1981 Detroit Lions

The 1981 Detroit Lions season was their 52nd in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 9-7, winning only eight games. The team missed the playoffs for the eleventh straight season. In spite of this, halfback Billy Sims continued to play solid football amassing 1,888 total yards in total offense while scoring a team high 14 touchdowns. However, the Lions could do no better then finishing in second place in the NFC Central with a mediocre 8-8 record.