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Detroit Lions
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
	; ; ← 2014; ; ; Lions seasons; ; ; 2016 →; ; ;

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. One highlight of the season was the Lions first win in Green Bay since 1991.

3 Schedule
- 3.1 Preseason
- 3.2 Regular season
- 3.3 Game summaries
  - 3.3.1 Week 1: at San Diego Chargers
  - 3.3.2 Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings
  - 3.3.3 Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos
  - 3.3.4 Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks
  - 3.3.5 Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals
  - 3.3.6 Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears
  - 3.3.7 Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings
  - 3.3.8 Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs
  - 3.3.9 Week 10: at Green Bay Packers
  - 3.3.10 Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders
  - 3.3.11 Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
  - 3.3.12 Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers
  - 3.3.13 Week 14: at St. Louis Rams
  - 3.3.14 Week 15: at New Orleans Saints
  - 3.3.15 Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers
  - 3.3.16 Week 17: at Chicago Bears

4 Standings
- 4.1 Division
- 4.2 Conference

5 Coaching staff

6 References

7 External links

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]
March 2	Darryl Tapp	Defensive end	1 year / $950,000	^[5]
March 6	Matt Prater	Placekicker	3 years / $9 million	^[6]
March 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]
May 12	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 / –	^[22]
	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	FedExField	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 plays

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 plays

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 (when they went 0-16).

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), 2:14. Lions 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:27.

Second quarter

PHI – Brent Celek 2-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Caleb Sturgis kick), 14:26. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:50.

DET – Golden Tate 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 7:58. Lions 14–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:27.

DET – Matt Prater 48-yard field goal, 5:04. Lions 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:21.

DET – Calvin Johnson 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 0:17. Lions 24–7. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 3:56.

Third quarter

DET – Calvin Johnson 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 7:13. Lions 31–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:51.

DET – Calvin Johnson 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 5:10. Lions 38–7. Drive: 4 plays, 14 yards, 1:28.

Fourth quarter

DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:45. Lions 45–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:36.

PHI – Jordan Matthews 24-yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Caleb Sturgis kick), 3:02. Lions 45–14. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:07.

Top passers

PHI – Mark Sanchez – 19/27, 199 yards, 2 TD

DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/38, 337 yards, 5 TD

Top rushers

PHI – Kenjon Barner – 7 rushes, 30 yards

DET – Ameer Abdullah – 16 rushes, 63 yards

Top receivers

PHI – Jordan Matthews – 3 receptions, 60 yards, TD

DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 93 yards, 3 TD

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, 8:53. Lions 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 4:04.

DET – Eric Ebron 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 1:53. Lions 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:53.

DET – Calvin Johnson 17-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 1:08. Lions 17–0. Drive: 1 play, 17 yards, 0:06.

Second quarter

No scoring plays.

Third quarter

DET – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal, 8:58. Lions 20-0. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 6:06.

GB – Randall Cobb fumble recovery in DET end zone (Mason Crosby kick), 5:53. Lions 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:10.

GB – Davante Adams 8-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:12. Lions 20–14. Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 1:31.

Fourth quarter

DET – Matt Prater 42-yard field goal, 7:11. Lions 23-14. Drive: 13 plays, 34 yards, 6:29.

GB – Aaron Rodgers 17-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 3:12. Lions 23–21. Drive: 11 plays, 84 yards, 4:02.

GB – Richard Rodgers 61-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (rush failed), 0:00. Packers 27–23. Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 0:23.

Top passers

GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/36, 273 yards, 2 TD, INT

DET – Matthew Stafford – 23/35, 220 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

GB – Aaron Rodgers – 4 rushes, 27 yards, TD

DET – Ameer Abdullah – 13 rushes, 67 yards

Top receivers

GB – Richard Rodgers – 8 receptions, 146 yards, 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 plays.

Second quarter

STL – Trumaine Johnson 58-yard interception return (Greg Zuerlein kick), 5:07. Rams 7–0.

Third quarter

DET – Golden Tate 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 7:39. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:21.

STL – Todd Gurley 5-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 4:02. Rams 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:38.

Fourth quarter

STL – Todd Gurley 15-yard run (Greg Zuerlein kick), 12:25. Rams 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 91 yards, 3:33.

DET – Golden Tate 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 2:07. Rams 21–14. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 4:13.

Top passers

DET – Matthew Stafford – 30/46, 245 yards, 2 TD, INT

STL – Case Keenum – 14/22, 124 yards, INT

Top rushers

DET – Joique Bell – 7 rushes, 50 yards

STL – Todd Gurley – 16 rushes, 140 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

DET – Golden Tate – 9 receptions, 60 yards, 2 TD

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 quarter 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
view talk edit	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 v t e
#	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^[a]	Green Bay Packers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.531	.450	L2
6^[a]	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^[b]	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	.527	.482	L1
9^[b]	Detroit Lions	North	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.535	.429	W3
10^[b]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	.508	.473	W1
11^[b]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	.504	.402	W2
12^[c]	New York Giants	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.500	.396	L3
13^[c]	Chicago Bears	North	6	10	0	.375	1–5	3–9	.547	.469	L1
14^[c]	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^[d]
^ ^a^b Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. ^ ^a^b^c^d 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. ^ ^a^b^c 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/Tight Ends/ Interim Offensive Line – Ron Prince

Offensive coaches

Offensive Coordinator – Joe Lombardi (fired Oct 26, 2015)

Quarterbacks/Interim Offensive Coordinator – Jim Bob Cooter

Running Backs – Curtis Modkins

Wide Receivers – Robert Prince

Interim Tight Ends – Devin Fitzsimmons

Offensive Line – Jeremiah Washburn (fired Oct 26, 2015)

Assistant Offensive Line – Ryan Silverfield

Offensive Assistant/Research & Analysis – Evan Rothstein

Defensive coaches

Defensive Coordinator – Teryl Austin

Defensive Line – Kris Kocurek

Assistant Defensive Line – Jim Washburn

Linebackers – Bill Sheridan

Safeties – Alan Williams

Cornerbacks – Tony Oden

Senior Coaching Assistant – Gunther Cunningham

Defensive Quality Control – Matt Raich

Special teams coaches

Special Teams Coordinator – Joe Marciano

Strength and conditioning

Coordinator of Physical Development – Jason Arapoff

Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Ted Rath

References

^ ^a^b Twentyman, Tim (November 5, 2015). "Lions announce organizational changes". Detroit Lions. Retrieved November 5, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}

^ "Martha Firestone Ford names Rod Wood team president". Detroit Lions. November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (February 27, 2015). "Lions sign Don Muhlbach to one-year deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 27, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 2, 2015). "Lions re-sign quarterback Dan Orlovsky". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 2, 2015). "Lions re-sign defensive end Darryl Tapp". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 6, 2015). "Lions sign kicker Matt Prater to three-year deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 6, 2015). "Lions sign QB Kellen Moore to two-year deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 10, 2015). "Lions re-sign linebacker Josh Bynes". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 10, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 11, 2015). "Lions re-sign safety Isa-Abdul Quddus". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 11, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 18, 2015). "Lions re-sign cornerback Rashean Mathis". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 18, 2015.

^ Wilkening, Mike (April 20, 2015). "Lions WR Jeremy Ross, six other ERFAs re-sign on Monday". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2015.

^ Sessler, Marc (August 5, 2015). "Lions, DeAndre Levy agree to 4-year $33.7M extension". NFL.com. Retrieved August 5, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (February 27, 2015). "Lions sign pass rusher Phillip Hunt". Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 27, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (March 12, 2015). "Lions sign defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 12, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (April 3, 2015). "Lions sign cornerback Josh Wilson". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 3, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (April 7, 2015). "Lions sign linebacker Brandon Copeland". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 7, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 7, 2015). "Lions sign 12 undrafted free agents". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 7, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim; O'Hara, Mike (May 7, 2015). "Five draft picks sign rookie contracts". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 7, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 11, 2015). "Lions sign three tryout players". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 11, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 12, 2015). "Lions sign tryout RB Desmond Martin". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 12, 2015). "Lions sign veteran WR Lance Moore". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 13, 2015). "Lions sign two veteran players". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 13, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 13, 2015). "Lions sign second-round pick Ameer Abdullah". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 13, 2015.

^ ^a^b Yuille, Sean (June 10, 2015). "Lions sign David Ausberry, release Nathan Lindsey". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (June 11, 2015). "Laken Tomlinson signs rookie deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved June 11, 2015.

^ Meinke, Kyle (June 12, 2015). "Detroit Lions claim QB Garrett Gilbert from Patriots, release Anthony Boone". MLive.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (June 22, 2015). "Lions sign Taylor Mays". Detroit Lions. Retrieved June 22, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (July 28, 2015). "Lions sign cornerback R.J. Stanford". Detroit Lions. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (August 4, 2015). "Lions sign Ethan Davis". Detroit Lions. Retrieved August 4, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (February 25, 2015). "Lions release Reggie Bush". Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 25, 2015.

^ Patra, Kevin (March 11, 2015). "Ndamukong Suh, Miami Dolphins strike mega deal". National Football League. Retrieved March 11, 2015.

^ O'Hara, Mike (March 12, 2015). "FB Jed Collins signs with Cowboys". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 12, 2015.

^ Wesseling, Chris (March 13, 2015). "Nick Fairley leaves Detroit Lions for St. Louis Rams". National Football League. Retrieved March 13, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (April 21, 2015). "Lions release guard Rodney Austin following arrest". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 21, 2015.

^ Yuille, Sean (May 11, 2015). "Lions release WR Desmond Lawrence". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved May 11, 2015.

^ Yuille, Sean (May 12, 2015). "Lions release another undrafted free agent". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

^ Rogers, Justin (May 13, 2015). "Detroit Lions free up a roster spot, release WR Skye Dawson". MLive.com. Retrieved May 13, 2015.

^ Yuille, Sean (June 3, 2015). "Lions release WR Erik Lora". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.

^ Yuille, Sean (June 12, 2015). "Lions swap out quarterbacks". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.

^ Yuille, Sean (June 17, 2015). "Lions release RB Rasheed Williams (again)". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.

^ Yuille, Sean (August 4, 2015). "Lions claim Jerel Worthy off waivers, release Jerrell Harris". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved August 4, 2015.

^ Meinke, Kyle (August 8, 2015). "Detroit Lions have open roster spot after waiving Ethan Davis". MLive.com. Retrieved August 8, 2015.

^ ^a^b Wesseling, Chris (March 10, 2015). "Lions acquire Haloti Ngata in trade with Ravens". National Football League. Retrieved March 10, 2015.

^ ^a^b Patra, Kevin (April 15, 2015). "Lions trade George Johnson to Buccaneers". National Football League. Retrieved April 15, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (August 2, 2015). "Lions trade Mohammed Seisay to Seattle". Detroit Lions. Retrieved August 2, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (April 30, 2015). "Detroit Lions trade back, draft guard Laken Tomlinson". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 30, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 1, 2015). "Detroit Lions trade up, draft cornerback Alex Carter". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 1, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (May 2, 2015). "Detroit Lions trade up, draft defensive tackle Gabe Wright". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 2, 2015.

^ Booth, Tim (October 6, 2015). "Chancellor's big play allows Seattle to beat Detroit 13-10". Retrieved October 21, 2015.

^ Twentyman, Tim (October 26, 2015). "Lions reorganize offensive staff". Detroit Lions. Retrieved October 26, 2015.

^ Hanzus, Dan (November 15, 2015). "Lions stun Packers, break long losing skid in Green Bay". NFL.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015.

^ Rothstein, Michael (November 15, 2015). "Ameer Abdullah ties NFL record with 104-yard kickoff return vs. Packers". EPSN. Retrieved November 15, 2015.

^ "Stafford's go-ahead TD run helps Lions beat Raiders". ESPN. November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.

^ Wesseling, Chris (December 23, 2015). "Streaking Matthew Stafford leads Lions past Saints". NFL.com. Retrieved December 22, 2015.

^ "Theo Riddick sets Lions franchise record for receiving yards by a RB". FoxSports.com. December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.

^ "Stafford, Johnson lead Lions over Bears 24-20". CBSsports.com. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.

External links

Official website

[5-6-57] Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory.

[8-11-58] 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.

[12-14-59] 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.

[60] 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.

[LionsFired-1] Twentyman, Tim (November 5, 2015). "Lions announce organizational changes". Detroit Lions. Retrieved November 5, 2015..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}

[2] "Martha Firestone Ford names Rod Wood team president". Detroit Lions. November 19, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.

[3] Twentyman, Tim (February 27, 2015). "Lions sign Don Muhlbach to one-year deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 27, 2015.

[4] Twentyman, Tim (March 2, 2015). "Lions re-sign quarterback Dan Orlovsky". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

[5] Twentyman, Tim (March 2, 2015). "Lions re-sign defensive end Darryl Tapp". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 2, 2015.

[6] Twentyman, Tim (March 6, 2015). "Lions sign kicker Matt Prater to three-year deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

[7] Twentyman, Tim (March 6, 2015). "Lions sign QB Kellen Moore to two-year deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 6, 2015.

[8] Twentyman, Tim (March 10, 2015). "Lions re-sign linebacker Josh Bynes". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 10, 2015.

[9] Twentyman, Tim (March 11, 2015). "Lions re-sign safety Isa-Abdul Quddus". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 11, 2015.

[10] Twentyman, Tim (March 18, 2015). "Lions re-sign cornerback Rashean Mathis". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 18, 2015.

[11] Wilkening, Mike (April 20, 2015). "Lions WR Jeremy Ross, six other ERFAs re-sign on Monday". NBC Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2015.

[12] Sessler, Marc (August 5, 2015). "Lions, DeAndre Levy agree to 4-year $33.7M extension". NFL.com. Retrieved August 5, 2015.

[13] Twentyman, Tim (February 27, 2015). "Lions sign pass rusher Phillip Hunt". Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 27, 2015.

[14] Twentyman, Tim (March 12, 2015). "Lions sign defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 12, 2015.

[15] Twentyman, Tim (April 3, 2015). "Lions sign cornerback Josh Wilson". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 3, 2015.

[16] Twentyman, Tim (April 7, 2015). "Lions sign linebacker Brandon Copeland". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 7, 2015.

[17] Twentyman, Tim (May 7, 2015). "Lions sign 12 undrafted free agents". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 7, 2015.

[18] Twentyman, Tim; O'Hara, Mike (May 7, 2015). "Five draft picks sign rookie contracts". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 7, 2015.

[19] Twentyman, Tim (May 11, 2015). "Lions sign three tryout players". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 11, 2015.

[20] Twentyman, Tim (May 12, 2015). "Lions sign tryout RB Desmond Martin". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

[21] Twentyman, Tim (May 12, 2015). "Lions sign veteran WR Lance Moore". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

[22] Twentyman, Tim (May 13, 2015). "Lions sign two veteran players". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 13, 2015.

[23] Twentyman, Tim (May 13, 2015). "Lions sign second-round pick Ameer Abdullah". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 13, 2015.

[June10-24] Yuille, Sean (June 10, 2015). "Lions sign David Ausberry, release Nathan Lindsey". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 10, 2015.

[25] Twentyman, Tim (June 11, 2015). "Laken Tomlinson signs rookie deal". Detroit Lions. Retrieved June 11, 2015.

[26] Meinke, Kyle (June 12, 2015). "Detroit Lions claim QB Garrett Gilbert from Patriots, release Anthony Boone". MLive.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.

[27] Twentyman, Tim (June 22, 2015). "Lions sign Taylor Mays". Detroit Lions. Retrieved June 22, 2015.

[28] Twentyman, Tim (July 28, 2015). "Lions sign cornerback R.J. Stanford". Detroit Lions. Retrieved July 28, 2015.

[29] Twentyman, Tim (August 4, 2015). "Lions sign Ethan Davis". Detroit Lions. Retrieved August 4, 2015.

[30] Twentyman, Tim (February 25, 2015). "Lions release Reggie Bush". Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 25, 2015.

[31] Patra, Kevin (March 11, 2015). "Ndamukong Suh, Miami Dolphins strike mega deal". National Football League. Retrieved March 11, 2015.

[32] O'Hara, Mike (March 12, 2015). "FB Jed Collins signs with Cowboys". Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 12, 2015.

[33] Wesseling, Chris (March 13, 2015). "Nick Fairley leaves Detroit Lions for St. Louis Rams". National Football League. Retrieved March 13, 2015.

[34] Twentyman, Tim (April 21, 2015). "Lions release guard Rodney Austin following arrest". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 21, 2015.

[35] Yuille, Sean (May 11, 2015). "Lions release WR Desmond Lawrence". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved May 11, 2015.

[36] Yuille, Sean (May 12, 2015). "Lions release another undrafted free agent". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

[37] Rogers, Justin (May 13, 2015). "Detroit Lions free up a roster spot, release WR Skye Dawson". MLive.com. Retrieved May 13, 2015.

[38] Yuille, Sean (June 3, 2015). "Lions release WR Erik Lora". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 3, 2015.

[39] Yuille, Sean (June 12, 2015). "Lions swap out quarterbacks". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.

[40] Yuille, Sean (June 17, 2015). "Lions release RB Rasheed Williams (again)". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.

[41] Yuille, Sean (August 4, 2015). "Lions claim Jerel Worthy off waivers, release Jerrell Harris". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved August 4, 2015.

[42] Meinke, Kyle (August 8, 2015). "Detroit Lions have open roster spot after waiving Ethan Davis". MLive.com. Retrieved August 8, 2015.

[Ngata-43] Wesseling, Chris (March 10, 2015). "Lions acquire Haloti Ngata in trade with Ravens". National Football League. Retrieved March 10, 2015.

[Johnson-44] Patra, Kevin (April 15, 2015). "Lions trade George Johnson to Buccaneers". National Football League. Retrieved April 15, 2015.

[45] Twentyman, Tim (August 2, 2015). "Lions trade Mohammed Seisay to Seattle". Detroit Lions. Retrieved August 2, 2015.

[46] Twentyman, Tim (April 30, 2015). "Detroit Lions trade back, draft guard Laken Tomlinson". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 30, 2015.

[47] Twentyman, Tim (May 1, 2015). "Detroit Lions trade up, draft cornerback Alex Carter". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 1, 2015.

[48] Twentyman, Tim (May 2, 2015). "Detroit Lions trade up, draft defensive tackle Gabe Wright". Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 2, 2015.

[49] Booth, Tim (October 6, 2015). "Chancellor's big play allows Seattle to beat Detroit 13-10". Retrieved October 21, 2015.

[50] Twentyman, Tim (October 26, 2015). "Lions reorganize offensive staff". Detroit Lions. Retrieved October 26, 2015.

[51] Hanzus, Dan (November 15, 2015). "Lions stun Packers, break long losing skid in Green Bay". NFL.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015.

[52] Rothstein, Michael (November 15, 2015). "Ameer Abdullah ties NFL record with 104-yard kickoff return vs. Packers". EPSN. Retrieved November 15, 2015.

[53] "Stafford's go-ahead TD run helps Lions beat Raiders". ESPN. November 22, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.

[54] Wesseling, Chris (December 23, 2015). "Streaking Matthew Stafford leads Lions past Saints". NFL.com. Retrieved December 22, 2015.

[55] "Theo Riddick sets Lions franchise record for receiving yards by a RB". FoxSports.com. December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2015.

[56] "Stafford, Johnson lead Lions over Bears 24-20". CBSsports.com. January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.

v t e Detroit Lions
Founded in 1930 Formerly the Portsmouth Spartans (1930–1933) Based in Detroit, Michigan Headquartered in Allen Park, Michigan
Franchise	Franchise Team history Seasons Players First-round draft picks Starting quarterbacks Coaches
Stadiums	Universal Stadium University of Detroit Stadium Tiger Stadium Pontiac Silverdome Ford Field
Culture	NFL on Thanksgiving Day Paper Lion (film) "What's Going On" (Marvin Gaye song) Beverly Hills Cop Home Improvement Cheerleaders
Lore	1932 Playoff Game Curse of Bobby Layne Mike Utley gives a thumbs up Marty Mornhinweg takes the wind "Fire Millen" 0–16 "Calvin Johnson rule" Miracle in Motown
Rivalries	Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings
Notable people	William Clay & Martha Firestone Ford Barry Sanders Bobby Layne Glenn Presnell Calvin Johnson Wayne Fontes
Division championships (4)	1935 1983 1991 1993
Conference championships (4)	1952 1953 1954 1957
League championships (4)	1935 1952 1953 1957
Media	Broadcasters Radio: Radio network Dan Miller Lomas Brown WJR TV: Television network Matt Shepard Chris Spielman Jennifer Hammond WJBK Fox Sports Detroit
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: North Division
Seasons (89)	1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Championship seasons in bold

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
← 2014 Lions seasons 2016 →

2015 Detroit Lions season

Contents

Offseason

Re-signings

Arrivals

Departures

Trades

Draft

Final roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Game summaries

Week 1: at San Diego Chargers

Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks

Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears

Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 14: at St. Louis Rams

Week 15: at New Orleans Saints

Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 17: at Chicago Bears

Standings

Division

Conference

Coaching staff

References

External links

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