With the AFL–NFL merger, the Lions were placed in the new NFC Central division with the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings. Motown soul singer Marvin Gaye made plans, after the death of duet partner Tammi Terrell, to join the Lions and go into football. He gained weight and trained for his tryout in 1970, but was cut early on. He remained friends with a number of the players, particularly Mel Farr and Lem Barney, who appear as background vocalists on his 1971 classic single "What's Going On." Finishing with a 10–4 record, they were the first team to qualify for the NFL's newly created wild card playoff position. However, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 5–0 after a long, grinding defensive struggle and did not see the postseason again for the rest of the decade.