2015 Detroit Lions season

Last updated

2015 Detroit Lions season
Owner Martha Firestone Ford
General manager Martin Mayhew (fired Nov. 5)
Sheldon White (interim)
Head coach Jim Caldwell
Home field Ford Field
Results
Record7–9
Division place3rd NFC North
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers Ezekiel Ansah, DE
Calvin Johnson, WR

The 2015 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 86th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 82nd as the Detroit Lions and the second under Head Coach Jim Caldwell. By Week 7 of the season, the Lions had already lost six games, more than they did in the entire 2014 season. This led to the firing of Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and two other coaches. After falling to 1–7 the following week, the team fired President Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew. [1] On November 19, the Lions named Rod Wood as team President. [2] The Lions were eliminated from playoff contention after their loss to St. Louis in week 14. The team had a 6–2 record in the second half of the season to finish at 7–9, good for third place in the NFC North. One highlight of the season was the Lions beating the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for the first time since 1991.

Contents

Offseason

Re-signings

DatePlayerPositionContractSource
February 27 Don Muhlbach Long snapper 1 year / $1.05 million [3]
March 2 Dan Orlovsky Quarterback 1 year / $1.05 million [4]
Darryl Tapp Defensive end 1 year / $950,000 [5]
March 6 Matt Prater Placekicker 3 years / $9 million [6]
Kellen Moore Quarterback 2 years / $1.825 million [7]
March 10 Josh Bynes Linebacker 2 years / $1.81 million [8]
March 11 Isa Abdul-Quddus Safety 1 year / $1.5 million [9]
March 19 Rashean Mathis Cornerback 2 years / $3.5 million [10]
April 20 Jeremy Ross Return specialist 1 year / $585,000 [11]
August 5 DeAndre Levy Linebacker 4 years / $33.72 million [12]

Arrivals

DatePlayerPositionPrevious teamContractSource
February 27 Phillip Hunt Defensive end Indianapolis Colts 1 year / $585,000 [13]
March 12 Tyrunn Walker Defensive end New Orleans Saints 1 year / $1.75 million [14]
April 3 Josh Wilson Cornerback Atlanta Falcons 1 year / $950,000 [15]
April 7 Brandon Copeland Linebacker Tennessee Titans 1 year / $460,000 [16]
May 2 Al Bond Guard Memphis [17]
Anthony Boone Quarterback Duke
Kyle Brindza Placekicker Notre Dame
Isaiah Johnson Safety Georgia Tech
Vernon Johnson Wide receiver Texas A&M
Desmond Lawrence Wide receiver North Carolina A&T
Casey Pierce Tight end Kent State
Kevin Snyder Linebacker Rutgers
Brian Suite Safety Utah State
Rasheed Williams Running back Alfred State
Torrian Wilson Offensive lineman Central Florida
Zach Zenner Running back South Dakota State
May 8 Alex Carter Cornerback Stanford 4 years / $3.058 million [18]
Gabe Wright Defensive tackle Auburn 4 years / $2.801 million
Michael Burton Fullback Rutgers 4 years / $2.46 million
Quandre Diggs Cornerback Texas 4 years / $2.395 million
Corey Robinson Offensive tackle South Carolina 4 years / $2.338 million
May 11 Jarred Haggins Wide receiver Florida State 3 years / $1.575 million [19]
Nathan Lindsey Safety Fort Hays State 1 year / –
Erik Lora Wide receiver Eastern Illinois 1 year / –
May 12 Desmond Martin Running back Wayne State 3 years / $1.575 million [20]
Lance Moore Wide receiver Pittsburgh Steelers 1 year / $1.05 million [21]
May 13 Greg Salas Wide receiver New York Jets 1 year / $745,000 [22]
Chris Owens Cornerback Kansas City Chiefs 1 year / –
Ameer Abdullah Running back Nebraska 4 years / $4.156 million [23]
June 10 David Ausberry Tight end Oakland Raiders 1 year / $660,000 [24]
June 11 Laken Tomlinson Guard Duke 4 years / $8.55 million [25]
June 15 Garrett Gilbert Quarterback New England Patriots 1 year / – [26]
June 22 Taylor Mays Safety Minnesota Vikings 1 year / $745,000 [27]
July 28 R. J. Stanford Cornerback Miami Dolphins 1 year / – [28]
August 4 Ethan Davis Cornerback Troy 1 year / – [29]

Departures

DatePlayerPositionNoteNew TeamSource
February 25 Reggie Bush Running back Released San Francisco 49ers [30]
March 11 Ndamukong Suh Defensive tackle UFA Miami Dolphins [31]
March 12 Jed Collins Fullback UFA Dallas Cowboys [32]
March 13 Nick Fairley Defensive tackle UFA St. Louis Rams [33]
April 21 Rodney Austin Guard Released [34]
May 11 Desmond Lawrence Wide receiver Released [35]
May 12 Rasheed Williams Running back Released [36]
May 13 Skye Dawson Wide receiver Released Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) [37]
June 3 Erik Lora Wide receiver Released [38]
June 10 Nathan Lindsey Defensive back Released [24]
June 12 Anthony Boone Quarterback Released Montreal Alouettes (CFL) [39]
June 17Rasheed Williams Running back Released [40]
August 4 Jerrell Harris Linebacker Released [41]
August 8 Ethan Davis Cornerback Waived [42]

Trades

Draft

2015 Detroit Lions Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
1 28 Laken Tomlinson G Duke
254 Ameer Abdullah RB Nebraska
380 Alex Carter CB Stanford
4113 Gabe Wright DT Auburn
5168 Michael Burton FB Rutgers
6200 Quandre Diggs CB Texas
7240 Corey Robinson OT South Carolina

Notes

Final roster

2015 Detroit Lions final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 active, 11 inactive, 8 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1August 13 New York Jets W 23–31–0 Ford Field Recap
2August 20at Washington Redskins L 17–211–1 FedExField Recap
3August 28at Jacksonville Jaguars W 22–172–1 EverBank Field Recap
4September 3 Buffalo Bills W 17–103–1Ford Field Recap

Regular season

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1September 13at San Diego Chargers L 28–330–1 Qualcomm Stadium Recap
2September 20at Minnesota Vikings L 16–260–2 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
3September 27 Denver Broncos L 12–240–3 Ford Field Recap
4October 5at Seattle Seahawks L 10–130–4 CenturyLink Field Recap
5October 11 Arizona Cardinals L 17–420–5Ford Field Recap
6October 18 Chicago Bears W 37–34 (OT)1–5Ford Field Recap
7October 25 Minnesota Vikings L 19–281–6Ford Field Recap
8 November 1 at Kansas City Chiefs L 10–451–7 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Wembley Stadium (London) Recap
9 Bye
10November 15at Green Bay Packers W 18–162–7 Lambeau Field Recap
11November 22 Oakland Raiders W 18–133–7Ford Field Recap
12 November 26 Philadelphia Eagles W 45–144–7Ford Field Recap
13December 3 Green Bay Packers L 23–27 4–8Ford Field Recap
14December 13at St. Louis Rams L 14–214–9 Edward Jones Dome Recap
15December 21at New Orleans Saints W 35–275–9 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
16December 27 San Francisco 49ers W 32–176–9Ford Field Recap
17January 3at Chicago Bears W 24–207–9 Soldier Field Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at San Diego Chargers

Week One: Detroit Lions at San Diego Chargers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions7140728
Chargers37101333

at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California

Game information

The visiting Lions opened the 2015 season at San Diego. Detroit held a 21–3 lead midway through the second quarter, only to see the Chargers reel off 30 unanswered points on their way to a 33–28 victory.

Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Two: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions0100616
Vikings7106326

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

The Vikings took an early 14–0 lead on the visiting Lions and never looked back, as Detroit struggled to find any offensive consistency, especially in the running game. (Quarterback Matthew Stafford was the leading rusher with only 20 yards.)

Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Three: Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Broncos01401024
Lions066012

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

Playing in their home debut, the 0–2 Lions closed the game to 14–12 in the third quarter, but a two-point conversion to tie the score failed. Denver then scored the final 10 points for a 24–12 victory.

Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Four: Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions030710
Seahawks0103013

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

Playing on Monday Night, the Lions had a chance to upset last year's NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks. Late in the fourth quarter, Calvin Johnson caught a pass from Matthew Stafford and was headed for a go-ahead touchdown until Kam Chancellor punched the ball from his hands at Seattle's 1-yard line. As the ball bounded into the end zone, K. J. Wright batted the ball across the end line. By NFL rules, the intentional guiding of the ball across the end line should have resulted in a penalty, giving the ball back to the Lions at the spot of the fumble. But the back judge ruled that Wright's act was not blatant, and Seattle was given the ball at their own 20-yard line, after which they proceeded to run out the clock.

Dean Blandino, NFL VP of Officiating, stated after the game that the on-field officials made a mistake, and Detroit should have regained possession at the 1-yard line. [49]

With the loss, the Lions are 0–4, their worst start since 2010. With the Saints' win over the Cowboys on Sunday Night, the Lions are the league's only winless team.

Week 5: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Five: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Cardinals0287742
Lions7001017

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

The highlight of the game was when Calvin Johnson caught his 671st pass with the Lions, breaking Herman Moore's franchise record. Inconsistent play by Matthew Stafford, including throwing 3 interceptions, forced him to the sidelines for the game's remainder. With the blowout loss, the Lions remained winless at 0–5.

This marks the first time the Lions have started a season 0–5 since 2008 (when they went 0-16).

Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Six: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234OTTotal
Bears310318034
Lions714310337

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

With an overtime victory over the visiting Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions are no longer winless, improving to 1–5. A 57-yard bomb from Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson with under three minutes to play in overtime set up Matt Prater for the game-winning 27-yard field goal.

Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Seven: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Vikings31210328
Lions1430219

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: October 25
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 60,231
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Despite leading 17–15 at halftime, the Lions only managed to score 2 more points the rest of the game on an intentional safety taken by the Vikings in the closing seconds, losing 28–19 and dropping to 1–6. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was hit 13 times and sacked 7 times. The next day, the Lions fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn and assistant offensive line coach Terry Heffernan. Quarterbacks coach Jim Bob Cooter will take over as offensive coordinator, tight ends coach Ron Prince takes over for Washburn, and special teams assistant Devin Fitzsimmons takes over as the new tight ends coach. [50]

Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Eight: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions300710
Chiefs71771445

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

  • Date: November 1
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. EST
  • Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 83,624
  • Referee: Jeff Triplette
  • TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

After the blowout overseas loss, the Lions entered their bye week at 1–7, the NFL's worst record so far this season. Despite the changeover in offensive coaches, Matthew Stafford was sacked six more times. On November 5, the Lions fired President Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew. Former vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White will serve as the team's interim general manager. [1]

Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

Week Ten: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions036918
Packers3001316

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

The 1–7 Lions withstood a late rally to earn an upset win over the 6–2 Packers. This was the first Lions win over Green Bay in Wisconsin since 1991. [51] Ameer Abdullah set up the Lions first touchdown when he returned a kickoff 104 yards, and was stopped at the one-yard line. This tied the record set by Percy Harvin in 2011 for the longest non-scoring play in NFL history. [52]

Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Eleven: Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Raiders0013013
Lions630918

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

The 18–13 win over the visiting Raiders gave the Lions their first back–to–back victories of the season. The Lions became the first team in NFL history to score exactly 18 points in consecutive games. [53]

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Thanksgiving Day game

Week Twelve: Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Eagles070714
Lions71714745

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: November 26
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 64,445
  • Referee: John Parry
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Celebrating their 76th Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions routed the Eagles for their third consecutive win. Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes, three of them to Calvin Johnson. Having lost at Ford Field for the first time, the Eagles dropped to 6–1 when playing on Thanksgiving.

Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Thirteen: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Packers00141327
Lions1703323

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

Despite the Lions leading the entire game, the Packers won the game after the official clock expired when a controversial facemask penalty against Devin Taylor gave them one extra untimed play. On that play, Aaron Rodgers threw a 61-yard Hail Mary pass to Richard Rodgers for the winning touchdown. The play was later dubbed the "Miracle in Motown".

Week 14: at St. Louis Rams

Week Fourteen: Detroit Lions at St. Louis Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions007714
Rams077721

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

  • Date: December 13
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 51,202
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

After a scoreless first quarter against the Rams in St. Louis, the Lions' attempt at a comeback in the second half fell short. The ninth loss guaranteed a losing season, the team's third in the last four years, and officially eliminated the Lions from playoff contention.

Week 15: at New Orleans Saints

Week Fifteen: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions7147735
Saints3071727

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 21
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,017
  • Referee: Pete Morelli
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Lions defeated the Saints 35–27, as Matthew Stafford posted a single-game career high in passer rating (148.6), and broke Jon Kitna's single-game franchise record with an 88.0 completion percentage (22-for-25). [54] It was the team's first road win over the Saints since 2005.

Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Sixteen: San Francisco 49ers at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
49ers7100017
Lions3173932

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: December 27
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 61,313
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

After multiple lead changes and a close halftime score, the Lions pulled away and won their last home game of the season, keeping the 49ers scoreless for the entire second half. Theo Riddick caught 7 passes for 63 yards, giving him 668 receiving yards on the season, a Lions franchise record for a running back. [55]

Week 17: at Chicago Bears

Week Seventeen: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Period1234Total
Lions737724
Bears00101020

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

The Lions completed a season sweep of their division rival Chicago Bears with a 24–20 win. The loss sunk the Bears to last place in the NFC North, with the Lions finishing third. Matthew Stafford completed 28 of 39 passes, giving him a season completion percentage of 67.2, the best for a quarterback in franchise history. Theo Riddick caught 4 passes for 29 yards, giving him season totals of 80 receptions and 697 yards, both franchise records for a running back. The Lions finished the season with three players catching 80 passes or more – Golden Tate (90), Calvin Johnson (88) and Riddick (80) – a first for any Lions team. Matt Prater kicked a 59-yard field goal in the game, the longest in Lions franchise history and the longest ever kicked at Soldier Field. [56]

Standings

Division

NFC North
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(3) Minnesota Vikings 1150.6885–18–4365302W3
(5) Green Bay Packers 1060.6253–37–5368323L2
Detroit Lions 790.4383–36–6358400W3
Chicago Bears 6100.3751–53–9335397L1

Conference

NFC
#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division Leaders
1 Carolina Panthers South1510.9385–111–1.441.438W1
2 Arizona Cardinals West1330.8134–210–2.477.457L1
3 Minnesota Vikings North1150.6885–18–4.504.449W3
4 Washington Redskins East970.5634–28–4.465.403W4
Wild Cards
5 [lower-alpha 1] Green Bay Packers North1060.6253–37–5.531.450L2
6 [lower-alpha 1] Seattle Seahawks West1060.6253–37–5.520.431W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Atlanta Falcons South880.5001–55–7.480.453L1
8 [lower-alpha 2] St. Louis Rams West790.4384–26–6.527.482L1
9 [lower-alpha 2] Detroit Lions North790.4383–36–6.535.429W3
10 [lower-alpha 2] Philadelphia Eagles East790.4383–34–8.508.473W1
11 [lower-alpha 2] New Orleans Saints South790.4383–35–7.504.402W2
12 [lower-alpha 3] New York Giants East6100.3752–44–8.500.396L3
13 [lower-alpha 3] Chicago Bears North6100.3751–53–9.547.469L1
14 [lower-alpha 3] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South6100.3753–35–7.484.406L4
15 San Francisco 49ers West5110.3131–54–8.539.463W1
16 Dallas Cowboys East4120.2503–33–9.531.438L4
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 4]
  1. 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory.
  2. 1 2 3 4 St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
    Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  3. 1 2 3 The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record.
  4. ↑ 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.

Staff

2015 Detroit Lions staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Related Research Articles

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The 2017 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their first playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their third under head coach Dan Quinn. They entered the season as the defending NFC champions and tried to defend their NFC title for a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl after losing the previous year against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI after blowing a 28-3 lead. This was the Falcons' first year in Mercedes-Benz Stadium after spending the previous 25 seasons in the Georgia Dome, which was demolished on November 20, 2017. Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened as scheduled on August 26, 2017; however, its retractable roof system was incomplete. The roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium remained in the closed position for most of the 2017 season, with the roof opened only during the September 17 game against the Green Bay Packers, as contractors continued to fully mechanize the roof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 New Orleans Saints season</span> NFL team season

The 2017 season was the New Orleans Saints' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 42nd playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 11th under head coach Sean Payton. The team improved on their 7–9 output from the previous season, while achieving an eight-game winning streak after losing their first two contests, their longest streak since 2009, when they won Super Bowl XLIV. In Week 13 the Saints clinched their first winning season since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since 2011. In Week 16, the Saints clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 by defeating the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 17, the Saints clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2011 with the Panthers loss to the Falcons. This was the first of four consecutive NFC South titles for the Saints. On January 7, 2018 the Saints played their divisional rival Carolina Panthers in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They beat Carolina 31–26 in the Wild Card, but lost 29–24 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round in a shocking ending.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Detroit Lions season</span> NFL team 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, but no playoff wins, in four seasons. 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-gray Color Rush uniform in week 15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Detroit Lions season</span> NFL team season

The 2018 season was the Detroit Lions' 89th in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under a new coaching staff led by head coach Matt Patricia. With their loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, the Lions failed to improve on their 9–7 campaign from the season before. With their Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Lions clinched their first losing season since 2015, making this also their first losing season in the post-Calvin Johnson era. They also missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season and finished last in the NFC North for the first time since 2012 with a 6–10 record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Detroit Lions season</span> American football team season

The 2020 season was the Detroit Lions' 91st in the National Football League (NFL) and their third and final season under head coach Matt Patricia. The Lions improved on their 3–12–1 record from the previous season, but were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year following their loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. The Lions finished 5–11, and last place in the NFC North for the third consecutive season. Further, the 2020 Lions defense had one of the worst seasons in NFL history, setting franchise records for points allowed and yards allowed in a season, both marks topping the 2008 team.

References

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  2. ↑ "Martha Firestone Ford names Rod Wood team president". Detroit Lions. November 19, 2015. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  3. ↑ Twentyman, Tim (February 27, 2015). "Lions sign Don Muhlbach to one-year deal". Detroit Lions. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ Twentyman, Tim (March 2, 2015). "Lions re-sign quarterback Dan Orlovsky". Detroit Lions. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
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  8. ↑ Twentyman, Tim (March 10, 2015). "Lions re-sign linebacker Josh Bynes". Detroit Lions. Archived from the original on March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
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