Blocking by the Lions' offense againstMinnesota, September 30
The2012 season was theDetroit Lions' 83rd in theNational Football League (NFL), their 79th as the Detroit Lions and their fourth under head coachJim Schwartz. The Lions failed to improve from their 10–6 record in2011, and spent most of the season at the bottom of their division. They finished the season with an eight-game losing streak, their worst since the winless2008 season. It was also the franchise's 21st consecutive season without a playoff win.
The Lions set an NFL record with 740 pass attempts during the season (46.25 attempts per game), breaking a record that had stood for thirty years.[1]
This was the final season for longtime Lions placekickerJason Hanson, who in his 21st season with the team (and in the league) and at age 42 was the NFL's oldest active player. Hanson retired on April 4, 2013.
Wide receiverCalvin Johnson brokeJerry Rice’s league record for most receiving yards in a single season, with 1,964 yards in 122 catches.
To open the regular season, the Lions hosted theSt. Louis Rams. The Rams took an early lead whenGreg Zuerlein kicked a 48-yard field goal, the only scoring drive of the first quarter. The Lions responded in the second quarter when Joique Bell ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. St. Louis made it a 1-point game when Greg Zuerlein kicked a 29-yard field goal, and took the lead again whenCortland Finnegan intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 31 yards for a touchdown. The final points of the half were scored when Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 41-yard field goal. The only points of the third quarter was a 45-yard field goal by Jason Hanson to tie the game. In the final quarter, the score continued to sea-saw. First the Rams'Brandon Gibson caught a 23-yard touchdown pass fromSam Bradford to take the lead back again, but the Lions soon tied it back up when Kevin Smith ran in a touchdown from 5 yards out. The Rams then went up by 3 points when kicked Greg Zuerlein his third field goal of the game, this one from 46 yards out. In the final 2 minutes, the Lions completed their third 80-yard scoring drive with a game-winning 5-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Smith, his second of the game. The Lions were able to start 1–0 and capture their second straight regular season opening win.[4][5]
In week 2, the Lions flew west to play theSan Francisco 49ers onSunday Night Football. The 49ers got on the board first with a 21-yard touchdown pass fromAlex Smith toVernon Davis. The Lions responded with two field goals by Jason Hanson, from 38 and 41 yards respectively. The only scoring play of the second quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run byFrank Gore. In the third quarter came a pair of field goals, first a 36-yard kick by San Francisco'sDavid Akers, and later a 40-yard one from Detroit's Jason Hanson. In the final quarter, both teams kicked two more field goals both from 48 yards out, first the 49ers' David Akers, then the Lions' Jason Hanson. Next, San Francisco's Vernon Davis caught his second touchdown pass of the game, this one from 23 yards out. Lastly, Detroit scored their only touchdown of the game when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford dropping the team to 1–1.[6][7]
DET – Jason Hanson 33-yard field goal,Titans 17–9,Drive: 13 plays, 65 yards, 6:30.
TEN – Rob Bironas 38-yard field goal,Titans 20–9,Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 2:17.
Third quarter
DET – Mikel Leshoure 1-yard run (Jason Hanson kick),Titans 20–16,Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 2:54.
Fourth quarter
DET – Jason Hanson 26-yard field goal,Titans 20–19,Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 4:39.
DET – Nate Burleson 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matthew Stafford pass to Nate Burleson for two-point conversion),Lions 27–20,Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:57.
In week 3, the Lions traveled south toNashville to play theTennessee Titans. This game was the highest scoring game of the 2012 NFL season. Detroit started the scoring in the first quarter with a pair of field goals by Jason Hanson, from 47 and 53 yards respectively. On the Titans first drive, they fumbled the snap and the Lions recovered the ball. The Titans responded with a 31-yard field goal byRob Bironas, and took the lead whenDarius Reynaud caught aBen Graham punt and threw a lateral toTommie Campbell who ran back a 65-yard touchdown. Tennessee added more points in the second quarter whenJared Cook caught a 61-yard touchdown pass fromJake Locker. The Lions responded when Jason Hanson kicked a 33-yard field goal. The final points of the first half was a 38-yard kick by The Titans' Rob Bironas. The only points of the third quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Detroit's Mikel Leshoure, sandwiched between two missed FGAs by Bironas. The fourth quarter scoring started whenJason Hanson kicked a 26-yard field goal. Next, the Lions' Nate Burleson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford and the same duo completed a two-point conversion. Tennessee then scored 3 consecutive touchdowns. First, after already returning a punt for a touchdown,Darius Reynaud returned a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. Following a Lions punt,Nate Washington caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from Locker. The Lions drove deep into Titans territory on the next drive butAlterraun Verner yanked the ball out ofBrandon Pettigrew's hands and ran back a 72-yard touchdown.Matthew Stafford had to come out of the game with a pulled leg muscle andShaun Hill responded with a drive ending in a three-yard touchdown toCalvin Johnson with just twenty seconds to go. The Lions kicked onside andAmari Spievey caught the ball off a bounce at the Detroit 35-yard line. Even if Spievey did recover the onside and drove down the field further, his team was set up on the 46-yard line. On the final play of regulation, Hill went deep andTitus Young caught the 46-yard touchdown off a partial deflection. Tied 41–41, the game went to overtime. After winning the coin toss, the Titans' Rob Bironas kicked the game-winning a field goal from 26 yards out. The Lions then drove down field, but were stopped on a fourth-down stand at the Titans 7-yard line as the team fell to 1–2.[8][9]
In week 4, the Lions hosted their NFC North Divisionrivals theMinnesota Vikings. The Vikings took an early lead whenPercy Harvin returned the opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. The Lions responded with a 40-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. Minnesota'sBlair Walsh then kicked a field goal from 49 yards out. Both teams kicked a field goal in the second quarter, first Minnesota's Blair Walsh from 27 yards out, then Detroit's Jason Hanson from 31 yards. The only scoring drive of the third quarter was when the Vikings'Marcus Sherels returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown. The Lions scored the only points of the final quarter when quarterback Matthew Stafford completed a 1-yard run for a touchdown. With the loss, the Lions went into theirbye week at 1–3.[10][11]
After their bye week, the Lions traveled east to play thePhiladelphia Eagles. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter with two field goals by Jason Hanson, from 46 and 34 yards out. The only scoring drive of the second quarter was a 2-yard touchdown pass fromMichael Vick toLeSean McCoy to put Philadelphia up by 1 point. In the third quarter the Eagles'Alex Henery kicked 2 field goals, from 26 and 32 yards out. In the fourth quarter, Alex Henery kicked a 49-yard field goal. The Lions responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Matthew Stafford. The Eagles'Jeremy Maclin then caught a 70-yard touchdown pass fromMichael Vick. The Lions responded with their own touchdown pass, a 17-yarder from Matthew Stafford to Nate Burleson. The Lions took it to overtime after Jason Hanson kicked a 19-yard field goal. On the second drive in Overtime, the Lions' Jason Hanson kicked the game-winning field goal from 45 yards out. With the win, the Lions improved to 2–3, snapping their 3-game losing streak.[12][13]
In week 7, the Lions traveled toChicago to take on their NFC North Divisionarch-rivals theChicago Bears onMonday Night Football. The Bears struck first whenBrandon Marshall caught a 7-yard touchdown pass fromJay Cutler, and added more points whenRobbie Gould kicked a 39-yard field goal. After a scoreless second quarter, the Bears' Robbie Gould scored the only points of the third quarter with a 21-yard field goal. The Lions scored their only points of the game in the fourth quarter when Ryan Broyles caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. It was their fifth straight loss at Chicago as they dropped to 2–4 on the season.[14][15]
In week 8, the Lions hosted theSeattle Seahawks. Seattle started the scoring with a 23-yard field goal bySteven Hauschka. The Lions then took the lead when Ryan Broyles caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. In the second quarter, the Seahawks scored 2 consecutive touchdowns: first with aMarshawn Lynch 77-yard run, then with aSidney Rice 9-yard catch fromRussell Wilson. The Lions responded with a Titus Young 46-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions took the lead back when Matthew Stafford ran in a touchdown from 1 yard out. Seattle went up by 3 points with aZach Miller 16-yard catch from Russell Wilson. The Lions' Titus Young then scored the game-winning touchdown with 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford.[16][17] It was the Lions' first win against Seattle since 1999 and would be their last until 2024.
In week 9, the Lions flew south to play theJacksonville Jaguars. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions' Mikel Leshoure ran in three consecutive touchdowns, from 7, 1, and 8 yards out respectively to take a 21-point lead going into halftime. Leshoure became the first Lions rusher to score three touchdowns in the first half.[18] After a scoreless third quarter, Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 42-yard field goal. The Jaguars finally got on the board whenMicheal Spurlock caught a 5-yard touchdown pass fromBlaine Gabbert; they then completed a two-point conversion when Blaine Gabbert completed a pass toRashad Jennings. The Lions responded with a 10-yard touchdown run from Joique Bell. Jacksonville scored the final points of the game with a 6-yard touchdown catch from Blaine Gabbert toJustin Blackmon; they again went for a two-point conversion, but were unsuccessful this time. It was the Lions' most lopsided win of the season and would also be their final victory of the 2012 season.[19][20]
In week 10, the Lions traveled toMinneapolis for the rematch against their NFC NorthrivalMinnesota Vikings. Minnesota took an early lead whenJarius Wright caught a 3-yard touchdown pass fromChristian Ponder, and added more points whenBlair Walsh kicked a 58-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Lions scored their only points of the first half when Jason Hanson scored a 41-yard field goal. The Vikings responded with a 23-yard field goal by Blair Walsh. After halftime, the Blair Walsh kicked another 23-yard field goal. The Lions responded with a Brandon Pettigrew caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. In the final quarter, Minnesota'sKyle Rudolph caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Christian Ponder, andAdrian Peterson ran the ball in for a two-point conversion. The Lions responded when Titus Young caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Vikings added to their lead when Adrian Peterson completed a 61-yard touchdown run, then Blair Walsh scored a 33-yard field goal. The Lions scored the game's final points when Calvin Johnson caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford.[21][22]
In week 11, the Lions hosted their NFC North Divisionrivals theGreen Bay Packers. The only scoring play of the first quarter was when Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 30-yard field goal. The Packers got on the board in the second quarter whenJermichael Finley caught a 20-yard touchdown pass fromAaron Rodgers. The Lions responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mikel Leshoure. In the third quarter, the Packers'M. D. Jennings intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 72 yards for a touchdown. The Lions responded with a Calvin Johnson 25-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Lions scored their final points in the fourth quarter when Jason Hanson kicked a 27-yard field goal. The Packers then scored a touchdown whenRandall Cobb caught a 22-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, and capped off their win with a 39-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.[23][24]
For theirannual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted theHouston Texans. The Lions got on the board early when Mikel Leshoure ran in a touchdown from 2 yards out. The score sea-sawed in the second quarter, with each team scoring a pair of touchdowns. First, the Texans'Arian Foster rushed in a touchdown from 6 yards out. The Lions responded with a 5-yard touchdown run from Mike Foster. Houston'sOwen Daniels then caught a 9-yard touchdown pass fromMatt Schaub. The Lions' Calvin Johnson then caught a 22-yard touchdown pass. After halftime, Detroit's Jason Hanson kicked a 46-yard field goal. Houston responded with an 81-yard touchdown rush byJustin Forsett, which would have been overturned by an official review, but Coach Jim Schwartz's challenge flag negated the review. The Texans tied it up yet again with a 45-yard field goal byShayne Graham. In the fourth quarter, the Lions took the lead back with a 23-yard touchdown run by Joique Bell, but Houston tied it back up with a 1-yard run by Arian Foster inside the 2-minute warning to take it to overtime. After a pair of turnovers and missed field goals by each team, Houston's Shayne Graham kicked the game-winning field goal from 32-yards out. It was the Lions' ninth consecutive Thanksgiving loss.[25][26]
In week 13, the Lions hosted theIndianapolis Colts. They started the scoring when Jason Hanson kicked a 48-yard field goal. The Colts responded with a 17-yard touchdown catch byDonnie Avery fromAndrew Luck. Detroit replied when Brandon Pettigrew caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford, and added to their lead in the second quarter when Mikel Leshoure ran in a touchdown from 6 yards out. The Colts scored their only points of the second quarter when Coby Fleener caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Luck. The Lions closed out the half with 2 field goals from Jason Hanson from 33 and 52 yards out respectively. Each team scored a touchdown in the third quarter. First the Colts'Vick Ballard ran one in from 11 yards out, then Detroit's Calvin Johnson caught 46-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford. The Lions' only points of the final quarter was a 31-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The Colts then rallied from behind with two touchdowns. FirstLaVon Brazill caught a 42-yard pass from Andrew Luck, then Donnie Avery caught a 14-yard pass from Andrew Luck in the final seconds of the game for the win. It was the Lions' third consecutive loss in which they were leading with less than 2 minutes left in the game.[27][28]
In week 14, the Lions flew acrossLake Michigan for a rematch with NFC North Division rivals theGreen Bay Packers onSunday Night Football. The only scoring drive of the first quarter was when Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ran in a touchdown himself from 4 yards out. The Lions added more points in the second quarter when Tony Scheffler caught a Matthew Stafford pass from 3 yards out. The Packers got on the board whenMason Crosby kicked a 49-yard field goal, and added more points whenMike Daniels picked up a Matthew Stafford fumble and ran it back 43 yards for a touchdown to make it 14–10 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Packers took their first lead of the game when quarterbackAaron Rodgers ran in a touchdown from 27 yards, but the Lions tied it up a few minutes later when Jason Hanson kicked a 46-yard field goal. In the final quarter, the Packers took the lead back whenDuJuan Harris ran in a touchdown from 14 yards out, and went up by 10 points when Mason Crosby kicked a 41-yard field goal. The Lions' Jason Hanson kicked a 34-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game, and the Lions attempted to recover an onside kick afterward to try to tie it up and take it to overtime, but failed. It was the Packers' 21st consecutive home win over the Lions, a streak that dates back to 1992, and now eclipses the Lions' current road losing streak vs theWashington Redskins, which stands at 0–21.[29][30]
In week 15, the Lions played their last road game of the season out west against theArizona Cardinals. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions scored their only points of the first half with a 1-yard touchdown run by Mikel Leshoure. The Cardinals responded with 3 consecutive touchdowns: first,Beanie Wells scored a pair of rushing touchdowns from 5 and 1 yards out respectively, thenRashad Johnson intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and ran it back 53 yards to put the Cardinals up 21–7 at halftime. Each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter: first the Cardinals'Jay Feely from 51 yards, then Detroit's Jason Hanson from 41 yards. Arizona capped their win with two touchdowns in the final quarter: firstGreg Toler intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass in the end zone and ran 102 yards for a touchdown, then Beanie Wells scored his third touchdown of the game, this one from 31 yards out.[31][32]
In week 16, the Lions hosted theAtlanta Falcons on a Saturday night. Atlanta took an early lead, which they never gave back, whenRoddy White caught a 44-yard touchdown pass fromMatt Ryan. The Lions responded with a 34-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. In the second quarter, the Falcons' Roddy White caught another touchdown pass, this one from 39 yards out. Atlanta added more points whenJulio Jones caught a 16-yard touchdown pass. The Lions ended the first half with a 38-yard field goal by Jason Hanson. The only points of the third quarter was a 1-yard touchdown run by Detroit's Mikel Leshoure. The Lions scored another field goal to start the fourth quarter, this one from 20 yards out. The Falcons added 10 more points whenMichael Palmer caught a 1-yard touchdown pass, thenMatt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal. The Lions scored the game's final points when Atlanta'sMichael Turner was tackled in his own end zone for a Detroit safety. The game's biggest highlight was when Detroit's Calvin Johnson surpassedJerry Rice's 1,848-yard single season receiving record from 1995. At the end of the game, Johnson had compiled 1,892 receiving yards on the year.[33][34]
For their last game of the season, the Lions hosted a rematch against their NFC North Division rival theChicago Bears. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter when Jason Hanson kicked a 44-yard field goal. The Bears then took the lead, which they never gave back, whenEarl Bennett caught a 60-yard touchdown pass fromJay Cutler, and added more 3 points whenOlindo Mare kicked a 33-yard field goal. The Lions responded when Kris Durham caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to make it 20–10 at halftime. After the intermission, Detroit scored another touchdown, this one with a 10-yard catch by Will Heller from Matthew Stafford. The Bears responded with a pair of field goals by Olindo Mare, first one from 28-yards late in the third quarter, then one from 20 yards out early in the fourth. The Lions scored the final points of the game when Brian Robiskie caught a 9-yard pass from Matthew Stafford.[35][36] With their eight consecutive loss, the Lions finished their season at 4–12. Also, for the second time under Coach Schwartz's tenure which began in 2009, the team failed to win a single division game. It was also his third losing season.
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