2023 Detroit Lions season

The 2023 season was the Detroit Lions' 94th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 90th In Detroit, and their third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.

2023 Detroit Lions season
Owner	Sheila Ford Hamp
General manager	Brad Holmes
Head coach	Dan Campbell
Offensive coordinator	Ben Johnson
Defensive coordinator	Aaron Glenn
Home field	Ford Field
Local radio	Detroit Lions Radio Network
Results
Record	12–5
Division place	1st NFC North
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Rams) 24–23 Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Buccaneers) 31–23 Lost NFC Championship (at 49ers) 31–34
Pro Bowlers	7 RT Penei Sewell DE Aidan Hutchinson C Frank Ragnow TE Sam LaPorta ST Jalen Reeves-Maybin WR Amon-Ra St. Brown RB Jahmyr Gibbs
AP All-Pros	5 RT Penei Sewell (1st team) WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (1st team) C Frank Ragnow (2nd team) TE Sam LaPorta (2nd team) ST Jalen Reeves-Maybin (2nd team)
Uniform
← 2022 Lions seasons 2024 →

The Lions improved upon their 9–8 record from the previous season, after a Week 15 win against the Denver Broncos gave them their first 10-win season since 2014. The Lions finished the regular season with a 12–5 record, tying a franchise record for wins and ending up in a three-way tie with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys for the best record in the NFC. Their .706 winning percentage was their best since 1991.

After a win against the Chicago Bears in Week 11, the Lions started 8–2 for the first time since 1962.^[1] After a Week 16 win against the Minnesota Vikings, the Lions won their first division title since 1993, and their first ever as a member of the NFC North following the NFL's division realignment in 2002.^[2] This also marks their first playoff appearance since 2016. The win assured them their first home playoff game since 1993 and only their third since winning their last NFL title in 1957.

However, they were seeded third for the NFC playoffs, having lost the conference record tiebreaker to the 49ers and the head-to-head record to the Cowboys. In their first playoff game at Ford Field, the Lions defeated their former quarterback Matthew Stafford and current quarterback Jared Goff's former team, the Los Angeles Rams 24–23 in the Wild Card game for their first playoff victory since the 1991 season, ending the longest winless post-season drought in the NFL.^[3] The Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round, which marked the first time the Lions hosted two playoff games in the same season in franchise history. The Lions defeated the Buccaneers 31–23 to advance to the NFC Championship for the first time since the 1991 season. However, they yielded a 24–7 lead and lost in the NFC Championship Game to the San Francisco 49ers 34–31.^[4]

The Spirit of Detroit decorated with a Lions jersey in January 2024 to celebrate the Lions' postseason run

Player movements

Free agents

Position	Player	Free agency tag	Date signed	2023 team	Source
LB	Alex Anzalone	UFA	March 15	Detroit Lions	[5]
K	Michael Badgley	UFA	March 20	Detroit Lions	[6]
LB	Chris Board	UFA	March 22	New England Patriots	[7]
G	Evan Brown	UFA	April 3	Seattle Seahawks	[8]
DE	Austin Bryant	UFA	March 23	San Francisco 49ers	[9]
DT	Isaiah Buggs	UFA	March 13	Detroit Lions	[10]
WR	D. J. Chark	UFA	March 24	Carolina Panthers	[11]
DE	John Cominsky	UFA	March 15	Detroit Lions	[12]
LS	Scott Daly	ERFA	March 22	Detroit Lions	[13]
S	DeShon Elliott	UFA	March 17	Miami Dolphins	[14]
S	Will Harris	UFA	March 16	Detroit Lions	[15]
RB	Justin Jackson	UFA	July 22	Detroit Lions	[16]
CB	Mike Hughes	UFA	March 20	Atlanta Falcons	[17]
DT	Benito Jones	ERFA	April 26	Detroit Lions	[18]
G	Tommy Kraemer	ERFA	August 2	New Orleans Saints	[19]
S	C. J. Moore	UFA	March 20	Detroit Lions	[20]
OT	Matt Nelson	RFA	March 14	Detroit Lions	[21]
CB	Amani Oruwariye	UFA	March 23	New York Giants	[22]
C	Ross Pierschbacher	RFA	March 8	Detroit Lions	[23]
LB	Anthony Pittman	ERFA	March 13	Detroit Lions	[24]
CB	Bobby Price	RFA	June 5	Arizona Cardinals	[25]
RB	Craig Reynolds	ERFA	March 13	Detroit Lions	[26]
G	Dan Skipper	RFA	August 1	Indianapolis Colts	[27]
QB	Nate Sudfeld	UFA	March 24	Detroit Lions	[28]
RB	Jamaal Williams	UFA	March 17	New Orleans Saints	[29]
LB	Josh Woods	UFA	March 23	Arizona Cardinals	[30]
TE	Brock Wright	ERFA	March 13	Detroit Lions	[31]
TE	Shane Zylstra	ERFA	March 13	Detroit Lions	[31]

Additions

Position	Player	Previous team	Date	Source
S	C.J. Gardner-Johnson	Philadelphia Eagles	March 20	[32]
G	Graham Glasgow	Denver Broncos	March 20	[33]
WR	Marvin Jones Jr.	Jacksonville Jaguars	April 5	[34]
CB	Mac McCain	Philadelphia Eagles	February 23	[35]
LS	Jake McQuaide	Dallas Cowboys	March 20	[36]
RB	David Montgomery	Chicago Bears	March 16	[37]
CB	Emmanuel Moseley	San Francisco 49ers	March 16	[38]
LB	Jalen Reeves-Maybin	Houston Texans	March 27	[39]
CB	Cameron Sutton	Pittsburgh Steelers	March 16	[40]
TE	Patrick Murtaugh	N/A	May 4	[40]

Releases

Position	Player	2023 team	Release date	Source
DT	Michael Brockers		February 24	[41]
CB	Jeff Okudah	Atlanta Falcons	April 11	[42]
WR	Quintez Cephus		April 21	[43]
S	C. J. Moore		April 21
RB	D'Andre Swift	Philadelphia Eagles	April 29	[44]
G	Logan Stenberg	Chicago Bears	August 10	[45]
WR	Marvin Jones Jr.		October 24	[46]

Draft

Main article: 2023 NFL draft

2023 Detroit Lions Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes	Source
1	12	Jahmyr Gibbs	RB	Alabama	From Arizona	[47]
	18	Jack Campbell	LB	Iowa		[48]
2	34	Sam LaPorta	TE	Iowa	From Arizona	[49]
	45	Brian Branch	S	Alabama	From Green Bay	[50]
3	68	Hendon Hooker	QB	Tennessee	From Denver	[51]
	96	Brodric Martin	DT	Western Kentucky	From Arizona	[52]
5	152	Colby Sorsdal	OT	William & Mary		[53]
7	219	Antoine Green	WR	North Carolina	From Philadelphia	[54]

2023 Detroit Lions undrafted free agents

Name	Position	College	Ref.
Brad Cecil	C	South Florida	[55]
Chase Cota	WR	Oregon
Isaac Darkangelo	LB	Illinois
Dylan Drummond	WR	Eastern Michigan
Cory Durden	DT	NC State
Connor Galvin	OT	Baylor
Steven Gilmore Jr.	CB	Marshall
Mohamed Ibrahim	RB	Minnesota
Brandon Joseph	S	Notre Dame
Adrian Martinez	QB	Kansas State
Zach Morton	DE	Akron
Trevor Nowaske	LB	Saginaw Valley State
Chris Smith	DT	Notre Dame
Ryan Swoboda	OT	UCF
Starling Thomas V	CB	UAB
Keytaon Thompson	WR	Virginia

Staff

2023 Detroit Lions staff

Front office Owner – Sheila Ford Hamp Vice chairpeople – William Clay Ford Jr., Martha Ford Morse and Elizabeth Ford Kontulis Team president & CEO – Rod Wood Executive vice president & general manager – Brad Holmes Chief operating officer – Mike Disner Special assistant to chairman and president & CEO – Chris Spielman Assistant general manager – Ray Agnew Director of player personnel – Lance Newmark Director of pro scouting – Rob Lohman Director of scouting advancement – Mike Martin Senior director of football administration – Brandon Sosna Senior personnel executive – John Dorsey Head coaches Head coach – Dan Campbell Assistant head coach/running backs – Scottie Montgomery Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Ben Johnson Passing game coordinator – Tanner Engstrand Quarterbacks – Mark Brunell Assistant quarterbacks – J. T. Barrett Wide receivers – Antwaan Randle El Assistant wide receivers – Seth Ryan Tight ends – Steve Heiden Offensive line – Hank Fraley Assistant offensive line – Steve Oliver Senior offensive assistant – Jim Hostler

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Aaron Glenn Defensive line – John Scott Jr. Assistant defensive line – Cameron Davis Linebackers – Kelvin Sheppard Assistant linebackers – Shaun Dion Hamilton Defensive backs – Brian Duker Cornerbacks – Dré Bly Defensive assistant/outside linebackers – David Corrao Defensive quality control – Wayne Blair Senior defensive assistant – John Fox WCF minority coaching assistant/defensive quality control – Dré Thompson Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Dave Fipp Assistant special teams – Jett Modkins Strength and conditioning Director of sports performance – Mike Clark Director of sports science – Jill Costanza Head strength & conditioning – Josh Schuler Assistant strength & conditioning – Morris Henry

Final roster

2023 Detroit Lions roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 10 Teddy Bridgewater 16 Jared Goff 12 Hendon Hooker Running backs (RB) 26 Jahmyr Gibbs  5 David Montgomery 13 Craig Reynolds Wide receivers (WR) 80 Antoine Green 19 Donovan Peoples-Jones 11 Kalif Raymond  8 Josh Reynolds 14 Amon-Ra St. Brown  9 Jameson Williams Tight ends (TE) 86 Anthony Firkser 87 Sam LaPorta

Offensive linemen (OL) 74 Kayode Awosika G 68 Taylor Decker T 60 Graham Glasgow G 73 Jonah Jackson G 77 Frank Ragnow C 58 Penei Sewell T 70 Dan Skipper T 75 Colby Sorsdal T Defensive linemen (DL) 92 Tyson Alualu DT 79 John Cominsky DE 53 Charles Harris DE 97 Aidan Hutchinson DE 94 Benito Jones DT 98 Brodric Martin DT 54 Alim McNeill DT 95 Romeo Okwara DE 91 Levi Onwuzurike DT 93 Josh Paschal DE

Linebackers (LB) 34 Alex Anzalone OLB 55 Derrick Barnes MLB 46 Jack Campbell MLB 41 James Houston OLB 57 Anthony Pittman MLB 42 Jalen Reeves-Maybin OLB 44 Malcolm Rodriguez OLB Defensive backs (DB) 32 Brian Branch FS 30 Khalil Dorsey CB  2 C. J. Gardner-Johnson SS 24 Steven Gilmore Jr. CB 25 Will Harris CB 31 Kerby Joseph SS 27 Chase Lucas CB  6 Ifeatu Melifonwu CB  1 Cameron Sutton CB 29 Kindle Vildor CB 21 Tracy Walker FS Special teams 17 Michael Badgley K  3 Jack Fox P 43 Jake McQuaide LS

Practice squad 50 Mitchell Agude OLB 15 Maurice Alexander WR 18 David Blough QB 45 Jason Cabinda FB 83 Zach Ertz TE 66 Matt Farniok G 84 Daurice Fountain WR 36 Jake Funk RB 76 Connor Galvin T 35 Mohamed Ibrahim RB (PS/I) 33 Craig James CB 39 Jermar Jefferson RB (PS/I) 40 Brandon Joseph FS 85 Tom Kennedy WR 62 Michael Niese T 99 Julian Okwara OLB 63 Max Pircher T (IPP) 71 Michael Schofield G 90 Chris Smith DT Reserve 47 Scott Daly LS (IR) 23 Jerry Jacobs CB (IR) 28 Zonovan Knight RB (IR) 82 James Mitchell TE (IR)  4 Emmanuel Moseley CB (IR) 67 Matt Nelson T (IR) -- Nate Sudfeld QB (IR) 72 Halapoulivaati Vaitai G (IR) 89 Brock Wright TE (IR) -- Shane Zylstra TE (IR) Rookies in italics

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 11	New York Giants	W 21–16	1–0	Ford Field	Recap
2	August 19	Jacksonville Jaguars	L 7–25	1–1	Ford Field	Recap
3	August 25	at Carolina Panthers	W 26–17	2–1	Bank of America Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 7	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 21–20	1–0	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
2	September 17	Seattle Seahawks	L 31–37 (OT)	1–1	Ford Field	Recap
3	September 24	Atlanta Falcons	W 20–6	2–1	Ford Field	Recap
4	September 28	at Green Bay Packers	W 34–20	3–1	Lambeau Field	Recap
5	October 8	Carolina Panthers	W 42–24	4–1	Ford Field	Recap
6	October 15	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 20–6	5–1	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
7	October 22	at Baltimore Ravens	L 6–38	5–2	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
8	October 30	Las Vegas Raiders	W 26–14	6–2	Ford Field	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 12	at Los Angeles Chargers	W 41–38	7–2	SoFi Stadium	Recap
11	November 19	Chicago Bears	W 31–26	8–2	Ford Field	Recap
12	November 23	Green Bay Packers	L 22–29	8–3	Ford Field	Recap
13	December 3	at New Orleans Saints	W 33–28	9–3	Caesars Superdome	Recap
14	December 10	at Chicago Bears	L 13–28	9–4	Soldier Field	Recap
15	December 16	Denver Broncos	W 42–17	10–4	Ford Field	Recap
16	December 24	at Minnesota Vikings	W 30–24	11–4	U.S. Bank Stadium	Recap
17	December 30	at Dallas Cowboys	L 19–20	11–5	AT&T Stadium	Recap
18	January 7	Minnesota Vikings	W 30–20	12–5	Ford Field	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	0	7	7	21
Chiefs	0	14	3	3	20

Game information

First quarter DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 9-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 2:46. Lions 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 91 yards, 8:04. Second quarter KC – Rashee Rice 1-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 11:50. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:56. KC – Blake Bell 4-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 0:34. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 1:28. Third quarter DET – Brian Branch 50-yard interception return (Riley Patterson kick), 10:54. Tied 14–14. KC – Harrison Butker 35-yard field goal, 2:10. Chiefs 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 3:34. Fourth quarter KC – Harrison Butker 39-yard field goal, 12:11. Chiefs 20–14. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:55. DET – David Montgomery 8-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 7:06. Lions 21–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:05. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 22/35, 253 yards, TD KC – Patrick Mahomes – 21/39, 226 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DET – David Montgomery – 21 rushes, 74 yards, TD KC – Patrick Mahomes – 6 rushes, 45 yards Top receivers DET – Josh Reynolds – 4 receptions, 80 yards KC – Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 2 receptions, 48 yards

Week 1: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT/7:20 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 73,522
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

To open the regular season, the Lions visited the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the annual NFL Kickoff Game. The Lions took advantage of the Chiefs not having Travis Kelce, their star tight end, due to a knee injury sustained in their practice just two days prior to this game. The Lions started off hot, scoring in the first quarter after a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Chiefs scored 14 points in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Rashee Rice and a four-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Blake Bell, which made the score 14–7 in favor of Kansas City at half-time. The Lions responded with a 50-yard interception return by Brian Branch in the third quarter to tie the game. The Chiefs regained the lead during a 35-yard field goal by Harrison Butker, and scored again in the fourth quarter when Butker hit 39-yard field goal. The Lions scored the final points of the game, an eight-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery, making the final score 21–20 in favor of Detroit. With the upset win, the Lions started the season 1–0 for the first time since 2017. They also won their first game at Arrowhead Stadium since 1988, which, coincidentally, was also won by a mere point.

Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Seahawks	7	0	10	14	6	37
Lions	7	7	7	10	0	31

Game information

First quarter SEA – Kenneth Walker III 1-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 7:04. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:56. DET – Josh Reynolds 22-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 3:49. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:15. Second quarter DET – Kalif Raymond 36-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 4:51. Lions 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:46. Third quarter SEA – Kenneth Walker III 3-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 14:16. Tied 14–14. Drive: 2 plays, 23 yards, 0:38. DET – David Montgomery 4-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 9:05. Lions 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:11. SEA – Jason Myers 25-yard field goal, 3:27. Lions 21–17. Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 5:38. Fourth quarter SEA – Tyler Lockett 3-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 10:38. Seahawks 24–21. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:49. SEA – Tre Brown 40-yard interception return (Jason Myers kick), 8:04. Seahawks 31–21. DET – Josh Reynolds 4-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 3:08. Seahawks 31–28. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:56. DET – Riley Patterson 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 31–31. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:44. Overtime SEA – Tyler Lockett 6-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 5:41. Seahawks 37–31. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:19. Top passers SEA – Geno Smith – 32/41, 328 yards, 2 TD DET – Jared Goff – 28/35, 323 yards, 3 TD, INT Top rushers SEA – Kenneth Walker III – 17 rushes, 43 yards, 2 TD DET – David Montgomery – 16 rushes, 67 yards, TD Top receivers SEA – DK Metcalf – 6 receptions, 75 yards DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 6 receptions, 102 yards

Week 2: Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: September 17
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,434
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
• Recap, Game Book

In week 2, for their home opener, the Lions hosted the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks opened the scoring in the first quarter on a Kenneth Walker III run. The Lions responded with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Josh Reynolds to tie the game 7-7. The Lions scored the only points of the second quarter during a 36-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Kalif Raymond, which made the score 14–7 in favor of Detroit at halftime. The Seahawks scored 10 points in the third quarter, a three-yard touchdown run from Walker III, and a 25-yard field goal by Jason Myers. The Lions answered with a four-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery to regain the lead 21–17. The Seahawks came back in the fourth quarter via a three-yard touchdown pass from Geno Smith to Tyler Lockett and a 40-yard interception return by Tre Brown. The Lions responded with a four-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Reynolds and a 38-yard field goal by Riley Patterson as time expired in the game to force overtime 31-31. During overtime, the Seahawks scored a six-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Lockett, making the final score 37–31 in favor of Seattle. With the loss, the Lions fell to 1–1. They once again failed to beat the Seahawks, not having done so since 2012.

Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	3	0	3	6
Lions	3	10	0	7	20

Game information

First quarter DET – Riley Patterson 37-yard field goal, 1:46. Lions 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 48 yards, 6:31. Second quarter ATL – Younghoe Koo 48-yard field goal, 11:32. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:14. DET – Sam LaPorta 45-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 10:05. Lions 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:27. DET – Riley Patterson 24-yard field goal, 1:53. Lions 13–3. Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 7:09. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DET – Jared Goff 3-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 9:50. Lions 20–3. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:52. ATL – Younghoe Koo 24-yard field goal, 4:19. Lions 20–6. Drive: 17 plays, 76 yards, 5:31. Top passers ATL – Desmond Ridder – 21/38, 201 yards DET – Jared Goff – 22/33, 243 yards, TD, INT Top rushers ATL – Bijan Robinson – 10 rushes, 33 yards DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 17 rushes, 80 yards Top receivers ATL – Kyle Pitts – 5 receptions, 41 yards DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 9 receptions, 102 yards

Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: September 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,803
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

In week 3, the Lions hosted the Atlanta Falcons. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 37-yard field goal by Riley Patterson. The Falcons responded with a 48-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo in the second quarter to tie the game 3 to 3. The Lions scored 10 points in the quarter with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta and a 24-yard field goal by Patterson, which made the score 13–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter to 20–3 in a three-yard touchdown run from Goff. The Falcons had the final score of the game, a 24-yard field goal by Koo, making the final score 20–6 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions improved to 2–1.

Week 4: at Green Bay Packers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	14	13	0	7	34
Packers	3	0	8	9	20

Game information

First quarter GB – Anders Carlson 34-yard field goal, 11:59. Packers 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:35. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 24-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 8:16. Lions 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:43. DET – David Montgomery 3-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 2:54. Lions 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 4:16. Second quarter DET – Riley Patterson 33-yard field goal, 14:07. Lions 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:13. DET – David Montgomery 2-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 13:19. Lions 24–3. Drive: 2 plays, 7 yards, 0:32. DET – Riley Patterson 37-yard field goal, 0:34. Lions 27–3. Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 5:00. Third quarter GB – Christian Watson 1-yard pass from Jordan Love (Jordan Love–Jayden Reed pass), 8:17. Lions 27–11. Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 6:43. Fourth quarter GB – Jordan Love 9-yard run (run failed), 14:52. Lions 27–17. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 1:02. DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 6:00. Lions 34–17. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:52. GB – Anders Carlson 50-yard field goal, 2:52. Lions 34–20. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:40. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 19/28, 210 yards, TD, INT GB – Jordan Love – 23/36, 246 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers DET – David Montgomery – 32 rushes, 121 yards, 3 TD GB – Aaron Jones – 5 rushes, 18 yards Top receivers DET – Josh Reynolds – 3 receptions, 69 yards GB – Romeo Doubs – 9 receptions, 95 yards

Week 4: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT/7:15 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 78,052
• Referee: Alan Eck
• TV announcers (WJBK/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
• Recap, Game Book

In week 4, the Lions visited their divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 34-yard field goal by Anders Carlson. The Lions scored 14 points via a 34-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown and a three-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The Lions scored 13 points in the second quarter via a 33-yard field goal by Riley Patterson, a two-yard touchdown run from Montgomery and a 37-yard field goal by Patterson, which made the score 27–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Packers scored the only points of the third quarter via a one-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Christian Watson and a two-point conversion pass from Love to Jayden Reed. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter, first a nine-yard touchdown run from Love for the Packers, then a one-yard touchdown run from Montgomery for the Lions. The Packers scored the final points of the game via a 50-yard field goal by Carlson, making the final score 34–20 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions improved to 3–1 and extended their winning streak against the Packers to four games.

Week 5: vs. Carolina Panthers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	0	10	0	14	24
Lions	14	14	0	14	42

Game information

First quarter DET – David Montgomery 42-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 9:41. Lions 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards, 1:17. DET – Sam LaPorta 4-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 4:53. Lions 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:35. Second quarter CAR – Tommy Tremble 1-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 12:48. Lions 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:05. DET – Josh Reynolds 1-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 3:50. Lions 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 6:08. DET – Sam LaPorta 31-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 3:21. Lions 28–7. Drive: 1 play, 31 yards, 0:08. CAR – Eddy Piñeiro 33-yard field goal, 0:06. Lions 28–10. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:15. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter DET – Jared Goff 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 14:45. Lions 35–10. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:33. CAR – D. J. Chark 18-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 11:52. Lions 35–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:06. DET – Craig Reynolds 5-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 7:27. Lions 42–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:25. CAR – Adam Thielen 1-yard pass from Bryce Young (Eddy Piñeiro kick), 1:55. Lions 42–24. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:32. Top passers CAR – Bryce Young – 25/41, 247 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT DET – Jared Goff – 20/28, 236 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CAR – Chuba Hubbard – 9 rushes, 35 yards DET – David Montgomery – 19 rushes, 109 yards, TD Top receivers CAR – Adam Thielen – 11 receptions, 107 yards, TD DET – Josh Reynolds – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD

Week 5: Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,648
• Referee: Adrian Hill
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

In week 5, the Lions hosted the Carolina Panthers. The Lions scored 14 points in the first quarter via a 42-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery and a four-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta. In the second quarter, the Panthers responded with a one-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Tommy Tremble. The Lions scored 14 points in the quarter via a one-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Josh Reynolds and a 31-yard touchdown pass from Goff to LaPorta. The Panthers scored the final points of the half via a 33-yard field goal by Eddy Piñeiro, which made the score 28–10 in favor of Detroit at half-time. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions scored 14 points in the fourth quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Goff and a five-yard touchdown run from Craig Reynolds. The Panthers scored 14 points in the quarter via an 18-yard touchdown pass from Young to D. J. Chark and a one-yard touchdown pass from Young to Adam Thielen, making the final score 42–24 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions improved to 4–1, maintaining their spot at first place in the NFC North. This marked the first time they've won at least four of their first five games since 2011, and the fourth time in 50 seasons.^[56]

Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	3	7	7	3	20
Buccaneers	0	3	3	0	6

Game information

First quarter DET – Riley Patterson 30-yard field goal, 8:09. Lions 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:59. Second quarter TB – Chase McLaughlin 33-yard field goal, 7:34. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:24. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 27-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 2:39. Lions 10–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:55. Third quarter TB – Chase McLaughlin 36-yard field goal, 7:44. Lions 10–6. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:49. DET – Jameson Williams 45-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 3:19. Lions 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:25. Fourth quarter DET – Riley Patterson 36-yard field goal, 12:00. Lions 20–6. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 4:05. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 30/44, 353 yards, 2 TD TB – Baker Mayfield – 19/37, 206 yards, INT Top rushers DET – Craig Reynolds – 10 rushes, 15 yards TB – Rachaad White – 7 rushes, 26 yards Top receivers DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 12 receptions, 124 yards, TD TB – Chris Godwin – 6 receptions, 77 yards

Week 6: Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: October 15
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 77 °F (25 °C)
• Game attendance: 65,854
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

In week 6, the Lions visited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 30-yard field goal by Riley Patterson. The Buccaneers scored in the second quarter via a 33-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin to tie the game. The Lions responded with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, which made the score 10–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. In the third quarter, the Buccaneers scored via a 36-yard field goal by McLaughlin. The Lions extended their lead via a 45-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jameson Williams. The Lions scored the only points of the fourth quarter via a 36-yard field goal by Patterson, making the final score 20–6 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions improved to 5–1, their first such start since 2011. They are on a 13–3 streak (dating back to last season) for the first time since the 1961–1962 seasons.^[57]

Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	0	0	6	6
Ravens	14	14	7	3	38

Game information

First quarter BAL – Lamar Jackson 7-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 10:37. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:23. BAL – Nelson Agholor 12-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 3:11. Ravens 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:46. Second quarter BAL – Mark Andrews 11-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 12:54. Ravens 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 92 yards, 3:57. BAL – Gus Edwards 2-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 7:45. Ravens 28–0. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:56. Third quarter BAL – Mark Andrews 8-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 7:25. Ravens 35–0. Drive: 4 plays, 94 yards, 2:06. Fourth quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 21-yard run (pass failed), 13:59. Ravens 35–6. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:31. BAL – Justin Tucker 32-yard field goal, 9:30. Ravens 38–6. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 4:29. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 33/53, 284 yards, INT BAL – Lamar Jackson – 21/27, 357 yards, 3 TD Top rushers DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 11 rushes, 68 yards, TD BAL – Gus Edwards – 14 rushes, 64 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 13 receptions, 102 yards BAL – Gus Edwards – 1 reception, 80 yards

Week 7: Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: October 22
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 62 °F (17 °C)
• Game attendance: 70,989
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
• Recap, Game Book

In week 7, the Lions visited the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens scored 14 points in the first quarter via a seven-yard touchdown run from Lamar Jackson and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Nelson Agholor. The Ravens scored 14 points in the second quarter via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Mark Andrews and a two-yard touchdown run from Gus Edwards, which made the score 28–0 in favor of Baltimore at half-time. The Ravens extended their lead in the third quarter via an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Andrews. The Lions finally got on the board in the fourth quarter via a 21-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Ravens scored the final points of the game via a 32-yard field goal by Justin Tucker, making the final score 38–6 in favor of Baltimore. With the loss, the Lions fell to 5–2.

Week 8: vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Raiders	0	7	7	0	14
Lions	3	13	7	3	26

Game information

First quarter DET – Riley Patterson 44-yard field goal, 7:51. Lions 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 54 yards, 5:06. Second quarter DET – Riley Patterson 31-yard field goal, 12:23. Lions 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 36 yards, 7:09. DET – Riley Patterson 33-yard field goal, 8:08. Lions 9–0. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:16. LV – Josh Jacobs 3-yard run (Daniel Carlson kick), 2:56. Lions 9–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:12. DET – Sam LaPorta 18-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 0:27. Lions 16–7. Drive: 9 plays, 79 yards, 2:29. Third quarter LV – Marcus Peters 75-yard interception return (Daniel Carlson kick), 11:32. Lions 16–14. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 27-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 3:13. Lions 23–14. Drive: 2 plays, 51 yards, 0:49. Fourth quarter DET – Riley Patterson 52-yard field goal, 9:59. Lions 26–14. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 6:08. Top passers LV – Jimmy Garoppolo – 10/21, 126 yards, INT DET – Jared Goff – 26/37, 272 yards, TD, INT Top rushers LV – Josh Jacobs – 15 rushes, 61 yards, TD DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 26 rushes, 152 yards, TD Top receivers LV – Josh Jacobs – 2 receptions, 27 yards DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 6 receptions, 108 yards

Week 8: Las Vegas Raiders at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 30
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,774
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Game Book

In week 8, the Lions hosted the Las Vegas Raiders. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 44-yard field goal by Riley Patterson. The Lions extended their lead in the second quarter via two field goals by Patterson from 31-yards, and 33-yards, respectively. The Raiders scored via a three-yard touchdown run from Josh Jacobs. The Lions scored the final points of the half via an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta, which made the score 16–7 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, first a 75-yard interception return by Marcus Peters for the Raiders, then a 27-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs for the Lions. The Lions scored the only points of the fourth quarter via a 52-yard field goal by Patterson, making the final score 26–14 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions headed into their bye week at 6–2 atop the NFC North.

Week 10: at Los Angeles Chargers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	10	14	7	10	41
Chargers	3	14	7	14	38

Game information

First quarter DET – Riley Patterson 33-yard field goal, 10:09. Lions 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:23. LAC – Cameron Dicker 48-yard field goal, 6:54. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:15. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 4:18. Lions 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:36. Second quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 7:30. Lions 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:47. LAC – Keenan Allen 29-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 3:21. Lions 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:09. DET – David Montgomery 75-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 3:21. Lions 24–10. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:14. LAC – Austin Ekeler 2-yard run (Cameron Dicker kick), 0:23. Lions 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:44. Third quarter LAC – Jalen Guyton 18-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 7:59. Tied 24–24. Drive: 10 plays, 92 yards, 4:28. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 20-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 4:31. Lions 31–24. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:28. Fourth quarter LAC – Quentin Johnston 1-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 11:30. Tied 31–31. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 8:01. DET – Brock Wright 25-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 7:30. Lions 38–31. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:00. LAC – Keenan Allen 38-yard pass from Justin Herbert (Cameron Dicker kick), 3:34. Tied 38–38. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:56. DET – Riley Patterson 41-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 41–38. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:34. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 23/33, 333 yards, 2 TD LAC – Justin Herbert – 27/40, 323 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers DET – David Montgomery – 12 rushes, 116 yards, TD LAC – Austin Ekeler – 19 rushes, 67 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 8 receptions, 156 yards, TD LAC – Keenan Allen – 11 receptions, 175 yards, 2 TD

Week 10: Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Sunny, 79 °F (26 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 70,240
• Referee: Shawn Smith
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Game Book

Following their bye week, in week 10, the Lions visited the Los Angeles Chargers. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 33-yard field goal by Riley Patterson. The Chargers responded with a 48-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker to tie the game. The Lions regained the lead via a one-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions scored 14 points in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Gibbs and a 75-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. Montgomery's 75-yard run was the longest touchdown run by a Lions player since an 88-yard touchdown run by Jahvid Best in 2011.^[58] The Chargers scored 14 points in the quarter via a 29-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen and a two-yard touchdown run from Austin Ekeler, which made the score 24–17 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, first an 18-yard touchdown pass from Herbert to Jalen Guyton for the Chargers, then a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown for the Lions. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter, first a one-yard touchdown pass from Herbert to Quentin Johnston for the Chargers, then a 25-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Brock Wright for the Lions. The Chargers responded with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Herbert to Allen to tie the game. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 41-yard field goal by Patterson as time expired, making the final score 41–38 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions improved to 7–2.

Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	7	3	10	6	26
Lions	0	14	0	17	31

Game information

First quarter CHI – D'Onta Foreman 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 9:23. Bears 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:37. Second quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 2-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 9:23. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 3:55. CHI – Cairo Santos 31-yard field goal, 1:47. Bears 10–7. Drive: 15 plays, 62 yards, 7:36. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 7-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 0:11. Lions 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 1:36. Third quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 53-yard field goal, 6:41. Lions 14–13. Drive: 10 plays, 50 yards, 6:21. CHI – D. J. Moore 39-yard pass from Justin Fields (Cairo Santos kick), 4:41. Bears 20–14. Drive: 3 plays, 40 yards, 1:51. Fourth quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 40-yard field goal, 14:12. Bears 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 3:13. CHI – Cairo Santos 39-yard field goal, 4:15. Bears 26–14. Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 8:45. DET – Jameson Williams 32-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 2:59. Bears 26–21. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:16. DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Jared Goff–Sam LaPorta pass), 0:29. Lions 29–26. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 2:04. DET – Justin Fields forced fumble out of bounds by Aidan Hutchinson for a safety, 0:22. Lions 31–26. Top passers CHI – Justin Fields – 16/23, 169 yards, TD DET – Jared Goff – 23/35, 236 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT Top rushers CHI – Justin Fields – 18 rushes, 104 yards DET – David Montgomery – 12 rushes, 76 yards, TD Top receivers CHI – D. J. Moore – 7 receptions, 96 yards, TD DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 8 receptions, 77 yards, TD

Week 11: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,873
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

In week 11, the Lions hosted their divisional rival, the Chicago Bears. The Bears opened the scoring in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from D'Onta Foreman. In the second quarter, the Lions tied the game via a two-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Bears responded with a 31-yard field goal by Cairo Santos to regain the lead. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a seven-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, which made the score 14–10 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Bears scored 10 points in the third quarter via a 53-yard field goal by Santos and a 39-yard touchdown pass from Justin Fields to D. J. Moore. The Bears extended their lead in the fourth quarter via two field goals by Santos from 40-yards, and 39-yards, respectively. The Lions responded with 17 unanswered points in the final three minutes of the quarter. They scored first via a 32-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jameson Williams. After the defense forced Chicago into a three-and-out, the Lions scored again on a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery and a two-point conversion pass from Goff to Sam LaPorta. On the Bears' next possession, a fumble forced by Aidan Hutchinson led to a safety, making the final score 31–26 in favor of Detroit. Detroit won despite the fact that Chicago had a win probability of 98.8% (according to ESPN) with four minutes remaining in the game.^[59][60] With the win, the Lions improved to 8–2 on the season, their best record through the first ten games since 1962.^[61]

Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	20	3	6	0	29
Lions	6	0	8	8	22

Game information

First quarter GB – Jayden Reed 10-yard pass from Jordan Love (Anders Carlson kick), 12:16. Packers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:44. DET – Sam LaPorta 7-yard pass from Jared Goff (kick failed), 8:30. Packers 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:46. GB – Tucker Kraft 9-yard pass from Jordan Love (Anders Carlson kick), 3:08. Packers 14–6. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:22. GB – Jonathan Owens 27-yard fumble return (kick failed), 2:12. Packers 20–6. Second quarter GB – Anders Carlson 43-yard field goal, 5:56. Packers 23–6. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:42. Third quarter DET – David Montgomery 6-yard run (David Montgomery run), 11:46. Packers 23–14. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:14. GB – Christian Watson 16-yard pass from Jordan Love (pass failed), 3:30. Packers 29–14. Drive: 3 plays, 23 yards, 1:57. Fourth quarter DET – Josh Reynolds 12-yard pass from Jared Goff (Jared Goff–Sam LaPorta pass), 0:41. Packers 29–22. Drive: 12 plays, 91 yards, 2:05. Top passers GB – Jordan Love – 22/32, 268 yards, 3 TD DET – Jared Goff – 29/44, 332 yards, 2 TD Top rushers GB – A. J. Dillon – 14 rushes, 43 yards DET – David Montgomery – 15 rushes, 71 yards, TD Top receivers GB – Christian Watson – 5 receptions, 94 yards, TD DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 9 receptions, 95 yards

Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,476
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
• Recap, Game Book

For their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted their divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers, in a rematch of week 4. The Packers scored 20 points in the first quarter via a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Jayden Reed, a nine-yard touchdown pass from Love to Tucker Kraft and a 27-yard fumble return by Jonathan Owens. The Lions scored six points in the quarter via a seven-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta. The Packers scored the only points of the second quarter via a 43-yard field goal by Anders Carlson, which made the score 23–6 in favor of Green Bay at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, first a six-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery and a two-point conversion run by Montgomery for the Lions, then a 16-yard touchdown pass from Love to Christian Watson. The Lions scored the only points of the fourth quarter with 41 seconds remaining in the game via a 12-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Josh Reynolds, and a two-point conversion pass from Goff to LaPorta, making the final score 29–22 in favor of Green Bay. With the upset loss, the Lions fell to 8–3.

Week 13: at New Orleans Saints

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	21	3	3	6	33
Saints	0	7	14	7	28

Game information

First quarter DET – David Montgomery 2-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 11:15. Lions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:45. DET – Sam LaPorta 13-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 10:24. Lions 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 0:40. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 25-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 8:15. Lions 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 54 yards, 1:19. Second quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 6-yard pass from Derek Carr (Blake Grupe kick), 9:08. Lions 21–7. Drive: 13 plays, 84 yards, 6:39. DET – Riley Patterson 26-yard field goal, 0:08. Lions 24–7. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:16. Third quarter NO – Alvin Kamara 2-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 10:04. Lions 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:56. NO – Taysom Hill 1-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 4:34. Lions 24–21. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:37. DET – Riley Patterson 32-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 4:34. Fourth quarter DET – Jameson Williams 19-yard run (pass failed), 14:07. Lions 33–21. Drive: 2 plays, 26 yards, 0:49. NO – Alvin Kamara 1-yard run (Blake Grupe kick), 7:30. Lions 33–28. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:37. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 16/25, 213 yards, 2 TD NO – Derek Carr – 17/22, 226 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 8 rushes, 60 yards NO – Taysom Hill – 13 rushes, 59 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Sam LaPorta – 9 receptions, 140 yards, TD NO – Chris Olave – 5 receptions, 119 yards

Week 13: Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 3
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,003
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

In week 13, the Lions visited the New Orleans Saints. The Lions scored 21 points in the first quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery, a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Saints got on the board in the second quarter via a six-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Jimmy Graham. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a 26-yard field goal by Riley Patterson, which made the score 24–7 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Saints scored 14 points in the third quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from Alvin Kamara and a one-yard touchdown run from Taysom Hill, reducing the Lions' lead to three points. The Lions responded with a 32-yard field goal by Patterson as time expired in the third quarter. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 19-yard touchdown run from Jameson Williams. The Saints scored the final points of the game via a one-yard touchdown run from Kamara, making the final score 33–28 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions improved to 9–3.

Week 14: at Chicago Bears

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	13	0	0	13
Bears	10	0	9	9	28

Game information

First quarter CHI – D. J. Moore 16-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 10:17. Bears 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:43. CHI – Cairo Santos 46-yard field goal, 1:22. Bears 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 5:12. Second quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 12-yard run (kick failed), 6:59. Bears 10–6. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:40. DET – Josh Reynolds 8-yard pass from Jared Goff (Riley Patterson kick), 0:26. Lions 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:49. Third quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 25-yard field goal, 8:38. Tied 13–13. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 5:20. CHI – D. J. Moore 38-yard pass from Justin Fields (kick failed), 1:36. Bears 19–13. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 2:30. Fourth quarter CHI – Justin Fields 11-yard run (pass failed), 14:12. Bears 25–13. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 1:48. CHI – Cairo Santos 28-yard field goal, 9:20. Bears 28–13. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 2:53. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 20/35, 161 yards, TD, 2 INT CHI – Justin Fields – 19/33, 223 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 11 rushes, 66 yards, TD CHI – Justin Fields – 12 rushes, 58 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Josh Reynolds – 3 receptions, 44 yards, TD CHI – D. J. Moore – 6 receptions, 68 yards, TD

Week 14: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: December 10
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 36 °F (2 °C)
• Game attendance: 62,185
• Referee: Tra Blake
• TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
• Recap, Game Book

In week 14, the Lions visited their divisional rival, the Chicago Bears, in a rematch of week 11. The Bears scored 10 points in the first quarter via a 16-yard touchdown run from D. J. Moore and a 46-yard field goal by Cairo Santos. The Lions scored 13 points in the second quarter via a 12-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Josh Reynolds, which made the score 13–10 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions were held scoreless in the second half. The Bears scored nine points in the third quarter via a 25-yard field goal by Santos and a 38-yard touchdown pass from Justin Fields to Moore to regain the lead. The Bears scored nine points in the fourth quarter via an 11-yard touchdown run from Fields and a 28-yard field goal by Santos, making the final score 28–13 in favor of Chicago. With the loss, the Lions dropped to 9–4 on the season.

Week 15: vs. Denver Broncos

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	0	10	7	17
Lions	0	21	7	14	42

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter DET – Sam LaPorta 19-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 12:31. Lions 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:07. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 9-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 8:15. Lions 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:43. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 15-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 0:19. Lions 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 4:02. Third quarter DEN – Lil'Jordan Humphrey 3-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Wil Lutz kick), 10:41. Lions 21–7. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:26. DET – Sam LaPorta 3-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 7:01. Lions 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:33. DEN – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 0:43. Lions 28–10. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 6:18. Fourth quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 12-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 12:12. Lions 35–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:31. DEN – Russell Wilson 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 6:28. Lions 35–17. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 2:50. DET – Sam LaPorta 10-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 2:21. Lions 42–17. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:07. Top passers DEN – Russell Wilson – 18/32, 223 yards, TD DET – Jared Goff – 24/34, 278 yards, 5 TD Top rushers DEN – Samaje Perine – 6 rushes, 37 yards DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 11 rushes, 100 yards, TD Top receivers DEN – Jerry Jeudy – 3 receptions, 74 yards DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 7 receptions, 112 yards, TD

Week 15: Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 64,560
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (WJBK/NFLN): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

In week 15, the Lions hosted the Denver Broncos. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions scored 21 points in the second quarter via a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta, a nine-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, which made the score 21–0 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Broncos scored ten points in the third quarter via a three-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Lil'Jordan Humphrey and a 23-yard field goal by Wil Lutz. The Lions extended their lead via a three-yard touchdown pass from Goff to LaPorta. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter, first a 12-yard touchdown run from Gibbs for the Lions, then a one-yard touchdown run from Wilson for the Broncos. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 10-yard touchdown pass from Goff to LaPorta, making the final score 42–17 in favor of Detroit. Goff tied a career-high with five passing touchdowns in the game.^[62] With the win, the Lions improved to 10–4 on the season, their first 10 win season since 2014.^[63]

Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	7	10	6	7	30
Vikings	7	7	7	3	24

Game information

First quarter DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 7:13. Lions 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:47. MIN – Ty Chandler 2-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 2:51. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:22. Second quarter DET – Michael Badgley 37-yard field goal, 5:05. Lions 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 6:58. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 14-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 1:48. Lions 17–7. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 0:50. MIN – Justin Jefferson 26-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 0:29. Lions 17–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:19. Third quarter MIN – K. J. Osborn 6-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 11:56. Vikings 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 81 yards, 3:04. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 1-yard pass from Jared Goff (kick failed), 4:38. Lions 23–21. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:18. Fourth quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 3-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 11:07. Lions 30–21. Drive: 14 plays, 83 yards, 6:54. MIN – Greg Joseph 26-yard field goal, 5:19. Lions 30–24. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 2:12. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 30/40, 257 yards, TD MIN – Nick Mullens – 22/36, 411 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT Top rushers DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 15 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD MIN – Ty Chandler – 8 rushes, 17 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 12 receptions, 106 yards, TD MIN – Justin Jefferson – 6 receptions, 141 yards, TD

Week 16: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: December 24
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,932
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

In week 16, the Lions visited their divisional rival, the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Eve. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The Vikings responded with a two-yard touchdown run from Ty Chandler to tie the game. The Lions scored ten points in the second quarter via a 37-yard field goal by Michael Badgley and a 14-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Vikings scored the final points of the half via a 26-yard touchdown pass from Nick Mullens to Justin Jefferson, which made the score 17–14 in favor of Detroit at half-time. In the third quarter, the Vikings took their first lead of the game via a six-yard touchdown pass from Mullens to K. J. Osborn. The Lions responded with a one-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown to regain the lead. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a three-yard touchdown run from Gibbs. The Vikings scored the final points of the game via a 26-yard field goal by Greg Joseph, making the final score 30–24 in favor of Detroit. Ifeatu Melifonwu intercepted a Mullens pass at the Lions' five-yard line with 58 seconds remaining in the game that sealed the victory. This was Mullens' fourth interception of the game.^[64] With the win, the Lions improved to 11–4 on the season, and won their division for the first time since 1993.^[65]

Week 17: at Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	3	0	7	9	19
Cowboys	7	0	3	10	20

Game information

First quarter DET – Michael Badgley 41-yard field goal, 10:46. Lions 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 52 yards, 4:14. DAL – CeeDee Lamb 92-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brandon Aubrey kick), 3:26. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 3 plays, 89 yards, 1:02. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter DET – David Montgomery 3-yard run (Michael Badgley), 4:34. Lions 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 7:26. DAL – Brandon Aubrey 51-yard field goal, 0:23. Tied 10–10. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:11. Fourth quarter DET – Michael Badgley 30-yard field goal, 12:18. Lions 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:05. DAL – Brandin Cooks 8-yard pass from Dak Prescott (Brandon Aubrey kick), 7:20. Cowboys 17–13. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:58. DAL – Brandon Aubrey 43-yard field goal, 1:41. Cowboys 20–13. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 0:24. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 11-yard pass from Jared Goff (pass failed), 0:23. Cowboys 20–19. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:18. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 19/34, 271 yards, TD, 2 INT DAL – Dak Prescott – 26/38, 345 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DET – David Montgomery – 14 rushes, 66 yards, TD DAL – Tony Pollard – 16 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 6 receptions, 90 yards, TD DAL – CeeDee Lamb – 13 receptions, 227 yards, TD

Week 17: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

• Date: December 30
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 93,731
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (ESPN/ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Game Book

In week 17, the Lions visited the Dallas Cowboys for their final road game of the regular season. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 41-yard field goal by Michael Badgley. The Cowboys responded with a 92-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb. After a scoreless second quarter, the Cowboys led 7–3 at halftime. The Lions regained the lead in the third quarter via a three-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The Cowboys responded with a 51-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey to tie the game. The Lions opened the scoring in the fourth quarter via a 30-yard field goal by Badgley to regain the lead. The Cowboys scored ten points in the quarter via an eight-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to Brandin Cooks and a 43-yard field goal by Aubrey. A momentum shift occurred when Cowboys tight end Peyton Hendershot tripped Aidan Hutchinson. Getting the ball back, the Lions scored the final points of the game via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown with 23 seconds left in the game. The Lions then attempted a two-point conversion, as Goff completed a pass to Taylor Decker to take the lead. However, Decker was incorrectly penalized for illegal touching after the referee said he failed to report as an eligible receiver, despite the fact that footage showed that he reported to the referee beforehand. The Lions attempted a two-point conversion again from the seven-yard line with Goff throwing an interception, but the Cowboys were penalized for offsides. On the final two-point conversion attempt, Goff's pass to James Mitchell was incomplete. In a last-ditch effort, the Lions attempted an onside kick but failed to recover the ball, and the Cowboys ran out the clock, securing a 20–19 victory.^[66] Following the game, the NFL downgraded Brad Allen's officiating crew out of the playoffs for their performance.^[67]

Week 18: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	0	6	7	7	20
Lions	13	0	7	10	30

Game information

First quarter DET – Sam LaPorta 2-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 8:06. Lions 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 52 yards, 2:01. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 3-yard run (kick failed), 2:12. Lions 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:53. Second quarter MIN – Greg Joseph 39-yard field goal, 9:20. Lions 13–3. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 7:52. MIN – Greg Joseph 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 13–6. Drive: 7 plays, 57 yards, 1:12. Third quarter DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 7:14. Lions 20–6. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:15. MIN – Justin Jefferson 38-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 0:20. Lions 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:17. Fourth quarter DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 70-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 14:45. Lions 27–13. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:35. MIN – Jordan Addison 42-yard pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph kick), 13:22. Lions 27–20. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:23. DET – Michael Badgley 39-yard field goal, 8:14. Lions 30–20. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:08. Top passers MIN – Nick Mullens – 30/44, 396 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT DET – Jared Goff – 23/32, 320 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Ty Chandler – 12 rushes, 69 yards DET – David Montgomery – 10 rushes, 40 yards, TD Top receivers MIN – Justin Jefferson – 12 receptions, 192 yards, TD DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 7 receptions, 144 yards, TD

Week 18: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: January 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 63,233
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Game Book

To end the regular season, the Lions hosted their divisional rival, the Minnesota Vikings, in a rematch of week 16. The Lions scored 13 points in the first quarter via a two-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta and a three-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Vikings scored six points in the second quarter via two field goals by Greg Joseph from 39-yards, and 43-yards, respectively, which made the score 13–6 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, first a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery for the Lions, then a 38-yard touchdown pass from Nick Mullens to Justin Jefferson for the Vikings. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 70-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Vikings responded with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Mullens to Jordan Addison. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 39-yard field goal by Michael Badgley. With the win, the Lions improved to 12–5 on the season, tying a single-season franchise record for wins.

Standings

Division

NFC North
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(3) Detroit Lions	12	5	0	.706	4–2	8–4	461	395	W1
(7) Green Bay Packers	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	383	350	W3
Minnesota Vikings	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	344	362	L4
Chicago Bears	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	360	379	L1

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1[a]	San Francisco 49ers	West	12	5	0	.706	5–1	10–2	.509	.475	L1
2[a][b]	Dallas Cowboys	East	12	5	0	.706	5–1	9–3	.446	.392	W2
3[a][b]	Detroit Lions	North	12	5	0	.706	4–2	8–4	.481	.436	W1
4[c]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	.481	.379	W1
Wild cards
5	Philadelphia Eagles	East	11	6	0	.647	4–2	7–5	.481	.476	L2
6	Los Angeles Rams	West	10	7	0	.588	5–1	8–4	.529	.453	W4
7[d][e]	Green Bay Packers	North	9	8	0	.529	4–2	7–5	.474	.458	W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[d][e]	Seattle Seahawks	West	9	8	0	.529	2–4	7–5	.512	.392	W1
9[c][d]	New Orleans Saints	South	9	8	0	.529	4–2	6–6	.433	.340	W2
10[f][g]	Minnesota Vikings	North	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	.509	.454	L4
11[g][h]	Chicago Bears	North	7	10	0	.412	2–4	6–6	.464	.370	L1
12[f][h]	Atlanta Falcons	South	7	10	0	.412	3–3	4–8	.429	.462	L2
13	New York Giants	East	6	11	0	.353	3–3	5–7	.512	.353	W1
14[i]	Washington Commanders	East	4	13	0	.235	0–6	2–10	.512	.338	L8
15[i]	Arizona Cardinals	West	4	13	0	.235	0–6	3–9	.561	.588	L1
16	Carolina Panthers	South	2	15	0	.118	1–5	1–11	.522	.500	L3
Tiebreakers[j]
San Francisco finished ahead of Dallas and Detroit based on conference record. Dallas finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Tampa Bay finished ahead of New Orleans based on common record. (Tampa Bay is 8–4 against Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, while New Orleans is 6–6 against the same teams.) Green Bay and Seattle finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record. Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on strength of victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot. Minnesota finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Chicago (see below). Minnesota finished ahead of Chicago based on common record. (Minnesota is 5–7 against Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina, Kansas City, Green Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Las Vegas, and Detroit, while Chicago is 4–8 against the same teams.) Chicago finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Washington finished ahead of Arizona 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.

Postseason

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan celebrates the Lions' NFC Division Playoffs victory alongside staffers

See also: 2023–24 NFL playoffs

Schedule

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
Wild Card	January 14	Los Angeles Rams (6)	W 24–23	1–0	Ford Field	Recap
Divisional	January 21	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)	W 31–23	2–0	Ford Field	Recap
NFC Championship	January 28	at San Francisco 49ers (1)	L 31–34	2–1	Levi's Stadium	Recap

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Los Angeles Rams

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	3	14	3	3	23
Lions	14	7	3	0	24

Game information

First quarter DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 9:30. Lions 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:30. LAR – Brett Maher 24-yard field goal, 4:26. Lions 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:04. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 10-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 1:31. Lions 14–3. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:55. Second quarter LAR – Puka Nacua 50-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Brett Maher kick), 13:24. Lions 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:07. DET – Sam LaPorta 2-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 7:12. Lions 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:12. LAR – Tutu Atwell 38-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Brett Maher kick), 4:02. Lions 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:10. Third quarter DET – Michael Badgley 54-yard field goal, 8:41. Lions 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:36. LAR – Brett Maher 27-yard field goal, 2:33. Lions 24–20. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 6:08. Fourth quarter LAR – Brett Maher 29-yard field goal, 8:10. Lions 24–23. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:43. Top passers LAR – Matthew Stafford – 25/36, 367 yards, 2 TD DET – Jared Goff – 22/27, 277 yards, TD Top rushers LAR – Kyren Williams – 13 rushes, 61 yards DET – David Montgomery – 14 rushes, 57 yards, TD Top receivers LAR – Puka Nacua – 9 receptions, 181 yards, TD DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 7 receptions, 110 yards

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Los Angeles Rams at (3) Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: January 14, 2024
• Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,367
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
• Recap, Game Book

To start the postseason, the Lions hosted the Los Angeles Rams, in the first ever playoff game at Ford Field. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The Rams responded with a 24-yard field goal by Brett Maher. The Lions extended their lead via a 10-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Rams scored 14 points in the second quarter via a 50-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua and a 38-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Tutu Atwell. The Lions responded with a two-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta, which made the score 21–17 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The teams exchanged field goals in the third quarter, first a 54-yard field goal by Michael Badgley for the Lions, then a 24-yard field goal by Maher for the Rams. The Rams scored the only points of the fourth quarter via a 29-yard field goal by Maher. The Lions took possession with 4:07 left in the game and were able to run out the clock, making the final score 24–23 in favor of Detroit. This was the Lions' first playoff victory since January 5, 1992.^[68]

NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	3	7	7	6	23
Lions	3	7	7	14	31

Game information

First quarter DET – Michael Badgley 23-yard field goal, 8:25. Lions 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 2:43. TB – Chase McLaughlin 43-yard field goal, 4:19. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 4:06. Second quarter DET – Josh Reynolds 9-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 12:33. Lions 10–3. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:46. TB – Cade Otton 2-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:15. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 1:13. Third quarter DET – Craig Reynolds 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 3:48. Lions 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:25. TB – Rachaad White 12-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin kick), 0:10. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:38. Fourth quarter DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 31-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 13:13. Lions 24–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:57. DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown 9-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 6:22. Lions 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 6:22. TB – Mike Evans 16-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (two-point conversion failed), 4:37. Lions 31–23. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:45. Top passers TB – Baker Mayfield – 26/41, 349 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT DET – Jared Goff – 30/43, 287 yards, 2 TD Top rushers TB – Rachaad White – 9 rushes, 55 yards DET – Jahmyr Gibbs – 9 rushes, 74 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Mike Evans – 8 receptions, 141 yards, TD DET – Amon-Ra St. Brown – 8 receptions, 77 yards, TD

NFC Divisional Playoffs: (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at (3) Detroit Lions – Game summary

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: January 21, 2024
• Game time: 3:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 66,201
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung
• Recap, Game Book

In the divisional round, the Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in a rematch of week 6. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 23-yard field goal by Michael Badgley. The Buccaneers responded with a 43-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin to tie the game. The Lions regained the lead in the second quarter via a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Josh Reynolds. The Buccaneers responded with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to Cade Otton tying the score at 10–10 at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, first a one-yard touchdown run from Craig Reynolds for the Lions, then a 12-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to Rachaad White for the Buccaneers. The Lions scored 14 points in the fourth quarter via a 31-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs and a nine-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Buccaneers responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to Mike Evans and a failed two-point conversion attempt. The Buccaneers' attempted comeback failed after Mayfield's pass was intercepted by Derrick Barnes with 1:35 remaining in the game, securing the Lions' victory. With the win, the Lions advanced to the NFC Championship game for the second time in franchise history, and the first time since the 1991 season.^[69]

NFC Championship: at (1) San Francisco 49ers

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	14	10	0	7	31
49ers	0	7	17	10	34

Game information

First quarter DET – Jameson Williams 42-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 13:18. Lions 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:42. DET – David Montgomery 1-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 2:34. Lions 14–0. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:20. Second quarter SF – Christian McCaffrey 2-yard run (Jake Moody kick), 13:49. Lions 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:45. DET – Jahmyr Gibbs 15-yard run (Michael Badgley kick), 5:54. Lions 21–7. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:43. DET – Michael Badgley 21-yard field goal, 0:07. Lions 24–7. Drive: 17 plays, 68 yards, 4:52. Third quarter SF – Jake Moody 43-yard field goal, 11:02. Lions 24–10. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 3:58. SF – Brandon Aiyuk 6-yard pass from Brock Purdy (Jake Moody kick), 5:17. Lions 24–17. Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 1:41. SF – Christian McCaffrey 1-yard run (Jake Moody kick), 3:02. Tied 24–24. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 2:07. Fourth quarter SF – Jake Moody 33-yard field goal, 9:52. 49ers 27–24. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 7:09. SF – Elijah Mitchell 3-yard run (Jake Moody kick), 3:02. 49ers 34–24. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:30. DET – Jameson Williams 3-yard pass from Jared Goff (Michael Badgley kick), 0:56. 49ers 34–31. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 2:06. Top passers DET – Jared Goff – 25/41, 273 yards, TD, SF – Brock Purdy – 20/31, 267 yards, TD, INT Top rushers DET – David Montgomery – 15 rushes, 93 yards, TD SF – Christian McCaffrey – 20 rushes, 90 yards, 2 TD Top receivers DET – Sam LaPorta – 9 receptions, 97 yards SF – Deebo Samuel – 8 receptions, 89 yards

NFC Championship: (3) Detroit Lions at (1) San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

• Date: January 28, 2024
• Game time: 6:40 p.m. EST/3:40 p.m. PST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 69 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 71,824
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
• Recap, Game Book

In the NFC Championship game, the Lions visited the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions scored 14 points in the first quarter via a 42-yard touchdown run from Jameson Williams and a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The 49ers responded in the second quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from Christian McCaffrey. The Lions added ten points in the quarter via a 15-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs and a 21-yard field goal by Michael Badgley, which made the score 24–7 in favor of Detroit at halftime. The 49ers scored 17 points in the third quarter via a 43-yard field goal by Jake Moody, a six-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Brandon Aiyuk and a one-yard touchdown run from McCaffrey to tie the game. The 49ers scored ten points in the fourth quarter via a 33-yard field goal by Moody and a three-yard touchdown run from Elijah Mitchell to take their first lead of the game. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a three-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Williams with 56 seconds remaining in the game. The Lions' attempted comeback failed after they were unable to recover an onside kick. The 49ers then ran out the clock to win, ending the Lions' season.^[70]

References

1. Maakaron, John (November 19, 2023). "Lions Have Started NFL Season 8–2 for First Time since 1962". SI.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
2. Ramsey, Jared (December 24, 2023). "Detroit Lions players, fans go wild for first division title in 30 years". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
3. Meinke, Kyle (December 24, 2023). "Instant observations: Lions win first NFC North crown, bring playoffs to Ford Field". MLive.com. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
4. Lions' Dan Campbell Questioned by NFL Fans After Blowing 17-Point Lead in 49ers Loss, Bleacher Report, January 29, 2024
5. "Lions re-sign LB Alex Anzalone to contract extension through the 2025 season". detroitlions.com. March 15, 2023.
6. "Lions re-sign K Michael Badgley". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
7. "Patriots Sign LB Chris Board". patriots.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
8. "Seahawks Sign C Evan Brown". seahawks.com. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
9. "49ers Sign DL Austin Bryant to a One-Year Deal". 49ers.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
10. "Lions re-sign DL Isaiah Buggs". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
11. "Panthers agree to terms with wide receiver DJ Chark". panthers.com. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
12. "Lions re-sign DL John Cominsky to contract extension through the 2024 season". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
13. "Lions re-sign long snapper Scott Daly". Lions Wire. March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
14. "Miami Dolphins Sign DeShon Elliott and Dan Feeney". miamidolphins.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
15. "Lions re-sign CB Will Harris". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
16. "Lions sign Justin Jackson, waive Greg Bell". NBCSports.com. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
17. "Falcons sign cornerback Mike Hughes to two-year deal". atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
18. "Lions bring back DT Benito Jones". sports.yahoo.com. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
19. "Saints sign former Lions, Notre Dame OL Tommy Kraemer". Saints Wire. August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
20. "Lions re-sign S C.J. Moore to contract extension through the 2024 season". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
21. "Lions re-sign T Matt Nelson". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
22. Citak, Matt (March 23, 2023). "Former Lions CB Amani Oruwariye joins Giants". Giants.com. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
23. "Lions re-sign OL Ross Pierschbacher". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
24. Risdon, Jeff. "Lions tender an offer to LB Anthony Pittman". lionswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
25. "Cardinals sign Dylan Mabin, Bobby Price". Pro Football Talk. NBCSports.com. June 5, 2023.
26. "Lions re-sign RB Craig Reynolds". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
27. "Colts sign OT Dan Skipper, waive OT Jordan Murray, TE Kaden Smith". Colts.com. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
28. "Lions re-sign QB Nate Sudfeld". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
29. "New Orleans Saints agree to terms on three-year contract with running back Jamaal Williams". neworleanssaints.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
30. "Cardinals Add Linebacker Josh Woods To Roster". azcardinals.com. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
31. "Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra re-sign with Lions". NBC Sports. April 17, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
32. "Lions sign unrestricted free agent DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
33. "Lions sign unrestricted free agent OL Graham Glasgow". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
34. "Lions sign unrestricted free agent WR Marvin Jones Jr". detroitlions.com. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
35. "Detroit Lions sign CB Mac McCain". prideofdetroit.com. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
36. "Lions sign unrestricted free agent LS Jake McQuaide". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
37. "Lions sign unrestricted free agent RB David Montgomery". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
38. "Lions sign unrestricted free agent CB Emmanuel Moseley". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
39. "Lions sign free agent LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
40. "Lions sign unrestricted free agent CB Cameron Sutton". detroitlions.com. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
41. "Lions release DL Michael Brockers". detroitlions.com. February 24, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
42. "Lions trade former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah to Falcons". ESPN.com. April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
43. "Lions release WR Quintez Cephus and S C.J. Moore". detroitlions.com. April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
44. Patra, Kevin. "Lions trade RB D'Andre Swift to Eagles after drafting Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 1". nfl.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
45. @Lions (August 10, 2023). "#Lions announce roster moves: Sign QB Teddy Bridgewater and RB Benny Snell Waive G Logan Stenberg Place RB Justin Jackson on Reserve/Retired list" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
46. "Marvin Jones announces he's stepping away from Lions; WR later released by team". NFL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
47. Birkett, Dave (April 27, 2023). "Detroit Lions stun by picking Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall in NFL draft 2023". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
48. Birkett, Dave (April 27, 2023). "Detroit Lions pick Iowa's Jack Campbell, Big Ten's top defender, at No. 18 in NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
49. Birkett, Dave (April 28, 2023). "Detroit Lions take Iowa TE Sam LaPorta in second round of NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
50. Birkett, Dave (April 28, 2023). "Detroit Lions trade up for Alabama DB Brian Branch in Round 2 of NFL draft 2023". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
51. Birkett, Dave (April 28, 2023). "Detroit Lions pick Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker in third round of NFL draft 2023". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
52. Birkett, Dave (April 28, 2023). "Detroit Lions pick Western Kentucky DT Brodric Martin in Round 3 of NFL draft 2023". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
53. Birkett, Dave (April 29, 2023). "Detroit Lions take OL Colby Sorsdal in 5th round of NFL draft". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
54. Birkett, Dave (April 29, 2023). "Detroit Lions pick North Carolina WR Antoine Green in 7th round of NFL draft 2023". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
55. "TWENTYMAN: A closer look at the Lions' undrafted rookie free agents". detroitlions.com. May 12, 2023.
56. Ford, Ryan (October 8, 2023). "Detroit Lions start 4–1 (or better) for fourth time in 50 seasons". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
57. Detroit Lions are atop NFL standings after win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers; fans react Detroit Free Press, October 15, 2023
58. Ramsey, Jared (November 12, 2023). "David Montgomery's 75-yard touchdown run longest in 12 years for Detroit Lions". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
59. "Lions 31–26 Bears (Nov 19, 2023) Final Score". ESPN.com. November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
60. Wojnowski, Bob (November 19, 2023). "Wojo: Lions defy comeback odds, rise to 8–2 record for first time in 61 years". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
61. Meinke, Kyle (November 19, 2023). "Instant observations: Lions stun Bears, improve to 8–2 for first time since 1962". MLive.com. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
62. "Jared Goff throws 5 TD passes as NFC North-leading Detroit Lions bounce back, beat Broncos". cbsnews.com. CBS News. December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
63. Legwold, Jeff; Woodyard, Eric (December 16, 2023). "Jared Goff erupts for 5 TDs as Lions trounce Broncos". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
64. Woodyard, Eric (December 24, 2023). "Lions end long drought, win 1st division title since '93". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
65. Birkett, Dave (December 24, 2023). "Detroit Lions win NFC North with thrilling 30–24 victory over Minnesota Vikings". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
66. Ramsey, James (December 31, 2023). "Detroit Lions fans say team was 'screwed' by refs late in 20–19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
67. Podell, Garrett (December 31, 2023). "NFL expected to downgrade Brad Allen ref crew for playoffs after Lions-Cowboys questionable calls, per report". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
68. Cooper, Mark (January 14, 2024). "How the Lions beat the Rams to snap a 32-year playoff win drought and spoil Matthew Stafford's return". The Athletic. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
69. Werner, Barry (January 21, 2024). "Derrick Barnes' interception punches Lions' ticket to San Francisco". USA Today. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
70. Rogers, Justin (January 28, 2024). "HEARTBREAK: Lions squander 17-point lead, fall to 49ers in NFC Championship". The Detroit News. Retrieved February 6, 2024.

External links

• Official website