# 2011 Detroit Lions season

The 2011 season was the Detroit Lions' 82nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 78th as the Detroit Lions, their 10th playing home games at Ford Field and their third under head coach Jim Schwartz. With a regular season record of 10–6, the team improved on their 6–10 record from 2010, making it their third consecutive improved season. It was the Lions' first winning season since 2000 and first 10 win season since 1995. Their 10-win season came just three years after their winless 2008 campaign. The Lions' 5–0 start was their best since 1956. With their win over the San Diego Chargers on December 24, the Lions clinched an NFC Wild Card spot in the postseason. After their loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, it was determined the Lions would play the New Orleans Saints in one of the NFC Wild Card Games, which the Lions lost 45–28. It was their first playoff berth since 1999.
The Lions ran a pass-heavy offense in 2011, mainly due to early injuries of running backs Mikel Leshoure, who was injured in the preseason and Jahvid Best, who was injured with a concussion in week 6 against the 49ers. Kevin Smith was signed in November as running back, but he too was injured, this time a high ankle sprain during week 11 that inhibited his running. Quarterback Matthew Stafford's 663 passing attempts (41.4 attempts per game) led the league, and they only ran the ball on 33.8% of their plays, a league low. According to statistics site Football Outsiders, the Lions went into shotgun formation a league-leading 68% of offensive plays in 2011. Stafford became only the fourth quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards in a season, and his 5,038 yards passing are 5th-most in NFL history (though only 3rd in the 2011 NFL season).
The 474 points that the Lions scored in 2011 were the most in franchise history, until surpassed by the 2024 team, and only the second time that the team had scored 400+ points in a season.

## Offseason
### Draft

2011 Detroit Lions draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 13 | Nick Fairley | DT | Auburn |
| 2 | 44 | Titus Young | WR | Boise St |
| 2 | 57 | Mikel Leshoure | RB | Illinois |
| 5 | 157 | Doug Hogue | LB | Syracuse |
| 7 | 209 | Johnny Culbreath | OT | South Carolina St |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

### Offseason signings

| Pos | Player | Tag | 2010 Team | Signed |
| SS | Erik Coleman | UFA | Atlanta Falcons | February 18 |
| WR | Rashied Davis | UFA | Chicago Bears | July 29 |
| OLB | Justin Durant | UFA | Jacksonville Jaguars | July 29 |
| CB | Maurice Leggett | RFA | Kansas City Chiefs | July 29 |
| DT | Quinn Pitcock | RFA | Seattle Seahawks | July 29 |
| CB | Eric Wright | UFA | Cleveland Browns | July 29 |
| MLB | Stephen Tulloch | UFA | Tennessee Titans | July 31 |
| RB | Jerome Harrison | UFA | Philadelphia Eagles | August 9 |

## Regular season transactions

On October 18, the Lions attempted to trade running back Jerome Harrison and an undisclosed pick in the 2013 NFL draft to the Philadelphia Eagles for running back Ronnie Brown, but the deal was voided due after Harrison failed his Eagles physical with what Adam Schefter of ESPN reported was a then-undiagnosed brain tumor. Harrison had surgery on October 21 and was placed on the injured reserve list for the remainder of the season. The same day, the Lions signed free agent running back Eldra Buckley to replace Harrison in the lineup.

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 12 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 34–3 | 1–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | at Cleveland Browns | W 30–28 | 2–0 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 27 | New England Patriots | W 34–10 | 3–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | at Buffalo Bills | W 16–6 | 4–0 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 11 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 27–20 | 1–0 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 48–3 | 2–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 3 | September 25 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 26–23 (OT) | 3–0 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 34–30 | 4–0 | Cowboys Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | Chicago Bears | W 24–13 | 5–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | San Francisco 49ers | L 19–25 | 5–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | Atlanta Falcons | L 16–23 | 5–2 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | at Denver Broncos | W 45–10 | 6–2 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 13 | at Chicago Bears | L 13–37 | 6–3 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 20 | Carolina Panthers | W 49–35 | 7–3 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | Green Bay Packers | L 15–27 | 7–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | at New Orleans Saints | L 17–31 | 7–5 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | Minnesota Vikings | W 34–28 | 8–5 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | at Oakland Raiders | W 28–27 | 9–5 | O.co Coliseum | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | San Diego Chargers | W 38–10 | 10–5 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | at Green Bay Packers | L 41–45 | 10–6 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Postseason

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 7, 2012 | at New Orleans Saints (3) | L 28–45 | 0–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |

## Regular season results
### Standings

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Green Bay Packers | 15 | 1 | 0 | .938 | 6–0 | 12–0 | 560 | 359 | W2 |
| $^{(6)}$ Detroit Lions | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 474 | 387 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 353 | 341 | W1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 0–6 | 3–9 | 340 | 449 | L1 |

### Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 6 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: September 11
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: 86° F (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 51,274
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan and Jennifer Hale
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 23-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 6:02.
TB – Connor Barth 38-yard field goal, Tied 3–3, Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:46.
TB – Aqib Talib 28-yard interception return (Connor Barth kick), Buccaneers 10–3.
DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, Buccaneers 10–6, Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:55.
Second quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 36-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 13–10, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:08.
DET – Tony Scheffler 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 20–10, Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 4:23.
TB – Connor Barth 31-yard field goal, Lions 20–13, Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 1:16.
Third quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 27–13, Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:30.
Fourth quarter
TB – Mike Williams 7-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), Lions 27–20, Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 3:52.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/33, 305 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
TB – Josh Freeman – 28/43, 259 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Top rushers
DET – Jahvid Best – 21 rushes, 72 yards
TB – Josh Freeman – 4 rushes, 26 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 88 yards, 2 touchdowns
TB – Kellen Winslow – 6 receptions, 66 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Amari Spievey – 7 tackles
TB – Geno Hayes – 8 tackles :
To start the season, the Lions traveled south to Tampa, Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions scored first in the first quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The Buccaneers tied it up with a 38-yard field goal by Connor Barth, then took the lead when Aqib Talib intercepted a pass from Matthew Stafford and ran it in 28 yards. The Lions responded with a 28-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Detroit took the lead with a 36-yard touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson, and later added more points when Tony Scheffler caught an 11-yard TD pass. Tampa Bay responded with a 31-yard field goal just before halftime. The second half was relatively quiet, with each team only scoring one touchdown. First, Detroit's Calvin Johnson caught a 1-yard pass in the third quarter. The game's final points came when Mike Williams of Tampa Bay caught a 5-yard pass. The Lions won their regular season opener for the first time since 2007

### Week 2: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chiefs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Lions | 7 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 48 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 60,040
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Randy Cross
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 15-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 2 plays, 56 yards, 0:43.
KC – Ryan Succop 33-yard field goal, Lions 7–3, Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:50.
Second quarter
DET – Tony Scheffler 36-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–3, Drive: 2 plays, 45 yards, 0:28.
DET – Jason Hanson 51-yard field goal, Lions 17–3, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:24.
DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, Lions 20–3, Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 0:24
Third quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 27–3, Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 4:53.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jahvid Best 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford, Lions 34–3, Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:11.
DET – Jahvid Best 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 41–3, Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:37.
DET – Keiland Williams 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 48–3, Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:40.
Top passers
KC – Matt Cassel – 15/22, 133 yards, 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
DET – Matthew Stafford – 23/39, 294 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
KC – Dexter McCluster – 8 carries, 51 yards
DET – Jahvid Best – 16 carries, 57 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
KC – Dwayne Bowe – 5 receptions, 101 yards
DET – Nate Burleson – 7 receptions, 93 yards
Top tacklers
KC – Jon McGraw – 5 tackles, 5 assists
DET – Justin Durant – 8 tackles, 3 assists :
For their home opener, the Lions hosted the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions scored first when Calvin Johnson caught a 15-yard pass for a touchdown. Kansas City then scored their only points of the game with a 33-yard field goal by Ryan Succop. In the second quarter, the Lions' Tony Scheffler caught a 36-yard pass for a touchdown. They added to their lead with two field goals from Jason Hanson, from 51 and 28 yards respectively. After halftime, the Lions scored four consecutive touchdowns, three of which followed Kansas City turnovers. First, Calvin Johnson scored on a 1-yard catch. Afterward, Jahvid Best scored two consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter, first with a 9-yard catch, and later on a 1-yard run. The Lions capped their blowout victory with a 1-yard run by Keiland Williams. The blowout win set the franchise record for largest margin of victory. It was the first time the Lions went 2–0 since 2007. Lions QB Matthew Stafford – who completed 23 of 39 passes, threw for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns – won the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week for his performance.

### Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 26 |
| Vikings | 6 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 25
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,466
* Referee: Ron Winter
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jamie Maggio
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Ryan Longwell 33-yard field goal, Vikings 3–0, Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:22.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 41-yard field goal, Vikings 6–0, Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 2:36.
Second quarter
MIN – Adrian Peterson 6-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), Vikings 13–0, Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:04.
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 8-yard pass from Donovan McNabb (Ryan Longwell kick), Vikings 20–0, Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 0:41.
Third quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 32-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 20–7, Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 1:39.
DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, Vikings 20–10, Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:58.
Fourth quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Vikings 20–17, Drive: 5 plays, 89 yards, 1:53.
DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, Tied 20–20, Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 6:13.
DET – Jason Hanson 40-yard field goal, Lions 23–20, Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:43.
MIN – Ryan Longwell 49-yard field goal, Tied 23–23, Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 1:19.
Overtime
DET – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal, Lions 26–23, Drive: 5 plays, 59 yards, 1:59.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/46, 378 yards, 2 touchdowns
MIN – Donovan McNabb – 22/36, 211 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
DET -Jahvid Best – 12 carries, 16 rushes
MIN – Adrian Peterson – 17 carries, 78 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DET – Brandon Pettigrew – 11 receptions, 112 yards
MIN – Michael Jenkins – 10 receptions, 99 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 7 tackles
MIN – E. J. Henderson – 7 tackles, 3 assists :
In week 3, the Lions traveled west to Minneapolis, Minnesota to face their NFC North Division rivals the Minnesota Vikings. The first half was all Minnesota. In the first quarter, the Vikings' Ryan Longwell made two consecutive field goals, from 33 and 41 yards out respectively. The second quarter featured two consecutive Minnesota touchdowns: first on a 6-yard run by Adrian Peterson, and next on an 8-yard catch by Visanthe Shiancoe. After halftime, the Lions mounted a comeback. In the third quarter, Detroit's Calvin Johnson caught a 32-yard pass for a touchdown. They added more points with a 28-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. In the fourth quarter, Calvin Johnson caught another touchdown pass, this one from 5 yards out. Detroit then tied it up with a 50-yard field goal, and took their first lead of the game, 23–20, after a 40-yard Jason Hanson 3-pointer. Minnesota tied it up again with a 49-yard field goal late in the game, taking it to overtime. Detroit won the coin toss and got the ball first, then scored a 32-yard field goal to win the game. Detroit's 20-point comeback was biggest on the road in team history. It was also the first time the Lions beat the Vikings at the Metrodome since 1997, and the first time the Lions started 3–0 since 1980.

### Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 34 |
| Cowboys | 7 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 30 |
at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas
* Date: October 2
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 78,122
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 25-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), Cowboys 7–0, Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 3:55.
Second quarter
DAL – Dez Bryant 6-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), Cowboys 14–0, Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:25.
DAL – Dan Bailey 41-yard field goal, Cowboys 17–0, Drive: 7 plays, 26 yards, 2:48.
DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal, Cowboys 17–3, Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 2:20.
DAL – Dan Bailey 35-yard field goal, Cowboys 20–3, Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 1:28.
Third quarter
DAL – Jason Witten 1-yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick), Cowboys 27–3, Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:37.
DET – Bobby Carpenter 35-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), Cowboys 27–10, Drive: 1 plays, 35 yards, 0:00.
DET – Chris Houston 56-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), Cowboys 27–17, Drive: 7 plays, 31 yards, 4:38.
DAL – Dan Bailey 23-yard field goal, Cowboys 30–17, Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:57.
Fourth quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 23-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Cowboys 30–24, Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:00.
DET – Jason Hanson 51-yard field goal, Cowboys 30–27, Drive: 8 plays, 14 yards, 3:09.
DET – Calvin Johnson 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 34–30, Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 2:34.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 21/43, 240 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
DAL – Tony Romo – 34/47, 331 yards, 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
Top rushers
DET – Jahvid Best – 11 carries, 47 yards
DAL – Felix Jones – 16 carries, 57 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 8 receptions, 96 yards, 2 touchdowns
DAL – Laurent Robinson – 7 receptions, 116 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 10 tackles, 2 assists, 1 interception
DAL – Barry Church – 4 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 4, the Lions traveled south to Arlington, Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys dominated the first half, putting the Lions in a big hole for the second straight week. First came a 25-yard touchdown catch by Dez Bryant. In the second quarter, Bryant scored again on a 6-yard touchdown catch. Dallas added more points with a 41-yard field goal by Dan Bailey. The Lions then got their only points of the first half with a 33-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The Cowboys responded with a 35-yard field goal just before halftime. After the break, Dallas added more points with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten, putting them up 27–3. The Lions responded with two consecutive defensive touchdowns: first a 34-yard interception return by Bobby Carpenter, then a 56-yard pick-6 by Chris Houston. The Cowboys scored their final points of the game with a 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Lions continued their comeback with a 23-yard touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson. They made it a three-point game with a 51-yard field goal by Jason Hanson, then Romo threw an interception to Stephen Tulloch, and took their first lead of the game late in the final quarter when Calvin Johnson caught his second touchdown of the game from 2 yards out to become only the second player in NFL history to record at least two touchdown catches in 4 straight games (the other to do so is former Vikings receiver Cris Carter). The Lions defense held off Dallas for the win. Like the previous week, the Lions came back and won it in the final moments of the game after being down by a large margin at halftime. This was also the largest comeback the Dallas Cowboys have ever allowed, and it was the largest comeback by a road team in NFL history until the Cleveland Browns topped it with their 25-point road comeback against the Tennessee Titans in 2014. It was the first time the Lions started 4–0 since 1980. This also was its franchise-record fifth straight road win. Ironically, their last game at Dallas saw the Lions lose their franchise-record 26th straight road game.

### Week 5: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 10
* Game time: 8:30 PM EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 67,861
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Suzy Kolber
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 73-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:55.
CHI – Robbie Gould 44-yard field goal, Lions 7–3, Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:53.
CHI – Kellen Davis 9-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 10–7, Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 4:50.
Third quarter
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 18-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–10, Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:54.
DET – Jahvid Best 88-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–10, Drive: 1 play, 88 yards, 0:12.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 49-yard field goal, Lions 21–13, Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 5:03.
DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, Lions 24–13, Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 28/38, 249 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Matthew Stafford – 19/26, 219 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forte – 22 carries, 116 yards
DET – Jahvid Best – 12 carries, 163 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
CHI – Dane Sanzenbacher – 6 receptions, 64 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 130 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
CHI – Lance Briggs – 5 tackles, 4 assists
DET – DeAndre Levy – 9 tackles, 4 assists :
In week 5, the Lions hosted a nationally televised primetime NFC North Division duel against the Chicago Bears. It was the first ever Monday Night Football game at Ford Field, the first MNF appearance for the Lions since 2001, and the first Monday night game in the city of Detroit since 1974. Neither team scored in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Lions got an early lead with a 73-yard catch and run by Calvin Johnson. With this, Johnson became the first receiver in NFL history to record 9 touchdown catches in a season's first five games. The Bears got on the board with a 44-yard field goal by Robbie Gould, and took the lead with a 9-yard catch by Kellen Davis. After halftime, the Lions regained the lead and never gave it back. First came an 18-yard TD catch by Brandon Pettigrew. A few minutes later, Detroit's Jahvid Best ran in a TD from 88 yards out, the second longest touchdown run in franchise history. Each team scored a field goal in the fourth quarter: first one by Chicago from 49 yards out, then a 31-yarder by Jason Hanson that completed the scoring. With the win, the Lions also started 5–0 for the first time since 1956 and also snapped their 6-game losing streak against the Bears. Ford Field's record crowd of nearly 68,000 fans caused 9 false start penalties by the Bears.

### Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 0 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 25 |
| Lions | 10 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 16
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,061
* Referee: Mike Carey
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 25-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 2:01.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 10–0, Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:02.
Second quarter
SF – Frank Gore 1-yard run (David Akers kick), Lions 10–7, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:47.
SF – Matthew Stafford sacked by Aldon Smith and Ray McDonald in end zone for −11 yards, Lions 10–9, Drive: 2 plays, −11 yards, 0:05.
SF – David Akers 55-yard field goal, 49ers 12–10, Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 0:55.
Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 24-yard field goal, Lions 13–12, Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 2:12.
SF – David Akers 31-yard field goal, 49ers 15–13, Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 2:18.
Fourth quarter
DET – Nate Burleson 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford, Lions 19–15, Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 2:55.
SF – Delanie Walker 6-yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick), 49ers 22–19, Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:33.
SF – David Akers 37-yard field goal, 49ers 25–19, Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:14.
Top passers
SF – Alex Smith – 17/32, 125 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/50, 293 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
SF – Frank Gore – 15 carries, 141 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Jahvid Best – 12 carries, 37 yards
Top receivers
SF – Michael Crabtree – 9 receptions, 77 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 7 receptions, 113 yards
Top tacklers
SF – NaVorro Bowman – 8 tackles, 5 assists
DET – DeAndre Levy – 7 tackles, 5 assists :
In week 6, the Lions hosted the NFC West Division-leading San Francisco 49ers. The Lions struck first, when Jason Hanson kicked a 25-yard field goal that came after a San Francisco turnover. Detroit added to their lead when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 16-yard TD pass. In the second quarter, the 49ers finally got on the board with a 1-yard TD run by Frank Gore. San Francisco received a safety when Aldon Smith sacked Matthew Stafford in the end zone. The final points of the first half came just before intermission when David Akers of the 49ers kicked a 55-yard field goal, putting the Lions down at halftime for the fourth consecutive week. After the break, Detroit scored on a 24-yard field goal. San Francisco responded with a field goal of their own, this one from 31 yards out. In the fourth quarter, the Lions' Nate Burleson caught a 5-yard TD pass; the Lions went for a 2-point conversion but Calvin Johnson failed to catch Matthew Stafford's pass. In the final 2 minutes, the 49ers rallied from behind, first with a 6-yard TD catch by Delanie Walker, then a 37-yard field goal by David Akers, putting them up 25–19. With 1:02 left in the game, the Lions attempted another comeback, but San Francisco's defense held them off, handing Detroit its first loss of the season as the team fell to 5–1 and 2nd place in the NFC North. After the game, coaches Jim Schwartz and Jim Harbaugh got into an argument after Schwartz claimed Harbaugh pushed him out of the way when the two coaches were shaking hands.

### Week 7: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Lions | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 23
* Game time: 1:00 PM EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,625
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 43-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:47.
ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal, Tied 3–3, Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:03.
ATL – Matt Ryan 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 10–3, 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:46.
Second quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, Falcons 10–6, Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:12.
ATL – Roddy White 18-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 17–6, Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:05
Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 29-yard field goal, Falcons 17–9, Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 2:25.
ATL – Matt Bryant 47 yard, Falcons 20–9, Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2;33.
DET – Calvin Johnson 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Falcons 20–16, Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 3:07.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, Falcons 23–16, Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 4:42.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/34, 218 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
DET – Matthew Stafford – 15/32, 183 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
ATL – Michael Turner – 27 carries, 122 yards
DET – Maurice Morris – 9 carries, 50 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 5 receptions, 62 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 115 yards 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
ATL – Curtis Lofton – 5 tackles, 5 assists
DET – DeAndre Levy – 6 tackles, 5 assists :
In week 7, the Lions hosted the Atlanta Falcons. The Lions took an early lead with a 43-yard field goal by Jason Hanson that came after a Falcons turnover. The Falcons tied it up with a field goal of their own, this one a 23-yarder by Matt Bryant. Atlanta took the lead with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Matt Ryan. In the second quarter, Jason Hanson kicked another field goal, this time from 38 yards out. Atlanta scored the final points of the first half when Roddy White caught an 18-yard touchdown pass. After halftime, Jason Hanson kicked his third field goal, this one from 29 yards. Atlanta responded with a 47-yard field goal. Late in the third quarter, Detroit scored their only touchdown of the game, with a 57-yard catch and run by Calvin Johnson. The only points of the fourth quarter came a 40-yard Falcons field goal.

### Week 8: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: October 30
* Game time: 4:05 PM EDT
* Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) (Sunny)
* Game attendance: 74,977
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jaime Maggio
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Matt Prater 39-yard field goal, Broncos 3–0, Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 3:40.
DET – Titus Young 41-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–3, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:40.
Second quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, Lions 10–3, Drive info: 7 plays, 57 yards, 2:34.
DET – Tony Scheffler 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford, (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 17–3, Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards, 4:39.
DET – Maurice Morris 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 24–3, Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 1:36.
Third quarter
DET – Cliff Avril 24-yard fumble return (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 31–3, Drive: 1 plays, 26 yards, 0:29.
DET – Calvin Johnson 56-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 38–3, Drive info: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:48.
Fourth quarter
DET – Chris Houston 100-yard Interception Return (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 45–3, Drive info: 11 plays, 70 yards, 4:26.
DEN – Eric Decker 14-yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick), Lions 45–10, Drive info: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:45.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 21/30, 267 yards, 3 touchdowns
DEN – Tim Tebow – 18/39, 172 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Top rushers
DET – Maurice Morris – 13 carries, 15 yards, 1 touchdown
DEN – Knowshon Moreno – 14 carries, 69 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 6 receptions, 125 yards, 1 touchdown
DEN – Eric Decker – 6 receptions 72 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 6 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack
DEN – Chris Harris – 6 tackles, 3 assists :
In week 8, the Lions traveled west to Denver, Colorado for an interconference duel with the Denver Broncos. The Broncos scored their only points of the first half on their opening drive, getting a 39-yard field goal from Matt Prater. With a 41-yard touchdown catch by Titus Young, the Lions took the lead and never gave it back. In the second quarter, Jason Hanson kicked a 50-yard field goal. Next, Tony Scheffler caught a 1-yard touchdown pass. Just before halftime, Maurice Morris ran in a touchdown from 1-yard out, putting the Lions up 24–3. After the intermission, the Lions continued their domination with three more unanswered touchdowns. First, Cliff Avril picked up a Tim Tebow fumble and returned it 24 yards for 6 points. Calvin Johnson then scored a touchdown on a 56-yard catch and run. Chris Houston then intercepted a Tim Tebow pass in the end zone and ran the entire length of the field for a score to cap the Lions victory. The Broncos then scored their only points of the second half on a 14-yard touchdown catch by Eric Decker. The Lions defense sacked Tim Tebow seven times. Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, who recorded two sack fumbles and touchdown, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. The Lions' 45 points was the most scored on the road since 1967. With the win, the Lions went into their bye week with a 6–2 record. Detroit also extended its road winning streak (dating back to 2010) to six straight games.

### Week 10: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Bears | 10 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 37 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 13
* Game time: 4:15 PM EST
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) (Cloudy)
* Game attendance: 62,396
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 6-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 7–0,, Drive: 4 plays, 30 yards, 1:41.
CHI – Robbie Gould 43-yard field goal, Bears 10–0, Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:36.
Second quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 35-yard field goal, Bears 13–0, Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 2:44.
CHI – Devin Hester 82-yard punt return (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 20–0, Drive: 1 play, 82 yards, 0:00.
DET – Jason Hanson 29-yard field goal, Bears 20–3, Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 0:49.
DET – Jason Hanson 35-yard field goal, Bears 20–6, Drive: 14 plays, 48 yards, 5:25.
Third quarter
CHI – Major Wright 24-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 27–6, Drive: 1 play 24 yards, 0:00.
CHI – Charles Tillman 44-yard interception return (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 34–6, Drive: 1 play, 44 yards, 0:00.
CHI – Robbie Gould 50-yard field goal, Bears 37–6, Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2;33.
Fourth quarter
DET – Tony Scheffler 10-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Bears 37–13, Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 2:00.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 33/63, 323 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 interceptions
CHI – Jay Cutler – 9/19, 123 yards
Top rushers
DET – Maurice Morris – 10 carries, 44 yards
CHI – Matt Forte – 18 carries, 64 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DET – Nate Burleson – 8 receptions, 83 yards
CHI – Earl Bennett – 6 receptions, 81 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 7 tackles
CHI – Tim Jennings – 9 tackles, 1 assist :
After their bye week, the Lions traveled to Chicago, Illinois for a rematch with their division foes the Chicago Bears. Chicago started the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown rush by Matt Forte. The Bears added to their lead with a 43-yard field goal by Robbie Gould. In the second quarter, Chicago added more points with a 35-yard field goal, and made it a 20–0 game when Devin Hester returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown. Detroit finally got on the board with two consecutive field goals by Jason Hanson, from 29 and 35 yards out respectively. After halftime, the Bears defense intercepted Lions QB Matthew Stafford twice for touchdowns. First, Major Wright caught one and ran it in 24 yards. Then Charles Tillman completed a 44-yard pick 6. The Bears added to their large lead with a 50-yard field goal. The Lions scored their only points of the second half with a 10-yard touchdown catch by Tony Scheffler. This was the Lions' first road loss of the season. The game was marred by an on-field fight between players midway through the 4th quarter.

### Week 11: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 10 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 35 |
| Lions | 0 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 49 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 20
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,633
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Olindo Mare 27-yard field goal, Panthers 3–0, Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:40.
CAR – Steve Smith 15-yard pass from Cam Newton (Olindo Mare kick), Panthers 10–0, Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 1:54.
Second quarter
DET – Kevin Smith 28-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Panthers 10–7, Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:31.
CAR – Kealoha Pilares 101-yard kickoff return (Olindo Mare kick), Panthers 17–7, Drive info: 1 plays, 102 yards, 0:00.
CAR – Cam Newton 11-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), Panthers 24–7, Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 1:53.
DET – Titus Young 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Panthers 24–14, Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:35.
CAR – Olindo Mare 31-yard field goal, Panthers 27–14, Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 2:57.
Third quarter
DET – Nate Burleson 16-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Panthers 27–21, Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 1:23.
DET – Tony Scheffler 17-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 28–27, Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 3:18.
Fourth quarter
DET – Kevin Smith 4-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 35–27, Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:34.
CAR – Cam Newton 6-yard run (Cam Newton pass to Steve Smith for two-point conversion), Tied 35–35, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:03.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 42–35, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:27.
DET – Kevin Smith 19-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 49–35, Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 0:17.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 22/38, 280 yard, 1 touchdown, 4 interceptions
DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/36, 335 yards, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 10 carries, 73 yards
DET – Kevin Smith – 16 carries, 140 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top receivers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 6 receptions, 87 yards
DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 89 yards
Top tacklers
CAR – James Anderson – 7 tackles, 3 assists
DET – DeAndre Levy – 5 tackles, 3 assists :
In week 11, the Lions hosted the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers took an early lead in the first quarter when Olindo Mare kicked a 27-yard field goal, and made it 10–0 when Steve Smith caught a 15-yard touchdown pass. The Lions answered in the second quarter when Kevin Smith ran in a touchdown from 28 yards out. Carolina responded with 2 touchdowns. First, Kealoha Pilares returned a kickoff the entire length of the field for 7 points, then a few minutes later, QB Cam Newton ran it in himself for another 7. At this point, the Lions were down by 17 points with the score 24–7. The Lions' Titus Young then caught a 3-yard pass for a TD. The Panthers kicked a 31-yard field goal just before halftime, putting the Lions down by 13 points. After the break, the Lions mounted yet another second half comeback with 3 consecutive touchdowns. First, Nate Burleson caught a 6-yard pass, then Tony Scheffler caught a 17-yard pass, giving the Lions their first lead of the game. Then in the 4th quarter, Kevin Smith scored his second touchdown of the game, this one on a 4-yard rush. The Panthers scored their only points of the second half when Cam Newton recorded his second rushing touchdown; Carolina's Cam Newton then completed a 2-point conversion to Steve Smith to tie the game. A few minutes later, Detroit retook the lead when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 7-yard pass for a TD. The Lions capped their victory with Kevin Smith's third touchdown of the game, this one on a 19-yard rush. By winning this game after trailing by 17 points, the Lions are the first team in NFL history that have won 3 games in one season in which they trailed by at least 17 points.

### Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers (Thanksgiving Day game)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 27 |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 24
* Game time: 12:30 PM EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,263
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays
Second quarter
GB – Greg Jennings 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 7–0, Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 0:42.
Third quarter
GB – John Kuhn 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 14–0, Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:54.
GB – James Jones 65-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 21–0, Drive: 1 play, 65 yards, 0:11.
GB – Mason Crosby 35-yard field goal, Packers 24–0, Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:41.
Fourth quarter
DET – Keiland Williams 16-yard run (Two-Point Conversion Pass from Matthew Stafford to Titus Young), Packers 24–8, Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 2:59.
GB – Mason Crosby 32-yard field goal, Packers 27–8, Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:42.
DET – Calvin Johnson 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Packers 27–15, Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 2:32.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 22/33, 307 yards, 2 touchdowns
DET – Matthew Stafford – 32/45, 276 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions
Top rushers
GB – Ryan Grant – 6 carries, 20 yards
DET – maurice Morris – 7 carries, 39 yards
Top receivers
GB – James Jones – 3 receptions, 94 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Maurce Morris – 9 receptions, 81 yards
Top tacklers
GB – Erik Walden – 5 tackles, 3 assists
DET – Amari Spievey – 6 tackles, 1 assist :
For their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted their NFC North Division rivals, the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers. After a scoreless first quarter, Detroit trailed in the second quarter after Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings. After halftime, Green Bay added to their lead in the third quarter when fullback John Kuhn scored with a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by a 65-yard touchdown catch to wide receiver James Jones. Later, Mason Crosby scored with a 35-yard field goal. Detroit finally get on the board in the fourth quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run from running back Keiland Williams (with a successful two-point conversion pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Titus Young), but the Packers pulled away when Crosby booted a 32-yard field goal. The Lions closed out the game when Stafford hooked up with wide receiver Calvin Johnson on a 3-yard touchdown pass late in the final quarter.

### Week 13: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Saints | 3 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 4
* Game time: 8:20 pm EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,042
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – John Kasay 39-yard field goal, Saints 3–0, Drive: 13 plays, 37 yards, 5:08.
Second quarter
NO – Mark Ingram II 14-yard run (John Kasay kick), Saints 10–0, Drive: 9 plays, 93 yards, 4:08.
NO – Robert Meachem 67-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), Saints 17–0, Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:17.
DET – Kevin Smith 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Saints 17–7, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:35.
NO – Lance Moore 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), Saints 24–7, Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 1:53.
Third quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 31-yard field goal, Saints 24–10, Drive: 11 plays, 86 yards, 5:27.
DET – Maurice Morris 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Saints 24–17, Drive: 9 plays, 92 yards, 5:30.
Fourth quarter
NO – Darren Sproles 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), Saints 31–17, Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:49.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 31/44, 408 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
NO – Drew Brees −26/36, 342 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top rushers
DET – Kevin Smith – 6 carries, 34 yards, 1 touchdown
NO – Mark Ingram II – 16 carries, 34 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DET – Nate Burleson – 5 receptions, 93 yards
NO – Robert Meachem – 3 receptions, 119 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DET – Amari Speivey – 9 tackles, 1 assist
NO – Jonathan Vilma – 6 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 13, the Lions traveled south for a nationally televised prime-time contest with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints scored the only points of the first quarter when John Kasay kicked a 39-yard field goal. New Orleans added to their lead in the second quarter with 2 consecutive touchdowns: first with a 14-yard run by Mark Ingram II, then a 67-yard catch and run by Robert Meachem. Detroit scored their only points of the first half when Kevin Smith ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out. The Saints responded when Drew Brees threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore. After halftime, the Lions attempted a comeback when Jason Hanson kicked a 31-yard field goal, and later Maurice Morris caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. However, the Saints pulled away in the final quarter when Darren Sproles caught a 6-yard pass for a touchdown.

### Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Lions | 21 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 34 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 11
* Game time: 1:00 pm EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,988
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Stephen Tulloch recovered fumble in end zone (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 1 plays, 0 yards, 0:00.
DET – Titus Young 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–0, Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:43.
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 21–0, Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:52.
MIN – Visanthe Shiancoe 7-yard pass from Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), Lions 21–7, Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:03.
Second quarter
DET – Alphonso Smith 30-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 28–7, Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:00.
MIN – Percy Harvin 6 Yd Pass From Christian Ponder (Ryan Longwell kick), Lions 28–14, Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:57.
DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, Lions 31–14, Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:15.
Third quarter
MIN – Joe Webb 65-yard run (Ryan Longwell kick), Lions 31–21, Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 3:41.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal, Lions 34–21, Drive: 15 plays, 83 yards, 7:04.
MIN – Toby Gerhart 2-yard pass from Joe Webb (Ryan Longwell Kick), Lions 34–28, Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 4:23.
Top passers
MIN – Christian Ponder – 11/21, 115 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
DET – Matthew Stafford – 20/29, 227 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top rushers
MIN – Joe Webb – 7 carries, 109 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Keiland Williams – 12 carries, 43 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Percy Harvin – 10 receptions, 69 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Titus Young – 4 receptions, 87 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
MIN – Chad Greenway – 5 tackles, 3 assists
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 6 tackles, 3 assists, 1 touchdown :
In week 14, the Lions hosted a rematch with their NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions took an early lead which they never gave back after Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder fumbled the ball on the Vikings' first offensive play of the game and Stephen Tulloch picked it up in the end zone for a touchdown. The Lions added more points when Titus Young caught a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it in 57 yards for a TD, and added another seven when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 12-yard pass. The Vikings got on the board late in the first quarter when Visanthe Shiancoe caught a seven-yard pass from Ponder. In the second quarter, Detroit's defense scored again when Alphonso Smith intercepted a Ponder pass and ran it back 30 yards for a TD. Minnesota responded when Percy Harvin caught a six-yard touchdown pass. The Lions scored the final points of the first half when Jason Hanson kicked a 30-yard field goal. This was their first 31-point first half since 1985. After halftime, Vikings backup quarterback Joe Webb came into the game and ran in a touchdown himself from 65 yards out. In the fourth quarter, the Lions scored their only points of the second half when Hanson kicked his second field goal of the game, this one from 26 yards out. Minnesota responded with a two-yard TD catch by Toby Gerhart. After a defensive stop, the Vikings attempted a late comeback when they drove down the field in the final minute of the game, but Webb fumbled the ball after being sacked by DeAndre Levy on first and goal with nine seconds left, evading a facemask call, but handing the Lions the victory.

### Week 15: at Oakland Raiders

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Raiders | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California
* Date: December 18
* Game time: 4:05 PM EST
* Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C) (Cloudy) SE 1 mph (1.6 km/h)
* Game attendance: 59,069
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
OAK – Louis Murphy 12-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), Raiders 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 76 yards, 1:20.
DET – Calvin Johnson 51-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 2:45.
Second quarter
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey 43-yard pass from Carson Palmer (Sebastian Janikowski kick), Raiders 14–7, Drive: 6 plays, 94 yards, 3:26.
DET – Nate Burleson 39-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Tied 14–14, Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 2:27.
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 46-yard field goal, Raiders 17–14, Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 1:14.
Third quarter
No scoring plays
Fourth quarter
OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 51-yard field goal, Raiders 20–14, Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 4:00.
OAK – Aaron Curry 6-yard fumble return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), Raiders 27–14, Drive info: 3 plays, −8 yards, 0:25.
DET – Titus Young 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Raiders 27–21, Drive info: 10 plays, 71 yards, 2:48.
DET – Calvin Johnson 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 28–27, Drive: 7 plays, 98 yards, 1:35.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 29/52, 391 yards, 4 touchdowns
OAK – Carson Palmer 32/40, 367 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers
DET – Kevin Smith – 15 carries, 43 yards
OAK – Michael Bush – 18 carries, 77 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 9 receptions, 214 yards, 2 touchdowns
OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey – 8 receptions, 155 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 8 tackles, 2 assists
OAK – Rolando McClain – 7 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack :
In week 15, the Lions traveled west for an interconference duel with the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders struck first when Louis Murphy ran in a touchdown from 12 yards out. The Lions responded with a 51-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson. In the second quarter, Oakland re-took the lead when Darrius Heyward-Bey caught a 43-yard pass from Carson Palmer, but the Lions tied it back up when Nate Burlseon caught a 39-yard pass for a TD. Oakland took the lead back just before halftime with a 46-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. After a scoreless third quarter, the Raiders kicked a 51-yard field goal, and added 7 more points when Aaron Curry picked up a Matthew Stafford fumble and ran it in 6 yards for a touchdown, putting them up 27–14 with just under 8 minutes left in the game. The Lions then mounted their 6th comeback of the season from a 13+ point deficit, first with a 3-yard catch by Titus Young, then Calvin Johnson caught his second touchdown of the game from 6 yards out to put them up 28–27 with 39 seconds left to play. The Raiders then drove down the field, and attempted a 65-yard field goal on fourth down, which would have broken Sebastian Janikowski's own NFL-record of 63 yards which he shares with two other placekickers, but it was blocked by Ndamukong Suh, giving the Lions the win and keeping their playoff hopes alive as the team improved to 9–5, securing their first winning season since 2000.

### Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chargers | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Lions | 10 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 4:05 PM EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,469
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Brandon Pettigrew 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:08.
DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, Lions 10–0, Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:30.
Second quarter
DET – Kevin Smith 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 17–0, Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:16.
DET – Calvin Johnson 14 Yd pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 24–0, Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:22.
Third quarter
SD – Malcom Floyd 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), Lions 24–7, Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:04.
SD – Nick Novak 22-yard field goal, Lions 24–10, Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 3:45
DET – Kevin Smith 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 31–10, Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4;37.
Fourth quarter
DET – Cliff Avril 4-yard interception return (Jason Hanson Kick), Lions 38–10, Drive: 1 play, 4 plays, 0:00.
Top passers
SD – Philip Rivers – 28/53, 299 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
DET – Matthew Stafford – 29/36, 373 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top rushers
SD – Ryan Matthews – 11 carries, 58 yards
DET – Kevin Smith – 15 carries, 49 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
SD – Malcolm Floyd – 6 receptions, 95 yards, 1 touchdown
DET – Calvin Johnson – 4 receptions, 102 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers
SD – Steve Gregory – 7 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Justin Durant – 8 tackles, 3 assists :
For their last home game of the regular season, the Lions hosted a rare Saturday evening contest against the San Diego Chargers. The first half was all Detroit. First came a 7-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Brandon Pettigrew, followed by a 30-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. In the second quarter, Kevin Smith caught a 3-yard touchdown pass, followed by a Calvin Johnson 14-yard touchdown catch in the final minute of the half, putting the Lions up 24–0 at the break. After the intermission, the Chargers finally got on the board with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Malcolm Floyd, followed by a 22-yard field goal by Nick Novak. Detroit responded with a 6-yard touchdown run by Kevin Smith. The only points of the fourth quarter came when Cliff Avril intercepted a pass from Philip Rivers and ran it in 4 yards for a touchdown. With the win, the Lions improved to 10–5 and clinched an NFC Wildcard spot in the playoffs, their first postseason appearance since 1999. Also, the Lions became the only NFC North team to beat all AFC West teams on the season.

### Week 17: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 9 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 41 |
| Packers | 10 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: January 1
* Game time: 1:00 PM EST
* Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C) (Flurries) NW 20 mph (32 km/h)
* Game attendance: 70,294
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, & Laura Okmin
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Titus Young 8-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 7–0, Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:09.
DET – Pat Lee tackled in end zone by team for safety, Lions 9–0, Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:00.
GB – Mason Crosby 22-yard field goal, Lions 9–3, Drive: 15 plays, 64 yards, 5:34.
GB – Jordy Nelson 7-yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 10–9, Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 4:01.
Second quarter
DET – Calvin Johnson 13-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 16–10, Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:11.
GB – Ryan Grant 80-yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 17–16, Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:18.
DET – Jason Hanson 30 Yd field goal, Lions 19–17, Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:25.
GB – Jordy Nelson 36-yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 24–19, Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
DET – Titus Young 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 26–24, Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:32.
GB – Jordy Nelson 58-yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 31–26, Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:07.
DET – Kevin Smith 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matthew Stafford pass to Tony Scheffler for two-point conversion), Lions 34–31, Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:25.
Fourth quarter
GB – Donald Driver 35-yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 38–34, Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:40.
DET – Tony Scheffler 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 41–38, Drive: 6 plays, 93 yards, 2:22.
GB – Jermichael Finley 4-yard pass from Matt Flynn (Mason Crosby kick), Packers 45–41, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:29.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 36/59, 520 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
GB – Matt Flynn – 31/44, 480 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
DET – Kevin Smith – 9 rushes, 35 yards
GB – Ryan Grant – 12 rushes, 48 yards
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 11 receptions, 244 yards, 1 TD
GB – Jordy Nelson – 9 receptions, 162 yards, 3 TD
Top tacklers
DET – Alphonso Smith – 7 tackles
GB – Charlie Peprah – 8 tackles :
For the last game of the regular season, the Lions, hoping to clinch the #5 seed in the postseason, traveled to Green Bay, Wisconsin for a shootout with their NFC North Division rivals the Green Bay Packers. On game day it was revealed that many of the Packers' starters were inactive, giving them a chance to heal and rest up for the playoffs (the Packers having already clinched a first-round bye and first seed in their division). The Lions took an early lead when Titus Young caught an 8-yard pass from Matthew Stafford for a touchdown, and received a safety when Green Bay's Pat Lee was tackled in the end zone by team. The Packers got on the board when Mason Crosby kicked a 22-yard field goal, and got their first lead of the game when Jordy Nelson caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Matt Flynn. In the second quarter, the score started to sea-saw, and continued to do so for the remainder of the game. First, the Lions' Calvin Johnson caught a 13-yard touchdown pass. Then Green Bay's Ryan Grant scored on an 80-yard catch and run. Detroit responded with a 30-yard field goal from Jason Hanson. Green Bay scored another touchdown just before halftime when Jordy Nelson caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this time from 36 yards out. After the break, the Lions' Titus Young caught another touchdown pass, this time from 2 yards out. The Packers answered with Jordy Nelson's third scoring catch, this one from 58 yards out. Detroit responded with a 5-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Smith and successfully completed a two-point conversion with a pass to Tony Scheffler. Midway through the final quarter, Green Bay's Donald Driver caught a 35-yard pass for a touchdown. Detroit re-took the lead late when Tony Scheffler caught a 12-yard pass, but the Packers gained it back when Jermichael Finley caught a 4-yard touchdown pass. The Lions then got the ball back to attempt to win the game with under a minute to play, but Stafford threw an interception with 45 seconds left, giving the Packers the victory, and the Lions' 20th consecutive loss in the state of Wisconsin. With the loss, the Lions were declared the #6 seed in the playoffs.

## Postseason results

See also 2011–12 NFL Wildcard game#Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints

### NFC Wild Card Round: at #3 New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Saints | 0 | 10 | 14 | 21 | 45 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: January 7
* Game time: 8:00 PM EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (domed stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,038
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya
* Recap Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Will Heller 10-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick) Lions 7–0, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:02.
Second quarter
NO – Darren Sproles 2-yard run, (John Kasay kick), Tied 7–7, Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 5:19.
DET – Calvin Johnson 13-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Lions 14–7, Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 4:50.
NO – John Kasay 24-yard field goal Lions 14–10, Drive:
Third quarter
NO – Devery Henderson 41-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), Saints 17–14, Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 1:51.
NO – Jimmy Graham 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), Saints 24–14, Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 6;27.
DET – Matthew Stafford 1 yard (Jason Hanson kick), Saints 24–21, Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 2:55.
Fourth quarter
NO – Darren Sproles 17 yard (John Kasay kick), Saints 31–21, Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:15.
NO – Robert Meachem 56-yard pass from Drew Brees (John Kasay kick), Saints 38–21, Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 2:14.
DET – Calvin Johnson 12-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Saints 38–28, Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 2:49.
NO – Pierre Thomas 1-yard run (John Kasay kick), Saints 45–28, Drive: 4 plays, 44 yards, 1:04.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/43, 380 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
NO – Drew Brees – 33/43, 466 yards, 3 touchdowns
Top rushers
DET – Kevin Smith – 6 carries, 21 yards
NO – Pierre Thomas – 8 carries, 66 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers
DET – Calvin Johnson – 12 receptions, 211 yards, 2 touchdowns
NO – Marques Colston – 7 receptions, 120 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Stephen Tulloch – 8 tackles, 7 assists
NO – Tracy Porter – 7 tackles :
Entering the postseason as the NFC's #6 seed, the Lions began their playoff run at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the NFC Wild Card game against the #3 seed New Orleans Saints, looking to avenge their Week 13 defeat.
Detroit struck first in the opening quarter as quarterback Matthew Stafford found tight end Will Heller with a 10-yard pass for a touchdown. The Saints answered in the second quarter when running back Darren Sproles scored a touchdown with a 2-yard run. The Lions answered back when Calvin Johnson caught a 13-yard pass for a touchdown. New Orleans closed out the half when kicker John Kasay scored a 24-yard field goal.
The Saints took the lead in the third quarter when quarterback Drew Brees completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devery Henderson and later, a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham. Detroit kept things close when Matthew Stafford scored a touchdown with a quarterback sneak from 1 yard out. New Orleans took a huge lead in the fourth quarter when Darren Sproles scored with a 17-yard touchdown run, followed by a 56-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Robert Meachem. The Lions tried to rally as Stafford connected with Johnson again with a 12-yard touchdown pass, but the Saints pulled away for good with a 1-yard touchdown run by Pierre Thomas.

## Regular season statistical leaders

| | Player(s) | Value | NFL Rank | NFC Rank |
| Passing Yards | Matthew Stafford | 5038 Yards | 3rd | 2nd |
| Passing Touchdowns | Matthew Stafford | 41 TDs | 3rd | 3rd |
| Rushing Yards | Jahvid Best | 390 Yards | 56th | 27th |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Kevin Smith | 4 TDs | T-31st | T-16th |
| Receptions | Calvin Johnson | 96 Receptions | 4th | 3rd |
| Receiving Yards | Calvin Johnson | 1681 Yards | 1st | 1st |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Calvin Johnson | 16 TDs | 2nd | 1st |
| Points | Jason Hanson | 126 Points | 9th | 5th |
| Kickoff Return Yards | Stefan Logan | 832 Yards | 11th | 6th |
| Punt Return Yards | Stefan Logan | 301 Yards | T-15th | 7th |
| Tackles | Stephen Tulloch | 111 Tackles | 17th | 10th |
| Sacks | Cliff Avril | 11 Sacks | T-11th | T-7th |
| Interceptions | Chris Houston | 5 INTs | T-8th | T-6th |
Stats are updated each week.

## Awards, honors, and records

Matthew Stafford
* AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year
* PFWA Comeback Player of the Year
* NFL Alumni's Quarterback of the Year
* 4th quarterback in NFL history to pass for 5,000+ yards in a season (after Dan Marino, Drew Brees twice, and Tom Brady)
* 2nd quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 40 touchdowns and 5,000 yards at the age of 23. (Dan Marino)
Calvin Johnson
* 2011 All-Pro Team
* 2011 Pro Bowl
* 2011 NFL receiving yards leader
* Madden 13 cover athlete