The Detroit Lions obviously don’t travel to Foxboro often, but when is the last time they won at New England?
The Detroit Lions will hit the road this week to take on the New England Patriots, with former Lions head coach Matt Patricia back on the Patriots’ staff and calling offensive plays.
The Lions and Patriots have only played each other 12 times ever. The last matchup came back in 2018, Patricia’s first season as Lions’ head coach, and the Lions pulled a 26-10 upset on Sunday Night Football. That Week 3 game stood as the best moment of Patricia’s tenure in Detroit.
Before that 2018 game, the Patriots had (not surprisingly) won the previous four games against the Lions, dating back to 2002.
The two teams last played in Foxboro in 2014, a 34-9 win for the Patriots. With trips coming every eight years since division realignment in 2002, there’s a question…
When is the last time the Detroit Lions won in New England?
The answer is not “never”, as some might expect. The Lions have actually beaten the Patriots on the road twice, including the first ever matchup between the teams on Sept. 26, 1971.
But the last time the Lions beat the Patriots on the road was on Sept. 12, 1993–19-16 in overtime.
The Lions’ quarterback that day in Foxboro was Rodney Peete, who went 16-for-25 for 175 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 20 rushing yards. Herman Moore had at a team-high five catches for 49 yards, while Brett Perriman added four catches for a team-leading 51 yards.
Barry Sanders had 148 yards on 32 carries in the game, and Jason Hanson went 4-for-5 on field goals. Mel Gray was the Lions’ kickoff returner in the game.
Detroit’s lone touchdown came on a 15-yard fumble return by cornerback Willie Clay.
New England’s quarterback in that 1993 game was Drew Bledsoe, who was a rookie playing his second game. Hall of Famer Bill Parcells was the Patriots’ head coach.