10 Things That Didn’t Exist the Last Time the Detroit Lions Won The Division

The Detroit Lions head into the 2023 regular season as the favorites to win the NFC North this season by most sportsbooks.

Aaron Rodgers is gone. Dalvin Cook is gone. The Bears aren't good. The Lions finished the 2022 season winning five of their last six and mathematically missing the playoffs.

They might actually do it this year. Everything appears to be in place, at least.

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However, the world was a different place the last time the Detroit Lions won a division title. For instance, the NFC North, the division the Lions currently play in, didn't exist. When the Lions last won the division it was known as the NFC Central division and featured the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The division was tough that year. The Lions finished 10-6, the Vikings and Packers at 9-7, the Bears at 7-9 and the Bucs at 5-11.

Before we get into what didn't exist, what did the Detroit Lions look like in those days?

The Lions Still Played in the Silverdome

The Lions didn't move to downtown Detroit at Ford Field until 2002. As such, they were still tearing up the artificial turf at the Pontiac Silverdome back in 1993.

In the 1991 playoffs the Lions won their only playoff game since the 1970 merger at the Silverdome. The next playoff game in the stadium was after the 1993 season. The Green Bay Packers came to town and beat the Lions 28-24.

Barry Sanders Hits the Halfway Point

The 1993 Season was season number five of 10 for the legendary Barry Sanders. Statistically, the season was his worst as he only played in 11 games. However, he still managed to eclipse 1,100 yards as he averaged 101.4 yards per game before he suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action until the postseason. He topped that number on just three other occasions.

Sanders never missed another game after the 1993 season. He followed up in 1994 with a career year with 1,883 yards. Three years later he'd top 2,000 yards at 29 years old. One more season and he'd retire from the league.

Jason Hanson Was in Year 2

Kicker Jason Hanson played for the Detroit Lions for 21 years, sharing the league's record for tenure with one team alongside Lou Groza with the Cleveland Browns. Hanson holds the record for one continuous run of employment (Groza briefly retired in 1960).

In 1993 Hanson was in just his second season. He was called upon a lot in 1993, making 34 of 43 kicks on the season. For context, Hanson wasn't asked to attempt more than 35 kicks in a season until his last in 2012

Hanson is the team's all-time points leader by a comfortable 1,037 points.

Now, a list of things that didn't exist at all in 1993, the last time the Detroit Lions won a division championship.