1956 Detroit Lions season

1956 Detroit Lions season
Owner(s)	{{{owner}}}
Head Coach	Buddy Parker
Home Field	Briggs Stadium
Results
Record	9–3
Place	2nd NFL Western
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1955	1957

The 1956 Detroit Lions season was their 27th in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 3–9, winning nine games. Despite the improvement, they missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Detroit held the top spot by a half game in the Western Conference entering the final game of the season against the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field, which the Lions lost, 38–21. After completing a handoff early in the second quarter, Detroit quarterback Bobby Layne was concussed and removed from the game, due to an unsportsmanlike conduct foul by Ed Meadows, for which Meadows was ejected.

The following season, the Lions won the Western Conference and the NFL championship, their third of the decade. The Lions won the NFL title in 1952 and 1953, and were runners-up in 1954.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Attendance
1	September 30	at Green Bay Packers	W 20–16	1–0	24,668
2	October 6	at Baltimore Colts	W 31–14	2–0	42,622
3	October 14	Los Angeles Rams	W 24–21	3–0	56,281
4	October 21	San Francisco 49ers	W 20–17	4–0	55,662
5	October 28	at Los Angeles Rams	W 16–7	5–0	76,758
6	November 4	at San Francisco 49ers	W 17–13	6–0	46,708
7	November 11	at Washington Redskins	L 18–17	6–1	28,003
8	November 18	Baltimore Colts	W 27–3	7–1	55,788
9	November 22	Green Bay Packers	L 24–20	7–2	54,087
10	December 2	Chicago Bears	W 42–10	8–2	57,024
11	December 9	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 45–7	9–2	52,124
12	December 16	at Chicago Bears	L 38–21	9–3	49,086

Standings

Template:1956 NFL Western standings