2015 Detroit Lions season
| 2015 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jim Caldwell |
| General manager |
Martin Mayhew (fired Nov. 5) Sheldon White (interim) |
| Owner | Martha Firestone Ford |
| Home field | Ford Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC North |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers |
Ezekiel Ansah, DE Calvin Johnson, WR |
The 2015 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 86th season in the National Football League, 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. Also this season involved the Lions first win in Green Bay since 1991.
Notes
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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