Current Lions doing things not seen since 1962: Looking back at one of the great what-if teams in franchise history
Allen Park — For all the offensive success the Detroit Lions have had under coordinator Ben Johnson, the unit accomplished a first during his tenure last Sunday, scoring 40 or more points in consecutive games.
But that doesn’t begin to convey the rarity of the accomplishment. You have to go back more than six decades to find the last time Detroit achieved the feat.
It’s an oft-repeated fact the Lions haven’t won a championship since 1957. But rarely talked about is the 1962 squad, which was the better team and arguably the best in franchise history.
The 1962 squad is on the tip of our tongues this week because the current Lions are doing things they haven’t done since that season, most notably the aforementioned offensive explosion.
In recognition of the overlapping accomplishments, let’s take a comprehensive look back at the 1962 Lions, starting with another parallel to the current team, just not the same, sudden impact: The offseason acquisition of a quarterback via trade.
As it turns out, this one wore No. 16, as well.
After floundering for a few years trying to find a replacement for Bobby Layne, who was traded away in 1958, the Lions executed a six-player trade with the Cleveland Browns ahead of the 1962 campaign, getting back Milt Plum, a former second-round pick out of Penn State who had earned Pro Bowl selections each of the previous two seasons.
Plum's addition provided an immediate spark to a Lions’ offense that had finished 11th out of 14 in scoring the previous season. In the 1962 season-opener against Pittsburgh, Plum was sharp, completing 21-of-30 for 251 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 45-7 thumping that took place in front of a crowd of more than 46,000 at Tiger Stadium.