Joe Schmidt's time as Lions' HC, 1967 thru '72
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2025 8:12 pm
Star NFL linebackers who'd go on to be NFL HCs. Not many off the top of my head. Jack Pardee and Mike Singletary the only other ones at the moment. You'd think there'd be more considering it's a leadership position, same as QB.
Schmidt's six years as skipper a fine run. Just one playoff berth which, of course, would be 1970.
But '69 should be 'treated' as such. They were the best non-division-winner at 9-4-1. Not as good as '70, and not as many quality-wins, but they beat Cleveland on the road, split with a GB team which did finish above-500, a quality-tie at Baltimore, and they beat the 11-1 Rams, 28-0, but yes LA already had their division wrapped up. Losing at Pittsburgh in the opener, the Steelers only win in Chuck Noll's first season onboard, is obviously the 'black-eye' of the campaign. But a bit forgivable being it was the opener.
In 1971 (Chuck Hughes), the Lions were actually in control of their own destiny after Week #11 at 7-3-1 given that MInny at 9-2 would end up losing at SD the following week, dropping the Vikings to 9-3. But Detroit would actually lose at home to the scrappy hot-down-the-stretch Eagles and then, in Wk#13, would lose big at the Vikes thus Minny clinching the division. Lions, now at 7-5-1, then played at San Fran in the finale who had to win which they did, 31-27, dropping Detroit to a final 7-6-1 finish. Back to that loss to Philly, that game-winning Liske-to-Kramer connection did not look like a completion.
Did injuries play a part in that collapse? Or did they not come until they were already eliminated? I know LeBeau, this being his final year, was one of them. Thanks in-advance for any answer(s)!
They finished with a better record in '72 at 8-5-1. Both they and Green Bay were tied at 7-4 atop the division going into their showdown at Lambeau where the Pack throttled them, 33-7, for the season sweep. Detroit would then tie at Buffalo the following week as Green Bay would win at 7-5 Minny, 23-7, and that would be that (Lions would win in Schmidt's final game as their HC in Wk#14 at the Rams).
An interesting, yet sad, factoid about the Lions and Vikings in Schmidt's time at HC is that after going 1-0-1 against Minny in '67, Joe would lose every one of his remaining TEN games against Bud Grant's Vikings! Even in '72 the Vikings swept them.
Further thoughts?
PS - the 1970 Lions and 1972 Packers are the same with me. Yes, GB won their division but both finished at 10-4 with some solid quality-wins, making them both look a tad better than a 10-win team! It's a shame, and a little surprising, that both their offenses totally bellied-up in each of their playoff defeats. Lions really should have played better against that flawed Cowboy team and even if this IS the '72 Redskins we're talking of, the Pack played them pretty well in their regular season game.
Schmidt's six years as skipper a fine run. Just one playoff berth which, of course, would be 1970.
But '69 should be 'treated' as such. They were the best non-division-winner at 9-4-1. Not as good as '70, and not as many quality-wins, but they beat Cleveland on the road, split with a GB team which did finish above-500, a quality-tie at Baltimore, and they beat the 11-1 Rams, 28-0, but yes LA already had their division wrapped up. Losing at Pittsburgh in the opener, the Steelers only win in Chuck Noll's first season onboard, is obviously the 'black-eye' of the campaign. But a bit forgivable being it was the opener.
In 1971 (Chuck Hughes), the Lions were actually in control of their own destiny after Week #11 at 7-3-1 given that MInny at 9-2 would end up losing at SD the following week, dropping the Vikings to 9-3. But Detroit would actually lose at home to the scrappy hot-down-the-stretch Eagles and then, in Wk#13, would lose big at the Vikes thus Minny clinching the division. Lions, now at 7-5-1, then played at San Fran in the finale who had to win which they did, 31-27, dropping Detroit to a final 7-6-1 finish. Back to that loss to Philly, that game-winning Liske-to-Kramer connection did not look like a completion.
Did injuries play a part in that collapse? Or did they not come until they were already eliminated? I know LeBeau, this being his final year, was one of them. Thanks in-advance for any answer(s)!
They finished with a better record in '72 at 8-5-1. Both they and Green Bay were tied at 7-4 atop the division going into their showdown at Lambeau where the Pack throttled them, 33-7, for the season sweep. Detroit would then tie at Buffalo the following week as Green Bay would win at 7-5 Minny, 23-7, and that would be that (Lions would win in Schmidt's final game as their HC in Wk#14 at the Rams).
An interesting, yet sad, factoid about the Lions and Vikings in Schmidt's time at HC is that after going 1-0-1 against Minny in '67, Joe would lose every one of his remaining TEN games against Bud Grant's Vikings! Even in '72 the Vikings swept them.
Further thoughts?
PS - the 1970 Lions and 1972 Packers are the same with me. Yes, GB won their division but both finished at 10-4 with some solid quality-wins, making them both look a tad better than a 10-win team! It's a shame, and a little surprising, that both their offenses totally bellied-up in each of their playoff defeats. Lions really should have played better against that flawed Cowboy team and even if this IS the '72 Redskins we're talking of, the Pack played them pretty well in their regular season game.