# 2014 Detroit Lions season

The 2014 season was the Detroit Lions' 85th in the National Football League (NFL), their 81st as the Detroit Lions and their first under a new coaching staff led by head coach Jim Caldwell. The Lions suffered the passing of long-time owner William Clay Ford Sr., who died on March 9, 2014, at the age of 88, and wore patches with his initials on their jerseys in his honor. After the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Washington Redskins in Week 16, the Lions clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2011. They lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Game 24–20, ending their season. It was their eighth straight playoff loss, tying the Kansas City Chiefs for the longest postseason losing streak in NFL history.
The Lions defense finished second in the NFL in total defense, surrendering just 300.9 yards per game. They also finished third in points per game defense, giving up just 17.6 points a game while leading the NFL in rushing defense, yielding just 69.3 rush yards per game.

## Offseason
### Coaching staff

* On December 30, Head coach Jim Schwartz was fired after his fourth losing season in five years.
* On January 14, the Lions hired Jim Caldwell as their new head coach. He is the first African American head coach in the franchise's history.
* On January 17, the Lions hired Teryl Austin as defensive coordinator.
* On January 18, the Lions hired Ron Prince as assistant head coach and tight ends coach.
* On January 21, the Lions hired Joe Lombardi as offensive coordinator.
* On January 25, the Lions hired Robert Prince as receivers coach.

### Re-signings

| Date | Player | Position | Contract |
| March 12 | Kevin Ogletree | Wide receiver | 1 year / $795,000 |
| March 12 | Joique Bell | Running back | 3 years / $9.3 million |
| March 14 | Brandon Pettigrew | Tight end | 4 years / $16 million |
| March 21 | Andre Fluellen | Defensive tackle | 1 year / $730,000 |
| April 14 | Rashean Mathis | Cornerback | 1 year / $565,000 |

### Additions

| Date | Player | Position | Previous team | Contract |
| March 3 | Corvey Irvin | Defensive tackle | Dallas Cowboys | 1 year / $730,000 |
| March 12 | Golden Tate | Wide receiver | Seattle Seahawks | 5 years / $31 million |
| March 13 | Darryl Tapp | Outside linebacker | Washington Redskins | 1 year / $920,000 |
| March 13 | Vaughn Martin | Defensive tackle | Miami Dolphins | 1 year / $795,000 |
| March 19 | Jed Collins | Fullback | New Orleans Saints | 1 year / $710,000 |
| March 25 | James Ihedigbo | Safety | Baltimore Ravens | 2 years / $3.15 million |
| April 2 | Dan Orlovsky | Quarterback | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 year / $920,000 |
| April 3 | J. B. Shugarts | Offensive tackle | New York Jets | 1 year / $420,000 |
| April 7 | Cassius Vaughn | Cornerback | Indianapolis Colts | 1 year / $730,000 |
| April 11 | Kourtnei Brown | Defensive end | Buffalo Bills | 1 year / $420,000 |
| April 21 | Aaron Hester | Cornerback | Denver Broncos | 1 year / $420,000 |
| April 21 | Nate Ness | Cornerback | Carolina Panthers | 1 year / $570,000 |
| April 22 | George Johnson | Defensive end | Minnesota Vikings | 1 year / $730,000 |
| April 25 | Sherman Carter | Center | San Francisco 49ers | 1 year / $420,000 |
| April 25 | Naaman Roosevelt | Wide receiver | Cleveland Browns | 1 year / $570,000 |
| April 28 | Jordan Thompson | Tight end | West Virginia | 1 year / $420,000 |
| May 12 | James Franklin | Quarterback | Missouri | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Cornelius Lucas | Offensive tackle | Kansas State | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Andrew Peacock | Wide receiver | Appalachian State | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Mohammed Seisay | Cornerback | Nebraska | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Gabe Lynn | Safety | Oklahoma | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Chad Abram | Fullback | Florida State | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Alex Bullard | Guard | Tennessee | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | D.J. Morrell | Guard | Old Dominion | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Justin Jackson | Linebacker | Wake Forest | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Jacob Maxwell | Tight end | Louisiana–Lafayette | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Jerome Couplin | Safety | William & Mary | Undrafted FA |
| May 16 | Nate Freese | Placekicker | Boston College | 4 years / $2,279,424 |
| May 16 | Caraun Reid | Defensive tackle | Princeton | 4 years / $2,408,880 |
| May 16 | Larry Webster III | Defensive end | Bloomsburg | 4 years / $2,545,050 |
| May 16 | Nevin Lawson | Cornerback | Utah State | 4 years / $2,545,050 |
| May 16 | T. J. Jones | Wide receiver | Notre Dame | 4 years / $2,326,200 |
| May 19 | Gregory Hickman | Defensive tackle | Florida International | 3 years / $1,530,000 |
| May 22 | Travis Swanson | Center | Arkansas | 4 years / $2,989,314 |
| June 2 | Kalonji Kashama | Defensive end | Eastern Michigan | 1 year / – |
| June 2 | Cody Wilson | Wide receiver | Miami Dolphins | 1 year / – |
| June 4 | Kyle Van Noy | Outside linebacker | Brigham Young | 4 years / $5.1 million |
| June 13 | Eric Ebron | Tight end | North Carolina | 4 years / $12.2 million |
| July 16 | George Winn | Running back | Atlanta Falcons | 1 year / – |
| July 17 | Garrett Reynolds | Guard | Atlanta Falcons | 1 year / $745,000 |
| July 25 | Drew Butler | Punter | Chicago Bears | 1 year / – |
| July 31 | Kris Redding | Defensive end | Wake Forest | 1 year / – |
| August 7 | Drayton Florence | Cornerback | Carolina Panthers | 1 year / – |
| October 7 | Matt Prater | Placekicker | Denver Broncos | |

### Departures

| Date | Player | Position | Note | New team |
| February 13 | Nate Burleson | Wide receiver | Released | Cleveland Browns |
| February 13 | Louis Delmas | Safety | Released | Miami Dolphins |
| March 3 | Leroy Harris | Offensive guard | Released | |
| March 13 | Willie Young | Defensive end | UFA | Chicago Bears |
| March 18 | Israel Idonije | Defensive end | UFA | Chicago Bears |
| April 2 | Jason Curtis Fox | Offensive tackle | UFA | Miami Dolphins |
| May 12 | Cody Wilson | Wide receiver | Released | |
| May 12 | Jon Morgan | Linebacker | Released | |
| May 12 | Nate Ness | Cornerback | Released | |
| May 12 | Matt Veldman | Tight end | Released | |
| May 12 | John Potter | Placekicker | Released | |
| May 12 | Carlin Isles | Wide receiver | Released | |
| May 12 | Akwasi Owusu-Ansah | Cornerback | Released | |
| May 19 | Corvey Irvin | Defensive tackle | Released | Calgary Stampeders (CFL) |
| May 30 | Kourtnei Brown | Defensive end | Released | |
| June 2 | Vaughn Martin | Defensive tackle | Released | |
| June 13 | Chris Houston | Cornerback | Released | |
| July 16 | D.J. Morrell | Guard | Released | |
| July 17 | J. B. Shugarts | Offensive tackle | Released | |
| July 18 | Naaman Roosevelt | Wide receiver | Released | Buffalo Bills |
| July 25 | Gabe Lynn | Safety | Released | |
| July 28 | Kalonji Kashama | Defensive end | Released | |
| July 31 | Cody Wilson | Wide receiver | Released | |

### Draft

2014 Detroit Lions draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 10 | Eric Ebron * | TE | North Carolina | |
| 2 | 40 | Kyle Van Noy | OLB | BYU | |
| 3 | 76 | Travis Swanson | C | Arkansas | |
| 4 | 133 | Nevin Lawson | CB | Utah St | Compensatory |
| 4 | 136 | Larry Webster | DE | Bloomsburg | Compensatory |
| 5 | 158 | Caraun Reid | DT | Princeton | Pick from DAL |
| 6 | 189 | T.J. Jones | WR | Notre Dame | |
| 7 | 229 | Nate Freese | K | Boston College | Pick from DAL |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||
Notes
* The Lions traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 150 overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for wide receiver Mike Thomas.
* The Lions traded their fifth-round pick (146 overall) to Dallas in exchange for a fifth-round pick (158 overall) and a seventh-round pick (229 overall).

## Preseason
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 9 | Cleveland Browns | W 13–12 | 1–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 15 | at Oakland Raiders | L 26–27 | 1–1 | O.co Coliseum | Recap |
| 3 | August 22 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 13–12 | 2–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | at Buffalo Bills | W 23–0 | 3–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 8 | New York Giants | W 35–14 | 1–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | at Carolina Panthers | L 7–24 | 1–1 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 21 | Green Bay Packers | W 19–7 | 2–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at New York Jets | W 24–17 | 3–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | Buffalo Bills | L 14–17 | 3–2 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 17–3 | 4–2 | TCF Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 19 | New Orleans Saints | W 24–23 | 5–2 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 22–21 | 6–2 | Wembley Stadium (London) | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 9 | Miami Dolphins | W 20–16 | 7–2 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Arizona Cardinals | L 6–14 | 7–3 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | at New England Patriots | L 9–34 | 7–4 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 27 | Chicago Bears | W 34–17 | 8–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 34–17 | 9–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | Minnesota Vikings | W 16–14 | 10–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | at Chicago Bears | W 20–14 | 11–4 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | at Green Bay Packers | L 20–30 | 11–5 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Lions | 14 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 35 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 8
* Game time: 7:10 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,401
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 67-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Nate Freese kick), 12:11. Lions 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:49.
DET – Calvin Johnson 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Nate Freese kick), 5:12. Lions 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 5:23.
Second quarter
NYG – Larry Donnell 1-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 12:54. Lions 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 4:56.
Third quarter
DET – Nate Freese 28-yard field goal, 11:54. Lions 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:37.
DET – Nate Freese 27-yard field goal, 5:50. Lions 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:02.
DET – Matthew Stafford 5-yard run (Nate Freese kick), 3:51. Lions 27–7. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:41.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Rashad Jennings 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 11:53. Lions 27–14. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:58.
DET – Joique Bell 3-yard run (Matthew Stafford–Joseph Fauria pass), 4:39. Lions 35–14. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:14.
Top passers
NYG – Eli Manning – 18/33, 163 yards, TD, 2 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/32, 346 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
NYG – Rashad Jennings – 16 rushes, 46 yards, TD
DET – Joique Bell – 15 rushes, 51 yards, TD
Top receivers
NYG – Larry Donnell – 5 receptions, 56 yards, TD
DET – Calvin Johnson – 7 receptions, 164 yards, 2 TD :
The Lions hosted their first opening-day Monday Night Football game since 1971, rudely welcoming the New York Giants to town. Matthew Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson on TD passes of 67 and 16 yards in the first quarter, giving Detroit an early 14–0 lead. The Giants got on the board in the second quarter with a 1-yard TD pass from Eli Manning to Larry Donnell, closing the gap to 14–7. Rookie kicker Nate Freese connected on field goals of 28 and 27 yards in the third quarter to extend the Lions lead to 20–7. An interception by Glover Quin, Detroit's second pick of the game, set up the Lions next touchdown, a 5-yard run by Stafford. New York narrowed the lead to 27–14 early in the fourth quarter when Rashad Jennings plunged in from a yard out, but that was as close as the Giants would get. Joique Bell capped the scoring with a 3-yard TD run, and the ensuing two-point conversion made the final score 35–14.

#### Week 2: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Panthers | 0 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 24 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 73,586
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 29-yard field goal, 7:58. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 6:04.
CAR – Graham Gano 53-yard field goal, 1:11. Panthers 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:06.
Third quarter
DET – Jed Collins 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Nate Freese kick), 9:28. Lions 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:01.
CAR – Jason Avant 14-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 2:30. Panthers 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:21.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 2-yard run (Cam Newton–Jerricho Cotchery pass), 7:26. Panthers 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:53.
CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 4:45. Panthers 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 13 yards, 2:31.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/48, 291 yards, TD, INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 22/34, 281 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 10 rushes, 36 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 15 rushes, 37 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 83 yards
CAR – Greg Olsen – 6 receptions, 72 yards :
Carolina's Cam Newton made a successful comeback from a rib injury that kept him out of action in Week 1, but the story of the day was the Panthers' defense. Carolina forced three Detroit turnovers, two of which led to scores. Graham Gano opened the scoring for Carolina in the second quarter with field goals of 29 and 53 yards. The Lions took a 7–6 lead in the third quarter when Matthew Stafford hit fullback Jed Collins with a 1-yard TD pass. But the rest of the game was all Carolina. Newton closed the third with a 14-yard TD pass to Jason Avant to retake the lead, 13–7. In the fourth quarter, Jonathan Stewart found the end zone on a 2-yard TD run, with the ensuing two-point conversion giving the Panthers a 21–7 lead. Gano finished the scoring with a 38-yard field goal.

#### Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Lions | 7 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 19 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,418
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Don Carey 40-yard fumble return (Nate Freese kick), 12:02. Lions 7–0.
GB – Andrew Quarless 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:39. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 3:07.
Second quarter
DET – Eddie Lacy tackled in the end zone by DeAndre Levy for a safety, 13:21. Lions 9–7.
DET – Nate Freese 30-yard field goal, 6:16. Lions 12–7. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 7:05.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
DET – Reggie Bush 26-yard run (Nate Freese kick), 10:40. Lions 19–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:53.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 16/27, 162 yards, TD
DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/34, 246 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
GB – James Starks – 8 rushes, 38 yards
DET – Reggie Bush – 12 rushes, 61 yards, TD
Top receivers
GB – Jordy Nelson – 5 receptions, 59 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 82 yards :
The Lions faced division rival Green Bay in Week 3, with Packers QB Aaron Rodgers sporting a 9–1 record in his last 10 games against Detroit. The first two scoring plays for the Lions came courtesy of the defense. Nick Fairley forced a fumble that was scooped up by defensive back Don Carey and returned 40 yards for a touchdown to put the Lions up 7–0. After Rodgers tied the game with a 10-yard TD pass to Andrew Quarless, DeAndre Levy tackled running back Eddie Lacy in the end zone for a safety, making the score 9–7. Nate Freese closed the first half scoring with a 30-yard field goal, sending Detroit to the locker room with a 12–7 lead. The only scoring drive of the second half culminated with a Reggie Bush 26-yard TD run, to put Detroit up 19–7. The Lions defense held Green Bay scoreless for the final three quarters of the game.

#### Week 4: at New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Jets | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Clear, 80 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,160
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
NYJ – Nick Folk 27-yard field goal, 8:36. Jets 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 6:24.
DET – Alex Henery 51-yard field goal, 5:04. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:32.
Second quarter
DET – Jeremy Ross 59-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Alex Henery kick), 6:19. Lions 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:59.
DET – Eric Ebron 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Alex Henery kick), 0:22. Lions 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 0:46.
Third quarter
NYJ – Eric Decker 11-yard pass from Geno Smith (Nick Folk kick), 7:26. Lions 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 4:39.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matthew Stafford 1-yard run (Alex Henery kick), 14:54. Lions 24–10. Drive: 14 plays, 90 yards, 7:32.
NYJ – Chris Johnson 35-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 6:58. Lions 24–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:27.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/34, 293 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Geno Smith – 17/33, 209 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Reggie Bush – 12 rushes, 46 yards
NYJ – Chris Ivory – 17 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 8 receptions, 116 yards
NYJ – Greg Salas – 2 receptions, 60 yards :
After opening the season 3-for-7 on field goal attempts, Detroit kicker Nate Freese was cut during the week and was replaced by Alex Henery. Henery made good on his first field goal attempt for his new team, a 51-yarder to tie the Jets at 3–3 in the first quarter. The Lions put together two TD drives in the second quarter to go up 17–3. First, Matthew Stafford hit Jeremy Ross on a 59-yard bomb. Stafford then connected with first-round draft pick Eric Ebron for a 16-yard TD, giving Ebron his first NFL touchdown. Jets QB Geno Smith hit Eric Decker with an 11-yard TD pass to close the gap to 17–10. Early in the fourth, Stafford found the right pylon for a 1-yard TD run, making the score 24–10. Chris Johnson rumbled 35 yards for a touchdown midway through the final quarter, pulling the Jets within a touchdown again, at 24–17. Detroit's defense was able to force a punt on New York's final possession and the Lions ran out the clock thereafter.

#### Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 17 |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,775
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Golden Tate 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Alex Henery kick), 0:05. Lions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:38.
Second quarter
DET – Rashean Mathis 41-yard interception return (Alex Henery kick), 13:44. Lions 14–0.
BUF – Dan Carpenter 45-yard field goal, 6:43. Lions 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 3:38.
Third quarter
BUF – Dan Carpenter 25-yard field goal, 1:23. Lions 14–6. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:42.
Fourth quarter
BUF – Chris Gragg 2-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Fred Jackson run), 9:23. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:56.
BUF – Dan Carpenter 58-yard field goal, 0:04. Bills 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 20 yards, 0:17.
Top passers
BUF – Kyle Orton – 30/43, 308 yards, TD, INT
DET – Matthew Staford – 18/31, 231 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
BUF – Fred Jackson – 10 rushes, 49 yards
DET – George Winn – 11 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
BUF – Sammy Watkins – 7 receptions, 87 yards
DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 134 yards :
The Lions took a 14–0 lead by early in the second quarter, following a 9-yard touchdown reception by Golden Tate and a 41-yard interception return by Rashean Mathis. But that would end Detroit's scoring for the day. Buffalo came back on field goals of 45 and 25 yards by Dan Carpenter, making the score 14–6 by the start of the fourth quarter. Kyle Orton hit Chris Gragg with a 2-yard TD pass and the ensuing two-point conversion tied the score at 14–14. With 26 seconds left in the game, Alex Henery missed a 50-yard field goal attempt, his third miss of the day. The Bills quickly moved the ball to the Lions' 40-yard line, setting up Carpenter's game-winning 58-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining.

#### Week 6: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Vikings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 52,213
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Mike Goldberg, Brendon Ayanbadejo and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Theo Riddick 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 11:06. Lions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:54.
Second quarter
DET – Matt Prater 52-yard field goal, 0:07. Lions 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 17 yards, 0:38.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 11:44. Lions 17–0. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:54.
MIN – Blair Walsh 40-yard field goal, 4:53. Lions 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 4:21.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 19/33, 185 yards, TD
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 23/37, 188 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 18 rushes, 74 yards, TD
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 11 rushes, 40 yards
Top receivers
DET – Theo Riddick – 5 receptions, 75 yards, TD
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 6 receptions, 42 yards :
On a day when offensive stars Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush could not play due to injuries, the Lions defense had to step up and it did in a big way. Detroit sacked Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater eight times, harassed him into throwing three interceptions and held the Vikings scoreless until late in the fourth quarter. The Lions got on the board in the first quarter with a 9-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford to Theo Riddick. Matt Prater, acquired during the week to replace the struggling Alex Henery, made good on a 52-yard field goal near the end of the first half to give the Lions a 10–0 lead. After a scoreless third quarter, Detroit upped its lead to 17–0 on a 1-yard TD plunge by Joique Bell. Blair Walsh got the Vikings on the board with a 40-yard field goal, making the final score 17–3.

#### Week 7: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Saints | 0 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,271
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
NO – Austin Johnson 14-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 13:56. Saints 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:16.
DET – Matt Prater 21-yard field goal, 5:29. Saints 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 2:18.
NO – Shayne Graham 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:32.
Third quarter
NO – Kenny Stills 46-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 13:42. Saints 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:18.
DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:19. Saints 17–10. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:23.
Fourth quarter
NO – Shayne Graham 48-yard field goal, 13:33. Saints 20–10. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:03.
NO – Shayne Graham 36-yard field goal, 5:24. Saints 23–10. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 3:19.
DET – Golden Tate 73-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 3:38. Saints 23–17. Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 1:46.
DET – Corey Fuller 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 1:48. Lions 24–23. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:22.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 28/45, 342 yards, 2 TD, INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/40, 299 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
NO – Khiry Robinson – 3 rushes, 26 yards
DET – Joique Bell – 18 rushes, 48 yards, TD
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston – 6 receptions, 111 yards
DET – Golden Tate – 10 receptions, 154 yards, TD :
Playing again without Calvin Johnson, the Lions fell behind the visiting New Orleans Saints by two scores on two separate occasions, before mounting a dramatic comeback in the final minutes of the game. New Orleans had three of the first four scoring plays of the game. Drew Brees hit Austin Johnson with a 14-yard TD pass, Shayne Graham made good on a 27-yard field goal and Kenny Stills caught a 46-yard TD pass from Brees. Meanwhile, the Lions could only muster a 21-yard field goal by Matt Prater, falling behind 17–3. Detroit closed the gap to 17–10 in the third quarter after a 1-yard TD run by Joique Bell. Two more Shayne Graham field goals, however, gave the Saints a seemingly comfortable 23–10 lead with 5:24 to play in the game. With under four minutes to play, Matthew Stafford connected with Golden Tate on a 73-yard catch-and-run, making the score 23–17. On the Saints' next possession, Glover Quin picked off a third-and-ten Drew Brees pass, returning it to the New Orleans 14-yard line. At the 1:48 mark, Corey Fuller made a leaping catch of a 5-yard TD pass from Stafford for the winning touchdown in a 24–23 game. The Lions' defense held off the Saints in four downs, then the offense ran out the clock for the win.

#### Week 8: at Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| Falcons | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 1:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. EDT
* Game weather: Overcast, 59 °F (15 °C)
* Game attendance: 83,532
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Charissa Thompson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:25. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:35.
ATL – Bear Pascoe 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:53. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:26.
Second quarter
ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:45. Falcons 21–0. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:17.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 22-yard field goal, 7:54. Falcons 21–3. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:06.
DET – Golden Tate 59-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 4:38. Falcons 21–10. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:44.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 20-yard field goal, 14:10. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:00.
DET – Theo Riddick 5-yard pass from Matt Stafford (pass failed), 3:56. Falcons 21–19. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 7:29.
DET – Matt Prater 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 22–21. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 1:38.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/47, 325 yards, 2 TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/27, 228 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 14 rushes, 39 yards
ATL – Steven Jackson – 18 rushes, 60 yards
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 151 yards, TD
ATL – Roddy White – 5 receptions, 66 yards :
In week 8, the Lions flew to London, England to play in the NFL International Series against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium. The game was played at 9:30 AM EDT, the first ever NFL game in that time slot. Like the previous game, the Lions were trailing by a large margin (down 21–0 at halftime) before mounting a huge comeback, scoring 22 unanswered points in the second half to win by a single point in the final minutes. The Falcons had touchdown catches of 7 and 1 yards respectively by Devonta Freeman and Bear Pascoe in the first quarter, then a 1-yard run by Steven Jackson in the second quarter. After halftime, a 22-yard Matt Prater field goal and a 59-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate narrowed the score to 21–10 by the end of the third quarter. Detroit got the ball on the Atlanta 8-yard line early in the fourth quarter after a Cassius Vaughn interception and return, settling for a 20-yard Prater field goal. A 5-yard touchdown reception by Theo Riddick made the score 21–19, but the Lions failed to convert a two-point attempt. The Falcons had the ball in Lions territory with under two minutes to play, but a holding penalty and a dropped pass both stopped the clock, forcing Atlanta to punt. With no time outs remaining and 1:38 on the clock, Detroit drove from its own 6-yard line to the Atlanta 25 with four seconds remaining in the game. Prater missed a 43-yard field goal attempt, but the whistle had blown before the snap because of a Detroit delay-of-game penalty. Prater then nailed a 48-yarder as time expired for the win.
Calvin Johnson, still recovering from an ankle injury, missed a third straight game for the Lions, who also played without Reggie Bush and their top three tight ends (Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew and Joseph Fauria). Matthew Stafford's two touchdown passes gave him a team-record 120 in his career, breaking the tie he held with Bobby Layne at 118. The Falcons blew a halftime lead of 21 points or more for the first time in team history. The Lions entered their bye week atop the NFC North with a 6–2 record.

#### Week 10: vs. Miami Dolphins

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| Lions | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,179
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Jenny Dell
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Matt Prater 26-yard field goal, 6:19. Lions 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 72 yards, 8:41.
DET – Calvin Johnson 49-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 3:58. Lions 10–0. Drive: 1 play, 49 yards, 0:08.
Second quarter
MIA – Caleb Sturgis 23-yard field goal, 0:13. Lions 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:09.
Third quarter
MIA – Caleb Sturgis 50-yard field goal, 8:24. Lions 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 25 yards, 2:52.
MIA – Mike Wallace 3-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Caleb Sturgis kick), 1:17. Dolphins 13–10. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:05.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 50-yard field goal, 12:02. Tied 13–13. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 4:15.
MIA – Caleb Sturgis 20-yard field goal, 4:19. Dolphins 16–13. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 7:43.
DET – Theo Riddick 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 0:29. Lions 20–16. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 2:44.
Top passers
MIA – Ryan Tannehill – 27/38, 201 yards, TD, INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/40, 280 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIA – Damien Williams – 7 rushes, 39 yards
DET – Joique Bell – 10 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 7 receptions, 53 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 7 receptions, 113 yards :
Week 10 featured the top-ranked defenses (by yardage against) in each conference, as the Lions hosted the Dolphins. Detroit got off to a quick start. Matt Prater kicked a 26-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game. Later in the first quarter, Calvin Johnson, playing in his first game since Week 5, caught a 49-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford for a 10–0 lead. Miami managed a 23-yard Caleb Sturgis field goal before halftime, making the score 10–3. The Dolphins took the lead in the third, starting with a 50-yard Stugis field goal. Next, Earl Mitchell blocked Prater's 42-yard field goal attempt and Dion Jordan returned the ball to the Lions' 3-yard line. On the next play, Ryan Tannehill connected with Mike Wallace for the touchdown, putting Miami ahead, 13–10. Prater made good on a 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to knot the score at 13–13, but Sturgis' 20-yarder put Miami back on top by 3. As in the previous two games, the Lions had to rally on their final drive to win the game. Starting at their own 26 with 3:13 left in the game, the drive culminated with Stafford's 11-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick, putting the Lions ahead for good, 20–16.
This was the third straight game in which the Lions trailed at the two-minute warning, then went ahead on their final drive. It was the second time in a month that Miami had lost a game in the final seconds, following a Week 7 loss to Green Bay in which the final touchdown was scored with 3 seconds remaining. According to STATS Inc., this is the first time Detroit has started a season 7–2 since 1993.

#### Week 11: at Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Cardinals | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/2:25 p.m. MST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 62,487
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
ARI – Michael Floyd 42-yard pass from Drew Stanton (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 12:02. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:58.
ARI – Michael Floyd 12-yard pass from Drew Stanton (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 6:06. Cardinals 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 3:42.
DET – Matt Prater 50-yard field goal, 2:46. Cardinals 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 3:20.
Second quarter
DET – Matt Prater 28-yard field goal, 0:25. Cardinals 14–6. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:27.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 18/30, 183 yards, INT
ARI – Drew Stanton – 21/32, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 14 rushes, 85 yards
ARI – Andre Ellington – 19 rushes, 42 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 59 yards
ARI – John Brown – 5 receptions, 69 yards :
In week 11, the 7–2, NFC North-leading Lions flew to Phoenix to face the NFC West's first place team, the 8–1 Arizona Cardinals. In the first quarter, the Cardinals picked up two touchdowns to open the game. Michael Floyd caught a pair of touchdown passes from Drew Stanton, from 42 yards and 12 yards out, giving them an early lead they never relinquished. Detroit's Matt Prater hit a pair of field goals, first a 50-yard kick in the first quarter then a 28-yarder late in the second quarter, to cut the lead to 14–6 at halftime. Neither team scored in the second half. The Lions, plagued by several penalties on both sides of the ball, saw their four-game winning streak snapped.

#### Week 12: at New England Patriots

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Patriots | 7 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Mostly sunny, 58 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,756
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Matt Prater 48-yard field goal, 11:44. Lions 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:16.
NE – Tim Wright 4-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:10. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 2:37.
Second quarter
DET – Matt Prater 20-yard field goal, 13:37. Patriots 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:33.
NE – LeGarrette Blount 3-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:43. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 2 plays, 22 yards, 0:54.
NE – Tim Wright 8-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:42. Patriots 21–6. Drive: 13 plays, 93 yards, 5:03.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 35-yard field goal, 0:00. Patriots 24–6. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 0:35.
Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 43-yard field goal, 5:05. Patriots 27–6. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 3:27.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 49-yard field goal, 14:48. Patriots 27–9. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 3:06.
NE – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:53. Patriots 34–9. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:30.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 18/46, 264 yards, INT
NE – Tom Brady – 38/53, 349 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 19 rushes, 49 yards
NE – LeGarrette Blount – 12 rushes, 78 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 4 receptions, 97 yards
NE – Brandon LaFell – 9 receptions, 98 yards :
In week 12, the Lions flew east for another battle of division leaders, this time with the AFC East's 8–2 New England Patriots. The Lions failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive week and fell to second place after a blowout loss. The Lions scored first when Matt Prater hit a 48-yard field goal in the first quarter. The Patriots then took the lead which they kept for the rest of the game when Tim Wright caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady near the end of the first quarter. The Lions responded with a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Patriots then scored two touchdowns on a 3-yard run from LeGarrette Blount, then an 8-yard catch by Tim Wright. New England's Stephen Gostkowski then kicked a 35-yard field goal to make the score 24–6 at halftime. The only score of the third quarter was a Patriots 35-yard field goal. In the final quarter, the Lions scored their third field goal, this one from 49 yards out. The Patriots capped their large victory with a 1-yard touchdown run from LeGarrette Blount.

#### Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| Lions | 3 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 34 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 27
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,175
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 10-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 10:33. Bears 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:47.
DET – Matt Prater 46-yard field goal, 6:51. Bears 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:42.
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 6-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 3:35. Bears 14–3. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:43.
Second quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 12:55. Bears 14–10. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 5:40.
DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:18. Lions 17–14. Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 4:28.
DET – Calvin Johnson 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 0:24. Lions 24–14. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 1:21.
Third quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 35-yard field goal, 8:54. Lions 24–17. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 6:06.
Fourth quarter
DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 14:57. Lions 31–17. Drive: 12 plays, 95 yards, 6:01.
DET – Matt Prater 40-yard field goal, 6:16. Lions 34–17. Drive: 6 plays, 20 yards, 3:13.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 31/48, 280 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 34/45, 390 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CHI – Ka'Deem Carey – 2 rushes, 8 yards
DET – Joique Bell – 23 rushes, 91 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
CHI – Martellus Bennett – 8 receptions, 109 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 11 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TD :
After a short week, the Lions hosted their division rivals the Chicago Bears for their 75th annual Thanksgiving Day Game. Detroit spotted Chicago a 14–3 first quarter lead, as Jay Cutler hit Alshon Jeffery with touchdown passes of 10 and 6 yards, wrapped around a Matt Prater 46-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Calvin Johnson ended his team's nine-quarter touchdown drought by catching a 25-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford. Before the half ended, Joique Bell scored on a 1-yard run and Stafford again hooked up with Johnson, this time on a 6-yard TD, putting Detroit up 24–14. Robbie Gould closed the gap to seven points with a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter. Detroit scored the game's final 10 points in the fourth quarter. Joique Bell capped a 95-yard drive with his second 1-yard TD run and Matt Prater hit a 40-yard field goal, making the final score 34–17. The Lions tallied a season-high 474 yards of offense on the day.

#### Week 14: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Lions | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 61,489
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 2:57. Lions 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 5:11.
Second quarter
TB – Patrick Murray 54-yard field goal, 13:32. Lions 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 44 yards, 4:25.
DET – Joique Bell 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:01. Lions 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:00.
DET – Matt Prater 46-yard field goal, 3:01. Lions 17–3. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:03.
TB – Mike Evans 5-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 0:05. Lions 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 10 yards, 1:30.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 23-yard field goal, 11:14. Lions 20–10. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 1:41.
DET – Joseph Fauria 10-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 0:15. Lions 27–10. Drive: 10 plays, 88 yards, 5:27.
Fourth quarter
TB – Mike Evans 26-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 12:52. Lions 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:23.
DET – Joique Bell 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 5:01. Lions 34–17 Drive: 6 plays, 92 yards, 2:54.
Top passers
TB – Josh McCown – 20/39, 250 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 26/34, 311 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
TB – Doug Martin – 5 rushes, 22 yards
DET – Joique Bell – 18 rushes, 83 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Vincent Jackson – 10 receptions, 159 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 158 yards, TD :
After a long break, the Lions hosted the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detroit started the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson from Matthew Stafford in the first quarter, giving them a lead they kept for the rest of the game. The Buccaneers responded with a 54-yard field goal by Patrick Murray in the second quarter. The Lions added to their lead with a 1-yard touchdown run by Joique Bell, then a 46-yard field goal by Matt Prater. Tampa Bay ended the second quarter with a 5-yard touchdown catch by Mike Evans from Josh McCown, making the score 17–10 at halftime. The Lions added 10 more points to their lead in the third quarter with a 23-yard field goal from Matt Prater, then a 10-yard Joseph Fauria touchdown catch from Matthew Stafford. In the final quarter, Tampa Bay scored their only points of the second half, with a 26-yard touchdown catch by Mike Evans from Josh McCown. The Lions then capped their victory with a 5-yard touchdown catch by Joique Bell off a deflected Matthew Stafford pass. The win gave Detroit a 9–4 record, the first time for the franchise since 1991, keeping them in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs. This game was Jim Caldwell's first against the Buccaneers, the team he was the quarterbacks coach for in 2001.

#### Week 15: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
* Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,490
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Matt Asiata 2-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 0:16. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:09.
Second quarter
MIN – Greg Jennings 8-yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Blair Walsh kick), 10:05. Vikings 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:53.
DET – Golden Tate 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 3:42. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 11 yards, 0:45.
DET – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Vikings 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:00.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 30-yard field goal, 3:45. Vikings 14–13. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 7:19.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 33-yard field goal, 3:38. Lions 16–14. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:05.
Top passers
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 31/41, 315 yards, TD, 2 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 17/28, 153 yards, TD
Top rushers
MIN – Matt Asiata – 11 rushes, 36 yards, TD
DET – Joique Bell – 15 rushes, 62 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Charles Johnson – 5 receptions, 72 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 4 receptions, 53 yards :
In week 15, the Lions hosted a rematch with their division rival Minnesota Vikings. Detroit got off to a slow start, as Minnesota scored two touchdowns to take a 14–0 lead by early in the second quarter. Matt Asiata scored first on a 2-yard TD run and Greg Jennings followed on Minnesota's next possession, catching an 8-yard TD pass from Teddy Bridgewater. Meanwhile, the Lions offense was held without a first down on its first four possessions. The defense helped the Lions narrow the gap by halftime. Glover Quin picked off a Bridgewater pass and returned it to the Vikings 11-yard line. Two plays later, Matthew Stafford hit Golden Tate with a 7-yard TD pass. On Minnesota's next possession, Bridgewater was intercepted again, this time by Darius Slay. That led to a 29-yard Matt Prater field goal, cutting Minnesota's lead to 14–10 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Lions inched closer on a 30-yard Prater field goal, making the score 14–13. It appeared the Vikings would extend their lead when Blair Walsh lined up for a 26-yard field goal try, but Jason Jones partially blocked the kick and it sailed wide. The Lions went ahead on their next possession when Prater made good on a 33-yard field goal. The final score remained 16–14 Lions, as Minnesota failed to score on its final two possessions. The win gave the Lions a 10–4 record for the first time since 1991 (and only the third time in franchise history, the other being 1970), their fourth consecutive division win (keeping them undefeated in the NFC North), and put them back in first place since Green Bay lost to Buffalo earlier in the day.

#### Week 16: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 36 °F (2 °C)
* Game attendance: 61,420
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Reggie Bush 13-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 5:15. Lions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 3:00.
Second quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 11-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen (Jay Feely kick), 0:30. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 plays, 11 yards, 0:06.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 39-yard field goal, 10:24. Lions 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:36.
CHI – Alshon Jeffery 20-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen (Jay Feely kick), 2:45. Bears 14–10. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:39.
Fourth quarter
DET – Joique Bell 17-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 7:15. Lions 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:05.
DET – Matt Prater 30-yard field goal, 2:35. Lions 20–14. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 2:59.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 22/39, 243 yards, 2 INT
CHI – Jimmy Clausen – 23/39, 181 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 13 rushes, 74 yards, TD
CHI – Matt Forte – 19 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 103 yards
CHI – Alshon Jeffery – 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD :
In Week 16, the Lions traveled west for a re-match with their division rival the Chicago Bears. The Lions entered the game having already clinched a playoff spot, thanks to the Washington Redskins' win over the Philadelphia Eagles the previous day. Each team scored a touchdown in the first half. First Detroit's Reggie Bush ran one in from 13 yards out in the first quarter, then Chicago's Matt Forte caught an 11-yard pass from Jimmy Clausen late in the second quarter to tie it up at halftime. The Lions took the lead in the third quarter with a 39-yard field goal by Matt Prater, but the Bears went ahead with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Clausen to Alshon Jeffery. In the final quarter, Detroit scored 10 unanswered points for the victory: first a 17-yard touchdown run by Joique Bell, then a 30-yard field goal from Matt Prater. The win was the fifth of the season in which the Lions trailed entering the fourth quarter. It made the Lions 11–4 for the first time since 1991 and kept them undefeated against divisional opponents.

#### Week 17: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Packers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/3:25 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, light snow, 27 °F (−3 °C)
* Game attendance: 78,408
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
GB – Micah Hyde 55-yard punt return (Mason Crosby kick), 4:49. Packers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 8 yards, 2:55.
Second quarter
GB – Randall Cobb 4-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 2:24. Packers 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:55.
DET – Calvin Johnson 20-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 0:24. Packers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 2:00.
Third quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 7:34. Tied 14–14. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:21.
GB – Randall Cobb 13-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 3:33. Packers 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:01.
Fourth quarter
GB – Aaron Rodgers 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 8:45. Packers 28–14. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:43.
GB – Penalty on Matthew Stafford enforced in the end zone for a safety, 2:32. Packers 30–14.
DET – Theo Riddick 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (run failed), 1:45. Packers 30–20. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 0:47.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 20/41, 217 yards, 3 TD
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 17/22, 226 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 13 rushes, 60 yards
GB – Eddie Lacy – 26 rushes, 100 yards
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 3 receptions, 45 yards
GB – Jordy Nelson – 6 receptions, 86 yards :
To end the regular season, the Lions visited their division rival, the Green Bay Packers, in a game that determined the NFC North's winner. The Packers took an early lead with a 55-yard punt return touchdown run by Micah Hyde in the opening quarter, and added more points in the second quarter, when Randall Cobb caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers. The Lions then scored their only points of the first half when Calvin Johnson caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to make the score 14–7 at halftime. After the break Johnson and Stafford hooked up again with a 4-yard pass to tie the score. Green Bay responded with a 13-yard touchdown catch from Rodgers to Cobb. In the final quarter, the Packers added to their lead when Rodgers ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. Matthew Stafford was later flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone, giving the Packers a safety. The Lions scored the game's final points when Theo Riddick caught a 6-yard pass from Stafford; they attempted a two-point conversion but failed. With the loss, the Lions finished the season 11–5, good for second place in the NFC North and a wildcard spot in the playoffs.

### Standings
#### Division

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Green Bay Packers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 486 | 348 | W2 |
| $^{(6)}$ Detroit Lions | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 321 | 282 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 6–6 | 325 | 343 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 319 | 442 | L5 |

#### Conference

NFCviewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .525 | .513 | W6 |
| 2 | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .482 | .440 | W2 |
| 3 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .445 | .422 | W4 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .357 | W4 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .523 | .477 | L2 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .471 | .392 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .416 | W1 |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .527 | .508 | W1 |
| 9 | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .486 | .415 | W1 |
| 10 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .475 | .308 | W1 |
| 11 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .512 | .323 | L1 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | .482 | .380 | L1 |
| 13 | St. Louis Rams | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .531 | .427 | L3 |
| 14 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .529 | .338 | L5 |
| 15 | Washington Redskins | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .496 | .422 | L1 |
| 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .486 | .469 | L6 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 3 Seattle, Green Bay and Dallas were ranked in seeds 1–3 based on conference record. 1 2 Arizona defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 11, 14–6). 1 2 New Orleans defeated Minnesota head-to-head (Week 3, 20–9). 1 2 3 The NY Giants defeated both Atlanta and St. Louis head-to-head (Atlanta: Week 5, 30–20; St. Louis: Week 16, 37–27), while Atlanta finished ahead of St. Louis 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. ||||||||||||

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 4, 2015 | at Dallas Cowboys (3) | L 20–24 | 0–1 | AT&T Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### NFC Wild Card Game: at Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: January 4, 2015
* Game time: 4:40 p.m. EST/3:40 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof stadium with roof closed)
* Game attendance: 91,410
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Golden Tate 51-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 11:22. Lions 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 2:04.
DET – Reggie Bush 18-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 1:57. Lions 14–0. Drive: 14 plays, 99 yards, 7:10.
Second quarter
DAL – Terrance Williams 76-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 1:37. Lions 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 0:38.
DET – Matt Prater 39-yard field goal, 0:03. Lions 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 1:34.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 37-yard field goal, 8:41. Lions 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 4:03.
DAL – DeMarco Murray 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 2:54. Lions 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:47.
Fourth quarter
DAL – Dan Bailey 51-yard field goal, 12:16. Lions 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 4:00.
DAL – Terrance Williams 8-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), 2:32. Cowboys 24–20. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:38.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/42, 323 yards, TD, INT
DAL – Tony Romo – 19/31, 293 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 12 rushes, 43 yards
DAL – DeMarco Murray – 19 rushes, 75 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD
DAL – Terrance Williams – 3 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD :
Hoping to win their first playoff game since the 1991 season, the Lions visited the Dallas Cowboys. Detroit took an early lead in the first quarter with a pair of touchdowns, first on a 51-yard reception by Golden Tate, then an 18-yard run by Reggie Bush. Dallas responded in the second quarter with a 76-yard touchdown catch by Terrance Williams. The Lions added three more points with a 39-yard Matt Prater field goal just before halftime to make the score 17–7. After the break, Detroit increased their lead with another Prater field goal, this one from 37 yards. The Cowboys responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by DeMarco Murray. In the final quarter, Dallas cut the lead to three with a 51-yard field goal from Dan Bailey before going ahead with an 8-yard touchdown catch by Terrance Williams. This final touchdown capped a 59-yard drive that came after a controversially changed pass interference call against the Cowboys, which would have given the Lions a first down near the Dallas 30-yard line. The Cowboys took over and sealed a date with Green Bay.