| Team: | Detroit Lions |
| Year: | 1985 |
| Record: | 7–9 |
| Division Place: | 4th NFC Central |
| Coach: | Darryl Rogers |
| General Manager: | Russ Thomas |
| Owner: | William Clay Ford Sr. |
| Stadium: | Pontiac Silverdome |
| Playoffs: | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers: | None |
| Ap All-Pros: | None |
| Shortnavlink: | Lions seasons |
The 1985 Detroit Lions season was their 56th in the National Football League. In Darryl Rogers first year as head coach, the team improved upon their previous season's output of 4–11–1, winning seven games. The Lions beat four playoff teams at home, Dallas, San Francisco, Miami, and the New York Jets, but lost to Tampa Bay and Indianapolis on the road. The Lions stood at 5–3 at the halfway point of the season. However, despite their overall improvement, the Lions went winless in December (0–3) and missed the playoffs for the second straight year with a 7–9 record.
See main article: 1985 NFL draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Lomas Brown | OT | Florida | |
| 2 | 34 | Kevin Glover | C | Maryland | |
| 3 | 62 | James Johnson | LB | San Diego State | |
| 4 | 90 | Kevin Hancock | LB | Baylor | |
| 5 | 118 | Joe McIntosh | RB | North Carolina State | |
| 6 | 146 | Stan Short | G | Penn State | |
| 7 | 174 | Tony Staten | DB | Angelo State | |
| 8 | 202 | Scott Caldwell | RB | Texas-Arlington | |
| 9 | 230 | June James | LB | Texas | |
| 10 | 258 | Clayton Beauford | WR | Auburn | |
| 11 | 286 | Kevin Harris | DB | Georgia | |
| 12 | 314 | Mike Weaver | G | Georgia |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 28–27 | 1–0 | 37,785 | |
| 2 | September 15 | Dallas Cowboys | W 26–21 | 2–0 | 72,985 | |
| 3 | September 22 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 14–6 | 2–1 | 60,042 | |
| 4 | September 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 30–9 | 3–1 | 45,023 | |
| 5 | October 6 | at Green Bay Packers | L 43–10 | 3–2 | 55,914 | |
| 6 | October 13 | at Washington Redskins | L 24–3 | 3–3 | 52,845 | |
| 7 | October 20 | San Francisco 49ers | W 23–21 | 4–3 | 67,715 | |
| 8 | October 27 | Miami Dolphins | W 31–21 | 5–3 | 75,291 | |
| 9 | November 3 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 16–13 | 5–4 | 58,012 | |
| 10 | November 10 | at Chicago Bears | L 24–3 | 5–5 | 53,467 | |
| 11 | November 17 | Minnesota Vikings | W 41–21 | 6–5 | 54,647 | |
| 12 | November 24 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 19–16(OT) | 6–6 | 43,471 | |
| 13 | New York Jets | W 31–20 | 7–6 | 65,531 | ||
| 14 | December 8 | at New England Patriots | L 23–6 | 7–7 | 59,078 | |
| 15 | December 15 | Green Bay Packers | L 26–23 | 7–8 | 49,379 | |
| 16 | December 22 | Chicago Bears | L 37–17 | 7–9 | 74,042 | |
| Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text | ||||||