 5 rec, 101 yards, 3 TD
DET – Brett Perriman – 10 rec, 150 yards, 1 TD
Turnovers
GB – 1
DET – 2 :

## Awards and records

* Jason Hanson, Club Record, 34 Field Goals in One Season.