The Detroit Lions are going to end their playoff drought (since 2016) this year, and their first division title since 1993 can be locked up by beating the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Eve.
In 1993, there were 28 teams in the NFL. The division the Lions won that year was called the NFC Central, and included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the four teams that currently make up the NFC North. It was Brett Favre's first full season as the Green Bay Packers' quarterback. The Houston Oilers still existed, as did the original iteration of the Cleveland Browns (with some guy named Bill Belichick as head coach). The Rams had not yet moved to St. Louis. The Arizona Cardinals were called the Phoenix Cardinals, their original name after the franchise moved from St. Louis.
That's all meant to show how long it has been since the Lions last won a division title, as if simply writing '1993' doesn't do it well enough.
But what did the Lions roster look like back in 1993? There some obvious names, like Barry Sanders and Herman Moore, but who else? What about the coaching staff? Any notable names under Wayne Fontes?
Let's dive a little bit into the 1993 Lions, starting with the coaching staff. They went 10-6, and lost a heartbreaker in the Wild Card Round to the Packers.
1993 Detroit Lions coaching staff
Head coach: Wayne Fontes
Co-Offensive Coordinators: Dan Henning and Dave Levy (Levy was also Assistant Head Coach)
Defensive Coordinator: Hank Bullough
Special Teams: Frank Gansz
Running Backs: Billie Matthews
Wide Receivers: Charlie Sanders
Offensive line: Jerry Wampfler
Offensive assistant: Dave Jaumotte
Defensive line: Lamar Leachman
Inside linebackers: Herb Paterra
Outside linebackers: Don Clemons
Defensive backs: John Fontes
Fontes is of course the winningest head coach in Lions history. He led the team to the playoffs four times in a five-season span from 1991-1995.
Henning was between head coaching stints (San Diego Chargers and Boston College) in his two years as Lions' offensive coordinator (1992 and 1993). Charlie Sanders had a Hall of Fame playing career as a tight end for the Lions, and he coached the team's wide receivers from 1989-1996.
1993 Detroit Lions player roster-Offense (Run-And-Shoot scheme-"The Silver Stretch")
Quarterbacks: Rodney Peete, Erik Kramer, Andre Ware
Running Backs: Barry Sanders, Gary Anderson, Eric Lynch, Derrick Moore, Mel Gray (KR/PR), Ed Tillison (PUP list)
Wide Receivers: Herman Moore, Brett Perriman, Willie Green, Jeff Campbell, Aubrey Matthews, Reggie Barrett
Tight Ends: Rodney Holman, Ty Hallock
Offensive Line: Starters: Lomas Brown (LT), David Richards (LG), Kevin Glover (C), Bill Fralic (RG), Dave Lutz (RT)
Reserves: Scott Conover (OT), Mike Compton (OG), Larry Tharpe (OT), Shawn Bouwens (OG), Mark Rodenhauser (LS/C)
The Lions' running three-man quarterback carousel ended in1993, with Peete starting 10 games, Kramer starting four and Ware starting two. Kramer was pretty clearly the best of the three, with a 95.1 passer rating, eight touchdowns and three interceptions over his five total appearances. Scott Mitchell was signed the following offseason.
Sanders finished fifth in the league in rushing (1,115 yards), along with 36 receptions. Moore led the team with 61 catches for 935 yards and six touchdowns, followed by Perriman (49 receptions for 496 yards).
The Lions finished 16th in scoring offense (18.6 points per game) and 24th in total offense (291.1 yards per game) in 1993. They had the seventh-best rushing offense in the league (121.5 yards per game), and the 24th-ranked passing offense (169.6 yards per game).
1993 Detroit Lions player roster-Defense (3-4 base scheme)
Defensive Line: Robert Porcher (DE), Dan Owens (DE), Kelvin Pritchett (DE), Marc Spindler (NT/DE), Lawrence Pete (NT), Mack Travis (NT)
Linebackers: Chris Spielman (ILB), Pat Swilling (OLB), George Jamison (OLB), Tracy Scroggins (OLB), Tracy Hayworth (OLB), Dennis Gibson (ILB), Antonio London (OLB), Victor Jones (ILB), Toby Caston (ILB), Mike Cofer (OLB, PUP list)
Defensive Backs: Bennie Blades (FS), Ray Crockett (CB), Kevin Scott (CB), Tim McKyer (CB), Ryan McNeil (CB), Willie Clay (FS), William White (SS), Harry Colon (S), Melvin Jenkins (CB), Greg Jeffries (CB)
Spielman had one of his typical seasons in 1993, easily leading the team with 148 tackles. Porcher led the team in sacks with 8.5, followed by Scroggins (8) and the underachiever relative to expectations, Swilling (6.5). Swilling did have a team-high three interceptions.
The Lions finished sixth in total defense in 1993, equally stout against the run (10th; 103.1 yards allowed per game) and the pass (ninth; 188.8 yards allowed per game).
Special Teams
Placekicker: Jason Hanson
Punter: Jim Arnold
Long Snapper: Mark Rodenhauser
1993 was Hanson's second season as the Lions' kicker, a job he would hold through the 2012 season. His 327 games in a Lions' uniform is a franchise-high, and he of course is also the franchise's leading scorer (2,150 points).
1993 was the last of Arnold's eight seasons as the Lions' punter, and he averaged 44.5 yards per punt (tied for third in the league).