2012 Detroit Lions season

2012 Detroit Lions season
Head coach Jim Schwartz
General manager Martin Mayhew
Owner William Clay Ford, Sr.
Home field Ford Field
Results
Record 4–12
Division place 4th NFC North
Playoff finish did not qualify
Blocking by the Lions' offense against Minnesota, September 30

The 2012 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 83rd season in the National Football League, their 79th as the Detroit Lions and the fourth under head coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions failed to improve from their 10–6 record in 2011, during which they made it to the postseason as a wild card team. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, and ended the season with an eight-game losing streak, their worst skid since the winless 2008 season. It was also the franchise's 21st consecutive season without a playoff win.

The Lions set an NFL record with 740 pass attempts during the season (46.25 attempts per game), breaking a record that had stood for thirty years.[1]

This was the final season for longtime Lions placekicker Jason Hanson, who in his 21st season with the team (and in the league) and at age 42 was the NFL's oldest active player. Hanson retired on April 4, 2013.

Offseason

Josh Robinson and Calvin Johnson

Signings

Jacob Lacey signed with the Detroit Lions on March 20, 2012.[2]

Releases

Cornerback Aaron Berry was released on July 23, 2012 after his second arrest of the offseason.[3]

2012 Draft class

Main article: 2012 NFL Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 23 Riley Reiff Offensive Tackle Iowa
2 54 Ryan Broyles Wide Receiver Oklahoma
3 85 Dwight Bentley Cornerback Louisiana–Lafayette
4 125 Ronnell Lewis Defensive End Oklahoma
5 138 Tahir Whitehead Outside Linebacker Temple
5 148 Chris Greenwood Cornerback Albion
6 196 Jonte Green Defensive Back New Mexico State
7 223 Travis Lewis Linebacker Oklahoma

Final roster

2012 Detroit Lions final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 Active, 13 Inactive, 9 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 10 Cleveland Browns L 17–19 0–1 Ford Field Recap
2 August 17 at Baltimore Ravens W 27–12 1–1 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
3 August 25 at Oakland Raiders L 20–31 1–2 O.co Coliseum Recap
4 August 30 Buffalo Bills W 38–32 2–2 Ford Field Recap

Regular season

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 September 9 St. Louis Rams W 27–23 1–0 Ford Field Recap
2 September 16 at San Francisco 49ers L 19–27 1–1 Candlestick Park Recap
3 September 23 at Tennessee Titans L 41–44 (OT) 1–2 LP Field Recap
4 September 30 Minnesota Vikings L 13–20 1–3 Ford Field Recap
5 Bye
6 October 14 at Philadelphia Eagles W 26–23 (OT) 2–3 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
7 October 22 at Chicago Bears L 7–13 2–4 Soldier Field Recap
8 October 28 Seattle Seahawks W 28–24 3–4 Ford Field Recap
9 November 4 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 31–14 4–4 EverBank Field Recap
10 November 11 at Minnesota Vikings L 24–34 4–5 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Recap
11 November 18 Green Bay Packers L 20–24 4–6 Ford Field Recap
12 November 22 Houston Texans L 31–34 (OT) 4–7 Ford Field Recap
13 December 2 Indianapolis Colts L 33–35 4–8 Ford Field Recap
14 December 9 at Green Bay Packers L 20–27 4–9 Lambeau Field Recap
15 December 16 at Arizona Cardinals L 10–38 4–10 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap
16 December 22 Atlanta Falcons L 18–31 4–11 Ford Field Recap
17 December 30 Chicago Bears L 24–26 4–12 Ford Field Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Regular season results

Standings

NFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Green Bay Packers 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 433 336 L1
(6) Minnesota Vikings 10 6 0 .625 4–2 7–5 379 348 W4
Chicago Bears 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 375 277 W2
Detroit Lions 4 12 0 .250 0–6 3–9 372 437 L8

Week 1: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week One: St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Rams 3 10 01023
Lions 0 10 31427

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • STL – Greg Zuerlein 48-yard field goal, Rams 3–0, Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 5:49.
Second quarter
  • DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–3, Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:31.
  • STL – Greg Zuerlein 29-yard field goal, Lions 7–6, Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:30.
  • STL – Cortland Finnegan 31-yard interception return (Greg Zuerlein kick), Rams 13–7, Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:00.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, Rams 13–10, Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 1:08.
Third quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, Tied 13–13, Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:54.
Fourth quarter
  • STL – Brandon Gibson 23-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Greg Zuerlein kick), Rams 20–13, Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:42.
  • DET – Kevin Smith 5-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Tied 20–20, 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:26.
  • STL – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, Rams 23–20, Drive: 13 plays, 52 yards, 5:24.
  • DET – Kevin Smith 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 27–23, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:45.
Top passers
  • STL – Sam Bradford – 17/25, 198 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/48, 355 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions
Top rushers
  • STL – Steven Jackson – 21 carries, 53 yards
  • DET – Kevin Smith – 13 carries, 52 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
  • STL – Danny Amendola – 5 receptions, 70 yards
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 111 yards
Top tacklers
  • STL – Cortland Finnegan – 9 tackles, 1 assist, 1 interception, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Justin Durant – 7 tackles, 5 assists

To open the regular season, the Lions hosted the St. Louis Rams. The Rams took an early lead when Greg Zuerlein kicked a 48-yard field goal, the only scoring drive of the first quarter. The Lions responded in the second quarter when Joique Bell ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. St. Louis made it a 1 point game when Greg Zuerlein kicked a 29-yard field goal, and took the lead again when Cortland Finnegan intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 31 yards for a touchdown. The final points of the half were scored when Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 41-yard field goal. The only points of the third quarter was a 45-yard field goal by Jason Hanson to tie the game. In the final quarter, the score continued to sea-saw. First the Rams' Brandon Gibson caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford to take the lead back again, but the Lions soon tied it back up when Kevin Smith ran in a touchdown from 5 yards out. The Rams then went up by 3 points when kicked Greg Zuerlein his third field goal of the game, this one from 46 yards out. In the final 2 minutes, the Lions completed their third 80 yard scoring drive with a game-winning 5-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Smith, his second of the game. The Lions were able to start 1–0 and capture their second straight regular season opening win.[4][5]

Week 2: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Two: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 6 0 31019
49ers 7 7 31027

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California

Game information
First quarter
  • SF – Vernon Davis 21-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 49ers 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:12.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, 49ers 7–3, Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:48.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, 49ers 7–6, Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:54.
Second quarter
  • SF – Frank Gore 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 49ers 14–6, Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
  • SF – David Akers 36-yard field goal, 49ers 17–6, Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:18.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, 49ers 17–9, Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 6:02.
Fourth quarter
  • SF – David Akers 48-yard field goal, 49ers 20–9, Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:58.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, 49ers 20–12, Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:26.
  • SF – Vernon Davis 23-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 49ers 27–12, Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:12.
  • DET – Brandon Pettigrew 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 49ers 27–19, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:35.
Top passers
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 19/32, 230 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
  • SF – Alex Smith – 20/31, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
  • DET – Kevin Smith – 16 carries, 53 yards
  • SF – Frank Gore – 17 carries, 89 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 94 yards
  • SF – Vernon Davis – 5 receptions, 73 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top tacklers
  • DET – DeAndre Levy – 10 tackles
  • SF – Patrick Willis – 8 tackles, 1 assist

In week 2, the Lions flew west to play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers got on the board first with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis. The Lions responded with two field goals by Jason Hanson, from 38 and 41 yards respectively. The only scoring play of the second quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Frank Gore. In the third quarter came a pair of field goals, first a 36-yard kick by San Francisco's David Akers, and later a 40 yard one from Detroit's Jason Hanson. In the final quarter, both teams kicked two more field goals both from 48 yards out, first the 49ers' David Akers, then the Lions' Jason Hanson. Next, San Francisco's Vernon Davis caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this one from 23 yards out. Lastly, Detroit scored their only touchdown of the game when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford dropping the team to 1–1.[6][7]

Week 3: at Tennessee Titans

Week Three: Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Lions 6 3 725041
Titans 10 10 021344

at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

Game information
First quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 47-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:22.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 53-yard field goal, Lions 6–0, Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:16.
  • TEN – Rob Bironas 31-yard field goal, Lions 6–3, Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:34.
  • TEN – Tommie Campbell 65-yard punt return (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 10–6, Drive: 1 play, 65 yards, 0:00.
Second quarter
  • TEN – Jared Cook 61-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 17–6, Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 1:12.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, Titans 17–9, Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:30.
  • TEN – Rob Bironas 38-yard field goal, Titans 20–9, Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 2:17.
Third quarter
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Titans 20–16, Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:54.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, Titans 20–19, Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:39.
  • DET – Nate Burleson 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matthew Stafford pass to Nate Burleson for two-point conversion), Lions 27–20, Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:57.
  • TEN – Darius Reynaud 105-yard kickoff return (Rob Bironas kick), Tied 27–27, Drive: 1 play, 105 yards, 0:00.
  • TEN – Nate Washington 71-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 34–27, Drive: 1 play, 66 yards, 1:19.
  • TEN – Alterraun Verner 72-yard fumble return (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 41–27, Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:00.
  • DET – Calvin Johnson 3-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Jason Hanson kick), Titans 41–34, Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 0:58.
  • DET – Titus Young 46-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Jason Hanson kick), Tied 41–41, Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:18.
Overtime
  • TEN – Rob Bironas 26-yard field goal, Titans 44–41, Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 4:24.
Top passers
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 33/42, 278 yards, 1 touchdown
  • TEN – Jake Locker – 29/42, 378 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 26 carries, 100 yards, 1 touchdown
  • TEN – Jake Locker – 4 carries, 35 yards
Top receivers
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 10 receptions, 164 yards, 1 touchdown
  • TEN – Nate Washington – 3 receptions, 112 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
  • DET – Bill Bentley – 5 tackles, 1 assist
  • TEN – Akeem Ayers, 10 tackles, 1 sack

In week 3, the Lions traveled south to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans. Detroit started the scoring in the first quarter with a pair of field goals by Jason Hanson, from 47 and 53 yards respectively. The Titans responded with a 31-yard field goal by Rob Bironas, and took the lead when Darius Reynaud caught a Ben Graham punt and threw a lateral to Tommie Campbell who ran back a 65-yard touchdown. Tennessee added more points in the second quarter when Jared Cook caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Jake Locker. The Lions responded when Jason Hanson kicked a 33-yard field goal. The final points of the first half was a 38-yard kick by The Titans' Rob Bironas. The only points of the third quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Detroit's Mikel Leshoure, sandwiched between two missed FGAs by Bironas. The fourth quarter scoring started when Jason Hanson kicked a 26-yard field goal. Next, the Lions' Nate Burleson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford and the same duo completed a two-point conversion. Tennessee then scored 3 consecutive touchdowns. First, Darius Reynaud returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. Following a Lions punt, Nate Washington caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Locker. The Lions drove deep into Titans territory on the next drive but Alterraun Verner yanked the ball out of Brandon Pettigrew's hands and ran back a 72-yard touchdown. Matthew Stafford had to come out of the game with a pulled leg muscle and Shaun Hill responded with a drive ending in a three-yard touchdown to Calvin Johnson with just twenty seconds to go. The Lions kicked onside and Amari Spievey caught the ball off a bounce at the Detroit 35-yard line. On the final play of regulation, Hill went deep and Titus Young caught the 41-yard touchdown off a partial deflection. Tied 41–41, the game went to overtime. After winning the coin toss, the Titans' Rob Bironas kicked the game-winning a field goal from 26 yards out. The Lions then drove down field, but were stopped on a fourth-down stand at the Titans 7-yard line as the team fell to 1–2.[8][9]

Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Four: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Vikings 10 3 7020
Lions 3 3 0713

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Percy Harvin 105-yard kickoff return (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 7–0, Drive: 1 play, 105 yards, 0:00.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, Vikings 7–3, Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 1:42.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 49-yard field goal, Vikings 10–3, Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:53.
Second quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 27-yard field goal, Vikings 13–3, Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 4:56.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, Vikings 13–6, Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 6:28.
Third quarter
  • MIN – Marcus Sherels 77-yard punt return (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 20–6, Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:00.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 20–13, Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 3:l2.
Top passers
  • MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/26 111 yards
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 30/51, 319 yards
Top rushers
  • MIN – Adrian Peterson – 21 carries, 102 yards
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 13 carries, 26 yards
Top receivers
  • MIN – Jerome Simpson – 4 receptions, 50 yards
  • DET – Joique Bell – 6 receptions, 72 yards
Top tacklers
  • MIN – Chad Greenway – 7 tackles, 4 assists
  • DET – DeAndre Levy – 8 tackles, 1 assist

In week 4, the Lions hosted their NFC North Division rivals the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings took an early lead when Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. The Lions responded with a 40-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. Minnesota's Blair Walsh then kicked a field goal from 49 yards out. Both teams kicked a field goal in the second quarter, first Minnesota's Blair Walsh from 27 yards out, then Detroit's Jason Hanson from 31 yards. The only scoring drive of the third quarter was when the Vikings' Marcus Sherels returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown. The Lions scored the only points of the final quarter when quarterback Matthew Stafford completed a 1-yard run for a touchdown. With the loss, the Lions went into their bye week at 1–3.[10][11]

Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Six: Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Lions 6 0 017326
Eagles 0 7 610023

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, :055.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 34-yard field goal, Lions 6–0, Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:45.
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • PHI – Alex Henery 26-yard field goal, Eagles 10–6, Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 6:37.
  • PHI – Alex Henery 32-yard field goal, Eagles 13–6, Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 3:40.
Fourth quarter
  • PHI – Alex Henery 49-yard field goal, Eagles 16–6, Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 3:11.
  • DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Eagles 16–13, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:09.
  • PHI – Jeremy Maclin 70-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), Eagles 23–13, Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:29.
  • DET – Nate Burleson 17-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Eagles 23–20, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:46.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 19-yard field goal, Tied 23–23, Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 2:24.
Overtime
  • DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, Lions 26–23, 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:22.
Top passers
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/45, 311 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
  • PHI – Michael Vick – 28/46, 311 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
  • DET – Mikel LeShoure – 15 carries, 70 yards
  • PHI – Michael Vick – 9 carries, 59 yards
Top receivers
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 135 yards
  • PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 6 receptions, 130 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
  • DET – Justin Durant – 8 tackles
  • PHI – DeMeco Ryans – 10 tackles, 3 assists

After their bye week, the Lions traveled east to play the Philadelphia Eagles. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter with two field goals by Jason Hanson, from 46 and 34 yards out. The only scoring drive of the second quarter was a 2-yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick to LeSean McCoy to put Philadelphia up by 1 point. In the third quarter the Eagles' Alex Henery kicked 2 field goals, from 26 and 32 yards out. In the fourth quarter, Alex Henery kicked a 49-yard field goal. The Lions responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Matthew Stafford. The Eagles' Jeremy Maclin then caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick. The Lions responded with their own touchdown pass, a 17-yarder from Matthew Stafford to Nate Burleson. The Lions took it to overtime after Jason Hanson kicked a 19-yard field goal. On the second drive in Overtime, the Lions' Jason Hanson kicked the game winning field goal from 45 yards out. With the win, the Lions improved to 2–3, snapping their 3-game losing streak.[12][13]

Week 7: at Chicago Bears

Week Seven: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 0 0 077
Bears 10 0 3013

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information
First quarter
  • CHI – Brandon Marshall 7-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 7–0, Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:50.
  • CHI – Robbie Gould 39-yard field goal, Bears 10–0, Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:39.
Second quarter

No scoring

Third quarter
  • CHI – Robbie Gould 21-yard field goal, Bears 13–0, Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:12.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Ryan Broyles 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 13–7, Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:43.
Top passers
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/46, 261 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
  • CHI – Jay Cutler – 16/31, 150 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
  • DET – Mikel LeShoure – 12 carries, 63 yards
  • CHI – Matt Forte – 22 carries, 96 yards
Top receivers
  • DET – Titus Young – 6 receptions, 81 yards
  • CHI – Brandon Marshall – 6 receptions, 81 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
  • DET – Amari Spievey – 6 tackles, 2 assists
  • CHI – Tim Jennings – 7 tackles, 2 assists

In week 7, the Lions traveled to Chicago to take on their NFC North Division arch-rivals the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Bears struck first when Brandon Marshall caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler, and added more points when Robbie Gould kicked a 39-yard field goal. After a scoreless second quarter, the Bears' Robbie Gould scored the only points of the third quarter with a 21-yard field goal. The Lions scored their only points of the game in the fourth quarter when Ryan Broyles caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. It was their fifth straight loss at Chicago as they dropped to 2–4 on the season.[14][15]

Week 8: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 3 14 0724
Lions 7 7 01428

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: October 28
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 63,497
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
  • Recap
    Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
  • SEA – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, Seahawks 3–0, Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:58.
  • DET – Ryan Broyles 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–3, Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:30.
Second quarter
  • SEA – Marshawn Lynch 77-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), Seahawks 10–7, Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:17.
  • SEA – Sidney Rice 9-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), Seahawks 17–7, Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 0:44.
  • DET – Titus Young 46-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Seahawks 17–14, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:50.
Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter
  • DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–17, Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:22.
  • SEA – Zach Miller 16-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), Seahawks 24–21, Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 6:08.
  • DET – Titus Young 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 28–21, Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 5:07.
Top passers
  • SEA – Russell Wilson – 25/35, 217 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 34/49, 352 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
  • SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 12 carries, 105 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 10 carries, 46 yards
Top receivers
  • SEA – Sidney Rice – 6 receptions, 55 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Titus Young – 9 receptions, 100 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top tacklers
  • SEA – Bobby Wagner – 6 tackles, 6 assists
  • DET – Chris Houston – 6 tackles, 2 assists

In week 8, the Lions hosted the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle started the scoring with a 23-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka. The Lions then took the lead when Ryan Broyles caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. In the second quarter, the Seahawks scored 2 consecutive touchdowns: first with a Marshawn Lynch 77-yard run, then with a Sidney Rice 9-yard catch from Russell Wilson. The Lions responded with a Titus Young 46-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions took the lead back when Matthew Stafford ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. Seattle went up by 3 points with a Zach Miller 16-yard catch from Russell Wilson. The Lions' Titus Young then scored the game-winning touchdown with 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford.[16][17]

Week 9: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Nine: Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 0 21 01031
Jaguars 0 0 01414

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

  • Date: November 4
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 63,050
  • Referee: Gene Steratore
  • TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
  • Recap
    Gamebook
Game information
First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 7-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 5:50.
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–0, Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:21.
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 8-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–0, Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:11.
Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 42-yard field goal, Lions 24–0, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:01.
  • JAX – Michael Spurlock 5-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Blaine Gabbert pass to Rashad Jennings for two-point conversion), Lions 24–8, Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:20.
  • DET – Joique Bell 10-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 31–8, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:53.
  • JAX – Justin Blackmon 6-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert, Lions 31–14, Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 1:52.
Top passers
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/33, 285 yards
  • JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 27/38, 220 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
  • DET – Joique Bell – 13 carries, 73 yards, 1 touchdown
  • JAX – Rashad Jennings – 12 carries, 45 yards
Top receivers
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 7 receptions, 129 yards
  • JAX – Cecil Shorts – 3 receptions, 56 yards
Top tacklers
  • DET – Justin Durant – 7 tackles
  • JAX – Paul Posluszny – 7 tackles, 1 assist

In week 9, the Lions flew south to play the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions' Mikel Leshoure ran in three consecutive touchdowns, from 7, 1, and 8 yards out respectively to take a 21-point lead going into halftime. Leshoure became the first Lions rusher to score three touchdowns in the first half.[18] After a scoreless third quarter, Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 42-yard field goal. The Jaguars finally got on the board when Micheal Spurlock caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Blaine Gabbert; they then completed a two-point conversion when Blaine Gabbert completed a pass to Rashad Jennings. The Lions responded with a 10-yard touchdown run from Joique Bell. Jacksonville scored the final points of the game with a 6-yard touchdown catch from Blaine Gabbert to Justin Blackmon; they again went for a two-point conversion, but were unsuccessful this time. It was the Lions' most lopsided win of the season and would also be their final victory of the 2012 season.[19][20]

Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Ten: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 0 3 71424
Vikings 10 3 31834

at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information
First quarter
  • MIN – Jarius Wright 3-yard pass from Christian Ponder, (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 7–0, Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:31.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 48-yard field goal, Vikings 10–0, Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 1:57.
Second quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, Vikings 10–3, Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:47.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 23-yard field goal, Vikings 13–3, Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 6:26.
Third quarter
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 23-yard field goal, Vikings 16–3, Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:53.
  • DET – Brandon Pettigrew 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 16–10, Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
  • MIN – Kyle Rudolph 20-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Adrian Peterson run for two-point conversion), Vikings 24–10, Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:40.
  • DET – Titus Young 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 24–17, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
  • MIN – Adrian Peterson 61-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 31–17, Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 1:07.
  • MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, Vikings 34–17, Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 3:16.
  • DET – Calvin Johnson 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 24–34, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
Top passers
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/42, 329 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
  • MIN – Christian Ponder – 24/42, 221 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 13 carries, 43 yards
  • MIN – Adrian Peterson – 27 carries, 171 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 12 receptions, 207 yards, 1 touchdown
  • MIN – Jarius Wright – 3 receptions, 65 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
  • DET – Erik Coleman – 7 tackles, 2 assists
  • MIN – Antoine Winfield – 7 tackles, 2 assists

In week 10, the Lions traveled to Minneapolis to play their NFC North rival the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota took an early lead when Jarius Wright caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder, and added more points when Blair Walsh kicked a 58-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Lions scored their only points of the first half when Jason Hanson scored a 41-yard field goal. The Vikings responded with a 23-yard field goal by Blair Walsh. After halftime, the Blair Walsh kicked another 23-yard field goal. The Lions responded with a Brandon Pettigrew caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. In the final quarter, Minnesota's Kyle Rudolph caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder, and Adrian Peterson ran the ball in for a two-point conversion. The Lions responded when Titus Young caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Vikings added to their lead when Adrian Peterson completed a 61-yard touchdown run, then Blair Walsh scored a 33-yard field goal. The Lions scored the game's final points when Calvin Johnson caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford.[21][22]

Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Eleven: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Packers 0 7 71024
Lions 3 7 7320

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:08.
Second quarter
  • GB – Jermichael Finley 20-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 7–3, Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 5:28.
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 10–7, Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:50.
Third quarter
  • GB – M. D. Jennings 72-yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 14–10, Drive: 1 play, 74 yards, 0:00.
  • DET – Calvin Johnson 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 17–14, Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 5:30.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 27-yard field goal, Lions 20–14, Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:12.
  • GB – Randall Cobb 22-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 21–20, Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 2:30.
  • GB – Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal, Packers 24–20, Drive: 4 plays, −1 yard, 0:19.
Top passers
  • GB – Aaron Rodgers – 19/27, 236 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 17/39, 266 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
  • GB – James Starks – 25 carries, 74 yards
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 19 carries, 84 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
  • GB – Randall Cobb – 9 receptions, 74 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 143 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
  • GB – Morgan Burnett – 9 tackles, 2 assists
  • DET – Stephen Tulloch – 4 tackles, 5 assists

In week 11, the Lions hosted their NFC North Division rivals the Green Bay Packers. The only scoring play of the first quarter was when Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 30-yard field goal. The Packers got on the board in the second quarter when Jermichael Finley caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. The Lions responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mikel Leshoure. In the third quarter, the Packers' M. D. Jennings intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 72 yards for a touchdown. The Lions responded with a Calvin Johnson 25-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Lions scored their final points in the fourth quarter when Jason Hanson kicked a 27-yard field goal. The Packers then scored a touchdown when Randall Cobb caught a 22-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, and capped off their win with a 39-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.[23][24]

Week 12: vs. Houston Texans

Week Twelve: Houston Texans at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34OTTotal
Texans 0 14 107334
Lions 7 14 37031

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:02.
Second quarter
  • HOU – Arian Foster 6-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:42.
  • DET – Mike Thomas 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–7, Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:57.
  • HOU – Owen Daniels 9-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Shayne Graham kick), Tied 14–14, Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:49.
  • DET – Calvin Johnson 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–14, Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 0:22.
Third quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, Lions 24–14, Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 6:28.
  • HOU – Justin Forsett 81-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), Lions 24–21, Drive: 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:28.
  • HOU – Shayne Graham 45-yard field goal, Tied 24–24, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:00.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Joique Bell 23-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 31–24, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:05.
  • HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), Tied 31–31, Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 5:43.
Overtime
  • HOU – Shayne Graham 32-yard field goal, Texans 34–31, Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
  • HOU – Matt Schaub – 29/48, 315 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 31/61, 441 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
  • HOU – Arian Foster – 102 yards, 2 touchdowns
  • DET – Joique Bell – 5 carries, 47 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
  • HOU – Andre Johnson – 9 receptions, 188 yards
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 140 yards, 140 touchdown
Top tacklers
  • HOU – Danieal Manning – 8 tackles, 1 assist
  • DET – Stephen Tulloch – 12 tackles, 3 assists

For their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted the Houston Texans. The Lions got on the board early when Mikel Leshoure ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out. The score sea-sawed in the second quarter, with each team scoring a pair of touchdowns. First, the Texans' Arian Foster rushed in a touchdown from 6 yards out. The Lions responded with a 5-yard touchdown run from Mike Foster. Houston's Owen Daniels then caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Matt Schaub. The Lions' Calvin Johnson then caught a 22-yard touchdown pass. After halftime, Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 46-yard field goal. Houston responded with an 81-yard touchdown rush by Justin Forsett, which would have been overturned by an official review, but Coach Jim Schwartz's challenge flag negated the review. The Texans tied it up yet again with a 45-yard field goal by Shayne Graham. In the fourth quarter, the Lions took the lead back with a 23-yard touchdown run by Joique Bell, but Houston tied it back up with a 1-yard run by Arian Foster inside the 2-minute warning to take it to overtime. After a pair of turnovers and missed field goals by each team, Houston's Shayne Graham kicked the game-winning field goal from 32-yards out. It was the Lions' ninth consecutive Thanksgiving loss.[25][26]

Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Thirteen: Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Colts 7 7 71435
Lions 10 13 7333

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:45.
  • IND – Donnie Avery 17-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Colts 7–3, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:20.
  • DET – Brandon Pettigrew 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 10–7, Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 4:41.
Second quarter
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 17–7, Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
  • IND – Coby Fleener 26-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Lions 17–14, Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:40.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, Lions 20–14, Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:59.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 52-yard field goal, Lions 23–14, Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 2:29.
Third quarter
  • IND – Vick Ballard 11-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), Lions 23–21, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:55.
  • DET – Calvin Johnson 46-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 30–21, Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, Lions 33–21, Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:09.
  • IND – LaVon Brazill 42-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Lions 33–28, Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 1:23.
  • IND – Donnie Avery 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Colts 35–33, Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:07.
Top passers
  • IND – Andrew Luck – 24/54, 391 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/46, 313 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interceptions
Top rushers
  • IND – Vick Ballard – 9 carries, 41 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Joique Bell – 7 carries, 81 yards
Top receivers
  • IND – T. Y. Hilton – 6 receptions, 100 yards
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 13 receptions, 171 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
  • IND – Cassius Vaughn – 8 tackles, 1 assist
  • DET – Don Carey – 3 tackles, 4 assists

In week 13, the Lions hosted the Indianapolis Colts. They started the scoring when Jason Hanson kicked a 48-yard field goal. The Colts responded with a 17-yard touchdown catch by Donnie Avery from Andrew Luck. Detroit replied when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford, and added to their lead in the second quarter when Mikel Leshoure ran in a touchdown from 6 yards out. The Colts scored their only points of the second quarter when Coby Fleener caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck. The Lions closed out the half with 2 field goals from Jason Hanson from 33 and 52 yards out respectively. Each team scored a touchdown in the third quarter. First the Colts' Vick Ballard ran one in from 11 yards out, then Detroit's Calvin Johnson caught 46-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Lions' only points of the final quarter was a 31-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The Colts then rallied from behind with two touchdowns. First LaVon Brazill caught a 42-yard pass from Andrew Luck, then Donnie Avery caught a 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck in the final seconds of the game for the win. It was the Lions' third consecutive loss in which they were leading with less than 2 minutes left in the game.[27][28]

Week 14: at Green Bay Packers

Week Fourteen: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 7 7 3320
Packers 0 10 71027

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: December 9
  • Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), snow
  • Game attendance: 70,382
  • Referee: Tony Corrente
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
  • Recap
    Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
  • DET – Matthew Stafford 4-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:44.
Second quarter
  • DET – Tony Scheffler 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–0, Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:48.
  • GB – Mason Crosby 49-yard field goal, Lions 14–3, Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:55.
  • GB – Mike Daniels 43-yard fumble return (Mason Crosby kick), Lions 14–10, Drive: 1 play, 43 yards, 0:00.
Third quarter
  • GB – Aaron Rodgers 27-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 17–14, Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:06.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, Tied 17–17, Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:57.
Fourth quarter
  • GB – DuJuan Harris 14-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 24–17, Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 4:04.
  • GB – Mason Crosby 41-yard field goal, Packers 27–17, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:09.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 34-yard field goal, Packers 27–20, Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 1:52.
Top passers
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/45, 264 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
  • GB – Aaron Rodgers – 14/24, 173 yards
Top rushers
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 14 carries, 49 yards
  • GB – Alex Green – 13 carries, 69 yards
Top receivers
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 10 receptions, 118 yards
  • GB – Randall Cobb – 7 receptions, 102 yards
Top tacklers
  • DET – Ricardo Silva – 7 tackles, 3 assists
  • GB – Brad Jones – 8 tackles, 4 assists

In week 14, the Lions flew across Lake Michigan for a rematch with NFC North Division rivals the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. The only scoring drive of the first quarter was when Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ran in a touchdown himself from 4 yards out. The Lions added more points in the second quarter when Tony Scheffler caught a Matthew Stafford pass from 3 yards out. The Packers got on the board when Mason Crosby kicked a 49-yard field goal, and added more points when Mike Daniels picked up a Matthew Stafford fumble and ran it back 43 yards for a touchdown to make it 14–10 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Packers took their first lead of the game when quarterback Aaron Rodgers ran in a touchdown from 27 yards, but the Lions tied it up a few minutes later when Jason Hanson kicked a 46-yard field goal. In the final quarter, the Packers took the lead back when DuJuan Harris ran in a touchdown from 14 yards out, and went up by 10 points when Mason Crosby kicked a 41-yard field goal. The Lions' Jason Hanson kicked a 34-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game, and the Lions attempted to recover an onside kick afterward to try to tie it up and take it to overtime, but failed. It was the Packers' 21st consecutive home win over the Lions, a streak that dates back to 1992, and now eclipses the Lions' current road losing streak vs the Washington Redskins, which stands at 0–21.[29][30]

Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Fifteen: Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 0 7 3010
Cardinals 0 21 31438

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

  • Date: December 16
  • Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/2:05 p.m. MST
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), sunny, clear skies
  • Game attendance: 60,483
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
  • Recap
    Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
  • No scoring
Second quarter
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:04.
  • ARI – Beanie Wells 5-yard run (Jay Feely kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 9 plays, 20 yards, 3:22.
  • ARI – Beanie Wells 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 14–7, Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:41.
  • ARI – Rashad Johnson 53-yard interception return (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 21–7, Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:00.
Third quarter
  • ARI – Jay Feely 51-yard field goal, Cardinals 24–7, Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:28.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, Cardinals 24–10, Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:08.
Fourth quarter
  • ARI – Greg Toler 102-yard interception return (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 31–10, Drive: 1 play, 102 yards, 0:00.
  • ARI – Beanie Wells 31-yard run (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 38–10, Drive: 2 plays, 29 yards, 0:13.
Top passers
  • DET – Matt Stafford – 24/50, 246 yards, 3 interceptions
  • ARI – Ryan Lindley – 14/21, 104 yards, 1 interception
Top rushers
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 14 carries, 55 yards, 1 touchdown
  • ARI – Beanie Wells – 17 carries, 67 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top receivers
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 10 receptions, 121 yards
  • ARI – Michael Floyd – 3 receptions, 3 yards
Top tacklers
  • DET – Stephen Tulloch – 6 tackles, 4 assists
  • ARI – Calais Campbell – 7 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack

In week 15, the Lions played their last road game of the season out west against the Arizona Cardinals. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions scored their only points of the first half with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mikel Leshoure. The Cardinals responded with 3 consecutive touchdowns: first, Beanie Wells scored a pair of rushing touchdowns from 5 and 1 yards out respectively, then Rashad Johnson intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 53 yards to put the Cardinals up 21–7 at halftime. Each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter: first the Cardinals' Jay Feely from 51 yards, then Detroit's Jason Hanson from 41 yards. Arizona capped their win with two touchdowns in the final quarter: first Greg Toler intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass in the end zone and ran 102 yards for a touchdown, then Beanie Wells scored his third touchdown of the game, this one from 31 yards out.[31][32]

Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 14 01031
Lions 3 3 7518

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • ATL – Roddy White 44-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 2:22.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 34-yard field goal, Falcons 7–3, Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:37.
Second quarter
  • ATL – Roddy White 39-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 14–3, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:19.
  • ATL – Julio Jones 16-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 21–3, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:47.
  • DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, Falcons 21–6, Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:15.
Third quarter
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Falcons 21–13, Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 6:36.
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 20-yard field goal, Falcons 21–16, Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 6:55.
  • ATL – Michael Palmer 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 28–16, Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:14.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, Falcons 31–16, Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:58.
  • DET – Michael Turner −2-yard run, tackled in own end zone, Falcons 31–18, Drive info: 1 plays, −2 yards, 0:00.
Top passers
  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/32, 279 yards, 4 touchdowns
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 37/56, 443 yards, 1 interception
Top rushers
  • ATL – Michael Turner – 13 carries, 41 yards
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 15 carries, 46 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
  • ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 153 yards, 2 touchdowns
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 11 receptions, 225 yards
Top tacklers
  • ATL – Dunta Robinson – 9 tackles, 1 assist
  • DET – Louis Delmas – 6 tackles, 3 assists

In week 16, the Lions hosted the Atlanta Falcons on a Saturday night. Atlanta took an early lead, which they never gave back, when Roddy White caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan. The Lions responded with a 34-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. In the second quarter, the Falcons' Roddy White caught another touchdown pass, this one from 39 yards out. Atlanta added more points when Julio Jones caught a 16-yard touchdown pass. The Lions ended the first half with a 38-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The only points of the third quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Detroit's Mikel Leshoure. The Lions scored another field goal to start the fourth quarter, this one from 20 yards out. The Falcons added 10 more points when Michael Palmer caught a 1-yard touchdown pass, then Matt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal. The Lions scored the game's final points when Atlanta's Michael Turner was tackled in his own end zone for a Detroit safety. The game's biggest highlight was when Detroit's Calvin Johnson surpassed Jerry Rice's 1,848 yard single season receiving record from 1995. At the end of the game, Johnson had compiled 1,892 receiving yards on the year.[33][34]

Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Seventeen: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bears 10 10 3326
Lions 3 7 7724

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: December 30
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 64,451
  • Referee: Bill Leavy
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
  • Recap
    Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
  • DET – Jason Hanson 44-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:57.
  • CHI – Earl Bennett 60-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Olindo Mare kick), Bears 7–3, Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:21.
  • CHI – Olindo Mare 33-yard field goal, Bears 10–3, Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:27.
Second quarter
  • CHI – Matt Forte 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), Bears 17–3, Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 0:35.
  • CHI – Olindo Mare 40-yard field goal, Bears 20–3, Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:49.
  • DET – Kris Durham 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 20–10, Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 1:37.
Third quarter
  • DET – Will Heller 10-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 20–17, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:53.
  • CHI – Olindo Mare 28-yard field goal, Bears 23–17, Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:06.
Fourth quarter
  • CHI – Olindo Mare 20-yard field goal, Bears 26–17, Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:25.
  • DET – Brian Robiskie 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 26–24, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:52.
Top passers
  • CHI – Jay Cutler – 18/31, 257 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/42, 272 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
  • CHI – Matt Forte – 24 carries, 103 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Mikel Leshoure – 15 carries, 57 yards
Top receivers
  • CHI – Earl Bennett – 5 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown
  • DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 72 yards
Top tacklers
  • CHI – Nick Roach – 7 tackles, 1 assist
  • DET – Ron Bartell – 6 tackles, 3 assists

For their last game of the season, the Lions hosted a rematch against their NFC North Division rival the Chicago Bears. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter when Jason Hanson kicked a 44-yard field goal. The Bears then took the lead, which they never gave back, when Earl Bennett caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler, and added more 3 points when Olindo Mare kicked a 33-yard field goal. The Lions responded when Kris Durham caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to make it 20–10 at halftime. After the intermission, Detroit scored another touchdown, this one with a 10-yard catch by Will Heller from Matthew Stafford. The Bears responded with a pair of field goals by Olindo Mare, first one from 28-yards late in the third quarter, then one from 20 yards out early in the fourth. The Lions scored the final points of the game when Brian Robiskie caught a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford.[35][36] With their eight consecutive loss, the Lions finished their season at 4–12. Also, for the second time under Coach Schwartz's tenure which began in 2009, the team failed to win a single division game. It was also his third losing season.

Coaching staff

2012 Detroit Lions staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special Teams Coordinator – Danny Crossman
  • Quality Control/Special Teams – Evan Rothstein

Strength and conditioning

  • Coordinator of Physical Development – Jason Arapoff
  • Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Ted Rath

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 709 by the 1981 Vikings
  2. ↑ Lions agree to terms with CB Jacob Lacey; re-sign DT Andre Fluellen
  3. ↑ Detroit Lions Release CB Aaron Berry After Second Off-Season Arrest The Huffington Post, July 23, 2012
  4. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 1 – Rams at Lions ESPN.com, September 9, 2012
  5. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 1 – Rams at Lions ESPN.com, September 9, 2012
  6. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 2 – Lions at 49ers ESPN.com, September 16, 2012
  7. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 2 – Lions at 49ers ESPN.com, September 16, 2012
  8. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 3 – Lions at Titans ESPN.com, September 23, 2012
  9. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 3 – Lions at Titans ESPN.com, September 23, 2012
  10. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 4 – Vikings at Lions ESPN.com, September 30, 2012
  11. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 4 – Vikings at Lions ESPN.com, September 30, 2012
  12. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 6 – Lions at Eagles ESPN.com, October 14, 2012
  13. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 6 – Lions at Eagles ESPN.com, October 14, 2012
  14. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 7 – Lions at Bears ESPN.com, October 22, 2012
  15. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 7 – Lions at Bears ESPN.com, October 22, 2012
  16. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 8 – Seahawks at Lions ESPN.com, October 28, 2012
  17. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 8 – Seahawks at Lions ESPN.com, October 28, 2012
  18. ↑ Recap Week 8 – Lions at Jaguars NFL.com, November 4, 2012
  19. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 9 – Lions at Jaguars ESPN.com, November 4, 2012
  20. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 9 – Lions at Jaguars ESPN.com, November 4, 2012
  21. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 10 – Lions at Vikings ESPN.com November 11, 2012
  22. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 10 – Lions at Vikings ESPN.com, November 11, 2012
  23. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 11 – Packers at Lions ESPN.com, November 18, 2012
  24. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 11 – Packers at Lions ESPN.com, November 18, 2012
  25. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 12 – Texans at Lions ESPN.com, November 22, 2012
  26. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 12 – Texans at Lions ESPN.com, November 22, 2012
  27. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 13 – Colts at Lions ESPN.com, December 2, 2012
  28. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 13 – Colts at Lions ESPN.com, December 2, 2012
  29. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 14 – Lions at Packers ESPN.com, December 9, 2012
  30. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 14 – Lions at Packers ESPN.com, December 9, 2012
  31. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 15 – Lions at Cardinals ESPN.com, December 16, 2012
  32. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 15 – Lions at Cardinals ESPN.com, December 16, 2012
  33. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 16 – Falcons at Lions ESPN.com, December 22, 2012
  34. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 16 – Falcons at Lions ESPN.com, December 22, 2012
  35. ↑ NFL Box Score Week 17 – Bears at Lions ESPN.com, December 30, 2012
  36. ↑ NFL Drive Chart Week 17 – Bears at Lions ESPN.com, December 30, 2012

External links

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