| 1942 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bill Edwards andBull Karcis |
| Home stadium | Briggs Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 0–11 |
| Division place | 5thNFL Western |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
The1942 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 13th season in theNational Football League. The Lions suffered the first winless season sinceCincinnati went 0–8 in1934.[1] This was the first NFL season during U.S. involvement inWorld War II, which led to player shortages, and thus a depletion of talent. The Lions were hit especially hard by the loss of star halfbackByron “Whizzer” White and tackleTony 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 onlywinless season for the Lions until2008.[4][5]
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 20 | atChicago Cardinals | L 0–13 | 0–1 | Comiskey Park | 18,698 | Recap | ||
| 2 | September 27 | Cleveland Rams | L 0–14 | 0–2 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |||
| 3 | October 4 | Brooklyn Dodgers | L 7–28 | 0–3 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |||
| 4 | October 11 | atGreen Bay Packers | L 7–38 | 0–4 | State Fair Park | Recap | |||
| 5 | October 18 | Chicago Cardinals | L 0–7 | 0–5 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |||
| 6 | October 25 | Green Bay Packers | L 7–28 | 0–6 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |||
| 7 | November 1 | atChicago Bears | L 0–16 | 0–7 | Wrigley Field | Recap | |||
| 8 | November 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–35 | 0–8 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |||
| 9 | November 15 | atCleveland Rams | L 7–27 | 0–9 | League Park | Recap | |||
| 10 | November 22 | Chicago Bears | L 0–42 | 0–10 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |||
| 11 | November 29 | Washington Redskins | L 3–15 | 0–11 | Briggs Stadium | Recap | |||
| Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text. September 20: Night game. | |||||||||
| 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 | |
| NFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| Washington Redskins | 10 | 1 | 0 | .909 | 7–1 | 227 | 102 | W9 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 7 | 4 | 0 | .636 | 5–3 | 167 | 119 | L1 | |
| New York Giants | 5 | 5 | 1 | .500 | 4–4 | 155 | 139 | W2 | |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | 2–6 | 100 | 168 | L6 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | 9 | 0 | .182 | 2–6 | 134 | 239 | L1 | |
| Detroit Lions roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends | Offensive linemen Defensive linemen | Linebackers Defensive backs Special teams | Reserve lists
rookies in italics | |||