2015 Detroit Lions Season

The 2015 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 86th season in the National Football League, 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. On November 19, the Lions named Rod Wood as team President. 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.

2015 Detroit Lions season
OwnerMartha Firestone Ford
General managerMartin Mayhew (fired Nov. 5)
Sheldon White (interim)
Head coachJim Caldwell
Home fieldFord Field
Results
Record7–9
Division place3rd NFC North
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersEzekiel Ansah, DE
Calvin Johnson, WR

Offseason

Re-signings

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

Arrivals

Date Player Position Previous team Contract Source
February 27 Phillip Hunt Defensive end Indianapolis Colts 1 year / $585,000
March 12 Tyrunn Walker Defensive end New Orleans Saints 1 year / $1.75 million
April 3 Josh Wilson Cornerback Atlanta Falcons 1 year / $950,000
April 7 Brandon Copeland Linebacker Tennessee Titans 1 year / $460,000
May 2 Al Bond Guard Memphis
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
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
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
Lance Moore Wide receiver Pittsburgh Steelers 1 year / $1.05 million
May 13 Greg Salas Wide receiver New York Jets 1 year / $745,000
Chris Owens Cornerback Kansas City Chiefs 1 year / –
Ameer Abdullah Running back Nebraska 4 years / $4.156 million
June 10 David Ausberry Tight end Oakland Raiders 1 year / $660,000
June 11 Laken Tomlinson Guard Duke 4 years / $8.55 million
June 15 Garrett Gilbert Quarterback New England Patriots 1 year / –
June 22 Taylor Mays Safety Minnesota Vikings 1 year / $745,000
July 28 R. J. Stanford Cornerback Miami Dolphins 1 year / –
August 4 Ethan Davis Cornerback Troy 1 year / –

Departures

Date Player Position Note New Team Source
February 25 Reggie Bush Running back Released San Francisco 49ers
March 11 Ndamukong Suh Defensive tackle UFA Miami Dolphins
March 12 Jed Collins Fullback UFA Dallas Cowboys
March 13 Nick Fairley Defensive tackle UFA St. Louis Rams
April 21 Rodney Austin Guard Released
May 11 Desmond Lawrence Wide receiver Released
May 12 Rasheed Williams Running back Released
May 13 Skye Dawson Wide receiver Released Edmonton Eskimos (CFL)
June 3 Erik Lora Wide receiver Released
June 10 Nathan Lindsey Defensive back Released
June 12 Anthony Boone Quarterback Released Montreal Alouettes (CFL)
June 17 Rasheed Williams Running back Released
August 4 Jerrell Harris Linebacker Released
August 8 Ethan Davis Cornerback Waived

Trades

Draft

2015 Detroit Lions Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 28 Laken Tomlinson G Duke
2 54 Ameer Abdullah RB Nebraska
3 80 Alex Carter CB Stanford
4 113 Gabe Wright DT Auburn
5 168 Michael Burton FB Rutgers
6 200 Quandre Diggs CB Texas
7 240 Corey Robinson OT South Carolina

Notes

  • The Lions traded their fourth and fifth-round selections (Nos. 122 and 158 overall, respectively) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and the Ravens' seventh-round selection (No. 231 overall).
  • The Lions traded defensive end George Johnson and their seventh-round selection (No. 231 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall).
  • The Lions traded their first-round selection (No. 23 overall) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Denver's 2015 first and fifth-round selections (Nos. 28 and 143 overall, respectively), their fifth-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft, and guard Manny Ramirez.
  • The Lions traded their third and fifth-round selections (Nos. 88 and 143 overall, respectively) to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a third-round selection (No. 80 overall).
  • The Lions traded their third-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a fourth-round selection (No. 113 overall).

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

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 13 New York Jets W 23–3 1–0 Ford Field Recap
2 August 20 at Washington Redskins L 17–21 1–1 FedExField Recap
3 August 28 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 22–17 2–1 EverBank Field Recap
4 September 3 Buffalo Bills W 17–10 3–1 Ford Field Recap

Regular season

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 13 at San Diego Chargers L 28–33 0–1 Qualcomm Stadium Recap
2 September 20 at Minnesota Vikings L 16–26 0–2 TCF Bank Stadium Recap
3 September 27 Denver Broncos L 12–24 0–3 Ford Field Recap
4 October 5 at Seattle Seahawks L 10–13 0–4 CenturyLink Field Recap
5 October 11 Arizona Cardinals L 17–42 0–5 Ford Field Recap
6 October 18 Chicago Bears W 37–34 (OT) 1–5 Ford Field Recap
7 October 25 Minnesota Vikings L 19–28 1–6 Ford Field Recap
8 November 1 at Kansas City Chiefs L 10–45 1–7 2015 Detroit Lions Season  Wembley Stadium (London) Recap
9 Bye
10 November 15 at Green Bay Packers W 18–16 2–7 Lambeau Field Recap
11 November 22 Oakland Raiders W 18–13 3–7 Ford Field Recap
12 November 26 Philadelphia Eagles W 45–14 4–7 Ford Field Recap
13 December 3 Green Bay Packers L 23–27 4–8 Ford Field Recap
14 December 13 at St. Louis Rams L 14–21 4–9 Edward Jones Dome Recap
15 December 21 at New Orleans Saints W 35–27 5–9 Mercedes-Benz Superdome Recap
16 December 27 San Francisco 49ers W 32–17 6–9 Ford Field Recap
17 January 3 at Chicago Bears W 24–20 7–9 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
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 7 14 0728
Chargers 3 7 101333

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 10 0616
Vikings 7 10 6326

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Broncos 0 14 01024
Lions 0 6 6012

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 3 0710
Seahawks 0 10 3013

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.

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 28 7742
Lions 7 0 01017

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
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Bears 3 10 318034
Lions 7 14 310337

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Vikings 3 12 10328
Lions 14 3 0219

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.

Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Eight: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 3 0 0710
Chiefs 7 17 71445

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.

Week 10: at Green Bay Packers

Week Ten: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 3 6918
Packers 3 0 01316

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. 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.

Week 11: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Eleven: Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Raiders 0 0 13013
Lions 6 3 0918

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.

Week 12: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Thanksgiving Day game

Week Twelve: Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Eagles 0 7 0714
Lions 7 17 14745

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 0 141327
Lions 17 0 3323

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 0 7714
Rams 0 7 7721

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
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 7 14 7735
Saints 3 0 71727

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). 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
Period 1 2 34Total
49ers 7 10 0017
Lions 3 17 3932

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.

Week 17: at Chicago Bears

Week Seventeen: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 7 3 7724
Bears 0 0 101020

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.

Standings

Division

NFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Minnesota Vikings 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 365 302 W3
(5) Green Bay Packers 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 368 323 L2
Detroit Lions 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 358 400 W3
Chicago Bears 6 10 0 .375 1–5 3–9 335 397 L1

Conference

# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division Leaders
1 Carolina Panthers South 15 1 0 .938 5–1 11–1 .441 .438 W1
2 Arizona Cardinals West 13 3 0 .813 4–2 10–2 .477 .457 L1
3 Minnesota Vikings North 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 .504 .449 W3
4 Washington Redskins East 9 7 0 .563 4–2 8–4 .465 .403 W4
Wild Cards
5 Green Bay Packers North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .531 .450 L2
6 Seattle Seahawks West 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .520 .431 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Atlanta Falcons South 8 8 0 .500 1–5 5–7 .480 .453 L1
8 St. Louis Rams West 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 .527 .482 L1
9 Detroit Lions North 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .535 .429 W3
10 Philadelphia Eagles East 7 9 0 .438 3–3 4–8 .508 .473 W1
11 New Orleans Saints South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 .504 .402 W2
12 New York Giants East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .500 .396 L3
13 Chicago Bears North 6 10 0 .375 1–5 3–9 .547 .469 L1
14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 6 10 0 .375 3–3 5–7 .484 .406 L4
15 San Francisco 49ers West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .539 .463 W1
16 Dallas Cowboys East 4 12 0 .250 3–3 3–9 .531 .438 L4
Tiebreakers

Staff

2015 Detroit Lions staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • coordinator of physical development – Jason Arapoff
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Ted Rath

References

Tags:

2015 Detroit Lions Season Offseason2015 Detroit Lions Season Final roster2015 Detroit Lions Season Schedule2015 Detroit Lions Season Standings2015 Detroit Lions Season Staff2015 Detroit Lions Season

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