Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- The Detroit Lions lost to the Green Bay Packers 31-21 today to become the first team in National Football League history to finish a season with a 0-16 record.

The last full-schedule winless NFL season was turned in by the 0-14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976, their first year in the league. In 1982, the Baltimore Colts went 0-8-1 during a strike- shortened campaign.

Since the end of World War II, the only other winless NFL team has been the 1960 Dallas Cowboys, who were 0-11-1 in their first year. The Lions’ franchise entered the league as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930 before moving to Detroit in 1934.

The Lions pulled within 24-21 on Kevin Smith’s fourth- quarter touchdown run at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, today before the Packers scored on a 71-yard pass play from Aaron Rodgers to Donald Driver.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: December 28, 2008 16:32 EST