2015 Detroit Lions season

2015 Detroit Lions season
Head coach	Jim Caldwell
General manager	Martin Mayhew (fired Nov. 5) Sheldon White (interim)
Owner	Martha Firestone Ford
Home field	Ford Field
Results
Record	7–9
Division place	3rd NFC North
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Ezekiel Ansah, DE Calvin Johnson, WR
Uniform

The 2015 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 86th season in the National Football League, their 82nd as the Detroit Lions and the second under Head Coach Jim Caldwell. By Week 7 of the season, the Lions had already lost six games, more than they did in the entire 2014 season. This led to the firing of Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi and two other coaches. After falling to 1–7 the following week, the team fired President Tom Lewand and General Manager Martin Mayhew.^[1] On November 19, the Lions named Rod Wood as team President.^[2] The Lions were eliminated from playoff contention after their loss to St. Louis in week 14. The team had a 6–2 record in the second half of the season to finish at 7–9, good for third place in the NFC North.

Offseason

Re-signings

Date	Player	Position	Contract	Source
February 27	Don Muhlbach	Long snapper	1 year / $1.05 million	[3]
March 2	Dan Orlovsky	Quarterback	1 year / $1.05 million	[4]
	Darryl Tapp	Defensive end	1 year / $950,000	[5]
March 6	Matt Prater	Placekicker	3 years / $9 million	[6]
	Kellen Moore	Quarterback	2 years / $1.825 million	[7]
March 10	Josh Bynes	Linebacker	2 years / $1.81 million	[8]
March 11	Isa Abdul-Quddus	Safety	1 year / $1.5 million	[9]
March 19	Rashean Mathis	Cornerback	2 years / $3.5 million	[10]
April 20	Jeremy Ross	Return specialist	1 year / $585,000	[11]
August 5	DeAndre Levy	Linebacker	4 years / $33.72 million	[12]

Arrivals

Date	Player	Position	Previous team	Contract	Source
February 27	Phillip Hunt	Defensive end	Indianapolis Colts	1 year / $585,000	[13]
March 12	Tyrunn Walker	Defensive end	New Orleans Saints	1 year / $1.75 million	[14]
April 3	Josh Wilson	Cornerback	Atlanta Falcons	1 year / $950,000	[15]
April 7	Brandon Copeland	Linebacker	Tennessee Titans	1 year / $460,000	[16]
May 2	Al Bond	Guard	Memphis	Undrafted FA	[17]
	Anthony Boone	Quarterback	Duke
	Kyle Brindza	Placekicker	Notre Dame
	Isaiah Johnson	Safety	Georgia Tech
	Vernon Johnson	Wide receiver	Texas A&M
	Desmond Lawrence	Wide receiver	North Carolina A&T
	Casey Pierce	Tight end	Kent State
	Kevin Snyder	Linebacker	Rutgers
	Brian Suite	Safety	Utah State
	Rasheed Williams	Running back	Alfred State
	Torrian Wilson	Offensive lineman	Central Florida
	Zach Zenner	Running back	South Dakota State
May 8	Alex Carter	Cornerback	Stanford	4 years / $3.058 million	[18]
	Gabe Wright	Defensive tackle	Auburn	4 years / $2.801 million
	Michael Burton	Fullback	Rutgers	4 years / $2.46 million
	Quandre Diggs	Cornerback	Texas	4 years / $2.395 million
	Corey Robinson	Offensive tackle	South Carolina	4 years / $2.338 million
May 11	Jarred Haggins	Wide receiver	Florida State	3 years / $1.575 million	[19]
	Nathan Lindsey	Safety	Fort Hays State	1 year / –
	Erik Lora	Wide receiver	Eastern Illinois	1 year / –
May 12	Desmond Martin	Running back	Wayne State	3 years / $1.575 million	[20]
	Lance Moore	Wide receiver	Pittsburgh Steelers	1 year / $1.05 million	[21]
May 13	Greg Salas	Wide receiver	New York Jets	1 year / $745,000	[22]
	Chris Owens	Cornerback	Kansas City Chiefs	1 year / –
	Ameer Abdullah	Running back	Nebraska	4 years / $4.156 million	[23]
June 10	David Ausberry	Tight end	Oakland Raiders	1 year / $660,000	[24]
June 11	Laken Tomlinson	Guard	Duke	4 years / $8.55 million	[25]
June 15	Garrett Gilbert	Quarterback	New England Patriots	1 year / –	[26]
June 22	Taylor Mays	Safety	Minnesota Vikings	1 year / $745,000	[27]
July 28	R. J. Stanford	Cornerback	Miami Dolphins	1 year / –	[28]
August 4	Ethan Davis	Cornerback	Troy	1 year / –	[29]

Departures

Date	Player	Position	Note	New Team	Source
February 25	Reggie Bush	Running back	Released	San Francisco 49ers	[30]
March 11	Ndamukong Suh	Defensive tackle	UFA	Miami Dolphins	[31]
March 12	Jed Collins	Fullback	UFA	Dallas Cowboys	[32]
March 13	Nick Fairley	Defensive tackle	UFA	St. Louis Rams	[33]
April 21	Rodney Austin	Guard	Released		[34]
May 11	Desmond Lawrence	Wide receiver	Released		[35]
May 12	Rasheed Williams	Running back	Released		[36]
May 13	Skye Dawson	Wide receiver	Released	Edmonton Eskimos (CFL)	[37]
June 3	Erik Lora	Wide receiver	Released		[38]
June 10	Nathan Lindsey	Defensive back	Released		[24]
June 12	Anthony Boone	Quarterback	Released	Montreal Alouettes (CFL)	[39]
June 17	Rasheed Williams	Running back	Released		[40]
August 4	Jerrell Harris	Linebacker	Released		[41]
August 8	Ethan Davis	Cornerback	Waived		[42]

Trades

• On March 10, the Lions traded their fourth and fifth-round picks to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and a seventh-round pick.^[43]
• On April 15, the Lions traded defensive end George Johnson and a seventh-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth-round pick.^[44]
• On August 3, the Lions traded Mohammed Seisay to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft.^[45]

Draft

2015 Detroit Lions Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	28	Laken Tomlinson	G	Duke
2	54	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Nebraska
3	80	Alex Carter	CB	Stanford
4	113	Gabe Wright	DT	Auburn
5	168	Michael Burton	FB	Rutgers
6	200	Quandre Diggs	CB	Texas
7	240	Corey Robinson	OT	South Carolina

Notes

• The Lions traded their fourth and fifth-round selections (Nos. 122 and 158 overall, respectively) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and the Ravens' seventh-round selection (No. 231 overall).^[43]
• The Lions traded defensive end George Johnson and their seventh-round selection (No. 231 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall).^[44]
• The Lions traded their first-round selection (No. 23 overall) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Denver's 2015 first and fifth-round selections (Nos. 28 and 143 overall, respectively), their fifth-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft, and guard Manny Ramirez.^[46]
• The Lions traded their third and fifth-round selections (Nos. 88 and 143 overall, respectively) to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a third-round selection (No. 80 overall).^[47]
• The Lions traded their third-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fourth-round selection (No. 113 overall).^[48]

Final roster

2015 Detroit Lions final roster
	Quarterbacks  8 Dan Orlovsky  9 Matthew Stafford Running backs 21 Ameer Abdullah KR 35 Joique Bell 46 Michael Burton FB 25 Theo Riddick 38 George Winn Wide receivers 10 Corey Fuller 81 Calvin Johnson 13 T. J. Jones 16 Lance Moore 15 Golden Tate PR Tight ends 85 Eric Ebron 80 Bear Pascoe 83 Tim Wright		Offensive linemen 60 Braxston Cave C 65 Gabe Ikard C 77 Cornelius Lucas T 74 Michael Ola T 63 Manny Ramirez G 71 Riley Reiff T 70 Corey Robinson T 72 Laken Tomlinson G 75 Larry Warford G Defensive linemen 94 Ezekiel Ansah DE 99 Jermelle Cudjo DT 61 Kerry Hyder DT 91 Jason Jones DE 92 Haloti Ngata DT 97 Caraun Reid DT 52 Darryl Tapp DE 98 Devin Taylor DE 67 Khyri Thornton DT 78 C. J. Wilson DE 90 Gabe Wright DT		Linebackers 57 Josh Bynes OLB 95 Brandon Copeland OLB 50 Travis Lewis MLB 53 Kyle Van Noy OLB 59 Tahir Whitehead OLB 55 Stephen Tulloch MLB Defensive backs 42 Isa Abdul-Quddus SS 29 Crezdon Butler CB 26 Don Carey FS 28 Quandre Diggs CB 32 James Ihedigbo SS 43 Isaiah Johnson S 24 Nevin Lawson CB 27 Glover Quin FS 23 Darius Slay CB Special teams  6 Sam Martin P 48 Don Muhlbach LS  5 Matt Prater K		Reserve lists 33 Alex Carter CB (IR) 96 Andre Fluellen DT (IR) 68 Darren Keyton C (IR) 54 DeAndre Levy OLB (IR) 31 Rashean Mathis CB (IR) 87 Brandon Pettigrew TE (IR) 64 Travis Swanson C (IR) 82 Jordan Thompson TE (IR) 93 Tyrunn Walker DT (IR) 30 Josh Wilson CB (IR) 99 Corey Wootton DE (IR) 34 Zach Zenner RB (IR) Practice squad 49 Khaseem Greene LB 36 Kendall James CB 86 Casey Pierce TE 18 Ryan Spadola WR  2 Ricky Stanzi QB 73 Tyrus Thompson OT 19 Corey Washington WR 79 Larry Webster III DE Rookies in italics 53 Active, 13 Inactive, 8 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 13	New York Jets	W 23–3	1–0	Ford Field	Recap
2	August 20	at Washington Redskins	L 17–21	1–1	FedEx Field	Recap
3	August 28	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 22–17	2–1	EverBank Field	Recap
4	September 3	Buffalo Bills	W 17–10	3–1	Ford Field	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 13	at San Diego Chargers	L 28–33	0–1	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
2	September 20	at Minnesota Vikings	L 16–26	0–2	TCF Bank Stadium	Recap
3	September 27	Denver Broncos	L 12–24	0–3	Ford Field	Recap
4	October 5	at Seattle Seahawks	L 10–13	0–4	CenturyLink Field	Recap
5	October 11	Arizona Cardinals	L 17–42	0–5	Ford Field	Recap
6	October 18	Chicago Bears	W 37–34 (OT)	1–5	Ford Field	Recap
7	October 25	Minnesota Vikings	L 19–28	1–6	Ford Field	Recap
8	November 1	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 10–45	1–7	Wembley Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 15	at Green Bay Packers	W 18–16	2–7	Lambeau Field	Recap
11	November 22	Oakland Raiders	W 18–13	3–7	Ford Field	Recap
12	November 26	Philadelphia Eagles	W 45–14	4–7	Ford Field	Recap
13	December 3	Green Bay Packers	L 23–27	4–8	Ford Field	Recap
14	December 13	at St. Louis Rams	L 14–21	4–9	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
15	December 21	at New Orleans Saints	W 35–27	5–9	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
16	December 27	San Francisco 49ers	W 32–17	6–9	Ford Field	Recap
17	January 3	at Chicago Bears	W 24–20	7–9	Soldier Field	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at San Diego Chargers

Week One: Detroit Lions at San Diego Chargers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	14	0	7	28
Chargers	3	7	10	13	33

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 66,093
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Ameer Abdullah 24 yard rush. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:14. Lions 7–0. SD - Josh Lambo 32 yard field goal. Drive: 13 plays, 73 yards, 7:02. Lions 7–3. Second quarter DET - Glover Quin 31 yard interception return. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 1:32. Lions 14–3. DET - Eric Ebron pass from Matthew Stafford for 18 yards. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:06. Lions 21–3. SD - Danny Woodhead 9 yard rush. Josh Lambo kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:47. Lions 21–10. Third quarter SD - Josh Lambo 25 yard field goal. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:39. Lions 21–13. SD - Stevie Johnson pass from Philip Rivers for 12 yards. Josh Lambo kick is good. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 1:12. Lions 21–20. Fourth quarter SD - Ladarius Green pass from Philip Rivers for 13 yards. Josh Lambo kick is no good. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:52. Chargers 26–21. SD - Danny Woodhead 1 yard rush. Josh Lambo kick is good. Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 6:18. Chargers 33–21. DET - Theo Riddick 21 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 1:29. Chargers 33–28. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 19/30, 246 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT SD – Philip Rivers - 35/42, 404 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers DET – Ameer Abdullah - 7 rushes, 50 yds, 1 TD SD – Melvin Gordon - 14 rushes, 51 yds Top receivers DET – Eric Ebron - 4 catches, 53 yds, 1 TD SD – Keenan Allen - 15 catches, 166 yds Top tacklers DET – Rashean Mathis - 8 tackles SD – Eric Weddle - 7 tackles

The visiting Lions opened the 2015 season at San Diego. Detroit held a 21–3 lead midway through the second quarter, only to see the Chargers reel off 30 unanswered points on their way to a 33–28 victory.

Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Two: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	10	0	6	16
Vikings	7	10	6	3	26

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 52,319
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Kirk Morrison and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter MIN - Kyle Rudolph 5 yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater. Blair Walsh kick is good. 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:35. Vikings 7–0. Second quarter MIN - Teddy Bridgewater 1 yard run. Blair Walsh kick is good. 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:58. Vikings 14–0. DET - Matt Prater 26 yard field goal. 14 plays, 72 yards, 7:14. Vikings 14–3. MIN - Blair Walsh 28 yard field goal. 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:40. Vikings 17–3. DET - Calvin Johnson 11 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:58. Vikings 17–10. Third quarter MIN - Zach Line 1 yard run. Blair Walsh kick is no good. 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:31. Vikings 23–10. Fourth quarter MIN - Blair Walsh 23 yard field goal. 10 plays, 34 yards, 5:46. Vikings 26–10. DET - Eric Ebron 12 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Two-point conversion attempt failed. 18 plays, 82 yards, 4:32. Vikings 26–16. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 32/53, 286 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT MIN – Teddy Bridgewater - 14/18, 153 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DET – Matthew Stafford - 4 carries, 20 yards MIN – Adrian Peterson - 29 carries, 134 yards Top receivers DET – Calvin Johnson - 10 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD MIN – Adrian Peterson - 2 receptions, 58 yards Top tacklers DET – James Ihedigbo - 7 tackles, 2 assists MIN – Captain Munnerlyn - 7 tackles

The Vikings took an early 14–0 lead on the visiting Lions and never looked back, as Detroit struggled to find any offensive consistency, especially in the running game. (Quarterback Matthew Stafford was the leading rusher with only 20 yards.)

Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Three: Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	14	0	10	24
Lions	0	6	6	0	12

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 62,920
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter DEN - Ronnie Hillman 1 yard rush. Brandon McManus kick is good. 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:25. Broncos 7–0 DET - Joique Bell 1 yard rush. Matt Prater kick is blocked. 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:51. Broncos 7–6. DEN - Demaryius Thomas pass from Peyton Manning for 45 yards. Brandon McManus kick is good. 7 plays, 80 yards, 0:58. Broncos 14–6. Third quarter DET -Ameer Abdullah 16 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Two-point conversion is no good. 4 plays, 29 yards, 2:09. Broncos 14–12. Fourth quarter DEN - Brandon McManus 48 yard field goal is good. 5 plays, 19 yards, 2:22. Broncos 17–12. DEN - Owen Daniels 11 yard pass from Peyton Manning. Brandon McManus kick is good. 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:09. Broncos 24–12. Top passers DEN – Peyton Manning - 31/42, 324 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT DET – Matthew Stafford - 31/45, 282 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's Top rushers DEN – C.J. Anderson - 8 carries, 18 yards DET – Ameer Abdullah - 8 carries, 23 yards Top receivers DEN – Demaryius Thomas - 9 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD DET – Calvin Johnson - 8 receptions, 77 yards Top tacklers DEN – Brandon Marshall - 10 tackles, 2 assists DET – Stephen Tulloch - 7 tackles, 4 assists

Playing in their home debut, the 0–2 Lions closed the game to 14–12 in the third quarter, but a two-point conversion to tie the score failed. Denver then scored the final 10 points for a 24–12 victory.

Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Four: Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	3	0	7	10
Seahawks	0	10	3	0	13

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT/5:30 p.m. PDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
• Game attendance: 69,005
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter SEA - Doug Baldwin 24 yard pass from Russell Wilson. Steven Hauschka kick is good. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:59. Seahawks 7–0. DET - Matt Prater 41 yard field goal. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 5:40. Seahawks 7–3. SEA - Steven Hauschka 51 yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:16. Seahawks 10–3. Third quarter SEA - Steven Hauschka 52 yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:49. Seahawks 13–3. Fourth quarter DET - Caraun Reid 27 yard fumble return. Matt Prater kick is good. Seahawks 13–10. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 24/35, 203 yards SEA – Russell Wilson - 20/26, 287 yards, 1 TD Top rushers DET – Ameer Abdullah - 13 carries, 33 yards SEA – Thomas Rawls - 17 carries, 48 yards Top receivers DET – Calvin Johnson - 7 receptions, 56 yards SEA – Jermaine Kearse - 2 receptions, 84 yards Top tacklers DET – James Ihedigbo - 7 tackles, 1 assist SEA – Bobby Wagner - 4 tackles, 4 assists

Playing on Monday Night, the Lions had a chance to upset last year's NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks. Late in the fourth quarter, Calvin Johnson caught a pass from Matthew Stafford and was headed for a go-ahead touchdown until Kam Chancellor punched the ball from his hands at Seattle's 1-yard line. As the ball bounded into the end zone, K. J. Wright batted the ball across the end line. By NFL rules, the intentional guiding of the ball across the end line should have resulted in a penalty, giving the ball back to the Lions at the spot of the fumble. But the back judge ruled that Wright's act was not blatant, and Seattle was given the ball at their own 20-yard line, after which they proceeded to run out the clock.

Dean Blandino, NFL VP of Officiating, stated after the game that the on-field officials made a mistake, and Detroit should have regained possession at the 1-yard line.^[49]

With the loss, the Lions are 0–4, their worst start since 2010. With the Saints' win over the Cowboys on Sunday Night, the Lions are the league's only winless team.

Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Five: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	28	7	7	42
Lions	7	0	0	10	17

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 60,816
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, Daryl Johnston and Holly Sonders
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Theo Riddick pass from Matthew Stafford for 6 yards. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:48. Lions 7–0. Second quarter ARI - Darren Fells pass from Carson Palmer for 14 yards Chandler Catanzaro kick is good. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:26. Tied 7–7. ARI - David Johnson 4 yard rush. Chandler Catanzaro kick is good. Drive: 1 play, 4 yards, 0:05. Cardinals 14–7. ARI - David Johnson 2 yard rush. Chandler Catanzaro kick is good. Drive: 5 plays, 99 yards, 2:25. Cardinals 21–7. ARI - John Brown 18 yard pass from Carson Palmer. Chandler Catanzaro kick is good. Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 0:47. Cardinals 28–7. Third quarter ARI - Larry Fitzgerald pass from Carson Palmer for 2 yards. Chandler Catanzaro kick is good. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 3:47. Cardinals 35–7. Fourth quarter DET - Matt Prater 40 yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 2:13. Cardinals 35–10. ARI - Andre Ellington 63 yard rush. Chandler Catanzaro kick is good. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:31. Cardinals 42–10. DET - Lance Moore pass from Dan Orlovsky for 13 yards. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 3:50. Cardinals 42–17. Top passers ARI – Carson Palmer - 11/14, 161 yards, 3 TDs DET – Dan Orlovsky - 21/38, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers ARI – Chris Johnson - 11 carries, 103 yards DET – Zach Zenner - 10 carries, 30 yards Top receivers ARI – John Brown - 4 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD DET – Golden Tate - 8 receptions, 74 yards Top tacklers ARI – Jerraud Powers - 10 tackles, 2 assists DET – James Ihedigbo - 5 tackles, 1 assist

The highlight of the game was when Calvin Johnson caught his 671st pass with the Lions, breaking Herman Moore's franchise record. Inconsistent play by Matthew Stafford, including throwing 3 interceptions, forced him to the sidelines for the game's remainder. With the blowout loss, the Lions remained winless at 0–5.

This marks the first time the Lions have started a season 0–5 since 2008 (their winless season).

Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Six: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bears	3	10	3	18	0	34
Lions	7	14	3	10	3	37

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 57,648
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Lance Moore pass from Matthew Stafford for 20 yards. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:31. Lions 7–0. CHI - Robbie Gould 27 yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:41. Lions 7–3. Second quarter CHI - Jeremy Langford 1 yard rush. Robbie Gould kick is good. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:51. Bears 10–7. DET - Timothy Wright pass from Matthew Stafford for 8 yards. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 3:31. Lions 14–10. CHI - Robbie Gould 23 yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 4:27. Lions 14–13. DET - Golden Tate pass from Matthew Stafford for 2 yards. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 3:57. Lions 21–13. Third quarter CHI - Robbie Gould 38 yard field goal. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:30. Lions 21–16. DET - Matt Prater 39 yard field goal. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 4:07. Lions 24–16. Fourth quarter CHI - Alshon Jeffery pass from Jay Cutler. Robbie Gould kick is good. Drive: 3 plays, 21 yards, 1:31. Lions 24–23. CHI - Matt Forte 2 yard rush. Matt Forte pass from Jay Cutler two-point conversion is good. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:09: Bears 31–24. DET - Matt Prater 32 yard field goal. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 5:04. Bears 31–27. DET - Calvin Johnson pass from Matthew Stafford for 6 yards. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:02. Lions 34–31. CHI - Robbie Gould 29 yard field goal. Drive: 3 plays, 69 yards, 0:21. Tied 34–34. Overtime DET - Matt Prater 27 yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:54. Lions 37–24. Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler - 26/41, 353 yards, 1 TD DET – Matthew Stafford - 27/42, 405 yards, 4 TDs Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte - 24 carries, 69 yards DET – Ameer Abdullah - 14 carries, 48 yards Top receivers CHI – Alshon Jeffery - 8 receptions, 147 yards DET – Calvin Johnson - 6 receptions, 166 yards Top tacklers CHI – Kyle Fuller - 7 tackles, 1 assist DET – Stephen Tulloch - 9 tackles, 4 assists

With an overtime victory over the visiting Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions are no longer winless, improving to 1–5. A 57-yard bomb from Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson with under three minutes to play in overtime set up Matt Prater for the game-winning 27-yard field goal.

Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Seven: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	3	12	10	3	28
Lions	14	3	0	2	19

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 60,231
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Calvin Johnson 1 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:50. Lions 7–0. MIN - Blair Walsh 37 yard field goal is good. Drive: 15 plays, 63 yards, 7:23. Lions 7–3. DET - Eric Ebron 7 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:23. Lions 14–3. Second quarter MIN - Blair Walsh 53 yard field goal is good. Drive: 9 plays, 37 yards, 5:13. Lions 14–6. DET - Matt Prater 52 yard field goal is good. Drive: 6 plays, 8 yards, 2:53. Lions 17–6. MIN - Kyle Rudolph 1 yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater. Blair Walsh kick is no good. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:14. Lions 17–12. MIN - Blair Walsh 51 yard field goal is good. Drive: 8 plays, 19 yards, 1:13. Lions 17–15. Third quarter MIN - Stefon Diggs 36 yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater. Blair Walsh Kick is good. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:41. Vikings 22–17. MIN - Blair Walsh 35 yard field goal is good. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:07. Vikings 25–17. Fourth quarter MIN - Blair Walsh 22 yard field goal is good. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:57. Vikings 28–17. DET - Vikings punter Jeff Locke steps out of bounds in end zone for a Lions safety. Drive: 4 plays, -1 yard, 0:57. Vikings 28–19. Top passers MIN – Teddy Bridgewater - 25/35, 316 yards, 2 TDs DET – Matthew Stafford - 18/26, 256 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers MIN – Adrian Peterson - 19 carries, 98 yards DET – Ameer Abdullah - 8 carries, 43 yards Top receivers MIN – Stefon Diggs - 6 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD DET – Eric Ebron - 5 receptions, 89 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers MIN – Harrison Smith - 5 tackles, 4 assists DET – Josh Bynes - 5 tackles, 2 assists

Despite leading 17–15 at halftime, the Lions only managed to score 2 more points the rest of the game on an intentional safety taken by the Vikings in the closing seconds, losing 28–19 and dropping to 1–6. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was hit 13 times and sacked 7 times. The next day, the Lions fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn and assistant offensive line coach Terry Heffernan. Quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter will take over as offensive coordinator, tight ends coach Ron Prince takes over for Washburn, and special teams assistant Devin Fitzsimmons takes over as the new tight ends coach.^[50]

Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Eight: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	3	0	0	7	10
Chiefs	7	17	7	14	45

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. EST
• Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 83,624
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Matt Prater 35 yard field goal is good. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:51. Lions 3–0. KC - De'Anthony Thomas 10 yard run. Cairo Santos kick is good. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:02. Chiefs 7–3. Second quarter KC - Alex Smith 12 yard run. Cairo Santos kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:47. Chiefs 14–3. KC - Cairo Santos 33 yard field goal is good. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:42. Chiefs 17–3. KC - Charcandrick West 8 yard run. Cairo Santos kick is good. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:53. Chiefs 24–3. Third quarter KC - Travis Kelce 2 yard pass from Alex Smith. Cairo Santos kick is good. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 6:07. Chiefs 31–3. Fourth quarter KC - Jeremy Maclin 17 yard pass from Alex Smith. Cairo Santos kick is good. Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:46. Chiefs 38–3. DET - Lance Moore 21 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:50. Chiefs 38–10. KC - Spencer Ware 4 yard run. Cairo Santos kick is good. Drive: 2 plays, 41 yards, 0:41. Chiefs 45–10. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 22/36, 217 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs KC – Alex Smith - 18/26, 145 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers DET – Joique Bell - 7 carries, 56 yards KC – Charcandrick West - 20 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD Top receivers DET – Calvin Johnson - 5 receptions, 85 yards KC – Travis Kelce - 6 receptions, 49 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers DET – Stephen Tulloch - 7 tackles KC – Derrick Johnson - 5 tackles, 1 sack

After the blowout overseas loss, the Lions entered their bye week at 1–7, the NFL's worst record so far this season. Despite the changeover in offensive coaches, Matthew Stafford was sacked six more times. On November 5, the Lions fired President Tom Lewand and General Manager Martin Mayhew. Former vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White will serve as the team's interim general manager.^[1]

Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

Week Ten: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	3	6	9	18
Packers	3	0	0	13	16

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: November 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 55 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,526
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter GB - Mason Crosby 44 yard field goal is good. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 4:54. Packers 3–0. Second quarter DET - Matt Prater 49 yard field goal is good. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 0:33. Tied 3–3. Third quarter DET - Brandon Pettigrew pass from Matthew Stafford for 2 yards. Matt Prater kick is no good. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 1:27. Lions 9–3. Fourth quarter DET - Matt Prater 51 yard field goal is good. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 1:39. Lions 12–3. GB - Richard Rodgers pass from Aaron Rodgers for 4 yards. Mason Crosby kick is good. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:05. Lions 12–10. DET - Lance Moore pass from Matthew Stafford for 4 yards. Matt Prater kick is no good. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:58. Lions 18–10. GB - Justin Perillo pass from Aaron Rodgers for 11 yards. Two point conversion attempt is no good. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:25. Lions 18–16. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 24/38, 242 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT GB – Aaron Rodgers - 35/61, 333 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers DET – Joique Bell - 14 carries, 17 yards GB – James Starks - 15 carries, 42 yards Top receivers DET – Calvin Johnson - 6 receptions, 81 yards GB – Davante Adams - 10 receptions, 79 yards Top tacklers DET – Isa Abdul-Quddus - 8 tackles GB – Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - 9 tackles, 2 assists

The 1–7 Lions withstood a late rally to earn an upset win over the 6–2 Packers. This was the first Lions win over Green Bay in Wisconsin since 1991.^[51] Ameer Abdullah set up the Lions first touchdown when he returned a kickoff 104 yards, and was stopped at the one-yard line. This tied the record set by Percy Harvin in 2011 for the longest non-scoring play in NFL history.^[52]

Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Eleven: Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	0	13	0	13
Lions	6	3	0	9	18

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 60,202
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Matt Prater 29 yard field goal is good. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:06. Lions 3–0. DET - Matt Prater 41 yard field goal is good. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:30. Lions 6–0. Second quarter DET - Matt Prater 51 yard field goal is good. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 2:38. Lions 9–0. Third quarter OAK - Latavius Murray 1 yard rush. Sabastian Janikowski kick is good. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:36. Lions 9–7. OAK - Sebastian Janikowski 48 yard field goal is good. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 2:55. Raiders 10–9. OAK - Sebastian Janikowski 56 yard field goal is good. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:06. Raiders 13–9. Fourth quarter DET - Matthew Stafford 5 yard rush. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:11. Lions 16–13. DET - Donald Penn of Raiders tackled in end zone for safety. 2 plays, -8 yards, 0:30. Lions 18–13. Top passers OAK – Derek Carr - 13/25, 169 yards DET – Matthew Stafford - 22/35, 282 yards Top rushers OAK – Latavius Murray - 13 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD DET – Ameer Abdullah - 12 carries, 44 yards Top receivers OAK – Seth Roberts - 2 receptions, 54 yards DET – Calvin Johnson - 5 receptions 88 yards Top tacklers OAK – Khalil Mack - 8 tackles DET – Quandre Diggs - 5 tackles, 1 assist

The 18–13 win over the visiting Raiders gave the Lions their first back–to–back victories of the season. The Lions became the first team in NFL history to score exactly 18 points in consecutive games.^[53]

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Thanksgiving Day game

Week Twelve: Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	7	0	7	14
Lions	7	17	14	7	45

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 64,445
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Theo Riddick 8 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:27. Lions 7–0. Second quarter PHI - Brent Celek 2 yard pass from Mark Sanchez. Caleb Sturgis kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:50. Tied 7–7. DET - Golden Tate 2 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:27. Lions 14–7. DET - Matt Prater 48 yard field goal is good. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:21. Lions 17–7. DET - Calvin Johnson 25 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 3:56. Lions 24–7. Third quarter DET - Calvin Johnson 4 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:51. Lions 31–7. DET - Calvin Johnson 3 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:28. Lions 38–7. Fourth quarter DET - Joique Bell 1 yard Run. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:36. Lions 45–7. PHI - Jordan Matthews 24 yard pass from Mark Sanchez. Caleb Sturgis kick is good. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:07. Lions 45–14. Top passers PHI – Mark Sanchez - 19/27, 199 yards, 2 TDs DET – Matthew Stafford - 27/38, 337 yards, 5 TDs Top rushers PHI – Kenjon Barner - 7 carries, 30 yards DET – Ameer Abdullah - 16 carries, 30 yards Top receivers PHI – Jordan Matthews - 3 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD DET – Calvin Johnson - 8 receptions, 93 yards, 3 TDs Top tacklers PHI – Walter Thurmond III - 6 tackles, 3 assists DET – Tahir Whitehead - 4 tackles, 2 assists

Celebrating their 76th Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions routed the Eagles for their third consecutive win. Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes, three of them to Calvin Johnson. Having lost at Ford Field for the first time, the Eagles dropped to 6–1 when playing on Thanksgiving.

Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Thirteen: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	0	0	14	13	27
Lions	17	0	3	3	23

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 8:25 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,207
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Matt Prater 51 yard field goal is good. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 4:04. Lions 3–0. DET - Eric Ebron 3 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:53. Lions 10–0. DET - Calvin Johnson 17 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 1 play, 17 yards, 0:06. Lions 17–0. Second quarter No scoring Third quarter DET - Matt Prater 34 yard field goal is good. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 6:06. Lions 20–0. GB - Randall Cobb fumble recovery in end zone. Mason Crosby kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:10. Lions 20–7. GB - Davante Adams 8 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers. Mason Crosby kick is good. Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 1:31. Lions 20–14. Fourth quarter DET - Matt Prater 42 yard field goal is good. Drive: 13 plays, 34 yards, 6:29. Lions 23–14. GB - Aaron Rodgers 17 yd run. Mason Crosby kick is good. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:02. Lions 23–21. GB - Richard Rodgers 61 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers. Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 0:23. Packers 27–23. Top passers GB – Aaron Rodgers - 24/36, 273 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT DET – Matthew Stafford - 23/35, 220 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers GB – Aaron Rodgers - 4 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD DET – Ameer Abdullah - 13 carries, 67 yards Top receivers GB – Richard Rodgers - 8 receptions, 146 yards, 1 TD DET – Golden Tate - 8 receptions, 63 yards Top tacklers GB – Jake Ryan - 6 tackles, 4 assists DET – Isa Abdul-Quddus - 9 tackles, 2 assists

Despite the Lions leading the entire game, the Packers won the game after the official clock expired when a controversial facemask penalty against Devin Taylor gave them one extra untimed play. On that play, Aaron Rodgers threw a 61-yard Hail Mary pass to Richard Rodgers for the winning touchdown. The play was later dubbed the "Miracle in Motown".

Week 14: at St. Louis Rams

Week Fourteen: Detroit Lions at St. Louis Rams – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	0	7	7	14
Rams	0	7	7	7	21

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

• Date: December 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 51,202
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter STL - Trumaine Johnson 58 yard interception return. Greg Zuerlein kick is good. Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 4:55. Rams 7–0. Third quarter DET - Golden Tate 9 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:21. Tied 7–7. STL - Todd Gurley 5 yard run. Greg Zuerlein kick is good. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:38. Rams 14–7. Fourth quarter STL - Todd Gurley 15 yard run. Greg Zuerlein kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 3:33. Rams 21–7. DET - Golden Tate 2 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 4:13. Rams 21–14. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 30/46, 245 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT STL – Case Keenum - 14/22, 124 yards, 1 INT Top rushers DET – Joique Bell - 7 carries, 50 yards STL – Todd Gurley - 16 carries, 140 yards Top receivers DET – Golden Tate - 9 receptions, 60 yards STL – Kenny Britt - 2 receptions, 35 yards Top tacklers DET – Josh Bynes - 7 tackles, 1 assist STL – Mark Barron - 8 tackles, 3 assists

After a scoreless first half against the Rams in St. Louis, the Lions' attempt at a comeback in the second half fell short. The ninth loss guaranteed a losing season, the team's third in the last four years, and officially eliminated the Lions from playoff contention.

Week 15: at New Orleans Saints

Week Fifteen: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	14	7	7	35
Saints	3	0	7	17	27

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,017
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Golden Tate 1 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:34. Lions 7–0. NO - Kai Forbath 45 yard field goal. Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 6:45. Lions 7–3. Second quarter DET - Michael Burton 4 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:54. Lions 14–3. DET - Golden Tate 5 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:38. Lions 21–3. Third quarter DET - Ameer Abdullah 15 yard run. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:10. Lions 28–3. NO - Brandin Cooks 27 yard pass from Drew Brees. Kai Forbath kick is good. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:28. Lions 28–10. Fourth quarter NO - Kai Forbath 22 yard field goal. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:19. Lions 28–13. NO - Marques Colston 11 yard pass from Drew Brees. Kai Forbath kick is good. 5 plays, 38 yards, 2:41. Lions 28–20. DET - Joique Bell 1 yard run. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 4:42. Lions 35–20. NO - Benjamin Watson 1 yard pass from Drew Brees. Kai Forbath kick is good. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 3:29. Lions 35–27. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 22/25, 254 yards, 3 TDs NO – Drew Brees - 34/52, 341 yards, 3 TDs Top rushers DET – Ameer Abdullah - 9 carries, 77 yards NO – Tim Hightower - 13 carries, 54 yards Top receivers DET – Eric Ebron - 4 receptions, 79 yards NO – Brandin Cooks - 10 receptions, 124 yards Top tacklers DET – Stephen Tulloch - 7 tackles, 2 assists NO – Kenny Vaccaro - 7 tackles

The Lions defeated the Saints 35–27, as Matthew Stafford posted a single-game career high in passer rating (148.6), and broke Jon Kitna's single-game franchise record with an 88.0 completion percentage (22-for-25).^[54] It was the team's first road win over the Saints since 2005.

Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Sixteen: San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	10	0	0	17
Lions	3	17	3	9	32

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 61,313
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SF - Vance McDonald 1 yard pass from Blaine Gabbert. Phil Dawson kick is good. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:36. 49ers 7–0. DET - Matt Prater 36 yard field goal is good. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:05. Lions 7–3. Second quarter DET - TJ Jones 29 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:39. Lions 10–7. SF - Torrey Smith 16 yard pass from Blaine Gabbert. Phil Dawson kick is good. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 2:49. 49ers 14–10. DET - Joique Bell 1 yard run. Matt Prater kick. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:03. Lions 17–14. SF - Phil Dawson 40 yd field goal is good. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 2:06. Tied 17–17. DET - Matt Prater 38 yard field goal is good. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 0:35. Lions 20–17. Third quarter DET - Matt Prater 37 yard field goal is good. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:35. Lions 23–17. Fourth quarter DET - Calvin Johnson 1 yd pass from Matthew Stafford. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:27. Lions 29–17. DET - Matt Prater 34 yard field goal is good. Drive: 9 plays, 24 yards, 3:43. Lions 32–17. Top passers SF – Blaine Gabbert - 22/33, 225 yards, 2 TDs DET – Matthew Stafford - 29/37, 301 yards, 2 TDs Top rushers SF – DuJuan Harris - 11 carries, 73 yards DET – Ameer Abdullah - 8 carries, 39 yards Top receivers SF – Vance McDonald - 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD DET – Calvin Johnson - 6 receptions, 77 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers SF – NaVorro Bowman - 8 tackles, 2 assists, .5 sack DET – Darius Slay - 6 tackles

After multiple lead changes and a close halftime score, the Lions pulled away and won their last home game of the season, keeping the 49ers scoreless for the entire second half. Theo Riddick caught 7 passes for 63 yards, giving him 668 receiving yards on the season, a Lions franchise record for a running back.^[55]

Week 17: at Chicago Bears

Week Seventeen: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	3	7	7	24
Bears	0	0	10	10	20

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: January 3, 2016
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 61,177
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Molly McGrath
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DET - Timothy Wright 9 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:46. Lions 7–0. Second quarter DET - Matt Prater 59 yard field goal. Drive: 3 plays, -2 yards, 0:11. Lions 10–0. Third quarter CHI - Robbie Gould 49 yard field goal. Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 5:57. Lions 10–3. CHI - Joshua Bellamy 34 yard pass from Jay Cutler. Robbie Gould kick is good. Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 1:22. Tied 10–10. DET - Calvin Johnson 36 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:21. Lions 17–10. Fourth quarter CHI - Matt Forte 23 yard pass from Jay Cutler. Robbie Gould kick is good. Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:47. Tied 17–17. DET - Eric Ebron 1 yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Matt Prater kick is good. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:34. Lions 24–17. CHI - Robbie Gould 34 yard field goal. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 3:07. Lions 24–20. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford - 28/39, 298 yards, 3 TDs CHI – Jay Cutler - 17/23, 245 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs Top rushers DET – Ameer Abdullah - 10 carries, 44 yards CHI – Matt Forte - 17 carries, 76 yards Top receivers DET – Calvin Johnson - 10 receptions, 137 yards CHI – Marc Mariani - 6 receptions, 80 yards Top tacklers DET – Stephen Tulloch - 7 tackles, 1 assist CHI – John Timu - 8 tackles

The Lions completed a season sweep of their division rival Chicago Bears with a 24–20 win. The loss sunk the Bears to last place in the NFC North, with the Lions finishing third. Matthew Stafford completed 28 of 39 passes, giving him a season completion percentage of 67.2, the best for a quarterback in franchise history. Theo Riddick caught 4 passes for 29 yards, giving him season totals of 80 receptions and 697 yards, both franchise records for a running back. The Lions finished the season with three players catching 80 passes or more – Golden Tate (90), Calvin Johnson (88) and Riddick (80) – a first for any Lions team. Matt Prater kicked a 59-yard field goal in the game, the longest in Lions franchise history and the longest ever kicked at Soldier Field.^[56]

Standings

Division

NFC North
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(3) Minnesota Vikings	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	365	302	W3
^(5) Green Bay Packers	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	368	323	L2
Detroit Lions	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	358	400	W3
Chicago Bears	6	10	0	.375	1–5	3–9	335	397	L1

Conference

NFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1	Carolina Panthers	South	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	.441	.438	W1
2	Arizona Cardinals	West	13	3	0	.813	4–2	10–2	.477	.457	L1
3	Minnesota Vikings	North	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	.504	.449	W3
4	Washington Redskins	East	9	7	0	.563	4–2	8–4	.465	.403	W4
Wild Cards
5[lower-alpha 1]	Green Bay Packers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.531	.450	L2
6[lower-alpha 1]	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.520	.431	W1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7	Atlanta Falcons	South	8	8	0	.500	1–5	5–7	.480	.453	L1
8[lower-alpha 2]	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	.527	.482	L1
9[lower-alpha 2]	Detroit Lions	North	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.535	.429	W3
10[lower-alpha 2]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	.508	.473	W1
11[lower-alpha 2]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	.504	.402	W2
12[lower-alpha 3]	New York Giants	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.500	.396	L3
13[lower-alpha 3]	Chicago Bears	North	6	10	0	.375	1–5	3–9	.547	.469	L1
14[lower-alpha 3]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	.484	.406	L4
15	San Francisco 49ers	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.539	.463	W1
16	Dallas Cowboys	East	4	12	0	.250	3–3	3–9	.531	.438	L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 4]
Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Coaching staff

2015 Detroit Lions staff
	Front office Owner/Chairman – Martha Firestone Ford Vice Chairman – William Clay Ford, Jr. President – Rod Wood COO - Allison Maki General Manager – Sheldon White (interim) Senior Personnel Executive – Brian Xanders Senior Personnel Executive – Scott McEwen Senior Vice President of Football Operations – Cedric Saunders Director of College Scouting – Lance Newmark Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Rob Lohman Head coaches Head Coach – Jim Caldwell Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line – Ron Prince Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks – Jim Bob Cooter Running Backs – Curtis Modkins Wide Receivers – Robert Prince Tight Ends – Devin Fitzsimmons Assistant Offensive Line – Ryan Silverfield Offensive Assistant/Research & Analysis – Evan Rothstein			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Teryl Austin Defensive Line – Kris Kocurek Defensive Line Assistant – Jim Washburn Linebackers – Bill Sheridan Safeties – Alan Williams Cornerbacks – Tony Oden Defensive Quality Control – Matt Raich Senior Coaching Assistant – Gunther Cunningham Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Joe Marciano Strength and conditioning Coordinator of Physical Development – Jason Arapoff Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Ted Rath

References

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15. Twentyman, Tim (April 3, 2015). "Lions sign cornerback Josh Wilson". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
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23. Twentyman, Tim (May 13, 2015). "Lions sign second-round pick Ameer Abdullah". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
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External links

• Official website