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1972 Detroit Lions season

{{short description|NFL team season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NFL team season

| team = Detroit Lions

| year = 1972

| record = 8–5–1

| division_place = 2nd NFC Central

| coach = Joe Schmidt

| stadium =

| playoffs = Did not qualify

| shortnavlink = Lions seasons

}}

The 1972 Detroit Lions season was their 43rd in the National Football League (NFL). The team improved on their previous season's output of 7–6–1, winning eight games.[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/1972.htm 1972 Detroit Lions] The team missed the playoffs for the second straight season. It would also be the team's last winning season until 1980

Linebacker Wayne Walker established a new team record for games played at 200. It was also the final season for longtime defensive back Dick LeBeau.

Offseason

= NFL Draft =

{{Main|1972 NFL draft}}

{{NFL team draft start

| year = 1972

| teamname = Detroit Lions

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 1

| pick = 16

| player = Herb Orvis

| position = DE

| college = Colorado

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 3

| pick = 65

| player = Ken Sanders

| position = DE

| college = Howard Payne

| notes = from Philadelphia

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 6

| pick = 145

| player = Charles Potts

| position = DB

| college = Purdue

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 7

| pick = 172

| player = Charles Stoudmire

| position = WR

| college = Portland State

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 8

| pick = 197

| player = Henry Stuckey

| position = DB

| college = Missouri

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 9

| pick = 224

| player = Bill McClintock

| position = DB

| college = Drake

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 10

| pick = 249

| player = Jim Teal

| position = LB

| college = Purdue

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 11

| pick = 276

| player = Bob Waldron

| position = DT

| college = Tulane

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 12

| pick = 301

| player = Paul Bradley

| position = WR

| college = SMU

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 13

| pick = 328

| player = John Kirschner

| position = TE

| college = Memphis State

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 14

| pick = 353

| player = Eric Kelley

| position = OT

| college = Whitworth

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 15

| pick = 380

| player = Steve Roach

| position = LB

| college = Kansas

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 16

| pick = 405

| player = Leon Jenkins

| position = DB

| college = West Virginia

| notes =

| maderoster = yes

}}

{{NFL team draft entry

| round = 17

| pick = 432

| player = Mike Tyler

| position = DB

| college = Rice

| notes =

| maderoster = no

}}

{{NFL team draft end

| hof = no

}}

Notes

  • Detroit traded QB Greg Barton to Philadelphia in exchange for the Eagles' second- and third-round selections (40th and 65th) and second-round selection in 1971.
  • Detroit traded the 40th selection received from Philadelphia to Atlanta in exchange for RB Paul Gipson.
  • Detroit traded its second-round selection (41st) to Atlanta in exchange for CB Rudy Redmond, RB Sonny Campbell and Atlanta's fourth-round selection in 1973.
  • Detroit traded its third-round selection (68th) to Philadelphia in exchange for QB Bill Cappleman.
  • Detroit traded its fourth-round selection (93rd) to Dallas in exchange for WR Ron Jessie.
  • Detroit traded its fifth-round selection (120th) to Los Angeles in exchange for DT Dick Evey.

Roster

class="toccolours" style="text-align: left;"
colspan="7" style="background-color:#006DB0;color:#C3C6CC;text-align:center;" | Detroit Lions roster
style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Quarterbacks

{{NFLplayer|17|Bill Cappleman}}

{{NFLplayer|11|Greg Landry}}

{{NFLplayer|19|Bill Munson}}

Running backs

{{NFLplayer|40|Nick Eddy}}

{{NFLplayer|24|Mel Farr}}

{{NFLplayer|36|Steve Owens|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|42|Altie Taylor}}

{{NFLplayer|38|Bill Triplett}}

{{NFLplayer|34|Mickey Zofko}}

Wide receivers

{{NFLplayer|86|Al Barnes|d=American football|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|89|Ron Jessie}}

{{NFLplayer|25|Earl McCullough}}

{{NFLplayer|49|Larry Walton}}

Tight ends

{{NFLplayer|87|Craig Cotton}}

{{NFLplayer|81|John Hilton|d=American football}}

{{NFLplayer|88|Charlie Sanders}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Offensive linemen

{{NFLplayer|54|Ed Flanagan|d=American football|C}}

{{NFLplayer|76|Rocky Freitas|T}}

{{NFLplayer|68|Frank Gallagher|d=American football|G}}

{{NFLplayer|58|Gene Hamlin|C}}

{{NFLplayer|66|Bob Kowalkowski|G}}

{{NFLplayer|65|Dave Thompson|d=American football|T}}

{{NFLplayer|71|Chuck Walton|G}}

{{NFLplayer|75|Jim Yarbrough|T|d=offensive lineman}}

Defensive linemen

{{NFLplayer|73|Bob Bell|d=American football|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|77|John Gordon|d=American football|rookie=y|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|74|Larry Hand|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|83|Jim Mitchell|d=defensive lineman|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|80|Herb Orvis|rookie=y|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|82|Ken Sanders|d=American football|rookie=y|DE}}

{{NFLplayer|84|Joe Schmiesing|DT}}

{{NFLplayer|72|Larry Woods|DT}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Linebackers

{{NFLplayer|53|Mike Lucci}}

{{NFLplayer|50|Paul Naumoff}}

{{NFLplayer|55|Wayne Walker|d=linebacker}}

{{NFLplayer|59|Charlie Weaver}}

{{NFLplayer|51|Adrian Young|d=American football}}

Defensive backs

{{NFLplayer|20|Lem Barney|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|31|Leon Jenkins|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|44|Dick LeBeau}}

{{NFLplayer|27|Charlie Potts|rookie=y}}

{{NFLplayer|45|Al Randolph|FS}}

{{NFLplayer|46|Rudy Redmond|CB}}

{{NFLplayer|47|Wayne Rasmussen|SS}}

{{NFLplayer|28|Mike Weger|FS}}

Special teams

{{NFLplayer|12|Errol Mann|K}}

{{NFLplayer|18|Herman Weaver|P}}

| style="width: 25px;" |

| style="font-size: 95%;" valign="top" | Reserve lists

  • currently vacant

rookies in italics

Schedule

class="wikitable"
Week

! Date

! Opponent

! Result

! Attendance

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 1

| September 17

| New York Giants

| W 30–16

| {{center|54,418}}

style="background: #ffdddd;"

| 2

| September 24

| Minnesota Vikings

| L 10-34

| {{center|54,418}}

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 3

| October 1

| at Chicago Bears

| W 38–24

| {{center|55,701}}

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 4

| October 8

| at Atlanta Falcons

| W 26–23

| {{center|58,850}}

style="background: #ffdddd;"

| 5

| October 16

| Green Bay Packers

| L 23-24

| {{center|54,418}}

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 6

| October 22

| San Diego Chargers

| W 34–20

| {{center|54,371}}

style="background: #ffdddd;"

| 7

| October 30

| at Dallas Cowboys

| L 24-28

| {{center|65,378}}

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 8

| November 5

| Chicago Bears

| W 14–0

| {{center|54,418}}

style="background: #ffdddd;"

| 9

| November 12

| at Minnesota Vikings

| L 14-16

| {{center|49,784}}

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 10

| November 19

| New Orleans Saints

| W 27–14

| {{center|53,752}}

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 11

| November 23

| New York Jets

| W 37–20

| {{center|54,418}}

style="background: #ffdddd;"

| 12

| December 3

| at Green Bay Packers

| L 7-33

| {{center|56,263}}

style="background: #ffeeaa;"

| 13

| December 10

| at Buffalo Bills

| T 21–21

| {{center|41,583}}

style="background: #ddffdd;"

| 14

| December 17

| at Los Angeles Rams

| W 34–17

| {{center|71,761}}

Season summary

= Week 13 at Bills =

{{See also|1972 Buffalo Bills season}}

{{Americanfootballbox

|bg=

|bg2=

|titlestyle={{Gridiron primary style|Detroit Lions|year=1972|border=2}}; text-align:center

|state=collapsed

|title=Week Thirteen: Detroit Lions (7–5) at Buffalo Bills (3–9)

|date=December 10

|time=1:00 p.m. EST

|road=Lions

|R1=0 |R2=7 |R3=7 |R4=7

|home=Bills

|H1=0 |H2=7 |H3=7 |H4=7

|stadium=War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo, New York

|attendance=41,583

|weather={{Convert|32|F|C}}

|referee=

|TV=

|TVAnnouncers=

|reference=[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197212100buf.htm Box Score]

|scoring=

First quarter

  • No scoring

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • BUF – Bob Chandler 39-yard pass from Dennis Shaw (John Leypoldt kick). Bills 14–7. Drive:
  • DET – Nick Eddy 36-yard pass from Greg Landry (Errol Mann kick). Tie 14–14. Drive:

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Jan White 2-yard pass from Dennis Shaw (John Leypoldt kick). Bills 21–14. Drive:
  • DET – Ron Jessie 37-yard pass from Greg Landry (Errol Mann kick). Tie 21–21. Drive:

|stats=

;Top passers

;Top rushers

  • DET – Greg Landry – 9 rushes, 46 yards
  • BUF – O.J. Simpson – 27 rushes, 116 yards

;Top receivers

  • DET – Ron Jessie – 2 receptions, 51 yards, TD
  • BUF – J.D. Hill – 8 receptions, 129 yards, TD

}}

Standings

{{1972 NFC Central standings}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Detroit Lions}}

{{Detroit Lions seasons}}

{{1972 NFL season by team}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1972 Detroit Lions Season}}

Category:Detroit Lions seasons

Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions

Category:1972 in Detroit