# 2012 Detroit Lions season

The 2012 season was the Detroit Lions' 83rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 79th as the Detroit Lions and their fourth under head coach Jim Schwartz. The Lions failed to improve from their 10–6 record in 2011, and spent most of the season at the bottom of their division. They finished the season with an eight-game losing streak, their worst since the winless 2008 season. It was also the franchise's 21st consecutive season without a playoff win.
The Lions set an NFL record with 740 pass attempts during the season (46.25 attempts per game), breaking a record that had stood for thirty years.
This was the final season for longtime Lions placekicker Jason Hanson, who in his 21st season with the team (and in the league) and at age 42 was the NFL's oldest active player. Hanson retired on April 4, 2013.
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice’s league record for most receiving yards in a single season, with 1,964 yards in 122 catches.

## Offseason
### Signings

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

### Releases

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

### 2012 Draft class

| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 23 | Riley Reiff | Offensive tackle | Iowa |
| 2 | 54 | Ryan Broyles | Wide receiver | Oklahoma |
| 3 | 85 | Dwight "Bill" Bentley | Cornerback | Louisiana–Lafayette |
| 4 | 125 | Ronnell Lewis | Outside linebacker | Oklahoma |
| 5 | 138 | Tahir Whitehead | Outside linebacker | Temple |
| 5 | 148 | Chris Greenwood | Cornerback | Albion |
| 6 | 196 | Jonte Green | Defensive back | New Mexico State |
| 7 | 223 | Travis Lewis | Linebacker | Oklahoma |

## Schedule
### Preseason

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

### Regular season

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

## Regular season results
### Standings

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

### Week 1: vs. St. Louis Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,315
* Referee: Donovan Briggans
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
STL – Greg Zuerlein 48-yard field goal, Rams 3–0, Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 5:49.
Second quarter
DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–3, Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:31.
STL – Greg Zuerlein 29-yard field goal, Lions 7–6, Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:30.
STL – Cortland Finnegan 31-yard interception return (Greg Zuerlein kick), Rams 13–7, Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:00.
DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, Rams 13–10, Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 1:08.
Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, Tied 13–13, Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:54.
Fourth quarter
STL – Brandon Gibson 23-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Greg Zuerlein kick), Rams 20–13, Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 2:42.
DET – Kevin Smith 5-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Tied 20–20, Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:26.
STL – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, Rams 23–20, Drive: 13 plays, 52 yards, 5:24.
DET – Kevin Smith 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 27–23, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 1:45.
Top passers
STL – Sam Bradford – 17/25, 198 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/48, 355 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions
Top rushers
STL – Steven Jackson – 21 carries, 53 yards
DET – Kevin Smith – 13 carries, 52 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
STL – Danny Amendola – 5 receptions, 70 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 111 yards
Top tacklers
STL – Cortland Finnegan – 9 tackles, 1 assist, 1 interception, 1 touchdown
DET – Justin Durant – 7 tackles, 5 assists :
To open the regular season, the Lions hosted the St. Louis Rams. The Rams took an early lead when Greg Zuerlein kicked a 48-yard field goal, the only scoring drive of the first quarter. The Lions responded in the second quarter when Joique Bell ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. St. Louis made it a 1-point game when Greg Zuerlein kicked a 29-yard field goal, and took the lead again when Cortland Finnegan intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 31 yards for a touchdown. The final points of the half were scored when Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 41-yard field goal. The only points of the third quarter was a 45-yard field goal by Jason Hanson to tie the game. In the final quarter, the score continued to sea-saw. First the Rams' Brandon Gibson caught a 23-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford to take the lead back again, but the Lions soon tied it back up when Kevin Smith ran in a touchdown from 5 yards out. The Rams then went up by 3 points when kicked Greg Zuerlein his third field goal of the game, this one from 46 yards out. In the final 2 minutes, the Lions completed their third 80-yard scoring drive with a game-winning 5-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Smith, his second of the game. The Lions were able to start 1–0 and capture their second straight regular season opening win.

### Week 2: at San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 6 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 19 |
| 49ers | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 27 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/5:20 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 69,732
* Referee: Matt Nicks
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Vernon Davis 21-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 49ers 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:12.
DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, 49ers 7–3, Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:48.
DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, 49ers 7–6, Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:54.
Second quarter
SF – Frank Gore 1-yard run (David Akers kick), 49ers 14–6, Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
SF – David Akers 36-yard field goal, 49ers 17–6, Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:18.
DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, 49ers 17–9, Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 6:02.
Fourth quarter
SF – David Akers 48-yard field goal, 49ers 20–9, Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:58.
DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, 49ers 20–12, Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:26.
SF – Vernon Davis 23-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 49ers 27–12, Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:12.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), 49ers 27–19, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:35.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 19/32, 230 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
SF – Alex Smith – 20/31, 226 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
DET – Kevin Smith – 16 carries, 53 yards
SF – Frank Gore – 17 carries, 89 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 94 yards
SF – Vernon Davis – 5 receptions, 73 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top tacklers
DET – DeAndre Levy – 10 tackles
SF – Patrick Willis – 8 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 2, the Lions flew west to play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers got on the board first with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis. The Lions responded with two field goals by Jason Hanson, from 38 and 41 yards respectively. The only scoring play of the second quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Frank Gore. In the third quarter came a pair of field goals, first a 36-yard kick by San Francisco's David Akers, and later a 40-yard one from Detroit's Jason Hanson. In the final quarter, both teams kicked two more field goals both from 48 yards out, first the 49ers' David Akers, then the Lions' Jason Hanson. Next, San Francisco's Vernon Davis caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this one from 23 yards out. Lastly, Detroit scored their only touchdown of the game when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford dropping the team to 1–1.

### Week 3: at Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Lions | 6 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 0 | 41 |
| Titans | 10 | 10 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 44 |
at LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 69,143
* Referee: Gerald Wright
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 47-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 3:22.
DET – Jason Hanson 53-yard field goal, Lions 6–0, Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:16.
TEN – Rob Bironas 31-yard field goal, Lions 6–3, Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:34.
TEN – Tommie Campbell 65-yard punt return (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 10–6, Drive: 1 play, 65 yards, 0:00.
Second quarter
TEN – Jared Cook 61-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 17–6, Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 1:12.
DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, Titans 17–9, Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:30.
TEN – Rob Bironas 38-yard field goal, Titans 20–9, Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 2:17.
Third quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Titans 20–16, Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:54.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, Titans 20–19, Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:39.
DET – Nate Burleson 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matthew Stafford pass to Nate Burleson for two-point conversion), Lions 27–20, Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:57.
TEN – Darius Reynaud 105-yard kickoff return (Rob Bironas kick), Tied 27–27, Drive: 1 play, 105 yards, 0:00.
TEN – Nate Washington 71-yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 34–27, Drive: 1 play, 66 yards, 1:19.
TEN – Alterraun Verner 72-yard fumble return (Rob Bironas kick), Titans 41–27, Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:00.
DET – Calvin Johnson 3-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Jason Hanson kick), Titans 41–34, Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 0:58.
DET – Titus Young 46-yard pass from Shaun Hill (Jason Hanson kick), Tied 41–41, Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:18.
Overtime
TEN – Rob Bironas 26-yard field goal, Titans 44–41, Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 4:24.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 33/42, 278 yards, 1 touchdown
TEN – Jake Locker – 29/42, 378 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 26 carries, 100 yards, 1 touchdown
TEN – Jake Locker – 4 carries, 35 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 10 receptions, 164 yards, 1 touchdown
TEN – Nate Washington – 3 receptions, 112 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DET – Bill Bentley – 5 tackles, 1 assist
TEN – Akeem Ayers, 10 tackles, 1 sack :
In week 3, the Lions traveled south to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans. This game was the highest scoring game of the 2012 NFL season. Detroit started the scoring in the first quarter with a pair of field goals by Jason Hanson, from 47 and 53 yards respectively. On the Titans first drive, they fumbled the snap and the Lions recovered the ball. The Titans responded with a 31-yard field goal by Rob Bironas, and took the lead when Darius Reynaud caught a Ben Graham punt and threw a lateral to Tommie Campbell who ran back a 65-yard touchdown. Tennessee added more points in the second quarter when Jared Cook caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Jake Locker. The Lions responded when Jason Hanson kicked a 33-yard field goal. The final points of the first half was a 38-yard kick by The Titans' Rob Bironas. The only points of the third quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Detroit's Mikel Leshoure, sandwiched between two missed FGAs by Bironas. The fourth quarter scoring started when Jason Hanson kicked a 26-yard field goal. Next, the Lions' Nate Burleson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford and the same duo completed a two-point conversion. Tennessee then scored 3 consecutive touchdowns. First, after already returning a punt for a touchdown, Darius Reynaud returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. Following a Lions punt, Nate Washington caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Locker. The Lions drove deep into Titans territory on the next drive but Alterraun Verner yanked the ball out of Brandon Pettigrew's hands and ran back a 72-yard touchdown. Matthew Stafford had to come out of the game with a pulled leg muscle and Shaun Hill responded with a drive ending in a three-yard touchdown to Calvin Johnson with just twenty seconds to go. The Lions kicked onside and Amari Spievey caught the ball off a bounce at the Detroit 35-yard line. Even if Spievey did recover the onside and drove down the field further, his team was set up on the 46-yard line. On the final play of regulation, Hill went deep and Titus Young caught the 46-yard touchdown off a partial deflection. Tied 41–41, the game went to overtime. After winning the coin toss, the Titans' Rob Bironas kicked the game-winning a field goal from 26 yards out. The Lions then drove down field, but were stopped on a fourth-down stand at the Titans 7-yard line as the team fell to 1–2.

### Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,671
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Percy Harvin 105-yard kickoff return (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 7–0, Drive: 1 play, 105 yards, 0:00.
DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, Vikings 7–3, Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 1:42.
MIN – Blair Walsh 49-yard field goal, Vikings 10–3, Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:53.
Second quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 27-yard field goal, Vikings 13–3, Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 4:56.
DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, Vikings 13–6, Drive: 14 plays, 67 yards, 6:28.
Third quarter
MIN – Marcus Sherels 77-yard punt return (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 20–6, Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:00.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 20–13, Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 3:l2.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 16/26 111 yards
DET – Matthew Stafford – 30/51, 319 yards
Top rushers
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 21 carries, 102 yards
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 13 carries, 26 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Jerome Simpson – 4 receptions, 50 yards
DET – Joique Bell – 6 receptions, 72 yards
Top tacklers
MIN – Chad Greenway – 7 tackles, 4 assists
DET – DeAndre Levy – 8 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 4, the Lions hosted their NFC North Division rivals the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings took an early lead when Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. The Lions responded with a 40-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. Minnesota's Blair Walsh then kicked a field goal from 49 yards out. Both teams kicked a field goal in the second quarter, first Minnesota's Blair Walsh from 27 yards out, then Detroit's Jason Hanson from 31 yards. The only scoring drive of the third quarter was when the Vikings' Marcus Sherels returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown. The Lions scored the only points of the final quarter when quarterback Matthew Stafford completed a 1-yard run for a touchdown. With the loss, the Lions went into their bye week at 1–3.

### Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Lions | 6 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 26 |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 69,144
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, :055.
DET – Jason Hanson 34-yard field goal, Lions 6–0, Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:45.
Second quarter
PHI – LeSean McCoy 2-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), Eagles 7–6, Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:28.
Third quarter
PHI – Alex Henery 26-yard field goal, Eagles 10–6, Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 6:37.
PHI – Alex Henery 32-yard field goal, Eagles 13–6, Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 3:40.
Fourth quarter
PHI – Alex Henery 49-yard field goal, Eagles 16–6, Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 3:11.
DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Eagles 16–13, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:09.
PHI – Jeremy Maclin 70-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), Eagles 23–13, Drive: 3 plays, 76 yards, 1:29.
DET – Nate Burleson 17-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Eagles 23–20, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:46.
DET – Jason Hanson 19-yard field goal, Tied 23–23, Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 2:24.
Overtime
DET – Jason Hanson 45-yard field goal, Lions 26–23, 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:22.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/45, 311 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
PHI – Michael Vick – 28/46, 311 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
DET – Mikel LeShoure – 15 carries, 70 yards
PHI – Michael Vick – 9 carries, 59 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 135 yards
PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 6 receptions, 130 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DET – Justin Durant – 8 tackles
PHI – DeMeco Ryans – 10 tackles, 3 assists :
After their bye week, the Lions traveled east to play the Philadelphia Eagles. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter with two field goals by Jason Hanson, from 46 and 34 yards out. The only scoring drive of the second quarter was a 2-yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick to LeSean McCoy to put Philadelphia up by 1 point. In the third quarter the Eagles' Alex Henery kicked 2 field goals, from 26 and 32 yards out. In the fourth quarter, Alex Henery kicked a 49-yard field goal. The Lions responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Matthew Stafford. The Eagles' Jeremy Maclin then caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick. The Lions responded with their own touchdown pass, a 17-yarder from Matthew Stafford to Nate Burleson. The Lions took it to overtime after Jason Hanson kicked a 19-yard field goal. On the second drive in Overtime, the Lions' Jason Hanson kicked the game-winning field goal from 45 yards out. With the win, the Lions improved to 2–3, snapping their 3-game losing streak.

### Week 7: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Bears | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 62,300
* Referee: Alberto Riveron
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Brandon Marshall 7-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 7–0, Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:50.
CHI – Robbie Gould 39-yard field goal, Bears 10–0, Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:39.
Second quarter
No scoring plays
Third quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 21-yard field goal, Bears 13–0, Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:12.
Fourth quarter
DET – Ryan Broyles 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 13–7, Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:43.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/46, 261 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
CHI – Jay Cutler – 16/31, 150 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
DET – Mikel LeShoure – 12 carries, 63 yards
CHI – Matt Forte – 22 carries, 96 yards
Top receivers
DET – Titus Young – 6 receptions, 81 yards
CHI – Brandon Marshall – 6 receptions, 81 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DET – Amari Spievey – 6 tackles, 2 assists
CHI – Tim Jennings – 7 tackles, 2 assists :
In week 7, the Lions traveled to Chicago to take on their NFC North Division arch-rivals the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The Bears struck first when Brandon Marshall caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler, and added more points when Robbie Gould kicked a 39-yard field goal. After a scoreless second quarter, the Bears' Robbie Gould scored the only points of the third quarter with a 21-yard field goal. The Lions scored their only points of the game in the fourth quarter when Ryan Broyles caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. It was their fifth straight loss at Chicago as they dropped to 2–4 on the season.

### Week 8: vs. Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,497
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, Seahawks 3–0, Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:58.
DET – Ryan Broyles 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–3, Drive: 9 plays, 82 yards, 5:30.
Second quarter
SEA – Marshawn Lynch 77-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), Seahawks 10–7, Drive: 1 play, 77 yards, 0:17.
SEA – Sidney Rice 9-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), Seahawks 17–7, Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 0:44.
DET – Titus Young 46-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Seahawks 17–14, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:50.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–17, Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:22.
SEA – Zach Miller 16-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick), Seahawks 24–21, Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 6:08.
DET – Titus Young 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 28–21, Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 5:07.
Top passers
SEA – Russell Wilson – 25/35, 217 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
DET – Matthew Stafford – 34/49, 352 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
SEA – Marshawn Lynch – 12 carries, 105 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 10 carries, 46 yards
Top receivers
SEA – Sidney Rice – 6 receptions, 55 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Titus Young – 9 receptions, 100 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top tacklers
SEA – Bobby Wagner – 6 tackles, 6 assists
DET – Chris Houston – 6 tackles, 2 assists :
In week 8, the Lions hosted the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle started the scoring with a 23-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka. The Lions then took the lead when Ryan Broyles caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. In the second quarter, the Seahawks scored 2 consecutive touchdowns: first with a Marshawn Lynch 77-yard run, then with a Sidney Rice 9-yard catch from Russell Wilson. The Lions responded with a Titus Young 46-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions took the lead back when Matthew Stafford ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. Seattle went up by 3 points with a Zach Miller 16-yard catch from Russell Wilson. The Lions' Titus Young then scored the game-winning touchdown with 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. It was the Lions' first win against Seattle since 1999 and would be their last until 2024.

### Week 9: at Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
| Jaguars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 63,050
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Kristina Pink
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 7-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 5:50.
DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–0, Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:21.
DET – Mikel Leshoure 8-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–0, Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:11.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 42-yard field goal, Lions 24–0, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:01.
JAX – Micheal Spurlock 5-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert (Blaine Gabbert pass to Rashad Jennings for two-point conversion), Lions 24–8, Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:20.
DET – Joique Bell 10-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 31–8, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:53.
JAX – Justin Blackmon 6-yard pass from Blaine Gabbert, Lions 31–14, Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 1:52.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/33, 285 yards
JAX – Blaine Gabbert – 27/38, 220 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 13 carries, 73 yards, 1 touchdown
JAX – Rashad Jennings – 12 carries, 45 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 7 receptions, 129 yards
JAX – Cecil Shorts – 3 receptions, 56 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Justin Durant – 7 tackles
JAX – Paul Posluszny – 7 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 9, the Lions flew south to play the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions' Mikel Leshoure ran in three consecutive touchdowns, from 7, 1, and 8 yards out respectively to take a 21-point lead going into halftime. Leshoure became the first Lions rusher to score three touchdowns in the first half. After a scoreless third quarter, Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 42-yard field goal. The Jaguars finally got on the board when Micheal Spurlock caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Blaine Gabbert; they then completed a two-point conversion when Blaine Gabbert completed a pass to Rashad Jennings. The Lions responded with a 10-yard touchdown run from Joique Bell. Jacksonville scored the final points of the game with a 6-yard touchdown catch from Blaine Gabbert to Justin Blackmon; they again went for a two-point conversion, but were unsuccessful this time. It was the Lions' most lopsided win of the season and would also be their final victory of the 2012 season.

### Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| Vikings | 10 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 34 |
at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,059
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Jarius Wright 3-yard pass from Christian Ponder, (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 7–0, Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:31.
MIN – Blair Walsh 48-yard field goal, Vikings 10–0, Drive: 4 plays, −5 yards, 1:57.
Second quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, Vikings 10–3, Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:47.
MIN – Blair Walsh 23-yard field goal, Vikings 13–3, Drive: 13 plays, 81 yards, 6:26.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 23-yard field goal, Vikings 16–3, Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:53.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 16–10, Drive: 4 plays, 81 yards, 2:16.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 20-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Adrian Peterson run for two-point conversion), Vikings 24–10, Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:40.
DET – Titus Young 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 24–17, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
MIN – Adrian Peterson 61-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), Vikings 31–17, Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 1:07.
MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, Vikings 34–17, Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 3:16.
DET – Calvin Johnson 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 24–34, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:43.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/42, 329 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
MIN – Christian Ponder – 24/42, 221 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 13 carries, 43 yards
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 27 carries, 171 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 12 receptions, 207 yards, 1 touchdown
MIN – Jarius Wright – 3 receptions, 65 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DET – Erik Coleman – 7 tackles, 2 assists
MIN – Antoine Winfield – 7 tackles, 2 assists :
In week 10, the Lions traveled to Minneapolis to play their NFC North rival the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota took an early lead when Jarius Wright caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder, and added more points when Blair Walsh kicked a 58-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Lions scored their only points of the first half when Jason Hanson scored a 41-yard field goal. The Vikings responded with a 23-yard field goal by Blair Walsh. After halftime, the Blair Walsh kicked another 23-yard field goal. The Lions responded with a Brandon Pettigrew caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. In the final quarter, Minnesota's Kyle Rudolph caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder, and Adrian Peterson ran the ball in for a two-point conversion. The Lions responded when Titus Young caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Vikings added to their lead when Adrian Peterson completed a 61-yard touchdown run, then Blair Walsh scored a 33-yard field goal. The Lions scored the game's final points when Calvin Johnson caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford.

### Week 11: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| Lions | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,716
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:08.
Second quarter
GB – Jermichael Finley 20-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 7–3, Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 5:28.
DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 10–7, Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:50.
Third quarter
GB – M. D. Jennings 72-yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 14–10, Drive: 1 play, 74 yards, 0:00.
DET – Calvin Johnson 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 17–14, Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 5:30.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 27-yard field goal, Lions 20–14, Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:12.
GB – Randall Cobb 22-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 21–20, Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 2:30.
GB – Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal, Packers 24–20, Drive: 4 plays, −1 yard, 0:19.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 19/27, 236 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
DET – Matthew Stafford – 17/39, 266 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
GB – James Starks – 25 carries, 74 yards
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 19 carries, 84 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
GB – Randall Cobb – 9 receptions, 74 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 143 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
GB – Morgan Burnett – 9 tackles, 2 assists
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 4 tackles, 5 assists :
In week 11, the Lions hosted their NFC North Division rivals the Green Bay Packers. The only scoring play of the first quarter was when Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 30-yard field goal. The Packers got on the board in the second quarter when Jermichael Finley caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. The Lions responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mikel Leshoure. In the third quarter, the Packers' M. D. Jennings intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 72 yards for a touchdown. The Lions responded with a Calvin Johnson 25-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Lions scored their final points in the fourth quarter when Jason Hanson kicked a 27-yard field goal. The Packers then scored a touchdown when Randall Cobb caught a 22-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, and capped off their win with a 39-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.

### Week 12: vs. Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Texans | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| Lions | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 22
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,827
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:02.
Second quarter
HOU – Arian Foster 6-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:42.
DET – Mike Thomas 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–7, Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:57.
HOU – Owen Daniels 9-yard pass from Matt Schaub (Shayne Graham kick), Tied 14–14, Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:49.
DET – Calvin Johnson 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–14, Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards, 0:22.
Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, Lions 24–14, Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 6:28.
HOU – Justin Forsett 81-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), Lions 24–21, Drive: 2 plays, 81 yards, 0:28.
HOU – Shayne Graham 45-yard field goal, Tied 24–24, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:00.
Fourth quarter
DET – Joique Bell 23-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 31–24, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:05.
HOU – Arian Foster 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), Tied 31–31, Drive: 15 plays, 97 yards, 5:43.
Overtime
HOU – Shayne Graham 32-yard field goal, Texans 34–31, Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
HOU – Matt Schaub – 29/48, 315 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
DET – Matthew Stafford – 31/61, 441 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
HOU – Arian Foster – 20 carries, 102 yards, 2 touchdowns
DET – Joique Bell – 5 carries, 47 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
HOU – Andre Johnson – 9 receptions, 188 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 140 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
HOU – Danieal Manning – 8 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 12 tackles, 3 assists :
For their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted the Houston Texans. The Lions got on the board early when Mikel Leshoure ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out. The score sea-sawed in the second quarter, with each team scoring a pair of touchdowns. First, the Texans' Arian Foster rushed in a touchdown from 6 yards out. The Lions responded with a 5-yard touchdown run from Mike Foster. Houston's Owen Daniels then caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Matt Schaub. The Lions' Calvin Johnson then caught a 22-yard touchdown pass. After halftime, Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 46-yard field goal. Houston responded with an 81-yard touchdown rush by Justin Forsett, which would have been overturned by an official review, but Coach Jim Schwartz's challenge flag negated the review. The Texans tied it up yet again with a 45-yard field goal by Shayne Graham. In the fourth quarter, the Lions took the lead back with a 23-yard touchdown run by Joique Bell, but Houston tied it back up with a 1-yard run by Arian Foster inside the 2-minute warning to take it to overtime. After a pair of turnovers and missed field goals by each team, Houston's Shayne Graham kicked the game-winning field goal from 32-yards out. It was the Lions' ninth consecutive Thanksgiving loss.

### Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colts | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Lions | 10 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 33 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,887
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:45.
IND – Donnie Avery 17-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Colts 7–3, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:20.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 10–7, Drive: 8 plays, 87 yards, 4:41.
Second quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 17–7, Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
IND – Coby Fleener 26-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Lions 17–14, Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:40.
DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, Lions 20–14, Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 0:59.
DET – Jason Hanson 52-yard field goal, Lions 23–14, Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 2:29.
Third quarter
IND – Vick Ballard 11-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), Lions 23–21, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:55.
DET – Calvin Johnson 46-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 30–21, Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:54.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, Lions 33–21, Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:09.
IND – LaVon Brazill 42-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Lions 33–28, Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 1:23.
IND – Donnie Avery 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri kick), Colts 35–33, Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:07.
Top passers
IND – Andrew Luck – 24/54, 391 yards, 4 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/46, 313 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interceptions
Top rushers
IND – Vick Ballard – 9 carries, 41 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Joique Bell – 7 carries, 81 yards
Top receivers
IND – T. Y. Hilton – 6 receptions, 100 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 13 receptions, 171 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
IND – Cassius Vaughn – 8 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Don Carey – 3 tackles, 4 assists :
In week 13, the Lions hosted the Indianapolis Colts. They started the scoring when Jason Hanson kicked a 48-yard field goal. The Colts responded with a 17-yard touchdown catch by Donnie Avery from Andrew Luck. Detroit replied when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford, and added to their lead in the second quarter when Mikel Leshoure ran in a touchdown from 6 yards out. The Colts scored their only points of the second quarter when Coby Fleener caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck. The Lions closed out the half with 2 field goals from Jason Hanson from 33 and 52 yards out respectively. Each team scored a touchdown in the third quarter. First the Colts' Vick Ballard ran one in from 11 yards out, then Detroit's Calvin Johnson caught 46-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Lions' only points of the final quarter was a 31-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The Colts then rallied from behind with two touchdowns. First LaVon Brazill caught a 42-yard pass from Andrew Luck, then Donnie Avery caught a 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck in the final seconds of the game for the win. It was the Lions' third consecutive loss in which they were leading with less than 2 minutes left in the game.

### Week 14 at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 |
| Packers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: December 9, 2012
* Game time: 7:20 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Snow, 32 °F (0 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,382
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Matthew Stafford 4-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), 7:16. Lions 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:44.
Second quarter
DET – Tony Scheffler 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford, (Jason Hanson), 12:47. Lions 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:48.
GB – Mason Crosby 49-yard field goal, 10:52. Lions 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 1:55.
GB – Mike Daniels 43-yard fumble return (Mason Crosby kick), 6:15. Lions 14–10.
Third quarter
GB – Aaron Rodgers 27-yard run, (Mason Crosby kick) 11:54. Packers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:06.
DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, 8:57. Tie 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:57.
Fourth quarter
GB – DuJuan Harris 14-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 10:45. Packers 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 4:04.
GB – Mason Crosby 41-yard field goal, 4:02. Packers 27–17. Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:09.
DET – Jason Hanson 34-yard field goal, 0:07. Packers 27–20. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 1:52.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/45, 264 yards, TD, INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 14/24, 173 yards
Top rushers
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 14 rushes, 49 yards
GB – Alex Green – 13 rushes, 69 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 10 receptions, 118 yards
GB – Randall Cobb – 7 receptions, 102 yards :
In week 14, the Lions flew across Lake Michigan for a rematch with NFC North Division rivals the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. The only scoring drive of the first quarter was when Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ran in a touchdown himself from 4 yards out. The Lions added more points in the second quarter when Tony Scheffler caught a Matthew Stafford pass from 3 yards out. The Packers got on the board when Mason Crosby kicked a 49-yard field goal, and added more points when Mike Daniels picked up a Matthew Stafford fumble and ran it back 43 yards for a touchdown to make it 14–10 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Packers took their first lead of the game when quarterback Aaron Rodgers ran in a touchdown from 27 yards, but the Lions tied it up a few minutes later when Jason Hanson kicked a 46-yard field goal. In the final quarter, the Packers took the lead back when DuJuan Harris ran in a touchdown from 14 yards out, and went up by 10 points when Mason Crosby kicked a 41-yard field goal. The Lions' Jason Hanson kicked a 34-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game, and the Lions attempted to recover an onside kick afterward to try to tie it up and take it to overtime, but failed. It was the Packers' 21st consecutive home win over the Lions, a streak that dates back to 1992, and now eclipses the Lions' current road losing streak vs the Washington Redskins, which stands at 0–21.

### Week 15: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 21 | 3 | 14 | 38 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), sunny, clear skies
* Game attendance: 60,483
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jaime Maggio
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:04.
ARI – Beanie Wells 5-yard run (Jay Feely kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 9 plays, 20 yards, 3:22.
ARI – Beanie Wells 1-yard run (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 14–7, Drive: 2 plays, 3 yards, 0:41.
ARI – Rashad Johnson 53-yard interception return (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 21–7, Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:00.
Third quarter
ARI – Jay Feely 51-yard field goal, Cardinals 24–7, Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:28.
DET – Jason Hanson 41-yard field goal, Cardinals 24–10, Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:08.
Fourth quarter
ARI – Greg Toler 102-yard interception return (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 31–10, Drive: 1 play, 102 yards, 0:00.
ARI – Beanie Wells 31-yard run (Jay Feely kick), Cardinals 38–10, Drive: 2 plays, 29 yards, 0:13.
Top passers
DET – Matt Stafford – 24/50, 246 yards, 3 interceptions
ARI – Ryan Lindley – 14/21, 104 yards, 1 interception
Top rushers
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 14 carries, 55 yards, 1 touchdown
ARI – Beanie Wells – 17 carries, 67 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 10 receptions, 121 yards
ARI – Michael Floyd – 3 receptions, 3 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 6 tackles, 4 assists
ARI – Calais Campbell – 7 tackles, 1 assist, 1 sack :
In week 15, the Lions played their last road game of the season out west against the Arizona Cardinals. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions scored their only points of the first half with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mikel Leshoure. The Cardinals responded with 3 consecutive touchdowns: first, Beanie Wells scored a pair of rushing touchdowns from 5 and 1 yards out respectively, then Rashad Johnson intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 53 yards to put the Cardinals up 21–7 at halftime. Each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter: first the Cardinals' Jay Feely from 51 yards, then Detroit's Jason Hanson from 41 yards. Arizona capped their win with two touchdowns in the final quarter: first Greg Toler intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass in the end zone and ran 102 yards for a touchdown, then Beanie Wells scored his third touchdown of the game, this one from 31 yards out.

### Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 18 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 22
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,849
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Roddy White 44-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 2:22.
DET – Jason Hanson 34-yard field goal, Falcons 7–3, Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:37.
Second quarter
ATL – Roddy White 39-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 14–3, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:19.
ATL – Julio Jones 16-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 21–3, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:47.
DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, Falcons 21–6, Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:15.
Third quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Falcons 21–13, Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 6:36.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 20-yard field goal, Falcons 21–16, Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 6:55.
ATL – Michael Palmer 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 28–16, Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:14.
ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, Falcons 31–16, Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 3:58.
DET – Michael Turner −2-yard run, tackled in own end zone, Falcons 31–18, Drive info: 1 plays, −2 yards, 0:00.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/32, 279 yards, 4 touchdowns
DET – Matthew Stafford – 37/56, 443 yards, 1 interception
Top rushers
ATL – Michael Turner – 13 carries, 41 yards
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 15 carries, 46 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 153 yards, 2 touchdowns
DET – Calvin Johnson – 11 receptions, 225 yards
Top tacklers
ATL – Dunta Robinson – 9 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Louis Delmas – 6 tackles, 3 assists :
In week 16, the Lions hosted the Atlanta Falcons on a Saturday night. Atlanta took an early lead, which they never gave back, when Roddy White caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan. The Lions responded with a 34-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. In the second quarter, the Falcons' Roddy White caught another touchdown pass, this one from 39 yards out. Atlanta added more points when Julio Jones caught a 16-yard touchdown pass. The Lions ended the first half with a 38-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The only points of the third quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Detroit's Mikel Leshoure. The Lions scored another field goal to start the fourth quarter, this one from 20 yards out. The Falcons added 10 more points when Michael Palmer caught a 1-yard touchdown pass, then Matt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal. The Lions scored the game's final points when Atlanta's Michael Turner was tackled in his own end zone for a Detroit safety. The game's biggest highlight was when Detroit's Calvin Johnson surpassed Jerry Rice's 1,848-yard single season receiving record from 1995. At the end of the game, Johnson had compiled 1,892 receiving yards on the year.

### Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 10 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| Lions | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,451
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 44-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:57.
CHI – Earl Bennett 60-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Olindo Mare kick), Bears 7–3, Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:21.
CHI – Olindo Mare 33-yard field goal, Bears 10–3, Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:27.
Second quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), Bears 17–3, Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 0:35.
CHI – Olindo Mare 40-yard field goal, Bears 20–3, Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:49.
DET – Kris Durham 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 20–10, Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 1:37.
Third quarter
DET – Will Heller 10-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 20–17, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:53.
CHI – Olindo Mare 28-yard field goal, Bears 23–17, Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:06.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Olindo Mare 20-yard field goal, Bears 26–17, Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:25.
DET – Brian Robiskie 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 26–24, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:52.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 18/31, 257 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/42, 272 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forte – 24 carries, 103 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Mikel Leshoure – 15 carries, 57 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Earl Bennett – 5 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 72 yards
Top tacklers
CHI – Nick Roach – 7 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Ron Bartell – 6 tackles, 3 assists :
For their last game of the season, the Lions hosted a rematch against their NFC North Division rival the Chicago Bears. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter when Jason Hanson kicked a 44-yard field goal. The Bears then took the lead, which they never gave back, when Earl Bennett caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler, and added more 3 points when Olindo Mare kicked a 33-yard field goal. The Lions responded when Kris Durham caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to make it 20–10 at halftime. After the intermission, Detroit scored another touchdown, this one with a 10-yard catch by Will Heller from Matthew Stafford. The Bears responded with a pair of field goals by Olindo Mare, first one from 28-yards late in the third quarter, then one from 20 yards out early in the fourth. The Lions scored the final points of the game when Brian Robiskie caught a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. With their eight consecutive loss, the Lions finished their season at 4–12. Also, for the second time under Coach Schwartz's tenure which began in 2009, the team failed to win a single division game. It was also his third losing season.