The Detroit Lions All-Time Offensive Team

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 25: Madden 25 Cover Player, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders announces that the Detroit Lions picked Ezekiel Ansah of the BYU Cougars with the #5 overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 25, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 25: Madden 25 Cover Player, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders announces that the Detroit Lions picked Ezekiel Ansah of the BYU Cougars with the #5 overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 25, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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ALLEN PARK, MI – FEBRUARY 07: Matt Patricia speaks at a press conference after being hired as the head coach of the Detroit Lions at the Detroit Lions Practice Facility on February 7, 2018 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ALLEN PARK, MI – FEBRUARY 07: Matt Patricia speaks at a press conference after being hired as the head coach of the Detroit Lions at the Detroit Lions Practice Facility on February 7, 2018 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Head Coach

Designating a leader for this all-time Lions team has in a lot of ways been tougher than establishing the offensive and defensive starters.

I actually even gave thought to putting Matt Patricia here even though he hasn’t officially coached a game with Detroit yet!

My selection though, came down to tenure, results, and player relationships.

Wayne Fontes is simultaneously the Lions’ winningest and losingest head coach with an overall record of 67-71 and he gets the nod for this gig from me.

His players rallied around him and backed him up during the tougher moments and they played hard for him.

Fontes coached the Lions up to their greatest successes during my lifetime which included a franchise best 12-4 record and a 1991 trip to the NFC Championship game. Fontes was also the recipient of the 1991 NFL Coach of the Year award.

Next: The Detroit Lions All-Time Defensive Team

Conclusion

As I mentioned last week, having the opportunity to go through Lions’ history and make my selections for the all-time team was a labor of love.

Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Barry Sanders on the same offense, accompanied by an intelligent and hard hitting defense almost isn’t fair, but man is it fun to dream about!

Ultimately though, I’m ready to move beyond dreaming and actually see in reality, an on field product that’s making serious strides toward bringing a much awaited Lombardi trophy to the Motor City.

All stats and information obtained from:
profootballreference.com
detroitlions.com
nfl.com