z: best record, c: conference winner, y: division winner, w: wildcard, x: clinched playoff spot
After a decade in which the Lions were consistently among the worst teams in the NFL the Lions rises back up to the NFL elites with a solid nucleus led by star QB Bobby Layne. In the Lions first competitive season in years the team finishes with a solid 7-4-1 record, finishing just a half a game behind the eventual NFL Champion Los Angeles Rams.