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 (4–25 against teams that finished with winning records), but no playoff wins, in four seasons.^[1] The team also unveiled a new uniform set and logo, which removed the black that had been used a secondary color since 2003, as well an all-silver uniform in week 15.^[2]

2017 Detroit Lions season
Owner	Martha Firestone Ford
General manager	Bob Quinn
Head coach	Jim Caldwell
Home field	Ford Field
Results
Record	9–7
Division place	2nd NFC North
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Darius Slay, CB T. J. Lang, RG
AP All-Pros	CB Darius Slay (1st team) KR Jamal Agnew (1st team)
Uniform
← 2016 Lions seasons 2018 →

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.^[3]
• On February 21, the Lions hired George Godsey as defensive assistant/special projects.^[4]

Re-signings

Date	Player	Position	Contract	Source
March 9	Khyri Thornton	Defensive tackle	2 years / $3.3 million	^[5]
March 15	Don Muhlbach	Long snapper	1 year / $695,000	^[6]
March 21	Armonty Bryant	Defensive end	1 year / $855,000	^[7]
April 18	Cornelius Lucas	Offensive tackle	1 year / $1.797 million	^[8]
August 9	Tim Wright	Tight end	1 year / $775,000	^[9]
August 28	Matthew Stafford	Quarterback	5 years / $135 million	^[10]

Additions

Date	Player	Position	Previous team	Contract	Source
February 9	Rolan Milligan	Safety	Dallas Cowboys	1 year / $465,000	^[11]
February 23	Pierce Burton	Offensive tackle	Indianapolis Colts	1 year / $465,000	^[12]
March 10	Rick Wagner	Offensive tackle	Baltimore Ravens	5 years / $47.5 million	^[13]
	Akeem Spence	Defensive tackle	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	3 years / $9 million	^[14]
	Cornelius Washington	Defensive end	Chicago Bears	2 years / $6 million	^[15]
	Paul Worrilow	Linebacker	Atlanta Falcons	1 year / $3 million	^[16]
March 11	D. J. Hayden	Cornerback	Oakland Raiders	1 year / $3.75 million	^[17]
	Darren Fells	Tight end	Arizona Cardinals	1 year / $1.5 million	^[18]
	Keshawn Martin	Wide receiver	San Francisco 49ers	1 year / $885,000	^[19]
March 12	T. J. Lang	Guard	Green Bay Packers	3 years / $28.5 million	^[20]
March 20	Jordan Hill	Defensive tackle	Jacksonville Jaguars	1 year / $855,000	^[21]
April 3	Nick Bellore	Linebacker	San Francisco 49ers	1 year / $855,000	^[22]
April 25	Kasey Redfern	Punter	Cleveland Browns	1 year / $465,000	^[23]
May 12	Brandon Barnes	Tight end	Alabama State	Undrafted FA	^[24]
	Alex Barrett	Defensive end	San Diego State
	Dontez Ford	Wide receiver	Pittsburgh
	Tion Green	Running back	Pittsburgh
	Nick James	Defensive tackle	Mississippi State
	Leo Koloamatangi	Offensive lineman	Hawaii
	Desmond Lawrence	Cornerback	North Carolina
	Storm Norton	Tackle	Toledo
	Michael Rector	Wide receiver	Stanford
	Maurice Swain	Defensive tackle	Auburn
	Noel Thomas	Wide receiver	UConn
	Josh Thornton	Cornerback	Southern Utah
	Robert Tonyan	Tight end	Indiana State
	Jeremiah Valoaga	Defensive end	UNLV
	Jamal Agnew	Cornerback	San Diego	4 years / $2.65 million
	Jarrad Davis	Linebacker	Florida	4 years / $10.9 million
	Brad Kaaya	Quarterback	Miami	4 years / $2.52 million
	Jeremiah Ledbetter	Defensive end	Arkansas	4 years / $2.54 million
	Pat O'Connor	Defensive end	Eastern Michigan	4 years / $2.46 million
	Jalen Reeves-Maybin	Linebacker	Tennessee	4 years / $3.01 million
	Michael Roberts	Tight end	Toledo	4 years / $3 million
	Teez Tabor	Cornerback	Florida	4 years / $4.82 million
May 15	Arturo Uzdavinis	Tackle	Jacksonville Jaguars	1 year / –	^[25]
May 30	Matt Asiata	Running back	Minnesota Vikings	1 year / $615,000	^[26]
	Connor Bozick	Guard	Delaware	1 year / –
June 8	Tony Hills	Tackle	New Orleans Saints	1 year / $910,000	^[27]
July 31	Nick Becton	Offensive tackle	Chicago Bears	1 year / $690,000	^[28]
August 8	Tramain Jacobs	Cornerback	Toronto Argonauts	1 year / $615,000	^[29]
	Dez Stewart	Wide receiver	Pittsburgh Steelers	1 year / $465,000
August 21	Scott Orndoff	Tight end	Pittsburgh Steelers	1 year / $465,000	^[30]
August 27	Derrick Lott	Defensive tackle	Saskatchewan Roughriders	1 year / –	^[31]

Departures

Date	Player	Position	Note	New Team	Source
March 9	DeAndre Levy	Linebacker	Released		^[32]
	Riley Reiff	Offensive tackle	UFA	Minnesota Vikings	^[33]
	Larry Warford	Guard	UFA	New Orleans Saints	^[34]
March 11	Stefan Charles	Defensive tackle	UFA	Jacksonville Jaguars	^[35]
March 14	Andre Roberts	Wide receiver	UFA	Atlanta Falcons	^[36]
March 23	Tyrunn Walker	Defensive end	UFA	Los Angeles Rams	^[37]
March 30	Rafael Bush	Safety	UFA	New Orleans Saints	^[38]
April 20	Jon Bostic	Linebacker	UFA	Indianapolis Colts	^[39]
May 14	Clay Harbor	Tight end	UFA	New Orleans Saints	^[40]
May 24	Devin Taylor	Defensive end	UFA	New York Giants	^[41]
June 1	Orson Charles	Tight end	UFA	Kansas City Chiefs	^[42]
July 20	Dan Orlovsky	Quarterback	UFA	Los Angeles Rams	^[43]
August 5	Josh Bynes	Linebacker	UFA	Arizona Cardinals	^[44]
August 7	Anquan Boldin	Wide receiver	UFA	Buffalo Bills	^[45]
August 8	Asa Jackson	Cornerback	UFA	San Francisco 49ers	^[46]

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.^[47]
• 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.^[48]

Draft

Main article: 2017 NFL Draft

2017 Detroit Lions Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Source
1	21	Jarrad Davis	LB	Florida	^[49]
2	53	Teez Tabor	CB	Florida	^[50]
3	96	Kenny Golladay	WR	Northern Illinois	^[51]
4	124	Jalen Reeves-Maybin	LB	Tennessee	^[52]
	127	Michael Roberts	TE	Toledo	^[53]
5	165	Jamal Agnew	CB	San Diego	^[54]
6	205	Jeremiah Ledbetter	DE	Arkansas	^[55]
	215	Brad Kaaya	QB	Miami	^[56]
7	250	Pat O'Connor	DE	Eastern Michigan	^[57]

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).

Staff

2017 Detroit Lions staff

Front office Owner/chairman – Martha Firestone Ford Vice chairman – William Clay Ford Jr. President – Rod Wood Special advisor to the president – Ernie Accorsi COO – Allison Maki Executive vice president/general manager – Bob Quinn Vice president of football administration – Matt Harriss Chief of staff/assistant to the general manager – Kevin Anderson Director of player personnel – Kyle O'Brien Senior Personnel Executive – Director of college scouting – Lance Newmark Director of pro scouting – Brendan Prophett Assistant director of pro personnel – Rob Lohman Head coaches Head coach – Jim Caldwell Assistant head coach/offensive line – Ron Prince Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Jim Bob Cooter Quarterbacks – Brian Callahan Running backs – David Walker Wide receivers – Robert Prince Tight ends – Al Golden Offensive assistant/research & analysis – Evan Rothstein Quality control/offensive line – Michael McCarthy

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Teryl Austin Defensive line – Kris Kocurek Linebackers – Bill Sheridan Defensive Backs (Safeties) – Alan Williams Defensive Backs (Corners) – Tony Oden Senior coaching assistant – Gunther Cunningham Defensive assistant/defensive ends – Matt Raich Defensive assistant/special projects – George Godsey Defensive quality control – Steven Williams Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Joe Marciano Special teams assistant – Devin Fitzsimmons Strength and Conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Harold Nash Assistant strength and conditioning – Josh Schuler

Final roster

2017 Detroit Lions final roster

	Quarterbacks 14 Jake Rudock  9 Matthew Stafford Running backs 21 Ameer Abdullah 38 Tion Green 25 Theo Riddick 36 Dwayne Washington 34 Zach Zenner Wide receivers 19 Kenny Golladay 17 Andy Jones 11 Marvin Jones 12 Bradley Marquez 15 Golden Tate 16 Jace Billingsley Tight ends 85 Eric Ebron 87 Darren Fells 80 Michael Roberts 84 Hakeem Valles		Offensive linemen 77 Emmett Cleary G 66 Joe Dahl G 68 Taylor Decker T 60 Graham Glasgow G/C 76 T. J. Lang G 72 Brian Mihalik T 70 Corey Robinson T/G 71 Rick Wagner T Defensive linemen 94 Ezekiel Ansah DE 99 Rodney Coe DT 93 Dwight Freeney DE 98 Jeremiah Ledbetter DT 55 Christian Ringo DT 91 A'Shawn Robinson DT 97 Akeem Spence DT 90 Cornelius Washington DE 69 Anthony Zettel DE		Linebackers 43 Nick Bellore MLB 40 Jarrad Davis MLB 54 Steve Longa OLB 44 Jalen Reeves-Maybin OLB 59 Tahir Whitehead OLB 58 Paul Worrilow MLB Defensive backs 39 Jamal Agnew CB 26 Don Carey FS 28 Quandre Diggs CB/SS 31 D. J. Hayden CB 35 Miles Killebrew SS 24 Nevin Lawson CB 27 Glover Quin FS 23 Darius Slay CB 30 Teez Tabor CB 45 Charles Washington FS Special teams  6 Sam Martin P 48 Don Muhlbach LS  5 Matt Prater K		Reserve lists 62 Don Barclay G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   53 Brandon Chubb OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   51 Brandon Copeland OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   -- Jordan Hill DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   61 Kerry Hyder DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   39 Mike James RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   13 T. J. Jones WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   67 Zac Kerin G (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   46 Des Lawrence CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   92 Haloti Ngata DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve)    2 Kasey Redfern P (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   73 Greg Robinson T (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   64 Travis Swanson C (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   32 Tavon Wilson SS (IRTooltip Injured reserve)   Practice squad 50 Thurston Armbrister LB 29 Adairius Barnes CB 82 Brandon Barnes TE 79 Alex Barrett DE 83 Dontez Ford WR (Injured)   95 Toby Johnson DT 75 Leo Koloamatangi C 41 Rolan Milligan SS 74 Dan Skipper T  8 Alek Torgersen QB 78 Jeremiah Valoaga DE Rookies in italics 53 active, 15 inactive, 10 practice squad

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
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

Week One: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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.^[58]

Week 2: at New York Giants

Week Two: Detroit Lions at New York Giants – Game summary

Period	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.^[59] Stafford threw his 193rd touchdown, passing Bob Griese for the 48th spot on the all-time list.^[60]

Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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

Week Four: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Period	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

Week Five: Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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

Week Six: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Period	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

Week Eight: Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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.^[61]

Week 9: at Green Bay Packers

Week Nine: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

Period	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.^[62] The game also marked the first time the Lions did not punt in a game since Thanksgiving Day in 1971.^[63]

Week 10: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Ten: Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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

Week Eleven: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	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

Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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

Week Thirteen: Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

Period	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

Week Fourteen: Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Period	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

Week Fifteen: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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

Week Sixteen: Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Period	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

Week Seventeen: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	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
view talk edit	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

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1^[a]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	.461	.433	L1
2^[a]	Minnesota Vikings	North	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	.492	.447	W3
3^[b]	Los Angeles Rams	West	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	.504	.460	L1
4^[b]^[c]	New Orleans Saints	South	11	5	0	.688	4–2	8–4	.535	.483	L1
Wild Cards
5^[c]	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^[d]	Detroit Lions	North	9	7	0	.563	5–1	8–4	.496	.368	W1
8^[d]	Seattle Seahawks	West	9	7	0	.563	4–2	7–5	.492	.444	L1
9^[d]	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^[e]	Green Bay Packers	North	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	.539	.357	L3
12^[e]	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^[f]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3–9	.555	.375	W1
15^[f]	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^[g]
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. LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory. 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. 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.

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