1961 Detroit Lions season

The 1961 Detroit Lions season was the 32nd season in franchise history. Detroit was runner-up in the Western conference at 8–5–1, then won a second Playoff Bowl game against the Philadelphia Eagles that was played in the Orange Bowl, 38–10.

This was also the first season that the silhouetted blue lion logo appeared on the helmets.

Schedule

 * Thursday (November 23: Thanksgiving)

Roster

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Playoff Bowl
The Playoff Bowl matched the runners-up of the two conferences to determine third place in the league. It was played in January at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, the week following the NFL Championship game. This season's participants, Detroit and Philadelphia, had met three weeks earlier in the last game of the regular season, a three-point Eagles' road win, and were slightly favored in Miami.

This was the second year for the game and the Lions repeated as winners; it is classified by the NFL as an exhibition game, rather than postseason.
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