# 2017 Detroit Lions season

The 2017 season was the Detroit Lions' 88th in the National Football League (NFL), their 84th as the Detroit Lions, and their fourth and final season under head coach Jim Caldwell. The Lions finished with a 9–7 record, the same record they had in 2016, but unlike the previous year, failed to qualify for the playoffs. After starting the season 3–1, they lost 6 of their next 12 games. They were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention in week 16 following their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite missing the playoffs, the Lions recorded consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1994–1995. They also won all of their division road games for the first time ever and swept their division rival Green Bay Packers for the first time since 1991. Despite this, Caldwell was dismissed by the Lions after the season, having accumulating a winning record of 36–28 in four seasons (though was 4–25 against teams that finished with winning records), with two playoff appearances but no playoff wins. The team unveiled a new uniform set and logo, which removed the black that had been used a secondary color since 2003, as well an all-gray Color Rush uniform in week 15.
The Lions would not record another winning season until 2022. It would be the final season they started with a win until 2023.

## Offseason
### Coaching staff

* On January 4, the Lions announced Jim Caldwell will return as head coach.
* On February 21, the Lions hired George Godsey as defensive assistant/special projects.

### Re-signings

| Date | Player | Position | Contract |
| March 9 | Khyri Thornton | Defensive tackle | 2 years / $3.3 million |
| March 15 | Don Muhlbach | Long snapper | 1 year / $695,000 |
| March 21 | Armonty Bryant | Defensive end | 1 year / $855,000 |
| April 18 | Cornelius Lucas | Offensive tackle | 1 year / $1.797 million |
| August 9 | Tim Wright | Tight end | 1 year / $775,000 |
| August 28 | Matthew Stafford | Quarterback | 5 years / $135 million |

### Additions

| Date | Player | Position | Previous team | Contract |
| February 9 | Rolan Milligan | Safety | Dallas Cowboys | 1 year / $465,000 |
| February 23 | Pierce Burton | Offensive tackle | Indianapolis Colts | 1 year / $465,000 |
| March 10 | Rick Wagner | Offensive tackle | Baltimore Ravens | 5 years / $47.5 million |
| March 10 | Akeem Spence | Defensive tackle | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 years / $9 million |
| March 10 | Cornelius Washington | Defensive end | Chicago Bears | 2 years / $6 million |
| March 10 | Paul Worrilow | Linebacker | Atlanta Falcons | 1 year / $3 million |
| March 11 | D. J. Hayden | Cornerback | Oakland Raiders | 1 year / $3.75 million |
| March 11 | Darren Fells | Tight end | Arizona Cardinals | 1 year / $1.5 million |
| March 11 | Keshawn Martin | Wide receiver | San Francisco 49ers | 1 year / $885,000 |
| March 12 | T. J. Lang | Guard | Green Bay Packers | 3 years / $28.5 million |
| March 20 | Jordan Hill | Defensive tackle | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 year / $855,000 |
| April 3 | Nick Bellore | Linebacker | San Francisco 49ers | 1 year / $855,000 |
| April 25 | Kasey Redfern | Punter | Cleveland Browns | 1 year / $465,000 |
| May 12 | Brandon Barnes | Tight end | Alabama State | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Alex Barrett | Defensive end | San Diego State | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Dontez Ford | Wide receiver | Pittsburgh | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Tion Green | Running back | Pittsburgh | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Nick James | Defensive tackle | Mississippi State | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Leo Koloamatangi | Offensive lineman | Hawaii | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Desmond Lawrence | Cornerback | North Carolina | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Storm Norton | Tackle | Toledo | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Michael Rector | Wide receiver | Stanford | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Maurice Swain | Defensive tackle | Auburn | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Noel Thomas | Wide receiver | UConn | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Josh Thornton | Cornerback | Southern Utah | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Robert Tonyan | Tight end | Indiana State | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Jeremiah Valoaga | Defensive end | UNLV | Undrafted FA |
| May 12 | Jamal Agnew | Cornerback | San Diego | 4 years / $2.65 million |
| May 12 | Jarrad Davis | Linebacker | Florida | 4 years / $10.9 million |
| May 12 | Brad Kaaya | Quarterback | Miami | 4 years / $2.52 million |
| May 12 | Jeremiah Ledbetter | Defensive end | Arkansas | 4 years / $2.54 million |
| May 12 | Pat O'Connor | Defensive end | Eastern Michigan | 4 years / $2.46 million |
| May 12 | Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Linebacker | Tennessee | 4 years / $3.01 million |
| May 12 | Michael Roberts | Tight end | Toledo | 4 years / $3 million |
| May 12 | Teez Tabor | Cornerback | Florida | 4 years / $4.82 million |
| May 15 | Arturo Uzdavinis | Tackle | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 year / – |
| May 30 | Matt Asiata | Running back | Minnesota Vikings | 1 year / $615,000 |
| May 30 | Connor Bozick | Guard | Delaware | 1 year / – |
| June 8 | Tony Hills | Tackle | New Orleans Saints | 1 year / $910,000 |
| July 31 | Nick Becton | Offensive tackle | Chicago Bears | 1 year / $690,000 |
| August 8 | Tramain Jacobs | Cornerback | Toronto Argonauts | 1 year / $615,000 |
| August 8 | Dez Stewart | Wide receiver | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 year / $465,000 |
| August 21 | Scott Orndoff | Tight end | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 year / $465,000 |
| August 27 | Derrick Lott | Defensive tackle | Saskatchewan Roughriders | 1 year / – |

### Departures

| Date | Player | Position | Note | New Team |
| March 9 | DeAndre Levy | Linebacker | Released | |
| March 9 | Riley Reiff | Offensive tackle | UFA | Minnesota Vikings |
| March 9 | Larry Warford | Guard | UFA | New Orleans Saints |
| March 11 | Stefan Charles | Defensive tackle | UFA | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| March 14 | Andre Roberts | Wide receiver | UFA | Atlanta Falcons |
| March 23 | Tyrunn Walker | Defensive end | UFA | Los Angeles Rams |
| March 30 | Rafael Bush | Safety | UFA | New Orleans Saints |
| April 20 | Jon Bostic | Linebacker | UFA | Indianapolis Colts |
| May 14 | Clay Harbor | Tight end | UFA | New Orleans Saints |
| May 24 | Devin Taylor | Defensive end | UFA | New York Giants |
| June 1 | Orson Charles | Tight end | UFA | Kansas City Chiefs |
| July 20 | Dan Orlovsky | Quarterback | UFA | Los Angeles Rams |
| August 5 | Josh Bynes | Linebacker | UFA | Arizona Cardinals |
| August 7 | Anquan Boldin | Wide receiver | UFA | Buffalo Bills |
| August 8 | Asa Jackson | Cornerback | UFA | San Francisco 49ers |

### Trades

* On June 15, the Lions acquired offensive tackle Greg Robinson from Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
* On August 31, the Lions traded offensive guard Laken Tomlinson to the San Francisco 49ers for a fifth-round draft pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

### Draft

2017 Detroit Lions Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 21 | Jarrad Davis | LB | Florida |
| 2 | 53 | Teez Tabor | CB | Florida |
| 3 | 96 | Kenny Golladay | WR | Northern Illinois |
| 4 | 124 | Jalen Reeves-Maybin | LB | Tennessee |
| 4 | 127 | Michael Roberts | TE | Toledo |
| 5 | 165 | Jamal Agnew | CB | San Diego |
| 6 | 205 | Jeremiah Ledbetter | DE | Arkansas |
| 6 | 215 | Brad Kaaya | QB | Miami |
| 7 | 250 | Pat O'Connor | DE | Eastern Michigan |
Notes
* The Lions made two separate trades with the New England Patriots — acquiring an additional sixth-round selection (No. 215 overall) in exchange for linebacker Kyle Van Noy and their original seventh-round selection (No. 239 overall); and acquiring an additional seventh-round selection (No. 250 overall) in exchange for tight end Michael Williams.
* The Lions traded their original third-round selection (No. 85 overall) to the Patriots in exchange for the Patriots' third-round selection (No. 96 overall) and their fourth-round selection (No. 124 overall).

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | August 13 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 24–10 | 1–0 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | New York Jets | W 16–6 | 2–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | New England Patriots | L 28–30 | 2–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 4 | August 31 | at Buffalo Bills | L 17–27 | 2–2 | New Era Field | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 10 | Arizona Cardinals | W 35–23 | 1–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at New York Giants | W 24–10 | 2–0 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | Atlanta Falcons | L 26–30 | 2–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 14–7 | 3–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 8 | Carolina Panthers | L 24–27 | 3–2 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 6 | October 15 | at New Orleans Saints | L 38–52 | 3–3 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 8 | October 29 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 15–20 | 3–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 6 | at Green Bay Packers | W 30–17 | 4–4 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | Cleveland Browns | W 38–24 | 5–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 11 | November 19 | at Chicago Bears | W 27–24 | 6–4 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Minnesota Vikings | L 23–30 | 6–5 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 20–44 | 6–6 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 10 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 24–21 | 7–6 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | Chicago Bears | W 20–10 | 8–6 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 17–26 | 8–7 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 31 | Green Bay Packers | W 35–11 | 9–7 | Ford Field | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
| Lions | 0 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 35 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 60,957
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
AZ – Justin Bethel 82-yard interception return (Phil Dawson kick). Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:46.
AZ – Phil Dawson 24-yard field goal. Cardinals 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 7 yards, 3:32.
Second quarter
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Cardinals 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 6:16.
DET – Matt Prater 58-yard field goal. Cardinals 10–9. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
AZ – Kerwynn Williams 3-yard rush (Phil Dawson kick). Cardinals 17–9. Drive: 12 plays, 94 yards, 5:49.
DET – Theo Riddick 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Cardinals 17–15. Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, 0:45.
Fourth quarter
DET – Kenny Golladay 10-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. Lions 21–17. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:49.
DET – Kenny Golladay 45-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 28–17. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:55.
DET – Miles Killebrew 35-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick). Lions 35–17. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:10.
AZ – J. J. Nelson 1-yard pass from Carson Palmer. Lions 35–23. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:30.
Top passers
ARI – Carson Palmer – 27/48, 269 yards, TD, 3 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 29/41, 292 yards, 4 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – David Johnson – 11 carries, 23 yards
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 15 carries, 30 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 6 receptions, 74 yards
DET – Golden Tate – 10 receptions, 107 yards
Top tacklers
ARI – Tyvon Branch – 10 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Jarrad Davis – 9 tackles :
To open the regular season, the Lions hosted the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals took an early lead in the first quarter with an 82-yard interception return from Justin Bethel, followed by a 24-yard field goal from Phil Dawson. The Lions got on the board in the second quarter with a six-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones Jr., and a 58-yard field goal from Matt Prater to make the score 10–9 in favor of Arizona at half-time. In the third quarter, the Cardinals added to their lead with a three-yard touchdown run from Kerwynn Williams, but the Lions responded with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Theo Riddick. In the final quarter, the Lions took their first lead with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Kenny Golladay. Stafford connected with Golladay again minutes later with a 45-yard touchdown pass, then Miles Killebrew returned an interception 35 yards for the Lions' final points. The Cardinals scored with a one-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to J. J. Nelson, making the final score 35–23 in favor of Detroit. It was Matthew Stafford's 27th fourth quarter or overtime comeback since 2011, the most in the league.

#### Week 2: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Giants | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Cloudy
* Game attendance: 77,004
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 27-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 5:43.
Second quarter
NYG – Evan Engram 18-yard pass from Eli Manning (Aldrick Rosas kick). Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:05.
DET – Eric Ebron 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:52.
DET – Matt Prater 56-yard field goal. Lions 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:29.
Third quarter
NYG – Aldrick Rosas 25-yard field goal. Lions 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 5:45.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jamal Agnew 88-yard punt return (Matt Prater kick). Lions 24–10. Drive: 3 plays, 9 yards, 1:45.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 15/21, 122 yards, 2 TD
NYG – Eli Manning – 22/32, 239 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 17 carries, 86 yards
NYG – Shane Vereen – 6 carries, 28 yards
Top receivers
DET – Eric Ebron – 5 receptions, 42 yards, TD
NYG – Evan Engram – 4 receptions, 49 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DET – Darius Slay – 6 tackles, 2 assists
NYG – Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – 8 tackles, 3 assists :
In week 2, the Lions visited the New York Giants to play on Monday Night Football. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones. The Giants tied the game in the second quarter with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Evan Engram, but the Lions took the lead back (which they kept for the rest of the game) with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Eric Ebron, and a 56-yard field goal by Matt Prater to make the score 17–7 in favor of Detroit at half-time. Each team only scored once in the second half: first the Giants with a 25-yard field goal by Aldrick Rosas in the third quarter, then the Lions with an 88-yard punt return by Jamal Agnew in the fourth quarter, making the final score 24–10 for the Lions' second consecutive win. The Lions started the season 2–0 for the first time since 2011, and won both games by double digits for the first time since 1980. Stafford threw his 193rd touchdown, passing Bob Griese for the 48th spot on the all-time list.

#### Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
| Lions | 0 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: September 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 63,240
* Referee: Walt Coleman
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:43.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:36.
DET – Matt Prater 55-yard field goal. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:24.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:27.
DET – Matt Prater 40-yard field goal. Falcons 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:10.
DET – Glover Quin 37-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick). Falcons 17–13. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:09.
ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal. Falcons 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal. Falcons 23–13. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:55.
DET – Golden Tate 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Falcons 23–20. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:46.
DET – Matt Prater 35-yard field goal. Tied 23–23. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:20.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Taylor Gabriel 40-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 30–23. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:34.
DET – Matt Prater 57-yard field goal. Falcons 30–26. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:02.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/35, 294 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/45, 264 yards, TD
Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 21 carries, 106 yards, TD
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 14 carries, 47 yards.
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 91 yards
DET – T. J. Jones – 3 receptions, 63 yards
Top tacklers
ATL – Brian Poole – 6 tackles, 2 assists
DET – Miles Killebrew – 8 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 3, the Lions hosted the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons took an early lead in the first quarter with a four-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Mohamed Sanu. The Falcons scored 13 points in the second quarter via a 36-yard field goal from Matt Bryant, a one-yard touchdown run from Devonta Freeman, and a 48-yard field goal from Bryant. The Lions also scored 13 points in the second quarter via a 55-yard field goal from Matt Prater, a 40-yard field goal from Prater, and a 37-yard interception return from Glover Quin, to make the score 20–13 in favor of Atlanta at half-time. The Falcons extended their lead in the third quarter via a 40-yard field goal from Bryant. The Lions responded with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate, and a 35-yard field goal from Prater to tie the game at 23. The Falcons regained the lead in the fourth quarter via a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Taylor Gabriel. The Lions reduced the Falcons lead to four points with a 57-yard field goal from Prater. The Lions' attempted comeback failed when a touchdown pass from Stafford to Tate was overturned with eight seconds remaining in the game. Due to Tate being ruled down in the field of play and the Lions having no timeouts left, the ten-second runoff rule was invoked, ending the game and giving the Lions their first loss of the season.

#### Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,730
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
DET – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal. Lions 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 82 yards, 8:02.
MIN – Dalvin Cook 5-yard run (Kai Forbath kick). Vikings 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 4:33.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 37-yard field goal. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 3:37.
DET – Ameer Abdullah 3-yard run. Matthew Stafford pass to T. J. Jones is complete for 2-point conversion. Lions 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:25.
Fourth quarter
No scoring
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 19/31, 209 yards
MIN – Case Keenum – 16/30, 219 yards
Top rushers
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 20 carries, 94 yards, TD
MIN – Dalvin Cook – 13 carries, 66 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. – 2 receptions, 42 yards
MIN – Stefon Diggs – 5 carries, 98 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Tahir Whitehead – 5 tackles
MIN – Andrew Sendejo – 5 tackles, 6 assists :
In week 4, the Lions visited their divisional rival, the Minnesota Vikings. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions got on the board with a 29-yard field goal by Matt Prater. The Vikings responded a few minutes later with a five-yard rushing touchdown by Dalvin Cook to make the score 7–3 in favor of Minnesota at half-time. The Lions scored 11 unanswered points in the second half. First, Prater kicked a 37-yard field goal to cut the Vikings' lead to three in the third quarter. Next, Detroit regained the lead with a three-yard rushing touchdown by Ameer Abdullah, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Matthew Stafford to T. J. Jones. Both third quarter scores followed Vikings fumbles that were recovered by the Lions. Detroit's Glover Quin forced another fumble by Adam Thielen with under two minutes left in the game, which was recovered by Tahir Whitehead to end Minnesota's attempt at a possible game-tying drive.

#### Week 5: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 3 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
| Lions | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 8
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,288
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Matt Prater 30-yard field goal. Lions 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 3:28.
CAR – Graham Gano 21-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 3:01.
Second quarter
DET – Zach Zenner 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick). Lions 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 5:19.
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 6-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick). Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:28.
CAR – Devin Funchess 10-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick). Panthers 17–10. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 4:10.
Third quarter
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 31-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick). Panthers 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:17.
CAR – Graham Gano 44-yard field goal. Panthers 27–10. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:09.
Fourth quarter
DET – Darren Fells 4-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Panthers 27–17. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:10.
DET – Darren Fells 20-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Panthers 27–24. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 0:51.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 26/33, 355 yards, 3 TD
DET – Matthew Stafford – 23/35, 229 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 18 carries, 21 yards
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 10 carries, 31 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Ed Dickson – 5 receptions, 175 yards
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. – 6 receptions, 54 yards
Top tacklers
CAR – Luke Kuechly – 5 tackles, 3 assists
DET – Tavon Wilson – 9 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 5, the Lions hosted the Carolina Panthers. The teams exchanged field goals in the first quarter, one from Matt Prater from 30-yards, and one from Graham Gano from 21-yards. The Lions regained the lead in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Zach Zenner. The Panthers responded with a six-yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Christian McCaffrey, and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Newtwon to Devin Funchess, to make the score 17–10 in favor of Carolina at half-time. The Panthers scored 10 points in the third quarter via a 31-yard touchdown pass from Newton to Kelvin Benjamin, and a 44-yard field from Gano. The Lions responded with 14 points in the fourth quarter via two touchdown receptions from Matthew Stafford to Darren Fells, from four-yards and 20-yards respectively, making the final score 27–24 in favor of Carolina. Detroit's loss dropped them to 2nd in the NFC North, as the Packers beat the Cowboys later in the day to move to 4–1.

#### Week 6: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 38 |
| Saints | 17 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 52 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: October 15
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,117
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (Fox): Dan Hellie, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Kenny Vaccaro fumble recovery in end zone (Wil Lutz kick). Saints 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, -2 yards, 0:54.
DET – Golden Tate 45-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:00.
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 20-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick). Saints 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:06.
NO – Wil Lutz 41-yard field goal. Saints 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:50.
Second quarter
NO – Mark Ingram II 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick). Saints 24–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:55.
DET – Matt Prater 41-yard field goal. Saints 24–10. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 4:08.
NO – Mark Ingram II 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick). Saints 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:50.
Third quarter
NO – Michael Hoomanawanui 2-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick). Saints 38–10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards, 3:18.
NO – Marshon Lattimore 27-yard interception return (Wil Lutz kick). Saints 45–10. Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:43.
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Saints 45–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:38.
DET – Darren Fells 22-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Saints 45–24. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 3:16.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jamal Agnew 74-yard punt return (Matt Prater kick). Saints 45–31. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 2:45.
DET – A'Shawn Robinson 2-yard interception return (Matt Prater kick). Saints 45–38. Drive: 2 plays, -4 yards, 0:48.
NO – Cameron Jordan interception in end zone (Wil Lutz kick). Saints 52–38. Drive: 2 plays, 0 yards, 0:07.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/52, 312 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
NO – Drew Brees – 21/31, 186 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 14 carries, 54 yards
NO – Mark Ingram II – 25 carries, 114 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DET – Marvin Jones – 6 receptions, 96 yards, TD Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 96 yards, TD
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 66 yards, TD
Top tacklers
DET – Jarrad Davis – 6 tackles, 2 assists
NO – Marcus Williams – 5 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 6, the Lions visited the New Orleans Saints. The Saints opened the scoring in the first quarter via a fumble recovery in the end zone by Kenny Vaccaro. The Lions responded with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate to tie the game. The Saints regained the lead via a 20-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Ted Ginn Jr. and a 41-yard field goal from Wil Lutz. The Saints scored 14 points in the second quarter via two touchdown runs from Mark Ingram II from one and two-yards respectively. Matt Prater recorded a 41-yard field goal to make the score 31–10 in favor of New Orleans at half-time. The Saints scored 14 points in the third quarter via a two-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Michael Hoomanawanui and a 27-yard interception return from Marshon Lattimore. The Lions responded with 28 straight points in the second half. The Lions scored 14 points in the third quarter via a 22-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Marvin Jones Jr. and a 22-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Darren Fells. The Lions scored 14 points in the fourth quarter via a 74-yard punt return from Jamal Agnew and a two-yard interception return from A'Shawn Robinson, reducing the Saints' lead to seven points. The Lions' attempted comeback failed when Stafford's pass intended for Eric Ebron was intercepted in the end zone by Cameron Jordan, making the final score 52–38 in favor of New Orleans.

#### Week 8: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Lions | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 15 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,983
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 34-yard field goal. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:48.
DET – Matt Prater 48-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 4:22.
Second quarter
DET – Matt Prater 37-yard field goal. Lions 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 3:33.
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 5-yard run (Chris Boswell kick). Steelers 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:01.
DET – Matt Prater 51-yard field goal. Steelers 10–9. Drive: 6 plays, 42 yards, 1:56.
DET – Matt Prater 34-yard field goal. Lions 12–10. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 0:43.
Third quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 38-yard field goal. Steelers 13–12. Drive: 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:08.
PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster 97-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick). Steelers 20–12. Drive: 3 plays, 98 yards, 1:24.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 19-yard field goal. Steelers 20–15. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:07.
Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 17/31, 317 yards, TD, INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 27/45, 423 yards
Top rushers
PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 25 carries, 76 yards, TD
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 11 carries, 27 yards
Top receivers
PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster – 7 receptions, 193 yards, TD
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. – 6 receptions, 128 yards
Top tacklers
PIT – Artie Burns – 8 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Tavon Wilson – 7 tackles, 4 assists :
In week 8 following their bye-week, the Lions hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. The teams exchanged field goals in the first quarter, one from Chris Boswell from 34-yards, and one from Matt Prater from 48-yards. The Lions scored nine points in the second quarter via three field goals from Prater, from 37-yards, 51-yards, and 34-yards, respectively. The Steelers responded with a five-yard touchdown run from Le'Veon Bell, to make the score 12–10 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Steelers scored 10 points in the third quarter via a 38-yard field from Boswell, and a 97-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Lions responded with a 19-yard field goal from Prater in the fourth quarter, making the final score 20–15 in favor of Pittsburgh.
The Lions had 482 total yards of offense without scoring a touchdown. This was the third-highest yardage total without a touchdown in NFL history.

#### Week 9: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 30 |
| Packers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: November 6
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 77,575
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 25-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:59.
Second quarter
DET – Ameer Abdullah 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick). Lions 14–0. Drive: 13 plays, 91 yards, 6:50.
GB – Mason Crosby 35-yard field goal. Lions 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 2:47.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 44-yard field goal. Lions 17–3. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 5:54.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 19-yard field goal. Lions 20–3. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:52.
GB – Brett Hundley 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick). Lions 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 2:39.
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 11-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 27–10. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:46.
DET – Matt Prater 31-yard field goal. Lions 30–10. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 4:21.
GB – Jamaal Williams 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick). Lions 30–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:42.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 26/33, 361 yards, 2 TD
GB – Brett Hundley – 26/38, 245 yards
Top rushers
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 21 carries, 48 yards, TD
GB – Ty Montgomery – 5 carries, 33 yards
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 113 yards
GB – Randall Cobb – 5 receptions, 58 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Jarrad Davis – 7 tackles, 1 assist
GB – Blake Martinez – 8 tackles, 2 assists :
In week 9, the Lions visited their divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers, on Monday Night Football. The Lions took an early lead on their opening drive of the first quarter, which they kept the rest of the game, via a 25-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones Jr. The Lions extended their lead in the second quarter via a four-yard touchdown run from Ameer Abdullah. The Packers responded with a 35-yard field goal from Mason Crosby, to make the score 14–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions opened the scoring in the second-half via a 44-yard field goal from Matt Prater in the third quarter. The Lions scored 13 points in the fourth quarter via a 19-yard field goal from Prater, an 11-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Jones, and a 31-yard field goal from Prater. The Packers scored 14 points in the fourth quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Brett Hundley, and a one-yard touchdown run from Jamaal Williams as time expired, making the final score 30–17 in favor of Detroit, snapping their three-game losing streak. After 23 consecutive road losses against the Packers between 1992 and 2014, the Lions have now won two of the last three meetings in Green Bay.
Matthew Stafford recorded his 200th career touchdown in the first quarter of the game, becoming the fourth quarterback in NFL history to do so before turning 30 years old, a list also occupied by Brett Favre, Dan Marino, and Peyton Manning. The game also marked the first time the Lions did not punt in a game since Thanksgiving Day in 1971.

#### Week 10: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Lions | 3 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 64,646
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Zane Gonzalez 23-yard field goal. Browns 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 1:32.
CLE – Kenny Britt 19-yard pass from DeShone Kizer (Zane Gonzalez kick) Browns 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 1:23.
DET – Matt Prater 46-yard field goal. Browns 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 2:39.
Second quarter
DET – Ameer Abdullah 8-yard run (Matt Prater kick) Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:28.
DET – Nevin Lawson 44-yard fumble return (Matt Prater kick) Lions 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 2:10.
Third quarter
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 6-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick). Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:59.
CLE – DeShone Kizer 1-yard run (Zane Gonzalez kick). Browns 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:01.
DET – Theo Riddick 8-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick) Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:31.
Fourth quarter
DET – Eric Ebron 29-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick) Lions 31–24. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:03.
DET – Golden Tate 40-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick) Lions 38–24. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 0:49.
Top passers
CLE – DeShone Kizer – 21/37, 232 yards, TD, INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 17/26, 249 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 16 carries, 90 yards, TD
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 11 carries, 52 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – Seth DeValve – 4 receptions, 70 yards
DET – Golden Tate – 6 receptions, 97 yards, TD
Top tacklers
CLE – Christian Kirksey – 4 tackles, 3 assists
DET – Tahir Whitehead – 7 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 10, the Lions hosted the winless Cleveland Browns. The Browns scored 10 points in the first quarter via a 23-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez, and a 19-yard touchdown pass from DeShone Kizer to Kenny Britt. The Lions responded with a 46-yard field goal from Matt Prater. The Lions tied the game in the second quarter via an eight-yard touchdown run from Ameer Abdullah, and took their first lead of the game via a 44-yard fumble return from Nevin Lawson, to make the score 17–10 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Browns again tied the score in the third quarter via a six-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Crowell, and regained the lead via a one-yard touchdown run from Kizer. The Lions responded by scoring the final 21 points in the game, first with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Theo Riddick in the third quarter, then via a pair of fourth quarter touchdown passes, first a 29-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Eric Ebron, and next a 40-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Golden Tate, making the final score 38–24 in favor of Detroit.

#### Week 11: at Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 27 |
| Bears | 10 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: November 19
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 60,635
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CHI – Connor Barth 23-yard field goal. Bears 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 6:39.
CHI – Adam Shaheen 1-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Connor Barth kick). Bears 10–0. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 1:23.
Second quarter
DET – D. J. Hayden 27-yard fumble return (Matt Prater kick). Bears 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 11 yards, 1:06.
CHI – Jordan Howard 12-yard run (Connor Barth kick). Bears 17–7. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 5:30.
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 28-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Bears 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:13.
DET – Ameer Abdullah 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:13.
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 27-yard field goal. Lions 24–17. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 7:05.
CHI – Tarik Cohen 15-yard run (Connor Barth kick). Tied 24–24. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:59.
DET – Matt Prater 52-yard field goal. Lions 27–24. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 3:27.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 21/31, 299 yards, 2 TD
CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 18/30, 179 yards, TD
Top rushers
DET – Theo Riddick – 9 carries, 35 yards
CHI – Jordan Howard – 15 carries, 125 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Marvin Jones – 4 receptions, 85 yards, TD
CHI – Dontrelle Inman – 3 receptions, 43 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Tahir Whitehead – 8 tackles, 1 assist
CHI – Christian Jones – 6 tackles, 2 assists :
In week 11, the Lions visited their division rival, the Chicago Bears. The Bears scored 10 points in the first quarter via a 23-yard field goal from Connor Barth, and a one-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell Trubisky to Adam Shaheen. The Lions scored 21 points in the second quarter via a 27-yard fumble return from D. J. Hayden, a 28-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones Jr. and a two-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Ameer Abdullah. The Bears responded with a 12-yard touchdown run from Jordan Howard, to make the score 21–17 in favor of Detroit at half-time. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 27-yard field goal from Matt Prater. The Bears responded with a 15-yard touchdown run from Tarik Cohen to tie the game. The Lions regained the lead via a 52-yard field goal from Prater. The Bears attempted comeback failed when Barth missed a potentially game-tying 46-yard field goal attempt with eight seconds remaining in the game, making the final score 27–24 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions won all of their division games on the road in a season for the first time in franchise history.

#### Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

See also NFL on Thanksgiving Day
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vikings | 13 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 30 |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 66,613
* Referee: Tony Corrente
* TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Mike Pereira and Erin Andrews
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 1-yard pass from Case Keenum. Vikings 6–0. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:59.
MIN – Case Keenum 9-yard run. (Kai Forbath kick). Vikings 13–0. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 0:56.
Second quarter
DET – Matt Prater 32-yard field goal. Vikings 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 5:33.
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 22-yard pass from Case Keenum (Kai Forbath kick). Vikings 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 1:21.
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 6-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Vikings 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:27.
Third quarter
MIN – Latavius Murray 2-yard run (Kai Forbath kick). Vikings 27–10. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:08.
DET – Matt Prater 32-yard field goal. Vikings 27–13. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 5:44.
DET – Matt Prater 50-yard field goal. Vikings 27–16. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:01.
Fourth quarter
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. 43-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Vikings 27–23. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 0:33.
MIN – Kai Forbath 36-yard field goal. Vikings 30–23. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:39.
Top passers
MIN – Case Keenum – 21/30, 282 yards, 2 TD
DET – Matthew Stafford – 20/35, 250 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
MIN – Latavius Murray – 20 carries, 84 yards, TD
DET – Theo Riddick – 5 carries, 20 yards
Top receivers
MIN – Adam Thielen – 8 receptions, 89 yards
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. – 6 receptions, 109 yards, 2 TD
Top tacklers
MIN – Andrew Sendejo – 6 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Tahir Whitehead – 10 tackles, 3 assist :
For their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted a rematch with their divisional rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings scored 13 points in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Kyle Rudolph, and a nine-yard touchdown run from Keenum. The Lions responded with 10 points in the second quarter via a 32-yard field goal from Matt Prater and a six-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones Jr. The Vikings extended their lead in the second quarter via a 22-yard touchdown pass from Keenum to Rudolph to make the score 20–10 in favor of Minnesota at half-time. The Vikings opened the scoring in the second half via a two-yard touchdown run from Latavius Murray. The Lions responded with two field goals from Prater in the third quarter from 32-yards, and 50-yards, respectively. The Lions reduced the Vikings lead to four points in the fourth via a 43-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Jones. The Vikings extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 36-yard field goal from Kai Forbath. The Lions' attempted comeback failed when Stafford's pass intended for Jones was intercepted by Xavier Rhodes. On the Vikings' ensuing drive, Forbath's 25-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Darius Slay and recovered by Nevin Lawson and returned for a 77-yard touchdown, which was then nullified due to an offside penalty on Slay, making the final score 30–23 in favor of Minnesota, snapping the Lions' three-game winning streak and snapping the team's four-game Thanksgiving Day win streak.

#### Week 13: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
| Ravens | 3 | 17 | 0 | 24 | 44 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: December 3
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), partly sunny
* Game attendance: 70,500
* Referee: Jerome Boger
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 3:49.
Second quarter
BAL – Benjamin Watson 1-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick). Ravens 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:58.
BAL – Patrick Ricard 3-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick). Ravens 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:48.
BAL – Justin Tucker 46-yard field goal. Ravens 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 0:17.
Third quarter
DET – Theo Riddick 4-yard run (Matt Prater kick). Ravens 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:49.
DET – Tion Green 6-yard run. Ravens 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:08.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Alex Collins 7-yard run (Justin Tucker kick). Ravens 27–13. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:36.
DET – Nick Bellore 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Ravens 27–20. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:19.
BAL – Justin Tucker 51-yard field goal. Ravens 30–20. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:26.
BAL – Alex Collins 6-yard run (Justin Tucker kick). Ravens 37–20. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 2:01.
BAL – Eric Weddle 45-yard interception return (Justin Tucker kick). Ravens 44–20. Drive: 5 plays, 14 yards, 1:34.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford - 24/29, 292 yards, TD, INT
BAL – Joe Flacco – 23/36, 269 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
DET – Tion Green – 11 carries, 51 yards, TD
BAL – Alex Collins – 15 carries, 75 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. – 4 receptions, 90 yards
BAL – Mike Wallace – 5 receptions, 116 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Jarrad Davis – 3 tackles, 5 assists
BAL – Patrick Onwuasor – 6 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 13, the Lions visited the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 38-yard field goal from Justin Tucker. The Ravens added 17 points in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Benjamin Watson, a three-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Patrick Ricard, and a 46-yard field goal from Tucker, giving the Ravens a 20–0 lead at the intermission. After half-time, the Lions finally got on the board and scored 13 points in the third quarter via a four-yard touchdown run from Theo Riddick, and a six-yard touchdown run from Tion Green (the first of his career), reducing the Ravens' lead to seven points. The Ravens responded with 24 points in the fourth quarter via a seven-yard touchdown run from Alex Collins, a 51-yard field goal from Tucker, a six-yard touchdown run from Collins, and a 45-yard interception return from Eric Weddle. The Lions scored via a one-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Nick Bellore, making the final score 44–20 in favor of Baltimore.

#### Week 14: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: December 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 60,372
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET – Theo Riddick 2-yard run. (Matt Prater kick). Lions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:04.
TB – Doug Martin 1-yard run. (Patrick Murray kick). Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:14.
Second quarter
DET – Golden Tate 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. (Matt Prater kick). Lions 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:21.
Third quarter
DET - Theo Riddick 18-yard run. (Matt Prater kick). Lions 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:59.
Fourth quarter
TB – O. J. Howard 2-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick). Lions 21–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:30.
TB – Leonard Wester 2-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick). Tied 21–21. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:06.
DET – Matt Prater 46-yard field goal. Lions 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 49 yards, 2:34.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 36/44, 381 yards, TD, 2 INT
TB – Jameis Winston – 26/38, 285 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
DET – Theo Riddick – 10 carries, 29 yards, 2 TD
TB – Peyton Barber – 12 carries, 58 yards
Top receivers
DET – Eric Ebron – 10 receptions, 94 yards
TB – Chris Godwin – 5 receptions, 68 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Glover Quin – 8 tackles, 1 assist
TB – Lavonte David – 13 tackles, 1 assist :
In week 14, the Lions visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Each team exchanged touchdowns in the first quarter. First a two-yard touchdown run from Detroit's Theo Riddick, then a one-yard touchdown run from Tampa Bay's Doug Martin. The only score of the second quarter was a five-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate, to make the score 14–7 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions scored the only points of the third quarter when Riddick ran in his second touchdown of the game, this time from 18-yards. Tampa Bay responded with back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter, first with a two-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to O. J. Howard, then a two-yard touchdown pass from Winston to Leonard Wester to tie the game at 21. Matt Prater kicked a 46-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in the game, making the final score 24–21 in favor of Detroit.

#### Week 15: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Lions | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 65,872
* Referee: Jeff Triplette
* TV announcers (NFLN): Mike Tirico, Kurt Warner and Heather Cox
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
DET – Matt Prater 48-yard field goal. Lions 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:02.
Second quarter
DET – Matt Prater 31-yard field goal. Lions 6–0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:27.
DET – T. J. Jones 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 92 yards, 5:44.
CHI – Mike Nugent 41-yard field goal. Lions 13–3. Drive: 2 plays, 4 yards, 0:10.
Third quarter
DET – Eric Ebron 8-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 20–3. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:22.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Benny Cunningham 9-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Mike Nugent kick). Lions 20–10. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 6:51.
Top passers
CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 31/46, 314 yards, TD, 3 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/33, 237 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CHI – Jordan Howard – 10 carries, 37 yards
DET – Theo Riddick – 8 carries, 49 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Kendall Wright – 7 receptions, 81 yards
DET – Marvin Jones Jr. – 3 receptions, 85 yards
Top tacklers
CHI – Eddie Jackson – 7 tackles, 1 assist
DET – Tahir Whitehead – 6 tackles, 3 assists :
In week 15, the Lions donned brand new all-silver uniforms and hosted a Saturday evening rematch with their division rivals, the Chicago Bears. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 48-yard field goal from Matt Prater. The Lions extended their lead in the second quarter via a 31-yard field goal from Prater, and a three-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to T. J. Jones. The Bears got on the board via a 41-yard field goal from Mike Nugent with two seconds remaining in the first half, to make the score 13–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions scored the only points in the third quarter via an eight-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Eric Ebron. The Bears scored the only points in the fourth quarter via a nine-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell Trubisky to Benny Cunningham, making the final score 20–10 in favor of Detroit.

#### Week 16: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Bengals | 0 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 26 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 47,732
* Referee: Gene Steratore
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Jen Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
DET - Eric Ebron 33-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 0:54.
Second quarter
CIN - Randy Bullock 29-yard field goal. Lions 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 4:48.
CIN - Randy Bullock 27-yard field goal. Lions 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 1:01.
Third quarter
DET - Matt Prater 23-yard field goal. Lions 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:34.
CIN - C. J. Uzomah 1-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Randy Bullock kick). Bengals 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:34.
Fourth quarter
CIN - Randy Bullock 35-yard field goal. Bengals 16–10. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 4:33.
DET - Tion Green 5-yard run (Matt Prater kick). Lions 17–16. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:24.
CIN - Randy Bullock 51-yard field goal. Bengals 19–17. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 5:07.
CIN - Giovani Bernard 12-yard run (Randy Bullock Kick). Bengals 26–17. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 1:48.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 19/35, 203 yards, TD, INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 27/41, 238 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Tion Green – 7 carries, 43 yards, TD
CIN – Giovani Bernard – 23 carries, 116 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Eric Ebron – 5 receptions, 83 yards, TD
CIN – A. J. Green – 6 receptions, 81 yards
Top tacklers
DET – Glover Quin – 5 tackles, 4 assists
CIN – Darqueze Dennard – 5 tackles, 2 assists :
In week 16, the Lions visited the Cincinnati Bengals on Christmas Eve to finish their road schedule. The Lions took an early lead when Eric Ebron caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford for the only points of the first quarter. The Bengals' Randy Bullock kicked a pair of field goals in the second quarter, from 29-yards and 27-yards, respectively, to make the score 7–6 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions extended their lead in the third quarter when Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal, but then the Bengals took their first lead of the game when C. J. Uzomah caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Andy Dalton. In the fourth quarter the Bengals extended their lead when Bullock scored another field goal from 35-yards out, then Detroit's Tion Green ran in a touchdown from five-yards out to give the Lions a 17–16 lead. However, Cincinnati regained the lead when they added ten more points with a 51-yard field goal from Bullock and a 12-yard touchdown run from Giovani Bernard to make the final score 26–17 in favor of the Bengals. With the loss, the Lions were eliminated from playoff contention.

#### Week 17: vs. Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Packers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Lions | 3 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 35 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: December 31
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 62,501
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
GB - Mason Crosby 41-yard field goal. Packers 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:58.
DET - Matt Prater 28-yard field goal. Tied 3–3. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 1:57.
Second quarter
DET - Kenny Golladay 54-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 3:54.
DET - Marvin Jones Jr. 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 17–3. Drive: 2 plays, 14 yards, 0:42.
DET - Matt Prater 30-yard field goal. Lions 20–3. Drive: 5 plays, 23 yards, 1:10.
Third quarter
DET - Golden Tate 71-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick). Lions 27–3. Drive: 1 plays, 71 yards, 0:12.
Fourth quarter
GB - Randall Cobb 17-yard pass from Brett Hundley (Randall Cobb pass from Brett Hundley is complete for 2-point conversion). Lions 27–11. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:11.
DET - Ameer Abdullah 7-yard run (Matthew Stafford pass from Golden Tate is complete for 2-point conversion). Lions 35–11. Drive: 1 plays, 71 yards, 0:12.
Top passers
GB – Brett Hundley – 14/24, 172 yards, TD, 2 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 20/29, 323 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
GB – Jamaal Williams – 22 carries, 82 yards
DET – Tion Green – 9 carries, 21 yards
Top receivers
GB – Trevor Davis – 3 receptions, 56 yards
DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 104 yards, TD
Top tacklers
GB – Blake Martinez – 4 tackles, 2 assists
DET – Jarrad Davis – 8 tackles, 4 assists :
To finish the season, the Lions hosted a rematch with their divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers, on New Year's Eve. The teams exchanged field goals in the first quarter, one from Green Bay's Mason Crosby from 41-yards, and one from Detroit's Matt Prater from 28-yards. The Lions scored 17 points in the second quarter via a 54-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Kenny Golladay, a three-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Marvin Jones Jr., and a 30-yard field goal from Prater, to make the score 20–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions extended their lead in the third quarter via a 71-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Golden Tate. Each team exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter. First a 17-yard touchdown pass from Brett Hundley to Randall Cobb of the Packers, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Hundley to Cobb for the Packers. Then the Lions scored the game's final points with a seven-yard touchdown run from Ameer Abdullah, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Tate to Stafford, making the final score 35–11 in favor of Detroit. With the win, it marked the first time the Lions beat the Packers twice in the regular season since 1991. The Lions also had their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1994 and 1995.

## Standings
### Division

NFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Minnesota Vikings | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | 382 | 252 | W3 |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 410 | 376 | W1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 320 | 384 | L3 |
| Chicago Bears | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 0–6 | 1–11 | 264 | 320 | L1 |

### Conference

NFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .461 | .433 | L1 |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .492 | .447 | W3 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .504 | .460 | L1 |
| 4 | New Orleans Saints | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .535 | .483 | L1 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Carolina Panthers | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .539 | .500 | L1 |
| 6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .543 | .475 | W1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .496 | .368 | W1 |
| 8 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .444 | L1 |
| 9 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .496 | .438 | W1 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .406 | W2 |
| 11 | Green Bay Packers | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .539 | .357 | L3 |
| 12 | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .539 | .429 | L1 |
| 13 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .512 | .438 | W5 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .555 | .375 | W1 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .559 | .500 | L1 |
| 16 | New York Giants | East | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .531 | .458 | W1 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Philadelphia claimed the No. 1 seed over Minnesota based on winning percentage vs. common opponents. Philadelphia's cumulative record against Carolina, Chicago, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington was 5–0, compared to Minnesota's 4–1 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 3 Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Washington based on record vs. common opponents. Green Bay's cumulative record against Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle was 2–3, compared to Washington's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams. 1 2 Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head victory. ↑ 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. ||||||||||||