2016 Detroit Lions season - wikipedia 2016 Detroit Lions season 2016 Detroit Lions season Head coach Jim Caldwell General manager Bob Quinn Owner Martha Firestone Ford Home field Ford Field Local radio Detroit Lions Radio Network Results Record 9 -- 7 Division place 2nd NFC North Playoff finish Lost Wild Card Playoffs ( Seahawks ) 26 -- 6 Pro Bowlers Matt Prater, K ← 2015 Lions seasons 2017 → The 2016 Detroit Lions season was the franchise 's 87th season in the National Football League, their 83rd as the Detroit Lions and the third under head coach Jim Caldwell. On January 8, 2016, the Lions hired Bob Quinn as general manager. This was also the first season in over 40 years in which the Lions had an official cheerleading squad. The Lions improved upon their 7 -- 9 record from 2015, and clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2014 -- the Lions finished tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the last NFC playoff spot, but won the tiebreaker based on their record against common opponents. However, the Lions were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round extending their playoff losing streak to nine games. Contents 1 Offseason 1.1 Re-signings 1.2 Arrivals 1.3 Departures 1.4 Trades 1.5 Draft 2 Final roster 3 Schedule 3.1 Preseason 3.2 Regular season 3.3 Postseason 4 Game summaries 4.1 Regular season 4.1. 1 Week 1 : at Indianapolis Colts 4.1. 2 Week 2 : vs. Tennessee Titans 4.1. 3 Week 3 : at Green Bay Packers 4.1. 4 Week 4 : at Chicago Bears 4.1. 5 Week 5 : vs. Philadelphia Eagles 4.1. 6 Week 6 : vs. Los Angeles Rams 4.1. 7 Week 7 : vs. Washington Redskins 4.1. 8 Week 8 : at Houston Texans 4.1. 9 Week 9 : at Minnesota Vikings 4.1. 10 Week 11 : vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 4.1. 11 Week 12 : vs. Minnesota Vikings 4.1. 12 Week 13 : at New Orleans Saints 4.1. 13 Week 14 : vs. Chicago Bears 4.1. 14 Week 15 : at New York Giants 4.1. 15 Week 16 : at Dallas Cowboys 4.1. 16 Week 17 : vs. Green Bay Packers 4.2 Postseason 4.2. 1 NFC Wild Card Playoffs : at ( # 3 ) Seattle Seahawks 5 Standings 5.1 Division 5.2 Conference 6 Coaching staff 7 References 8 External links Offseason Re-signings Date Player Position Contract Source March 4 Tyrunn Walker Defensive tackle 1 year / $1.6 million March 9 Haloti Ngata Defensive tackle 2 years / $12 million March 11 Crezdon Butler Cornerback 1 year / $745,000 Don Muhlbach Long snapper 1 year / $1.05 million Dan Orlovsky Quarterback 1 year / $1.065 million Tahir Whitehead Linebacker 2 years / $8 million March 16 Tim Wright Tight end 1 year / $675,000 October 25 Josh Bynes Linebacker 1 year / $760,000 Arrivals Date Player Position Previous team Contract Source February 11 Jerry Franklin Linebacker New Orleans Saints 1 year / $675,000 February 12 Lamar Holmes Offensive tackle Atlanta Falcons 1 year / $760,000 March 10 Tavon Wilson Safety New England Patriots 2 years / $2.2 million March 11 Johnson Bademosi Cornerback Cleveland Browns 2 years / $4.5 million Stefan Charles Defensive tackle Buffalo Bills 1 year / $1.75 million Marvin Jones Wide receiver Cincinnati Bengals 5 years / $40 million March 12 Rafael Bush Safety New Orleans Saints 1 year / $1.5 million March 21 Jeremy Kerley Wide receiver New York Jets 1 year / $850,000 March 29 Darrin Walls Cornerback New York Jets 1 year / $840,000 March 30 Geoff Schwartz Guard New York Giants 1 year / $840,000 April 4 Wallace Gilberry Defensive end Cincinnati Bengals 1 year / $1.25 million Matthew Mulligan Tight end Buffalo Bills 1 year / $885,000 April 5 Stevan Ridley Running back New York Jets 1 year / $840,000 April 25 Kyle Christy Punter Florida 1 year / -- May 2 Zaviar Gooden Linebacker Tennessee Titans 1 year / $600,000 May 5 Andre Caldwell Wide receiver Denver Broncos 1 year / $885,000 May 6 Adairius Barnes Cornerback Louisiana Tech Undrafted FA Jace Billingsley Wide receiver Eastern Oregon Quinshad Davis Wide receiver North Carolina James DeLoach Defensive end Georgia Chase Farris Guard Ohio State Adam Fuehne Tight end Southern Illinois Deonte Gibson Defensive end Northwestern Jay Lee Wide receiver Baylor Charles Washington Defensive back Fresno State Ian Wells Cornerback Ohio Cole Wick Tight end Incarnate Word Andrew Zeller Guard Maryland Joe Dahl Guard Washington State 4 years / $2.58 million Taylor Decker Tackle Ohio State 4 years / $10.96 million Graham Glasgow Center Michigan 4 years / $3.032 million Miles Killebrew Safety Southern Utah 4 years / $2.918 million Jimmy Landes Long snapper Baylor 4 years / $2.44 million Jake Rudock Quarterback Michigan 4 years / $2.47 million Dwayne Washington Running back Washington 4 years / $2.415 million Antwione Williams Linebacker Georgia Southern 4 years / $2.54 million Anthony Zettel Defensive tackle Penn State 4 years / $2.46 million May 10 A'Shawn Robinson Defensive tackle Alabama 4 years / $5.233 million May 13 Louis Palmer Defensive end Central Michigan 3 years / $1.62 million May 31 Ben McCord Tight end Central Michigan 1 year / $450,000 June 1 Dominick Jackson Offensive lineman Alabama 1 year / -- June 2 Devon Bell Placekicker Mississippi State 1 year / $450,000 June 7 Damian Copeland Wide receiver Jacksonville Jaguars 1 year / $450,000 June 13 Keith Lewis Defensive back Kansas City Chiefs 1 year / $450,000 Andre Roberts Wide receiver Washington Redskins 1 year / $760,000 June 16 Orson Charles Tight end New Orleans Saints 1 year / $600,000 July 21 Luke Marquardt Tackle New York Jets 1 year / $450,000 July 28 Anquan Boldin Wide receiver San Francisco 49ers 1 year / $2.75 million August 1 Raphael Kirby Linebacker Miami 1 year / -- August 5 Chi Chi Ariguzo Linebacker San Diego Chargers 1 year / $475,000 August 8 Alex Chisum Wide receiver Cincinnati 1 year / -- August 10 Rashaad Reynolds Cornerback Jacksonville Jaguars 1 year / -- August 15 Andrew Quarless Tight end Green Bay Packers 1 year / $760,000 Dominique Tovell Linebacker Atlanta Falcons 3 years / $1.62 million August 17 Lemuel Jeanpierre Center Seattle Seahawks 1 year / $760,000 August 23 Brandon McGee Cornerback Dallas Cowboys 1 year / -- September 21 Aaron Dobson Wide receiver New England Patriots 1 year / -- October 11 Justin Forsett Running back Baltimore Ravens 1 year / $885,000 December 6 Joique Bell Running back Chicago Bears December 6 Asa Jackson Cornerback Baltimore Ravens Departures Date Player Position Note New Team Source February 16 Joique Bell Running back Released Chicago Bears Rashean Mathis Cornerback Retired N / A February 19 C.J. Wilson Defensive tackle Released New Orleans Saints March 8 Calvin Johnson Wide receiver Retired N / A May 5 Darren Keyton Center Released May 13 Lamar Holmes Offensive tackle Released July 5 Stephen Tulloch Linebacker Released Philadelphia Eagles August 22 Andre Caldwell Wide receiver Released August 25 Stevan Ridley Running back Released Indianapolis Colts Trades On May 9, the Lions traded a conditional seventh - round draft pick in the 2017 NFL draft to the New England Patriots in exchange for linebacker Jon Bostic. On August 29, the Lions traded wide receiver Jeremy Kerley to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for offensive guard Brandon Thomas. On October 25, the Lions traded linebacker Kyle Van Noy and a seventh - round draft pick in the 2017 NFL draft to the New England Patriots, in exchange for a sixth - round draft pick in 2017. Draft Main article : 2016 NFL draft 2016 Detroit Lions draft Round Pick Player Position College Notes 16 Taylor Decker OT Ohio State 46 A'Shawn Robinson DT Alabama 95 Graham Glasgow Michigan Compensatory 111 Miles Killebrew Southern Utah 5 151 Joe Dahl OG Washington State 5 169 Antwione Williams LB Georgia Southern Pick from DEN 6 191 Jake Rudock QB Michigan 6 202 Anthony Zettel DT Penn State Pick from SEA 6 210 Jimmy Landes LS Baylor Compensatory 7 236 Dwayne Washington RB Washington Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career Notes The Lions traded their original third - round selection ( number 77 overall ) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the Eagles ' 2015 fourth - round selection ( number 111 overall ). The Lions acquired an additional fifth - round selection ( number 169 overall ) as part of a trade that sent their 2015 first - round selection to the Denver Broncos. The Lions acquired an additional sixth - round selection ( number 202 overall ) in a trade that sent cornerback Mohammed Seisay to the Seattle Seahawks. Final roster 2016 Detroit Lions final roster Quarterbacks 8 Dan Orlovsky 14 Jake Rudock 9 Matthew Stafford Running backs 44 Joique Bell 46 Michael Burton FB 36 Dwayne Washington 34 Zach Zenner Wide receivers 80 Anquan Boldin 11 Marvin Jones 13 T.J. Jones 12 Andre Roberts 15 Golden Tate 16 Jace Billingsley Tight ends 85 Eric Ebron 84 Clay Harbor 82 Matthew Mulligan Offensive linemen 66 Joe Dahl G 68 Taylor Decker T 60 Graham Glasgow C 77 Cornelius Lucas T 71 Riley Reiff T 73 Garrett Reynolds G 64 Travis Swanson C 72 Laken Tomlinson G 75 Larry Warford G Defensive linemen 94 Ezekiel Ansah DE 51 Brandon Copeland DE 61 Kerry Hyder DE 92 Haloti Ngata DT 91 A'Shawn Robinson DT 98 Devin Taylor DE 99 Khyri Thornton DT 93 Tyrunn Walker DT 69 Anthony Zettel DE Linebackers 50 Thurston Armbrister OLB 57 Josh Bynes OLB 54 DeAndre Levy OLB 59 Tahir Whitehead ILB 52 Antwione Williams OLB Defensive backs 29 Johnson Bademosi CB 38 Adairius Barnes CB 31 Rafael Bush SS 41 Crezdon Butler CB 26 Don Carey FS 33 Alex Carter CB 35 Miles Killebrew SS 24 Nevin Lawson CB 27 Glover Quin FS 23 Darius Slay CB 32 Tavon Wilson SS Special teams 6 Sam Martin P 5 Matt Prater K 48 Don Muhlbach LS Reserve lists 21 Ameer Abdullah RB ( IR ) 55 Jon Bostic ILB ( IR ) 97 Armonty Bryant DE ( IR ) 96 Stefan Charles DT ( IR ) 28 Quandre Diggs CB ( IR ) 30 Asa Jackson CB ( IR ) 42 Jimmy Landes LS ( IR ) 70 Corey Robinson T ( IR ) 18 Ryan Spadola WR ( IR ) 40 Ian Wells CB ( IR ) 89 Cole Wick TE ( IR ) 83 Tim Wright TE ( IR ) 25 Theo Riddick RB ( IR ) Practice squad 49 Kennard Backman TE 39 Mike James RB 86 Khari Lee TE 58 Steve Longa ILB 17 Rashad Ross WR 74 Matt Rotheram G 63 Brandon Thomas G 19 Andrew Turzilli WR 45 Charles Washington CB 78 Jason Weaver T Rookies in italics 53 Active, 13 Inactive, 10 Practice squad Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com recap August 12 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 30 -- 17 1 -- 0 Heinz Field Recap August 18 Cincinnati Bengals L 14 -- 30 1 -- 1 Ford Field Recap August 27 at Baltimore Ravens L 9 -- 30 1 -- 2 M&T Bank Stadium Recap September 1 Buffalo Bills W 31 -- 0 2 -- 2 Ford Field Recap Regular season Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com recap September 11 at Indianapolis Colts W 39 -- 35 1 -- 0 Lucas Oil Stadium Recap September 18 Tennessee Titans L 15 -- 16 1 -- 1 Ford Field Recap September 25 at Green Bay Packers L 27 -- 34 1 -- 2 Lambeau Field Recap October 2 at Chicago Bears L 14 -- 17 1 -- 3 Soldier Field Recap 5 October 9 Philadelphia Eagles W 24 -- 23 2 -- 3 Ford Field Recap 6 October 16 Los Angeles Rams W 31 -- 28 3 -- 3 Ford Field Recap 7 October 23 Washington Redskins W 20 -- 17 4 -- 3 Ford Field Recap 8 October 30 at Houston Texans L 13 -- 20 4 -- 4 NRG Stadium Recap 9 November 6 at Minnesota Vikings W 22 -- 16 ( OT ) 5 -- 4 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap 10 Bye 11 November 20 Jacksonville Jaguars W 26 -- 19 6 -- 4 Ford Field Recap 12 November 24 Minnesota Vikings W 16 -- 13 7 -- 4 Ford Field Recap 13 December 4 at New Orleans Saints W 28 -- 13 8 -- 4 Mercedes - Benz Superdome Recap 14 December 11 Chicago Bears W 20 -- 17 9 -- 4 Ford Field Recap 15 December 18 at New York Giants L 6 -- 17 9 -- 5 MetLife Stadium Recap 16 December 26 at Dallas Cowboys L 21 -- 42 9 -- 6 AT&T Stadium Recap 17 January 1 Green Bay Packers L 24 -- 31 9 -- 7 Ford Field Recap Note : Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Postseason See also : 2016 -- 17 NFL playoffs Playoff round Date Opponent ( seed ) Result Record Game site NFL.com recap Wild Card January 7, 2017 at Seattle Seahawks ( 3 ) L 6 -- 26 0 -- 1 CenturyLink Field Recap Game summaries Regular season Week 1 : at Indianapolis Colts Week One : Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts -- Game summary Total Lions 7 14 7 11 39 Colts 0 10 8 17 35 at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana Date : September 11 Game time : 4 : 25 p.m. EDT Game weather : 76 ° F ( 24 ° C ), sunny ( retractable roof open ) Game attendance : 65,566 Referee : Ed Hochuli TV announcers ( Fox ) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DET -- Theo Riddick 21 - yard run ( Matt Prater kick ), 4 : 43. Lions 7 -- 0. Drive : 9 plays, 80 yards, 4 : 23. Second quarter DET -- Dwayne Washington 1 - yard run ( Matt Prater kick ), 9 : 11. Lions 14 -- 0. Drive : 15 plays, 82 yards, 7 : 00. IND -- Adam Vinatieri 50 - yard field goal, 4 : 50. Lions 14 -- 3. Drive : 8 plays, 47 yards, 4 : 21. DET -- Eric Ebron 6 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 1 : 37. Lions 21 -- 3. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 13. IND -- Donte Moncrief 2 - yard pass from Andrew Luck ( Adam Vinatieri kick ), 0 : 05. Lions 21 -- 10. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 1 : 32. Third quarter IND -- Dwayne Allen 19 - yard pass from Andrew Luck ( Andrew Luck -- Dwayne Allen pass ), 8 : 41. Lions 21 -- 18. Drive : 9 plays, 85 yards, 4 : 00. DET -- Ameer Abdullah 11 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 2 : 20. Lions 28 -- 18. Drive : 7 plays, 71 yards, 3 : 36. Fourth quarter IND -- Adam Vinatieri 40 - yard field goal, 14 : 17. Lions 28 -- 21. Drive : 10 plays, 53 yards, 3 : 03. IND -- Jack Doyle 16 - yard pass from Andrew Luck ( Adam Vinatieri kick ), 8 : 19. Tied 28 -- 28. Drive : 9 plays, 94 yards, 4 : 19. DET -- Theo Riddick 13 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( kick failed, wide right ), 4 : 04. Lions 34 -- 28. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 15. IND -- Jack Doyle 6 - yard pass from Andrew Luck ( Adam Vinatieri kick ), 0 : 37. Colts 35 -- 34. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 27. DET -- Matt Prater 43 - yard field goal, 0 : 04. Lions 37 -- 35. Drive : 5 plays, 50 yards, 0 : 33. DET -- Penalty on T.Y. Hilton enforced in the end zone for a safety, 0 : 00. Lions 39 -- 35. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 31 / 39, 340 yards, 3 TD IND -- Andrew Luck -- 31 / 47, 385 yards, 4 TD Top rushers DET -- Ameer Abdullah -- 12 rushes, 63 yards IND -- Frank Gore -- 14 rushes, 59 yards Top receivers DET -- Golden Tate -- 7 receptions, 41 yards IND -- T.Y. Hilton -- 6 receptions, 79 yards The Lions opened the regular season on the road against the Indianapolis Colts, and came away with a close victory. The Lions jumped out to a 14 -- 0 lead before Indianapolis got on the board. Theo Riddick had a 21 - yard touchdown run on the Lions ' opening drive, and rookie running back Dwayne Washington scored on a 1 - yard run early in the second quarter. The Colts got on the board with a 50 - yard Adam Vinatieri field goal, but the Lions went up 21 -- 3 on its next possession when Matthew Stafford hit Eric Ebron for a six - yard touchdown pass. Indianapolis closed to 21 -- 10 near the end of the first half after Andrew Luck tossed a two - yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief. The Colts got within a field goal early in the third quarter with a 19 - yard scoring strike from Luck to Dwayne Allen and a successful 2 - point conversion. On Detroit 's next drive, Stafford connected with Ameer Abdullah on an 11 - yard touchdown pass to put his team back up, 28 -- 18. The Colts scored the next ten points early in the fourth quarter on a 40 - yard Vinatieri field goal and a 16 - yard scoring pass from Luck to Jack Doyle, knotting the game at 28. The Lions regained the lead on a 13 - yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Riddick, but Matt Prater missed the extra point. That allowed Indianapolis to take a 35 -- 34 lead on its next possession, when Luck again connected with Doyle, this time on a six - yard touchdown pass. Detroit got the ball back with 37 seconds left in the game, and on three plays moved into range for Matt Prater 's go - ahead 43 - yard field goal with four seconds on the clock. The Lions earned a safety on the final play of the game when the Colts were called for an illegal forward pass in the end zone, making the final score 39 -- 35. This was the first time the Lions defeated the Colts since 1997. Week 2 : vs. Tennessee Titans Week Two : Tennessee Titans at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Titans 0 0 13 16 Lions 9 0 15 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : September 18 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EDT Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 58,466 Referee : Brad Allen TV announcers ( CBS ) : Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DET -- DeMarco Murray tackled in end zone by Devin Taylor for a safety, 7 : 16. Lions 2 -- 0. DET -- Anquan Boldin 24 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 4 : 15. Lions 9 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 79 yards, 3 : 01. Second quarter TEN -- Ryan Succop 46 - yard field goal, 12 : 03. Lions 9 -- 3. Drive : 14 plays, 47 yards, 7 : 12. DET -- Matt Prater 42 - yard field goal, 1 : 04. Lions 12 -- 3. Drive : 13 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 58. Third quarter DET -- Matt Prater 27 - yard field goal, 1 : 40. Lions 15 -- 3. Drive : 14 plays, 63 yards, 7 : 10. Fourth quarter TEN -- Delanie Walker 30 - yard pass from Marcus Mariota ( Ryan Succop kick ), 14 : 54. Lions 15 -- 10. Drive : 5 plays, 75 yards, 1 : 46. TEN -- Andre Johnson 9 - yard pass from Marcus Mariota ( pass failed ), 1 : 13. Titans 16 -- 15. Drive : 13 plays, 83 yards, 5 : 51. Top passers TEN -- Marcus Mariota -- 25 / 33, 238 yards, 2 TD, INT DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 22 / 40, 260 yards, TD, INT Top rushers TEN -- DeMarco Murray -- 12 rushes, 89 yards DET -- Ameer Abdullah -- 6 rushes, 38 yards Top receivers TEN -- Delanie Walker -- 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD DET -- Marvin Jones -- 8 receptions, 118 yards For their home opener, the Lions hosted the Tennessee Titans. The Lions had led for most of the game, accumulating 12 points in the first half with an end zone tackle of DeMarco Murray by Devin Taylor for a safety, a 24 - yard touchdown catch by Anquan Boldin from Matthew Stafford, and a 42 - yard Matt Prater field goal, while holding the Titans to only a 46 - yard field goal by Ryan Succop before the break. Detroit lost steam after intermission and only managed to score a single 27 - yard Prater field goal in the third quarter. After Tennessee gained a 16 -- 15 lead late in the fourth quarter on touchdown passes from Marcus Mariota to Delanie Walker and Andre Johnson, from 30 and nine - yards respectively, an attempted Detroit comeback failed when Matthew Stafford was picked off by Perrish Cox in the closing seconds, giving the Lions their first loss of the season. The game was marred by 29 penalties, 17 on the Lions. Detroit had three touchdowns ( two on the same drive ) called back due to penalties. Week 3 : at Green Bay Packers Week Three : Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers -- Game summary Total Lions 7 7 10 27 Packers 14 17 0 34 at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin Date : September 25 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EDT / 12 : 00 p.m. CDT Game weather : 72 ° F ( 22 ° C ), clear Game attendance : 78,411 Referee : Carl Cheffers TV announcers ( Fox ) : Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter GB -- Davante Adams 14 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 11 : 27. Packers 7 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 38. DET -- Matt Prater 42 - yard field goal, 2 : 49. Packers 7 -- 3. Drive : 15 plays, 52 yards, 8 : 37. GB -- Jordy Nelson 8 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 1 : 07. Packers 14 -- 3. Drive : 4 plays, 60 yards, 1 : 44. Second quarter GB -- Richard Rodgers 2 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 14 : 51. Packers 21 -- 3. Drive : 2 plays, 67 yards, 0 : 47. GB -- Mason Crosby 36 - yard field goal, 10 : 45. Packers 24 -- 3. Drive : 4 plays, 7 yards, 0 : 59. GB -- Jordy Nelson 17 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 1 : 14. Packers 31 -- 3. Drive : 7 plays, 67 yards, 3 : 53. DET -- Marvin Jones 73 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 0 : 42. Packers 31 -- 10. Drive : 2 plays, 75 yards, 0 : 38. Third quarter DET -- Anquan Boldin 2 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 8 : 26. Packers 31 -- 17. Drive : 12 plays, 77 yards, 6 : 37. GB -- Mason Crosby 46 - yard field goal, 3 : 18. Packers 34 -- 17. Drive : 9 plays, 47 yards, 5 : 09. Fourth quarter DET -- Matt Prater 50 - yard field goal, 12 : 35. Packers 34 -- 20. Drive : 10 plays, 50 yards, 5 : 42. DET -- Marvin Jones 35 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 3 : 40. Packers 34 -- 27. Drive : 6 plays, 62 yards, 1 : 31. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 28 / 41, 385 yards, 3 TD, INT GB -- Aaron Rodgers -- 15 / 24, 205 yards, 4 TD Top rushers DET -- Dwayne Washington -- 10 rushes, 38 yards GB -- Eddie Lacy -- 17 rushes, 103 yards Top receivers DET -- Marvin Jones -- 6 receptions, 205 yards, 2 TD GB -- Jordy Nelson -- 6 receptions, 101 yards, 2 TD The Lions traveled west in week 3 to play their division rival the Green Bay Packers. The Packers got on the board first with a 14 - yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams. The Lions responded with a 42 - yard field goal from Matt Prater. Green Bay accumulated a big lead with two touchdown catches by Jordy Nelson for eight and later 17 yards, one by Richard Rodgers from two - yards, as well as a 36 - yard field goal from Mason Crosby. Detroit made the halftime score 31 -- 10 after Marvin Jones caught a 17 - yard touchdown catch from Matthew Stafford. After the break, the Lions attempted a comeback with touchdown catches by Anquan Boldin and Marvin Jones, from two and 45 - yards respectively, as well a 50 - yard Prater field goal. Despite only allowing a 46 - yard Packers field goal in the second half, the Lions came up short, losing 27 -- 34. Week 4 : at Chicago Bears Week Four : Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears -- Game summary Total Lions 0 8 14 Bears 7 0 7 17 at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois Date : October 2 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EDT / 12 : 00 p.m. CDT Game weather : 62 ° F ( 17 ° C ), cloudy Game attendance : 60,841 Referee : Tony Corrente TV announcers ( Fox ) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter CHI -- Eddie Royal 4 - yard pass from Brian Hoyer ( Connor Barth kick ), 6 : 35. Bears 7 -- 0. Drive : 10 plays, 83 yards, 5 : 02. Second quarter DET -- Matt Prater 50 - yard field goal, 2 : 19. Bears 7 -- 3. Drive : 9 plays, 31 yards, 4 : 11. Third quarter DET -- Matt Prater 21 - yard field goal, 7 : 18. Bears 7 -- 6. Drive : 13 plays, 66 yards, 7 : 42. CHI -- Zach Miller 6 - yard pass from Brian Hoyer ( Connor Barth kick ), 3 : 34. Bears 14 -- 6. Drive : 6 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 44. Fourth quarter CHI -- Connor Barth 25 - yard field goal, 10 : 09. Bears 17 -- 6. Drive : 11 plays, 73 yards, 5 : 51. DET -- Andre Roberts 85 - yard punt return ( Matthew Stafford -- Golden Tate pass ), 1 : 52. Bears 17 -- 14. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 23 / 36, 213 yards, 2 INT CHI -- Brian Hoyer -- 28 / 36, 302 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DET -- Theo Riddick -- 11 rushes, 31 yards CHI -- Jordan Howard -- 23 rushes, 111 yards Top receivers DET -- Anquan Boldin -- 6 receptions, 31 yards CHI -- Eddie Royal -- 7 receptions, 111 yards, TD In week 4, the Lions had their second consecutive divisional road game when they visited the Chicago Bears. The Bears got on the board first with a four - yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer to Eddie Royal. The Lions responded with a 50 - yard field goal from Matt Prater, which made the score 7 -- 3 in favor of the Bears at half - time. The Lions opened the scoring in the second half with a 21 - yard field goal from Matt Prater. The Bears responded with a six - yard touchdown pass from Hoyer to Zach Miller. The Bears extended their lead in the fourth quarter with a 25 - yard field goal from Connor Barth. The Lions responded with an 85 - yard punt return by Andre Roberts, and a two - point conversion pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate. Despite the attempted comeback, the Lions came up short, losing 14 -- 17. Week 5 : vs. Philadelphia Eagles Week Five : Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Eagles 0 10 10 23 Lions 14 7 0 24 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : October 9 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EDT Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 58,047 Referee : Pete Morelli TV announcers ( Fox ) : Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DET -- Theo Riddick 1 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 9 : 37. Lions 7 -- 0. Drive : 11 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 23. DET -- Theo Riddick 17 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 0 : 53. Lions 14 -- 0. Drive : 9 plays, 80 yards, 5 : 09. Second quarter PHI -- Ryan Mathews 1 - yard pass from Carson Wentz ( Caleb Sturgis kick ), 10 : 21. Lions 14 -- 7. Drive : 9 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 32. DET -- Marvin Jones 1 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 3 : 08. Lions 21 -- 7. Drive : 12 plays, 75 yards, 7 : 13. PHI -- Caleb Sturgis 50 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Lions 21 -- 10. Drive : 11 plays, 43 yards, 3 : 08. Third quarter PHI -- Josh Huff 1 - yard pass from Carson Wentz ( Caleb Sturgis kick ), 9 : 18. Lions 21 -- 17. Drive : 9 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 42. PHI -- Caleb Sturgis 33 - yard field goal, 6 : 47. Lions 21 -- 20. Drive : 4 plays, 2 yards, 1 : 00. Fourth quarter PHI -- Caleb Sturgis 49 - yard field goal, 6 : 40. Eagles 23 -- 21. Drive : 11 plays, 49 yards, 5 : 21. DET -- Matt Prater 29 - yard field goal, 1 : 29. Lions 24 -- 23. Drive : 7 plays, 34 yards, 1 : 06. Top passers PHI -- Carson Wentz -- 25 / 32, 238 yards, 2 TD, INT DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 18 / 24, 153 yards, 3 TD Top rushers PHI -- Darren Sproles -- 5 rushes, 45 yards DET -- Theo Riddick -- 11 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers PHI -- Jordan Matthews -- 4 receptions, 65 yards DET -- Anquan Boldin -- 4 receptions, 48 yards In week 5, the Lions hosted the Philadelphia Eagles to start a three - game home stand. The Lions took a 14 -- 0 lead in the first quarter with a pair of touchdown catches by Theo Riddick, from one and 17 yards out respectively. The Eagles responded in the second quarter with a one - yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz to Ryan Mathews, cutting the Lions lead to seven points. The Lions added to their lead with a one - yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Marvin Jones. The Eagles responded with a 50 - yard field goal from Caleb Sturgis, which made the score 21 -- 10 in favor of the Lions at halftime. The Eagles scored 10 points in the third quarter via a one - yard touchdown pass from Wentz to Josh Huff, and a 33 - yard field goal from Sturgis, cutting the Lions lead to one point. The Eagles took their first lead of the game, going up 23 -- 21 in the fourth quarter on a 49 - yard field goal from Sturgis. At the 2 : 34 mark of the final quarter, Darius Slay forced a Ryan Mathews fumble, which the Lions recovered inside Eagles territory. This was Philadelphia 's first turnover of the 2016 season. The Lions got into range for a 29 - yard Matt Prater field goal, making the score 24 -- 23 with 1 : 28 left. Darius Slay intercepted a Wentz pass on the Eagles ' next play from scrimmage, sealing the Lions victory and giving the Eagles their first loss of the season. Week 6 : vs. Los Angeles Rams Week Six : Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Rams 7 7 7 7 28 Lions 7 7 7 10 31 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : October 16 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EDT Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 56,018 Referee : John Hussey TV announcers ( Fox ) : Justin Kutcher, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DET -- Marvin Jones 7 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 10 : 44. Lions 7 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 16. LA -- Kenny Britt 20 - yard pass from Case Keenum ( Greg Zuerlein kick ), 5 : 15. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 29. Second quarter LA -- Case Keenum 1 - yard run ( Greg Zuerlein kick ), 11 : 01. Rams 14 -- 7. Drive : 11 plays, 84 yards, 5 : 51. DET -- Andre Roberts 2 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 3 : 07. Tied 14 -- 14. Drive : 14 plays, 75 yards, 7 : 54. Third quarter DET -- Anquan Boldin 4 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 9 : 50. Lions 21 -- 14. Drive : 5 plays, 60 yards, 2 : 17. LA -- Lance Kendricks 15 - yard pass from Case Keenum ( Greg Zuerlein kick ), 6 : 33. Tied 21 -- 21. Drive : 6 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 17. Fourth quarter LA -- Kenny Britt 9 - yard pass from Case Keenum ( Greg Zuerlein kick ), 14 : 09. Rams 28 -- 21. Drive : 10 plays, 80 yards, 5 : 47. DET -- Golden Tate 23 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 6 : 02. Tied 28 -- 28. Drive : 13 plays, 84 yards, 8 : 07. DET -- Matt Prater 34 - yard field goal, 1 : 29. Lions 31 -- 28. Drive : 9 plays, 44 yards, 3 : 37. Top passers LA -- Case Keenum -- 27 / 32, 321 yards, 3 TD, INT DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 22 / 31, 270 yards, 4 TD Top rushers LA -- Todd Gurley -- 14 rushes, 58 yards DET -- Zach Zenner -- 14 rushes, 58 yards Top receivers LA -- Kenny Britt -- 7 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TD DET -- Golden Tate -- 8 receptions, 165 yards, TD In week 6, the Lions hosted the Los Angeles Rams. The score seesawed the entire game. The Lions scored first with a seven - yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones. The Rams tied it up with a 20 - yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Kenny Britt, and took the lead in the second quarter with a one - yard touchdown run by Keenum. The Lions tied it back up with a two - yard touchdown catch by Andre Roberts on fourth down, and stopped the Rams from taking the lead with a goal line stand as time expired in the second quarter, keeping the score tied 14 -- 14 at halftime. After the break, the Lions took the lead back with a four - yard touchdown catch by Anquan Boldin, but the Rams tied it back up with a 15 - yard catch by Lance Kendricks. Los Angeles then retook the lead in the fourth quarter with a nine - yard catch from Britt, but Detroit tied it up again on a 23 - yard TD catch by Golden Tate. The Lions took the lead for good with a 34 - yard field goal by Matt Prater at the 1 : 29 mark of the final quarter. Detroit prevented the Rams from getting into range for a game - tying field goal when Rafael Bush intercepted a Keenum pass with just over a minute to play, giving the Lions a 31 -- 28 win and improving their record to 3 -- 3. Golden Tate tallied a career - high 165 yards on eight receptions. The Lions celebrated the 25th anniversary of their 1991 NFC Central Championship with an on - field reunion of its players at halftime. Week 7 : vs. Washington Redskins Week Seven : Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Redskins 0 0 14 17 Lions 0 7 10 20 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : October 23 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EDT Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 60,461 Referee : Walt Coleman TV announcers ( Fox ) : Justin Kutcher, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter DET -- Matt Prater 43 - yard field goal, 9 : 37. Lions 3 -- 0. Drive : 10 plays, 55 yards, 5 : 43. WAS -- Dustin Hopkins 38 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Tied 3 -- 3. Drive : 10 plays, 51 yards, 3 : 17. Third quarter DET -- Zach Zenner 1 - yard run ( Matt Prater kick ), 7 : 20. Lions 10 -- 3. Drive : 7 plays, 86 yards, 2 : 53. Fourth quarter DET -- Matt Prater 27 - yard field goal, 13 : 10. Lions 13 -- 3. Drive : 10 plays, 53 yards, 5 : 12. WAS -- Robert Kelley 1 - yard pass from Kirk Cousins ( Dustin Hopkins kick ), 8 : 20. Lions 13 -- 10. Drive : 9 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 50. WAS -- Kirk Cousins 19 - yard run ( Dustin Hopkins kick ), 1 : 05. Redskins 17 -- 13. Drive : 9 plays, 76 yards, 4 : 15. DET -- Anquan Boldin 18 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 0 : 16. Lions 20 -- 17. Drive : 6 plays, 75 yards, 0 : 49. Top passers WAS -- Kirk Cousins -- 30 / 39, 301 yards, TD DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 18 / 29, 266 yards, TD Top rushers WAS -- Chris Thompson -- 12 rushes, 79 yards DET -- Justin Forsett -- 8 rushes, 33 yards Top receivers WAS -- Jamison Crowder -- 7 receptions, 108 yards DET -- Marvin Jones -- 4 receptions, 94 yards In week 7, the Lions hosted the Washington Redskins. After a scoreless first quarter, each team scored only a field goal in the second quarter : first Detroit 's Matt Prater from 43 yards, then Washington 's Dustin Hopkins from 38 yards, to tie the game at three points apiece at halftime. The only score of the third quarter was a one - yard touchdown run by the Lions ' Zach Zenner. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 27 - yard field goal from Prater. The Redskins responded with 14 consecutive points on a pair of touchdowns, first with a one - yard pass from Kirk Cousins to Robert Kelley, and next on a 19 - yard run by Cousins. This give the Redskins their first lead of the game, 17 -- 13, with just over a minute to go. The Lions took the lead back on the next drive, when Matthew Stafford hit Anquan Boldin for an 18 - yard TD with 16 seconds left, to win the game, 20 -- 17. Week 8 : at Houston Texans Week Eight : Detroit Lions at Houston Texans -- Game summary Total Lions 0 0 10 13 Texans 0 14 20 at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas Date : October 30 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EDT / 12 : 00 p.m. CDT Game weather : Played indoors ( retractable roof closed ) Game attendance : 71,882 Referee : Brad Allen TV announcers ( Fox ) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HOU -- C.J. Fiedorowicz 6 - yard pass from Brock Osweiler ( Nick Novak kick ), 12 : 56. Texans 7 -- 0. Drive : 12 plays, 61 yards, 5 : 54. HOU -- Lamar Miller 1 - yard run ( Nick Novak kick ), 7 : 04. Texans 14 -- 0. Drive : 10 plays, 53 yards, 4 : 34. DET -- Matt Prater 47 - yard field goal, 0 : 06. Texans 14 -- 3. Drive : 5 plays, 52 yards, 0 : 30. Third quarter HOU -- Nick Novak 33 - yard field goal, 5 : 51. Texans 17 -- 3. Drive : 9 plays, 46 yards, 4 : 30. Fourth quarter DET -- Theo Riddick 1 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 14 : 50. Texans 17 -- 10. Drive : 13 plays, 75 yards, 6 : 01. HOU -- Nick Novak 36 - yard field goal, 4 : 09. Texans 20 -- 10. Drive : 9 plays, 47 yards, 6 : 05. DET -- Matt Prater 34 - yard field goal, 2 : 53. Texans 20 -- 13. Drive : 6 plays, 39 yards, 1 : 16. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 27 / 41, 240 yards, TD HOU -- Brock Osweiler -- 20 / 29, 186 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DET -- Theo Riddick -- 11 rushes, 56 yards HOU -- Lamar Miller -- 17 rushes, 56 yards, TD Top receivers DET -- Eric Ebron -- 7 receptions, 79 yards HOU -- DeAndre Hopkins -- 4 receptions, 44 yards In week 8, the Lions visited the Houston Texans. After a scoreless first quarter, the Texans took an early lead that they never relinquished with a pair of touchdowns. First, Brock Osweiler connected with C.J. Fiedorowicz on a six - yard touchdown pass, then Lamar Miller scored on a one - yard run. The Lions ' only score of the first half was a 47 - yard field goal from Matt Prater, making the halftime score 14 -- 3. The only score of the third quarter was a 33 - yard field goal from Houston 's Nick Novak. Detroit responded with a one - yard touchdown catch by Theo Riddick in the fourth quarter, but the Texans went back up by 10 points after a 36 - yard Novak field goal. The Lions scored the final points of the game with a 34 - yard field goal. Despite the attempted late game comeback, Detroit came up short, losing 20 -- 13 and snapping their three - game winning streak. Week 9 : at Minnesota Vikings Week Nine : Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings -- Game summary OT Total Lions 7 0 6 6 22 Vikings 0 6 7 0 16 at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota Date : November 6 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EST / 12 : 00 p.m. CST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 66,807 Referee : Ed Hochuli TV announcers ( Fox ) : Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DET -- Matt Prater 47 - yard field goal, 7 : 14. Lions 3 -- 0. Drive : 9 plays, 57 yards, 5 : 00. Second quarter MIN -- Blair Walsh 33 - yard field goal, 13 : 20. Tied 3 -- 3. Drive : 12 plays, 61 yards, 4 : 35. DET -- Anquan Boldin 1 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 0 : 05. Lions 10 -- 3. Drive : 17 plays, 84 yards, 9 : 45. Third quarter MIN -- Kyle Rudolph 1 - yard pass from Sam Bradford ( kick hit right upright ), 4 : 02. Lions 10 -- 9. Drive : 9 plays, 78 yards, 5 : 33. Fourth quarter DET -- Matt Prater 53 - yard field goal, 12 : 33. Lions 13 -- 9. Drive : 4 plays, 8 yards, 1 : 08. MIN -- Rhett Ellison 1 - yard run ( Blair Walsh kick ), 0 : 23. Vikings 16 -- 13. Drive : 13 plays, 79 yards, 3 : 51. DET -- Matt Prater 58 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Tied 16 -- 16. Drive : 4 plays, 35 yards, 0 : 23. Overtime DET -- Golden Tate 28 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford, 8 : 21. Lions 22 -- 16. Drive : 11 plays, 87 yards, 6 : 39. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 23 / 36, 219 yards, 2 TD, INT MIN -- Sam Bradford -- 31 / 40, 273 yards, TD Top rushers DET -- Theo Riddick -- 14 rushes, 70 yards MIN -- Ronnie Hillman -- 7 rushes, 30 yards Top receivers DET -- Eric Ebron -- 7 receptions, 92 yards MIN -- Stefon Diggs -- 13 receptions, 80 yards In week 9, the Lions visited their division rival the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 47 - yard field goal from Matt Prater. The Vikings responded in the second quarter via a 33 - yard field goal from Blair Walsh. Detroit came back with a one - yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Boldin, giving them a 10 -- 3 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Vikings reduced the Lions lead to one point via a one - yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford to Kyle Rudolph, but Walsh missed the extra point kick. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 53 - yard field goal from Prater. Minnesota took a three - point lead via a one - yard touchdown run from Rhett Ellison with 23 seconds left in the game. Detroit responded with a 58 - yard field goal from Prater to tie the score at 16 as time expired, forcing overtime. In the extra session, Detroit scored on its opening possession via a 28 - yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Tate, where Tate stiff - armed safety Harrison Smith and then flipped into the end - zone, earning a 22 -- 16 win. Week 11 : vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Week Eleven : Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Jaguars 6 10 0 19 Lions 0 9 7 10 26 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : November 20 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 61,486 Referee : Bill Vinovich TV announcers ( CBS ) : Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter JAX -- Jason Myers 27 - yard field goal, 1 : 36. Jaguars 3 -- 0. Drive : 4 plays, 2 yards, 0 : 54. Second quarter DET -- Andre Roberts 55 - yard punt return ( kick blocked ), 11 : 13. Lions 6 -- 3. JAX -- Allen Robinson 3 - yard pass from Blake Bortles ( kick failed, wide right ), 2 : 45. Jaguars 9 -- 6. Drive : 7 plays, 54 yards, 3 : 19. DET -- Matt Prater 27 - yard field goal, 0 : 19. Tied 9 -- 9. Drive : 10 plays, 67 yards, 2 : 26. Third quarter DET -- Kareem Jackson 39 - yard interception return ( Matt Prater kick ), 14 : 02. Lions 16 -- 9. JAX -- Jason Myers 52 - yard field goal, 9 : 20. Lions 16 -- 12. Drive : 7 plays, 41 yards, 4 : 42. JAX -- Marqise Lee 3 - yard pass from Blake Bortles ( Jason Myers kick ), 2 : 10. Jaguars 19 -- 16. Drive : 9 plays, 87 yards, 4 : 56. Fourth quarter DET -- Eric Ebron 1 - yard run ( Matt Prater kick ), 10 : 03. Lions 23 -- 19. Drive : 7 plays, 79 yards, 3 : 21. DET -- Matt Prater 43 - yard field goal, 0 : 22. Lions 26 -- 19. Drive : 15 plays, 60 yards, 7 : 57. Top passers JAX -- Blake Bortles -- 22 / 35, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 24 / 33, 278 yards Top rushers JAX -- Chris Ivory -- 17 rushes, 39 yards DET -- Theo Riddick -- 4 rushes, 13 yards Top receivers JAX -- Chris Ivory -- 6 receptions, 75 yards DET -- Eric Ebron -- 3 receptions, 70 yards, TD In week 11 following their bye - week, the Lions hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 27 - yard field goal from Jason Myers. The Lions ' first score came in the second quarter on a 55 - yard punt return from Andre Roberts, but the extra point try by Matt Prater was partially blocked and failed. The Jaguars responded with a three - yard touchdown pass from Blake Bortles to Allen Robinson, but the conversion attempt by Myers also failed. The Lions then scored on a 27 - yard field goal from Matt Prater, which tied the score at 9 -- 9 at halftime. The Lions took the lead in the third quarter via a 39 - yard interception return from Rafael Bush. The Jaguars responded with 10 points in the third quarter via a 52 - yard field goal from Myers, and a three - yard touchdown pass from Bortles to Marqise Lee, giving them a 19 -- 16 lead. The Lions, trailing for the ninth straight game when entering the fourth quarter, would score the final 10 points of the game. The Lions offense scored its first and only touchdown on a one - yard run from Eric Ebron, and Matt Prater added a 43 - yard field goal with 22 seconds left in the game. On the final drive for the Jaguars, Tavon Wilson intercepted a pass from Bortles, sealing the Lions 26 -- 19 victory. The Lions became the first team in NFL history to have its first ten games of a season all decided by seven or fewer points. Week 12 : vs. Minnesota Vikings Thanksgiving Day game Week Twelve : Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Vikings 7 0 13 Lions 7 0 6 16 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : November 24 Game time : 12 : 30 p.m. EST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 63,793 Referee : Carl Cheffers TV announcers ( CBS ) : Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DET -- Anquan Boldin 2 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 7 : 14. Lions 7 -- 0. Drive : 12 plays, 75 yards, 7 : 46. MIN -- Matt Asiata 5 - yard run ( Kai Forbath kick ), 0 : 40. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 12 plays, 75 yards, 6 : 34. Second quarter DET -- Matt Prater 29 - yard field goal, 6 : 45. Lions 10 -- 7. Drive : 6 plays, 59 yards, 3 : 05. Third quarter MIN -- Kai Forbath 30 - yard field goal, 7 : 03. Tied 10 -- 10. Drive : 5 plays, 49 yards, 2 : 42. Fourth quarter MIN -- Kai Forbath 28 - yard field goal, 12 : 38. Vikings 13 -- 10. Drive : 13 plays, 76 yards, 7 : 36. DET -- Matt Prater 48 - yard field goal, 1 : 45. Tied 13 -- 13. Drive : 10 plays, 68 yards, 3 : 17. DET -- Matt Prater 40 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Lions 16 -- 13. Drive : 2 plays, − 2 yards, 0 : 30. Top passers MIN -- Sam Bradford -- 31 / 37, 224 yards, INT DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 23 / 40, 232 yards, TD Top rushers MIN -- Jerick McKinnon -- 9 rushes, 31 yards DET -- Theo Riddick -- 9 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers MIN -- Kyle Rudolph -- 9 receptions, 64 yards DET -- Golden Tate -- 5 receptions, 77 yards For their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted a rematch with division rival the Minnesota Vikings, with both teams coming into the game at 6 -- 4 and the winner gaining first place in the NFC North. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a two - yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Anquan Boldin. The Vikings responded with a five - yard touchdown run from Matt Asiata. In the second quarter, the Lions recorded a 29 - yard field goal from Matt Prater, which made the score 10 -- 7 in favor of the Lions at halftime. The Vikings again tied the score in the third quarter via a 30 - yard field goal from Kai Forbath, and took their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter via a 28 - yard field goal from Forbath. The Lions responded with a 48 - yard field goal from Prater to tie the game. With 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Darius Slay intercepted a pass from Sam Bradford. Two plays later, Prater recorded a 40 - yard field goal as time expired, giving the Lions a 16 -- 13 win. The Lions have trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season, and tied an NFL record for the most fourth quarter comeback wins in a season with seven, set by the 2009 Indianapolis Colts. The Lions extended their own NFL record of games to start a season being decided by seven points or fewer, now standing at eleven. Week 13 : at New Orleans Saints Week Thirteen : Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints -- Game summary Total Lions 10 6 9 28 Saints 0 6 0 7 13 at Mercedes - Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date : December 4 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EST / 12 : 00 p.m. CST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 73,137 Referee : Clete Blakeman TV announcers ( Fox ) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DET -- Matt Prater 27 - yard field goal, 8 : 14. Lions 3 -- 0. Drive : 9 plays, 44 yards, 5 : 09. Second quarter DET -- Theo Riddick 1 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 13 : 03. Lions 10 -- 0. Drive : 11 plays, 92 yards, 7 : 25. NO -- Wil Lutz 40 - yard field goal, 5 : 05. Lions 10 -- 3. Drive : 6 plays, 26 yards, 3 : 45. DET -- Matt Prater 29 - yard field goal, 0 : 56. Lions 13 -- 3. Drive : 12 plays, 64 yards, 4 : 09. NO -- Wil Lutz 32 - yard field goal, 0 : 00. Lions 10 -- 6. Drive : 6 plays, 75 yards, 0 : 56. Third quarter DET -- Matt Prater 32 - yard field goal, 8 : 57. Lions 16 -- 6. Drive : 10 plays, 63 yards, 6 : 03. DET -- Matt Prater 27 - yard field goal, 1 : 42. Lions 19 -- 6. Drive : 11 plays, 45 yards, 4 : 33. Fourth quarter NO -- John Kuhn 1 - yard run ( Wil Lutz kick ), 13 : 32. Lions 19 -- 13. Drive : 7 plays, 75 yards, 3 : 10. DET -- Golden Tate 66 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( pass failed ), 11 : 38. Lions 25 -- 13. Drive : 5 plays, 78 yards, 1 : 54. DET -- Matt Prater 52 - yard field goal, 7 : 10. Lions 28 -- 13. Drive : 6 plays, 21 yards, 3 : 06. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 30 / 42, 341 yards, 2 TD NO -- Drew Brees -- 31 / 44, 326 yards, 3 INT Top rushers DET -- Zach Zenner -- 9 rushes, 40 yards NO -- Mark Ingram Jr. -- 7 rushes, 37 yards Top receivers DET -- Golden Tate -- 8 receptions, 145 yards, TD NO -- Coby Fleener -- 5 receptions, 86 yards After their Thanksgiving win, the Lions traveled south to play the New Orleans Saints. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 27 - yard field goal from Matt Prater. Detroit extended their lead in the second quarter via a one - yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Theo Riddick. The Saints reduced the Lions lead to seven points via a 40 - yard field goal from Wil Lutz. The two teams exchanged field goals, one from Prater from 29 yards, and one from Lutz from 32 yards, making the score 13 -- 6 in favor of the Lions at halftime. The Lions added two field goals from Prater in the third quarter, from 32 yards and 27 yards out, extending their lead to 19 -- 6. The Saints opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a one - yard touchdown run from John Kuhn. The Lions responded on the next drive with a 66 - yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Golden Tate, which was followed by a failed two - point conversion. Matt Prater finished the scoring with a 52 - yard field goal, giving the Lions a 28 -- 13 win. This marked the first game all year in which the Lions never trailed in the fourth quarter, and their first game of 2016 to be decided by more than seven points. The Lions defense held Saints quarterback Drew Brees without a touchdown pass, ending a streak of 60 straight home games in which Brees threw for at least one touchdown. Further, the Lions won a road game following their Thanksgiving Day game for the first time since 1974, ending a streak of 22 losses in such games. In one stretch during the first half, Matthew Stafford completed 14 consecutive passes, a Lions franchise record. Week 14 : vs. Chicago Bears Week Fourteen : Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Bears 0 7 7 17 Lions 0 10 7 20 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : December 11 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Game attendance : 61,726 Referee : Jeff Triplette TV announcers ( CBS ) : Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter CHI -- Connor Barth 38 - yard field goal, 1 : 27. Bears 3 -- 0. Drive : 12 plays, 60 yards, 7 : 17. Second quarter DET -- Matt Prater 29 - yard field goal, 4 : 17. Tied 3 -- 3. Drive : 12 plays, 74 yards, 6 : 58. DET -- Anquan Boldin 16 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 0 : 19. Lions 10 -- 3. Drive : 10 plays, 81 yards, 2 : 07. Third quarter DET -- Matt Prater 54 - yard field goal, 5 : 35. Lions 13 -- 3. Drive : 10 plays, 44 yards, 6 : 04. CHI -- Cameron Meredith 31 - yard pass from Matt Barkley ( Connor Barth kick ), 3 : 19. Lions 13 -- 10. Drive : 4 plays, 75 yards, 2 : 16. Fourth quarter CHI -- Cre'Von LeBlanc 24 - yard interception return ( Connor Barth kick ), 7 : 07. Bears 17 -- 13. DET -- Matthew Stafford 7 - yard run ( Matt Prater kick ), 3 : 16. Lions 20 -- 17. Drive : 7 plays, 76 yards, 3 : 50. Top passers CHI -- Matt Barkley -- 20 / 32, 212 yards, TD DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 21 / 35, 223 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers CHI -- Jordan Howard -- 13 rushes, 86 yards DET -- Dwayne Washington -- 16 rushes, 64 yards Top receivers CHI -- Cameron Meredith -- 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD DET -- Golden Tate -- 6 receptions, 58 yards In week 14, the Lions returned home for a rematch with division rival the Chicago Bears, who defeated the Lions in Chicago in week 4. The Bears opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 38 - yard field goal from Connor Barth. The Lions responded with 10 points in the second quarter via a 29 - yard field goal from Matt Prater, and a 16 - yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Anquan Boldin, which made the score 10 -- 3 in favor of the Lions at half - time. The Lions extended their lead in the third quarter via a 54 - yard field goal from Prater. The Bears reduced the Lions lead to three points via a 31 - yard touchdown pass from Matt Barkley to Cameron Meredith. The Bears regained the lead in the fourth quarter via a 24 - yard interception return from Cre'Von LeBlanc. The Lions responded with a seven - yard touchdown run from Stafford with 3 : 17 left in the game, giving the Lions a 20 -- 17 lead they held onto for the win, and breaking an NFL record with 8 comebacks in a single season. With the win, the Lions have won five games in a row for the first time since 2011. The Lions have also held opponents to 20 points or fewer in seven straight games, their longest such streak since 1961. Week 15 : at New York Giants Week Fifteen : Detroit Lions at New York Giants -- Game summary Total Lions 0 0 6 Giants 7 0 7 17 at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Date : December 18 Game time : 1 : 00 p.m. EST Game weather : 55 ° F ( 13 ° C ), rain Game attendance : 79,434 Referee : Tony Corrente TV announcers ( Fox ) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter NYG -- Sterling Shepard 6 - yard pass from Eli Manning ( Robbie Gould kick ), 9 : 23. Giants 7 -- 0. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 37. Second quarter DET -- Matt Prater 48 - yard field goal, 14 : 02. Giants 7 -- 3. Drive : 11 plays, 40 yards, 5 : 27. NYG -- Robbie Gould 47 - yard field goal, 5 : 00. Giants 10 -- 3. Drive : 11 plays, 51 yards, 5 : 53. Third quarter DET -- Matt Prater 33 - yard field goal, 7 : 40. Giants 10 -- 6. Drive : 12 plays, 45 yards, 7 : 20. Fourth quarter NYG -- Odell Beckham Jr. 4 - yard pass from Eli Manning ( Robbie Gould kick ), 5 : 47. Giants 17 -- 6. Drive : 8 plays, 71 yards, 3 : 23. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 24 / 39, 273 yards, INT NYG -- Eli Manning -- 20 / 28, 201 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DET -- Dwayne Washington -- 14 rushes, 31 yards NYG -- Paul Perkins -- 11 rushes, 6 yards Top receivers DET -- Golden Tate -- 8 receptions, 122 yards NYG -- Odell Beckham Jr. -- 6 receptions, 64 yards, TD In week 15, the Lions traveled east to play the New York Giants. The Giants opened the scoring in the first quarter via a six - yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Sterling Shepard. The two teams exchanged field goals in the second quarter, one from Matt Prater from 48 yards, and one from Robbie Gould from 47 yards, making the score 10 -- 3 in favor of the Giants at halftime. The Lions reduced the lead to four points in the third quarter via a 33 - yard field goal from Prater. The Giants extended their lead in fourth quarter with a four - yard touchdown pass from Manning to Odell Beckham Jr. The Lions ' attempted comeback failed when Matthew Stafford was picked off by Dominique Rodgers - Cromartie in the end - zone for a touchback with 2 : 09 left in the game, losing 17 -- 6, and snapping their five - game winning streak. Week 16 : at Dallas Cowboys Week Sixteen : Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys -- Game summary Total Lions 7 14 0 0 21 Cowboys 14 7 14 7 42 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas Date : December 26 Game time : 8 : 30 p.m. EST / 7 : 30 p.m. CST Game weather : Played indoors ( retractable roof closed ) Game attendance : 92,885 Referee : John Hussey TV announcers ( ESPN ) : Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter DAL -- Brice Butler 21 - yard pass from Dak Prescott ( Dan Bailey Kick ), 9 : 57. Cowboys 7 -- 0. Drive : 9 plays, 66 yards, 5 : 03. DET -- Zach Zenner 7 - yard run ( Matt Prater Kick ), 5 : 23. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 9 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 34. DAL -- Ezekiel Elliott 55 - yard run ( Dan Bailey Kick ), 2 : 49. Cowboys 14 -- 7. Drive : 4 plays, 66 yards, 2 : 34. Second quarter DET -- Matthew Stafford 1 - yard run ( Matt Prater Kick ), 13 : 32. Tied 14 -- 14. Drive : 11 plays, 58 yards, 4 : 17. DET -- Zach Zenner 5 - yard run ( Matt Prater Kick ), 7 : 40. Lions 21 -- 14. Drive : 8 plays, 53 yards, 4 : 01. DAL -- Dez Bryant 25 - yard pass from Dak Prescott ( Dan Bailey Kick ), 1 : 04. Tied 21 -- 21. Drive : 6 plays, 51 yards, 2 : 10. Third quarter DAL -- Ezekiel Elliott 1 - yard run ( Dan Bailey Kick ), 10 : 19. Cowboys 28 -- 21. Drive : 3 plays, 38 yards, 1 : 46. DAL -- Jason Witten 10 - yard pass from Dez Bryant ( Dan Bailey Kick ), 4 : 03. Cowboys 35 -- 21. Drive : 7 plays, 95 yards, 4 : 05. Fourth quarter DAL -- Dez Bryant 19 - yard pass from Dak Prescott ( Dan Bailey Kick ), 12 : 12. Cowboys 42 -- 21. Drive : 7 plays, 63 yards, 3 : 35. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 26 / 46, 260 yards, INT DAL -- Dak Prescott -- 15 / 20, 212 yards, 3 TD Top rushers DET -- Zach Zenner -- 12 rushes, 67 yards, 2 TD DAL -- Ezekiel Elliott -- 12 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DET -- Eric Ebron -- 8 receptions, 93 yards DAL -- Dez Bryant -- 4 receptions, 70 yards, 2 TD In week 16, the Lions flew southwest to play the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 21 - yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Brice Butler. The Lions responded with a 7 - yard touchdown run from Zach Zenner. The Cowboys regained the lead via a 55 - yard touchdown run from Ezekiel Elliott. The Lions scored 14 points in the second quarter via a 1 - yard touchdown run from Matthew Stafford and a 5 - yard run from Zenner, to take their first lead of the game. The Cowboys responded with a 25 - yard touchdown pass from Prescott to Dez Bryant, which tied the score 21 -- 21 at halftime. The Cowboys scored 21 unanswered points in the second half, via a 1 - yard touchdown run from Elliott and a 10 - yard touchdown pass from Bryant to Jason Witten in the third quarter, and a 19 - yard touchdown pass from Prescott to Bryant in the fourth quarter, making the final score 42 -- 21. The Lions ' streak of holding opponents to 20 points or fewer was ended at eight consecutive games. Week 17 : vs. Green Bay Packers Week Seventeen : Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions -- Game summary Total Packers 0 10 7 14 31 Lions 0 14 0 10 24 at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan Date : January 1, 2017 Game time : 8 : 30 p.m. EST Game weather : Played indoors ( dome stadium ) Referee : Jerome Boger TV announcers ( NBC ) : Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter GB -- Aaron Ripkowski 7 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 10 : 54. Packers 7 -- 0. Drive : 8 plays, 71 yards, 4 : 09. DET -- Zach Zenner 1 - yard run ( Matt Prater kick ), 5 : 03. Tied 7 -- 7. Drive : 11 plays, 80 yards, 5 : 47. DET -- Golden Tate 3 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 10 : 54. Lions 14 -- 7. Drive : 11 plays, 69 yards, 2 : 08. GB -- Mason Crosby 53 - yard field goal, 0 : 03. Lions 14 -- 10. Drive : 5 plays, 40 yards, 0 : 23. Third quarter GB -- Davante Adams 3 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Mason Crosby kick ), 9 : 27. Packers 17 -- 14. Drive : 10 plays, 75 yards, 5 : 37. Fourth quarter GB -- Geronimo Allison 10 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( kick failed, wide right ), 10 : 13. Packers 23 -- 14. Drive : 10 plays, 81 yards, 4 : 37. DET -- Matt Prater 54 - yard field goal, 7 : 47. Packers 23 -- 17. Drive : 7 plays, 33 yards, 2 : 20. GB -- Davante Adams 9 - yard pass from Aaron Rodgers ( Aaron Rodgers -- Davante Adams pass ), 2 : 54. Packers 31 -- 17. Drive : 11 plays, 75 yards, 4 : 52. DET -- Anquan Boldin 35 - yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Matt Prater kick ), 0 : 22. Packers 31 -- 24. Drive : 1 play, 35 yards, 0 : 09. Top passers GB -- Aaron Rodgers -- 27 / 39, 300 yards, 4 TD DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 26 / 41, 347 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers GB -- Aaron Ripkowski -- 9 rushes, 61 yards DET -- Zach Zenner -- 20 rushes, 69 yards, TD Top receivers GB -- Geronimo Allison -- 4 receptions, 91 yards, TD DET -- Golden Tate -- 6 receptions, 77 yards, TD To finish the regular season, the Lions hosted a rematch with division rival the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, their second consecutive nationally televised, prime - time game. After a scoreless first quarter, the Packers opened the scoring in the second quarter via a seven - yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Aaron Ripkowski. The Lions responded with 14 points via a one - yard touchdown run from Zach Zenner and a three - yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate. The Packers reduced the Lions lead to four points via a 53 - yard field goal from Mason Crosby, which made the score 14 -- 10 in favor of the Lions at half - time. The Packers regained the lead in the third quarter via a three - yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams, and increased it in the fourth quarter via a 10 - yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Geronimo Allison, and a nine - yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Adams. The Lions responded with a 54 - yard field goal from Matt Prater and a 35 - yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Anquan Boldin but came up short, losing 24 -- 31. With the loss, Green Bay won the NFC North division title, but Detroit won a wildcard spot, thanks to Washington 's loss to the Giants earlier in the day. Postseason See also : 2016 -- 17 NFL playoffs NFC Wild Card playoffs : at ( # 3 ) Seattle Seahawks NFC Wild Card Playoffs : ( # 6 ) Detroit Lions at ( # 3 ) Seattle Seahawks -- Game summary Total Lions 0 0 6 Seahawks 0 10 0 16 26 at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington Date : January 7, 2017 Game time : 8 : 15 p.m. EST / 5 : 15 p.m. PST Game weather : 38 ° F ( 3 ° C ), cloudy Game attendance : 68,788 Referee : Brad Allen TV announcers ( NBC ) : Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Heather Cox Recap, Gamebook Game information First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter SEA -- Paul Richardson 2 - yard pass from Russell Wilson ( Steven Hauschka kick ), 7 : 07. Seahawks 7 -- 0. Drive : 14 plays, 60 yards, 7 : 45. SEA -- Steven Hauschka 43 - yard field goal, 1 : 55. Seahawks 10 -- 0. Drive : 7 play, 51 yards, 2 : 53. DET -- Matt Prater 51 - yard field goal, 0 : 20. Seahawks 10 -- 3. Drive : 7 play, 42 yards, 1 : 35. Third quarter DET -- Matt Prater 53 - yard field goal, 4 : 03. Seahawks 10 -- 6. Drive : 10 play, 61 yards, 5 : 33. Fourth quarter SEA -- Steven Hauschka 27 - yard field goal, 14 : 12. Seahawks 13 -- 6. Drive : 10 play, 66 yards, 4 : 51. SEA -- Thomas Rawls 4 - yard run ( kick failed, hit right upright ), 8 : 49. Seahawks 19 -- 6. Drive : 8 plays, 82 yards, 4 : 08. SEA -- Doug Baldwin 13 - yard pass from Russell Wilson ( Steven Hauschka kick ), 3 : 36. Seahawks 26 -- 6. Drive : 11 plays, 84 yards, 4 : 15. Top passers DET -- Matthew Stafford -- 18 / 32, 205 yards SEA -- Russell Wilson -- 23 / 30, 224 yards, 2 TD Top rushers DET -- Zach Zenner -- 11 rushes, 34 yards SEA -- Thomas Rawls -- 27 rushes, 161 yards, TD Top receivers DET -- Zach Zenner -- 6 receptions, 54 yards SEA -- Doug Baldwin -- 11 receptions, 104 yards, TD After a scoreless first quarter, the Seahawks opened the scoring in the second quarter via a two - yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Paul Richardson. The Seahawks extended their lead via a 43 - yard field goal from Steven Hauschka. The Lions responded with a 51 - yard field goal from Matt Prater, which made the score 10 -- 3 in favor of the Seahawks at half - time. The Lions reduced the Seahawks ' lead to four points in the third quarter via a 53 - yard field goal from Prater. The Seahawks scored 16 points in the fourth quarter via a 27 - yard field goal from Hauschka, a four - yard touchdown run from Thomas Rawls, and a 13 - yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Doug Baldwin, making the final score 26 -- 6 in favor of Seattle, and ending the Lions ' season. The loss marked the Lions ' ninth consecutive playoff game without a win, the longest streak in NFL history. Standings Division NFC North view talk PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK Green Bay Packers 10 6 0. 625 5 -- 1 8 -- 4 432 388 W6 Detroit Lions 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 7 -- 5 346 358 L3 Minnesota Vikings 8 8 0. 500 2 -- 4 5 -- 7 327 307 W1 Chicago Bears 13 0. 188 2 -- 4 3 -- 9 279 399 L4 Conference NFC # Team Division PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division leaders Dallas Cowboys East 13 0. 813 3 -- 3 9 -- 3. 471. 440 L1 Atlanta Falcons South 11 5 0. 688 5 -- 1 9 -- 3. 480. 452 W4 Seattle Seahawks West 10 5. 656 3 -- 2 -- 1 6 -- 5 -- 1. 441. 425 W1 Green Bay Packers North 10 6 0. 625 5 -- 1 8 -- 4. 508. 453 W6 Wild Cards 5 New York Giants East 11 5 0. 688 4 -- 2 8 -- 4. 486. 455 W1 6 Detroit Lions North 9 7 0. 563 3 -- 3 7 -- 5. 475. 392 L3 Did not qualify for the playoffs 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 9 7 0. 563 4 -- 2 7 -- 5. 492. 434 W1 8 Washington Redskins East 8 7. 531 3 -- 3 6 -- 6. 516. 430 L1 9 Minnesota Vikings North 8 8 0. 500 2 -- 4 5 -- 7. 492. 457 W1 10 Arizona Cardinals West 7 8. 469 4 -- 1 -- 1 6 -- 5 -- 1. 463. 366 W2 11 New Orleans Saints South 7 9 0. 438 2 -- 4 6 -- 6. 523. 393 L1 12 Philadelphia Eagles East 7 9 0. 438 2 -- 4 5 -- 7. 559. 518 W2 13 Carolina Panthers South 6 10 0. 375 1 -- 5 5 -- 7. 518. 354 L2 14 Los Angeles Rams West 12 0. 250 2 -- 4 3 -- 9. 504. 500 L7 15 Chicago Bears North 13 0. 188 2 -- 4 3 -- 9. 521. 396 L4 16 San Francisco 49ers West 14 0. 125 2 -- 4 2 -- 10. 504. 250 L1 Tiebreakers ^ Jump up to : Detroit finished ahead of Tampa Bay for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents -- Detroit 's cumulative record against Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans was 3 -- 2, while Tampa Bay 's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2 -- 3. ^ Jump up to : New Orleans finished ahead of Philadelphia based on better record vs. conference opponents. Jump up ^ 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 2016 Detroit Lions staff Front office Owner / Chairman -- Martha Firestone Ford Vice Chairman -- William Clay Ford Jr. President -- Rod Wood Special Advisor to the President -- Ernie Accorsi COO -- Allison Maki Executive Vice President / General Manager -- Bob Quinn Vice President of Football Administration -- Matt Harriss Chief of Staff / Assistant to the General Manager -- Kevin Anderson Director of Player Personnel -- Kyle O'Brien Senior Personnel Executive -- Brian Xanders Director of College Scouting -- Lance Newmark Director of Pro Scouting -- Brendan Prophett Assistant Director of Pro Personnel -- Rob Lohman Head coaches Head Coach -- Jim Caldwell Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Line -- Ron Prince Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator -- Jim Bob Cooter Quarterbacks -- Brian Callahan Running Backs -- David Walker Wide Receivers -- Robert Prince Tight Ends -- Al Golden Quality Control / Offensive Line -- Michael McCarthy Offensive Assistant / Research & Analysis -- Evan Rothstein Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator -- Teryl Austin Defensive Line -- Kris Kocurek Defensive Assistant / Defensive Ends -- Matt Raich Linebackers -- Bill Sheridan Defensive Backs / Safeties -- Alan Williams Defensive Backs / Corners -- Tony Oden Defensive Quality Control -- Steven Williams Senior Coaching Assistant -- Gunther Cunningham Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator -- Joe Marciano Special Teams Assistant -- Devin Fitzsimmons Strength and conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning -- Harold Nash Assistant Strength and Conditioning -- Josh Schuler References Jump up ^ Twentyman, Tim ( January 8, 2016 ). `` Lions hire general manager ''. Detroit Lions. Retrieved January 8, 2016. Jump up ^ Detroit Lions cheerleaders make official debut this weekend WJBK, September 15, 2016 Jump up ^ `` Lions re-sign DT Tyrunn Walker ''. Detroit Lions. March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions re-sign LB Tahir Whitehead ''. Detroit Lions. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions re-sign CB Crezdon Butler ''. Detroit Lions. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions re-sign LS Don Muhlbach ''. Detroit Lions. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions re-sign QB Dan Orlovsky ''. Detroit Lions. March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions re-sign DT Haloti Ngata ''. Detroit Lions. March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions re-sign TE Tim Wright ''. Detroit Lions. March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign LB Josh Bynes and trade LB Kyle Van Noy to Patriots ''. Detroit Lions. October 25, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign linebacker Jerry Franklin ''. Detroit Lions. February 11, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign offensive tackle Lamar Holmes ''. Detroit Lions. February 12, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign unrestricted free agent S Tavon Wilson ''. Detroit Lions. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign unrestricted free agent CB Johnson Bademosi ''. Detroit Lions. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent DT Stefan Charles ''. Detroit Lions. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign unrestricted free agent WR Marvin Jones ''. Detroit Lions. March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign unrestricted free agent S Rafael Bush ''. Detroit Lions. March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent WR Jeremy Kerley ''. Detroit Lions. March 21, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign unrestricted free agent CB Darrin Walls ''. Detroit Lions. March 29, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent OL Geoff Schwartz ''. Detroit Lions. March 30, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agents DE Wallace Gilberry and TE Matthew Mulligan ''. Detroit Lions. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent RB Stevan Ridley ''. Detroit Lions. April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Birkett, Dave ( April 25, 2016 ). `` Detroit Lions sign punter Kyle Christy ''. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 25, 2016. Jump up ^ Birkett, Dave ( May 2, 2016 ). `` Detroit Lions sign LB Zaviar Gooden ''. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 2, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign unrestricted free agent WR Andre Caldwell ''. Detroit Lions. May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign 12 undrafted rookie free agents ''. Detroit Lions. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign nine 2016 draft picks ''. Detroit Lions. May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign second - round pick DT A'Shawn Robinson ''. Detroit Lions. May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Katzenstein, Josh ( May 13, 2016 ). `` Lions sign former Central DE Louis Palmer, cut OT Holmes ''. The Detroit News. Retrieved May 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign undrafted rookie free agent TE Ben McCord ''. Detroit Lions. May 31, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016. Jump up ^ Birkett, Dave ( June 1, 2016 ). `` Detroit Lions sign rookie Alabama OL Dominick Jackson ''. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 1, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign undrafted rookie free agent K Devon Bell, waive P Kyle Christy ''. Detroit Lions. June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent WR Damian Copeland, waive G Andrew Zeller ''. Detroit Lions. June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions announce several transactions ''. Detroit Lions. June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent TE Orson Charles ''. Detroit Lions. June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent T Luke Marquardt ''. Detroit Lions. July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign WR Anquan Boldin and LB Dominique Tovell ''. Detroit Lions. July 28, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016. Jump up ^ Birkett, Dave ( August 1, 2016 ). `` Detroit Lions sign LB Raphael Kirby ''. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 1, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions waive LB Raphael Kirby and sign LB Chi Chi Ariguzo ''. Detroit Lions. August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions waive WR Damian Copeland and sign WR Alex Chisum ''. Detroit Lions. August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign CB Rashaad Reynolds and waive - injured CB Ian Wells ''. Detroit Lions. August 10, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign TE Andrew Quarless and LB Dominique Tovell ''. Detroit Lions. August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions waive WR Alex Chisum and sign free agent OL Lemuel Jeanpierre ''. Detroit Lions. August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions waive CB Keith Lewis and sign free agent CB Brandon McGee ''. Detroit Lions. August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent WR Aaron Dobson, place Ameer Abdullah on reserve / injured ''. Detroit Lions. September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions sign free agent RB Justin Forsett ''. Detroit Lions. October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Lions sign RB Joique Bell and CB Asa Jackson ''. Detroit Lions. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016. Jump up ^ O'Hara, Mike ( February 16, 2016 ). `` Lions part ways with Joique Bell ''. Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 16, 2016. Jump up ^ Patra, Kevin ( February 16, 2016 ). `` Lions CB Rashean Mathis announces retirement ''. National Football League. Retrieved February 16, 2016. Jump up ^ Twentyman, Tim ( February 19, 2016 ). `` Lions release DT C.J. Wilson ''. Detroit Lions. Retrieved February 19, 2016. Jump up ^ Twentyman, Tim ( March 8, 2016 ). `` Calvin Johnson retires from the NFL ''. Detroit Lions. Retrieved March 8, 2016. Jump up ^ Katzenstein, Josh ( May 5, 2016 ). `` Lions cut another center, Darren Keyton ''. The Detroit News. Retrieved May 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Birkett, Dave ( May 13, 2016 ). `` Detroit Lions sign CMU 's Palmer, cut Lamar Holmes ''. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 13, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions release LB Stephen Tulloch ''. Detroit Lions. July 5, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Rogers, Justin ( August 22, 2016 ). `` Lions release WR Andre Caldwell ''. The Detroit News. Retrieved August 22, 2016. Jump up ^ Birkett, Dave ( August 25, 2016 ). `` Detroit Lions release veteran RB Stevan Ridley ''. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 25, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lions acquire LB Jon Bostic via trade with Patriots ''. Detroit Lions. May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Birket, Dave ( August 28, 2016 ). `` Lions acquire OG Brandon Thomas in trade for Jeremy Kerley ''. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 28, 2016. Jump up ^ Wesseling, Chris ( October 25, 2016 ). `` Patriots trade for Lions linebacker Kyle Van Noy ''. National Football League. Retrieved October 25, 2016. Jump up ^ Twentyman, Tim ( May 2, 2015 ). `` Detroit Lions trade up, draft defensive tackle Gabe Wright ''. Detroit Lions. Retrieved May 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Twentyman, Tim ( April 30, 2015 ). `` Detroit Lions trade back, draft guard Laken Tomlinson ''. Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 30, 2015. Jump up ^ Twentyman, Tim ( August 2, 2015 ). `` Lions trade Mohammed Seisay to Seattle ''. Detroit Lions. Retrieved August 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Mariota lifts Titans to close victory over Lions ''. NFL.com. September 18, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016. Jump up ^ Patra, Kevin ( November 20, 2016 ). `` Lions earn sixth comeback win of season vs. Jaguars ''. NFL.com. Retrieved November 22, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Trail in fourth quarter ? Nothing new for Lions ''. ESPN.com. November 24, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Stafford throws for 341 yards, Lions beat Saints 28 - 13 ''. CBSsports.com. December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2016. Jump up ^ Patra, Kevin ( December 4, 2016 ). `` Stafford saves heroics for another day in Lions win ''. nfl.com. Retrieved December 5, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Stafford runs for go - ahead TD in Lions ' 20 - 17 win over Bears ''. CBSsports.com. December 11, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016. External links Official website Detroit Lions Founded in 1930 Formerly the Portsmouth Spartans ( 1930 -- 33 ) 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 1991 1993 Conference championships ( 4 ) 1952 1953 1954 1957 League championships ( 4 ) 1935 1952 1953 1957 Media Broadcasters Radio : Radio network Dan Miller Jim Brandstatter Tony Ortiz 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 ( 88 ) 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 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Championship seasons in bold Portsmouth Spartans -- Detroit Lions seasons Portsmouth Spartans 1930 1931 1932 1933 Detroit 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 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Bold indicates NFL Championship or Super Bowl victory Italics indicates NFL Championship or Super Bowl appearance 2016 NFL season AFC East North South West East North South West NFC Buffalo Baltimore Houston Denver Dallas Chicago Atlanta Arizona Miami Cincinnati Indianapolis Kansas City NY Giants Detroit Carolina Los Angeles New England Cleveland Jacksonville Oakland Philadelphia Green Bay New Orleans San Francisco NY Jets Pittsburgh Tennessee San Diego Washington Minnesota Tampa Bay Seattle Draft NFL playoffs NFL Honors Pro Bowl Super Bowl LI Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2016_Detroit_Lions_season&oldid=811806047 '' Categories : 2016 National Football League season by team Detroit Lions seasons 2016 in sports in Michigan Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Edit links This page was last edited on 24 November 2017, at 02 : 57. 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Question: how many games did the lions win in 2016
Answer: –7