Barry Sanders Gets Real About Postseason Pain With the Detroit Lions

During his time on the gridiron, Barry Sanders was a uniquely talented player. The running back was never the biggest man on the field, but that didn't stop him from dancing through defenses and finding his way to the end zone. As you might remember, those skills earned him a boatload of individual honors.

The key word there, however, is individual. That's because during his time with the Detroit Lions, never made it to the top of the NFL mountain. If anything, his postseason résumé leaves something to be desired.

At least that's true from a fan's perspective. To those watching from afar, championship rings and clutch performances are often the ultimate barometer of success. Just consider how someone like Tom Brady fares in the GOAT debate.

But how does Sanders himself feel about it? Ahead of the release of Prime Video's Bye Bye, Barry, Newsweek got a chance to hear the living legend's side of the story.

Sanders Dominated but Never Won the Big One

Although there's plenty of room to debate stats versus the eye test, some numbers are so dominant that there's no ambiguity. Sanders' résumé is an example of that.

In college, he piled up an amazing 2,628 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns during the 1988 campaign. That season, understandably, ended with him claiming the Heisman Trophy. Sanders then entered the 1989 NFL draft and joined the Lions as the third-overall pick.

There, the hits kept on coming. In 10 seasons in the Motor City, the Oklahoma State product tallied 15,269 rushing yards and 99 rushing touchdowns. He claimed the 1989 Offensive Rookie of the Year crown, led the league in rushing on four occasions, earned six First-Team All-Pro nods and took home the 1997 NFL MVP award.

But that success came during the regular season. Once the calendar flipped to the playoffs, things were a different story.

Sanders appeared in only six playoff games throughout his career and posted 386 rushing yards with one touchdown in those outings. His first—and last—postseason win came in January 1992. That was also the last time the Lions won a playoff game, although 2023 has seemed promising so far.

And while football is a team game, that lack of success sticks in the back of fans' collective mind. What if Sanders had played for a different franchise? How legendary would he be if he had one (or more) Super Bowl rings to go along with his great body of work?

Sanders Shared His Postseason Perspective

To repeat, it's easy for fans to fall into the trap of tying greatness to championships and postseason glory. But what does a pro, especially one who fell short of the ultimate prize, have to say about the topic?

"There were some difficult seasons and even postseason losses," Sanders told Newsweek when asked if he was ever bothered by his lack of playoff success.

"Some years when we didn't live up to our potential," he said. "It's funny because, as I look back, you know, I look back at some of those teams who won Super Bowls in the '90s, like, you know, the Niners, the Giants, the Cowboys, Packers, the Broncos, Redskins. And now, looking back, I hesitate to say this, but I don't know if we were ever better than any of those teams. Honestly."

But even with that admission, the running back still remembered one specific setback. It came on the heels of his only postseason victory, which brought Detroit within touching distance of the Super Bowl. In the conference title game, though, an old foe proved to be insurmountable.

"And we lost to the Redskins in '91 in the NFC Championship game, and that was probably one of the more painful losses just 'cause they had beat us the first game of the year. And we knew we wanted to be able to play them again, and the only way that would happen would be in the NFC Championship game. And we got a shot at it, and we got a similar result."

For context, Washington won 45-0 in Week 1, although Sanders didn't play. When the two teams met in the playoffs, the star running back didn't make a material difference: Detroit lost 41-10.

"But yeah. I mean, there's certainly some painful years and losses like that," he said. "But, at the same time, you know, and I guess as I get older, I realize, you know, you've got to be careful about certain things you say you would change, because success and something like the Super Bowl is not a given. It's something you've got to earn. And that's one of the things that makes it so special."

Would a championship ring have been the cherry on top of Sander's legendary career? Sure, but, as he said, a championship wouldn't mean very much if it was easy to achieve.