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1933 Portsmouth Spartans season
Head Coach Potsy Clark
Home Field Universal Stadium
Results
Record 6–5
Place 2nd NFL Western
Playoff Finish did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season Next season
1932 1934 (Det. Lions)

The 1933 Portsmouth Spartans season was their fourth in the league and final season before becoming the Detroit Lions. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 6–2–4, losing five games.[1] They failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Schedule[]

The Spartans started out fast with a 5-1 mark, just a half-game behind the first place Bears (5-0). After splitting their next two contests, Portsmouth (at 6-2) was still within half a game of Chicago (6-1-1). But the Spartans would lose their next three games, including back-to-back defeats to the Bears to close the season. The Spartans were sold and headed north for the 1934 season, becoming the Detroit Lions. Ironically, the team would return for one last game at Universal Stadium when the Lions' October 28 contest against failing Cincinnati Reds franchise was moved from the Queen City to Portsmouth; Detroit won, 38-0, in the last-ever NFL game played in the small Ohio town.

Week Date Opponent Result
1 September 17, 1933 Cincinnati Reds W 21–0
2 September 24, 1933 New York Giants W 17–7
3 October 1, 1933 Chicago Cardinals W 7–6
4 October 8, 1933 at Green Bay Packers L 17–0
5 October 15, 1933 at Boston Redskins W 13–0
6 October 18, 1933 at Philadelphia Eagles W 25–0
7 November 5, 1933 at New York Giants L 13–10
8 November 12, 1933 Green Bay Packers W 7–0
9 November 19, 1933 at Cincinnati Reds L 10–7
10 November 26, 1933 at Chicago Bears L 17–14
11 December 3, 1933 Chicago Bears L 17–7

Standings[]

NFL Western Division
view · talk · edit W L T PCT DIV PF PA STK
Chicago Bears 10 2 1 .833 7–0 133 82 W4
Portsmouth Spartans 6 5 0 .545 3–4 128 87 L3
Green Bay Packers 5 7 1 .417 2–4 170 107 L1
Cincinnati Reds 3 6 1 .333 2–2 38 110 W1
Chicago Cardinals 1 9 1 .100 1–5 52 101 T1

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

References[]

Eastern Division Western Division
Boston Chicago Bears
Brooklyn Chicago Cardinals
New York Cincinnati
Philadelphia Green Bay
Pittsburgh Portsmouth
NFL Championship
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