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Lions Finish 16-Game Regular Season Era with Worst Winning Percentage

Read more on the Detroit Lions finishing the 16-game regular season era with the NFL's worst winning percentage

Vito Chirco

Surprise, surprise, the Detroit Lions closed out the 16-game regular season era with the worst winning percentage among the NFL's 32 franchises. 

The league first went to 16 games in 1978, up from 14 games, to accommodate the addition of franchises in Tampa Bay and Seattle. 

The Buccaneers and Seahawks both joined the league in 1976. 

Since, each of the organizations has made at least two Super Bowls, including the Buccaneers, with Tom Brady leading the way, this past season. 

Meanwhile, in the same timespan, the Lions have won just one playoff game, and have advanced no further than the NFC Championship Game -- their lone conference title game appearance came in the 1991 season. 

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Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports

Additionally, Detroit is one of four NFL franchises that has yet to make a Super Bowl, along with the Cleveland Browns, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

And, on top of all that, it is true that no team posted a worse winning percentage during the 43-season span of the 16-game regular season than the Lions. 

They amassed a 268-410-2 record in that time, finishing below the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jaguars, the Arizona Cardinals, the Buccaneers and even the Browns. 

The 17-game regular season goes into effect at the start of the upcoming 2021 campaign.

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Vito Chirco
VITO CHIRCO

Vito has covered the NFL and the Detroit Lions for the past five years.  Has extensive reporting history of college athletics, the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Mercy Athletics.  Chirco's work include NFL columns, analyzing potential Detroit Lions prospects coming out of college, NFL draft coverage and analysis of events occurring in the NFL.  Extensive broadcasting experience including hosting a Detroit Tigers podcast and co-hosting a Detroit Lions NFL podcast since 2019. 

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