1971 Detroit Lions season

1971 Detroit Lions season
Head coach	Joe Schmidt
Home field	Tiger Stadium
Results
Record	7–6–1
Division place	2nd NFC Central
Playoff finish	did not qualify

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.

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 20, 1971	Minnesota Vikings	L 16–13	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 28–23	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 21–13	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 23–20	54,418
13	December 11, 1971	at Minnesota Vikings	L 29–10	49,784
14	December 19, 1971	at San Francisco 49ers	L 31–27	45,580

Standings

NFC Central
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Minnesota Vikings	11	3	0	.786	5–1	9–2	245	139	W2
Detroit Lions	7	6	1	.538	2–3–1	3–6–1	341	286	L2
Chicago Bears	6	8	0	.429	2–4	5–6	185	276	L5
Green Bay Packers	4	8	2	.333	2–3–1	2–7–2	274	298	L1

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