# 2015 Detroit Lions season

The 2015 season was the Detroit Lions' 86th in the National Football League (NFL), their 82nd as the Detroit Lions and their 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. On November 19, the Lions named Rod Wood as team president. The Lions were eliminated from playoff contention after their loss to the St. Louis Rams 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 beating the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for the first time since 1991.

## Offseason
### Re-signings

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

### Arrivals

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

### Departures

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

### 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.
* 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.
* On August 3, the Lions traded Mohammed Seisay to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

### 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).
* 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).
* 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.
* 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).
* 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).

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | 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 | Venue | 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 (London) | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | 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

| Quarter | 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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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.
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 37–34.
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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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.

#### Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 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 :
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.

#### Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 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 :
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. 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.

#### Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 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 :
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.

#### Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Thanksgiving Day game
| Quarter | 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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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

| Quarter | 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 :
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). It was the team's first road win over the Saints since 2005.

#### Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 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 :
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.

#### Week 17: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 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 :
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.

## Standings
### Division

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | 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

NFCvte :
| # | 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 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .531 | .450 | L2 |
| 6 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .520 | .431 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .480 | .453 | L1 |
| 8 | St. Louis Rams | West | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .527 | .482 | L1 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .535 | .429 | W3 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .508 | .473 | W1 |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .504 | .402 | W2 |
| 12 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .500 | .396 | L3 |
| 13 | Chicago Bears | North | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .547 | .469 | L1 |
| 14 | 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 ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 3 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. ||||||||||||