| 1986 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | William Clay Ford Sr. |
| Head coach | Darryl Rogers |
| Home field | Pontiac Silverdome |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–11 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | None |
| AP All-Pros | None |
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The 1986 Detroit Lions season was their 57th in the league. The team failed to improve[1] upon their previous season's output of 7–9 and missed the playoffs for the third straight season with a 5–11 record. The highlight of the season was first round draft choice Chuck Long’s first pass for a TD against Tampa Bay. Long would start in a Monday Night game against the Chicago Bears.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Chuck Long | QB | Iowa |
| 2 | 29 | Garry James | RB | LSU |
| 3 | 69 | Joe Milinichik | OT | North Carolina State |
| 4 | 92 | Devon Mitchell | S | Iowa |
| 5 | 119 | Oscar Smith | RB | Nicholls State |
| 8 | 205 | Allyn Griffin | WR | Wyoming |
| 9 | 231 | Lyle Pickens | DB | Colorado |
| 10 | 258 | Tracy Johnson | LB | Morningside |
| 11 | 290 | Leland Melvin | WR | Richmond |
| 12 | 317 | Allan Durden | DB | Arizona |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | atMinnesota Vikings | W 13–10 | 1–0 | 54,851 |
| 2 | September 14 | Dallas Cowboys | L 31–7 | 1–1 | 73,812 |
| 3 | September 21 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 24–20 | 1–2 | 38,453 |
| 4 | September 28 | atCleveland Browns | L 24–21 | 1–3 | 72,029 |
| 5 | October 5 | Houston Oilers | W 24–13 | 2–3 | 41,960 |
| 6 | October 12 | atGreen Bay Packers | W 21–14 | 3–3 | 52,290 |
| 7 | October 19 | atLos Angeles Rams | L 14–10 | 3–4 | 50,992 |
| 8 | October 26 | atChicago Bears | L 13–7 | 3–5 | 62,064 |
| 9 | November 2 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 24–17 | 3–6 | 52,423 |
| 10 | November 9 | Minnesota Vikings | L 24–10 | 3–7 | 53,725 |
| 11 | November 16 | atPhiladelphia Eagles | W 13–11 | 4–7 | 54,568 |
| 12 | November 23 | atTampa Bay Buccaneers | W 38–17 | 5–7 | 30,029 |
| 13 | November 27 | Green Bay Packers | L 44–40 | 5–8 | 61,199 |
| 14 | December 7 | atPittsburgh Steelers | L 27–17 | 5–9 | 45,042 |
| 15 | December 15 | Chicago Bears | L 16–13 | 5–10 | 75,602 |
| 16 | December 21 | Atlanta Falcons | L 20–6 | 5–11 | 35,255 |
| Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text. | |||||
Week One: Detroit Lions (0–0) at Minnesota Vikings (0–0)
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
atHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| Game information | ||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| Chicago Bears(2) | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 7–1 | 10–2 | 352 | 187 | W7 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 398 | 273 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 277 | 326 | L4 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 3–5 | 3–9 | 254 | 418 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 1–7 | 1–13 | 239 | 473 | L7 |
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| Lore |
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| Rivalries |
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| Division championships (9) |
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| League championships (4) |
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Formerly the Portsmouth Spartans (1930–1933) | |
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Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–69) or Super Bowl (1966–present) victory |
