1971 Detroit Lions season

1971 Detroit Lions season
Head Coach	Joe Schmidt
Home Field	Tiger Stadium
Results
Record	7–6–1
Place	2nd NFC Central
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
1970	1972

The 1971 Detroit Lions season was their 42nd in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 10–4, winning only seven games.

Mired in adversity, the 1971 season turned especially tragic for the Lions and the NFL when, during their Week 6 hosting of the Chicago Bears, Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes collapsed on the playing field. Unresponsive, Hughes was pronounced dead later that day of heart failure. Since 1971, no Detroit player has worn Hughes' #85 jersey save on special permission of the Hughes family.

Roster

Detroit Lions roster
Quarterbacks 11 Greg Landry 19 Bill Munson Running Backs 24 Mel Farr 36 Steve Owens 42 Altie Taylor 38 Bill Triplett 34 Mickey Zofko Wide Receivers 89 Ron Jessie 25 Earl McCullough 49 Larry Walton Tight Ends 87 Craig Cotton 88 Charlie Sanders		Offensive Linemen 54 Ed Flanagan C 76 Rocky Freitas T 68 Frank Gallagher G 66 Bob Kowalkowski G 79 Ray Parson T 65 Dave Thompson T 71 Chuck Walton G 75 Jim Yarbrough T Defensive Linemen 73 Bob Bell DT 77 Dick Evey DT 83 Jim Mitchell DE 84 Joe Robb DE 82 Jerry Rush DT		Linebackers 53 Mike Lucci 62 Ed Mooney 50 Paul Naumoff 55 Wayne Walker Defensive Backs 20 Lem Barney CB 44 Dick LeBeau CB 47 Wayne Rasmussen SS 48 Tom Vaughn 28 Mike Weger FS 45 Bobby Williams Special Teams 12 Errol Mann K 18 Herman Weaver P		Reserve Lists Currently vacant Rookies in italics

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 20, 1971	Minnesota Vikings	L 13-16	54,418
2	September 26, 1971	at New England Patriots	W 34–7	61,057
3	October 3, 1971	Atlanta Falcons	W 41–38	54,418
4	October 10, 1971	Green Bay Packers	W 31–28	54,418
5	October 17, 1971	at Houston Oilers	W 31–7	45,885
6	October 24, 1971	Chicago Bears	L 23-28	54,418
7	November 1, 1971	at Green Bay Packers	T 14–14	47,961
8	November 7, 1971	at Denver Broncos	W 24–20	51,200
9	November 14, 1971	Los Angeles Rams	L 13-21	54,418
10	November 21, 1971	at Chicago Bears	W 28–3	55,049
11	November 25, 1971	Kansas City Chiefs	W 32–21	54,418
12	December 5, 1971	Philadelphia Eagles	L 20-23	54,418
13	December 11, 1971	at Minnesota Vikings	L 10-29	49,784
14	December 19, 1971	at San Francisco 49ers	L 27-31	45,580

Standings

Template:1971 NFC Central standings