The Detroit Lions

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...

was the franchise's 77th season in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

, and their 83rd as the Detroit Lions. The season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2005; however, they regressed and finished with a 3–13 record. The Lions started the 2006 season losing their first five games and six of their first seven. The Lions would not recover, as they never got over .500 during the season. The Lions would only get two wins in their first 15 games, both home wins against the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons, who both finished with losing records. The Lions went 1–6 against teams that finished with a winning record. From weeks 10 to 16, the Lions embarked on a 7-game losing streak to sit at 2–13, but in week 17, the Lions conclude their season by stunning the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

in Dallas 39–31 – a loss that cost the Cowboys the NFC East. The lowest point of the season came in their Thanksgiving Day game against the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

. During the game, "Fire Millen" signs, which were a part of the "Fire Millen" movement in association with Lions general manager

Matt Millen Matthew George Millen (born March 12, 1958) is a former American football linebacker and executive. Millen played 12 years in the National Football League for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Redskins, ...

, were seen in the stands for portions of the game. All the while, fans chanting “Fire Millen” were heard all over the stadium. The Dolphins won the game 27–10.

Offseason

On January 19, the Lions hired

Rod Marinelli Rodney Marinelli (born July 13, 1949) is an American football coach. He has been a defensive coach for several college and professional teams, serving primarily as a defensive line coach when he has not been a coordinator. From 2006 until 2008, ...

as the team’s new head coach. From the

Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. Dungy's teams be ...

“coaching tree”, Marinelli had previously served as the defensive line coach and assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The new offensive coordinator,

Mike Martz Michael Martz (born May 13, 1951) is an American football coach. Best known for his coaching tenure with the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL), he served as the offensive coordinator for the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf offe ...

was brought in, and the following were selected in the

NFL Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...

– linebacker

Ernie Sims Ernie Sims III (born December 23, 1984) is a former American football linebacker and current coach. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He also played for ...

out of Florida State University and safety Daniel Bullocks out of the University of Nebraska. The rest of their picks included Wisconsin RB

Brian Calhoun Brian Calhoun (born May 8, 1984) is a former gridiron football running back. He also was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin. He is coaching high school track and fiel ...

, Texas OT Jonathan Scott, West Virginia CB

Alton McCann Alton "Dee" McCann (born April 24, 1983) is a former professional gridiron football cornerback. He was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, but also played for the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football fo ...

, Southern California Guard

Fred Matua Fred Matua (January 14, 1984 – August 5, 2012) was an American football guard. After playing college football for Southern California, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He was a member of the Lions ...

, and Tulane LB Anthony Cannon.

NFL Draft

Final roster

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Standings

Regular season

Week 1: vs. Seattle Seahawks

''at Ford Field,

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

'' The Lions opened the regular season at home against the Seattle Seahawks on September 10. The Lions would score first on kicker

Jason Hanson Jason Hanson (born June 17, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a kicker who spent his entire 21-year career with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football with the Wash ...

’s 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. However, in the second quarter, Seattle would get back in the game with kicker Josh Brown’s 20-yard and 51-yard field goals. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions would tie in the fourth quarter with Hanson booting a 37-yard field goal, but Seattle got a last-second win with a 42-yard field goal in the closing seconds. With the season-opening loss, the Lions were 0–1.

Week 2: at Chicago Bears

''at

Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

'' The Lions played their first road game of the year, as in Week 2, they played an NFC North battle against

the Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

. From the get-go, the Lions trailed, as they allowed 24 first half points. It came in the form of opposing QB

Rex Grossman Rex Daniel Grossman III (born August 23, 1980) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Florida, where he rece ...

’s 3-yard TD pass to TE

John Gilmore John Gilmore may refer to: * John Gilmore (activist) (born 1955), co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Cygnus Solutions * John Gilmore (musician) (1931–1995), American jazz saxophonist * John Gilmore (representative) (1780–1845 ...

and opposing kicker

Robbie Gould Robert Paul Gould III (; born December 6, 1982) is an American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Chicago Bears from 2005 to 2015, during which he became the franchise's all ...

’s 32-yard field goal in the first quarter. It also came in the form of a 41-yard TD pass to WR

Bernard Berrian Bernard Berrian (born December 27, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Fresno State. Berrian also played for the Minnes ...

and a 31-yard TD pass to TE Desmond Clark. The Lions only score of the game came in the form of QB

Jon Kitna Jon Kelly Kitna (born September 21, 1972) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Central Washington ...

getting a 1-yard QB sneak for a TD in the third quarter. The Bears put the game well-out of reach, as a 5-yard TD to TE John Gilmore later in the quarter and a 45-yard field goal by Gould in the fourth quarter sealed Detroit’s fate. With the loss, the Lions dropped to 0–2.

Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers

''at Ford Field,

'' Hoping to get win #1, the Lions returned home for an NFC North battle with the Green Bay Packers. The game started off with a close first quarter, as QB

Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 201 ...

threw his 400th career touchdown pass, by completing a short pass to rookie WR

Greg Jennings Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at Western Michigan an ...

who took the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. Detroit would tie the game up as QB

completed a 37-yard TD pass to RB

Shawn Bryson Adrian Shawn Bryson (born November 30, 1976) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Tennessee. College career Bryson played at the University of Tennessee under head coach Phillip Fulmer fro ...

. Green Bay would take the lead again as DB

Marquand Manuel Marquand Alexander Manuel (born July 11, 1979) is an American football coach and former safety who is the safeties coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the At ...

returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown, but the Lions would tie the game again as Kitna completed a 42-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams as time ran out of the quarter. In the second quarter, however, the Packers retook the lead for the only score of the period, as kicker

Dave Rayner David Michael Rayner (born October 26, 1982) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan ...

booted a 24-yard field goal. In the third quarter, both sides shared a touchdown with each other. Green Bay got a 5-yard TD pass to WR

Donald Driver Donald Jerome Driver (born February 2, 1975) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Alcorn State University, Driver was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He ...

and Detroit got a 5-yard TD run by RB Kevin Jones. In the fourth quarter, the Packers got some distance, as Favre completed a 4-yard TD pass to RB

Ahman Green Ahman Rashad Green (; born February 16, 1977) is a former American football running back who played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Green played college football at Nebraska and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd ro ...

. The Lions would get a 40-yard field goal by kicker

, but that would be as close as Detroit would get, as they dropped yet another game for the 2006 season as the team fell to 0–3.

Week 4: at St. Louis Rams

''at the

Edward Jones Dome The Dome at America's Center is a multi-purpose stadium used for concerts, major conventions, and sporting events in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Previously known as the Trans World Dome from 1995 to 2001 and the Edward Jones Do ...

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

'' The Lions traveled to the

to take on the St. Louis Rams, where in this game, Lions Offensive Coordinator

would go up against his former team. Detroit fell behind early, as kicker

Jeff Wilkins Jeffrey Allen Wilkins (born April 19, 1972), nicknamed "Money", is a former American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL). With the Rams, he won Super Bo ...

nailed a 42-yard and a 19-yard field goal to give the Rams an early lead. The Lions would get a field goal of their own, as kicker

got a 29-yard field goal. However, before the end of the period, St. Louis increased their lead with QB

Marc Bulger Marc Robert Bulger (; born April 5, 1977) is a retired American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth r ...

completing a 16-yard TD pass to rookie TE

Joe Klopfenstein Joe Klopfenstein (born November 9, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado. Early years He played high school football ...

. In the second quarter, Detroit would start to rally, as QB

and WR Mike Furrey connected on two touchdown passes (a 1-yarder and a 10-yarder). The Rams would trail by 1 at halftime, as Wilkins got a 46-yard field goal to end the half as the score was 17 to 16 Lions. In the third quarter, the points continued to climb, St. Louis would regain the lead with Bulger completing a 16-yard TD pass to WR

Torry Holt Torry Jabar Holt (born June 5, 1976) is a former professional American football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and retired with the 10th most rec ...

. The Lions would respond with Hanson getting a 20-yard field goal and RB Kevin Jones running 35 yards for a touchdown. However, RB Steven Jackson would help the Rams respond with a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter, Detroit would score again as Jones got a 7-yard TD run. That would be as far as the Lions would get in the game, as the Rams scored 10 unanswered points to end the game, as Wilkins nailed a 47-yard field goal, and Bulger connected with WR

Isaac Bruce Isaac Isidore Bruce (born November 10, 1972) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and a member of the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round o ...

on a 5-yard TD pass. With their loss, the Lions fell to 0–4.

Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings

''at

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League ...

, Minneapolis, Minnesota'' Still looking for their first win, the Lions flew to the

for Week 5, as they played an NFC North match-up with the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions started off with a small deficit as Vikings kicker

Ryan Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974Ryan Longwell
NFLPA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

kicked a 26-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Detroit started to show some offensive dominance, as QB

ran 8 yards for a touchdown, while kicker

kicked a 53-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Lions seemed to wrap up the victory as TE

Dan Campbell Daniel Allen Campbell (born April 13, 1976), nicknamed "Motor City Dan Campbell", or "MCDC" for short, is an American football coach and a former tight end who is the head coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He pr ...

caught a 12-yard TD pass for the only score of the period. The Lions fell apart in the fourth quarter, as Vikings QB Brad Johnson completed a 3-yard TD pass to WR Travis Taylor, Vikings LB Ben Leber recovered a fumble in Detroit’s endzone for a touchdown, Longwell kicked a 20-yard field goal, and OLB E.J. Henderson returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. With their heart-breaking loss, the Lions dropped to 0–5 on the year.

Week 6: vs. Buffalo Bills

''at Ford Field,

'' Still searching for their first win, the Lions returned home for a Week 6 match-up with the Buffalo Bills. In the first quarter, Detroit got off to a good start with kicker

kicking a 43-yard field goal and RB Kevin Jones getting a 7-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Buffalo started to catch up with QB

J. P. Losman Jonathan Paul Losman (born March 12, 1981) is an American football coach and former quarterback. Losman played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at UCLA and Tu ...

completing a 44-yard TD pass to WR

Roscoe Parrish Roscoe Parrish (born July 16, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver and kick returner. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the second round (55th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college foo ...

. Fortunately, the Lions responded with QB

throwing a 28-yard pass to WR Roy Williams. The Bills would get a 53-yard field goal by kicker

Rian Lindell Rian David Lindell (born January 20, 1977) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Washington State. Early years ...

as time ran out on the half. After a scoreless third quarter, Hanson helped Detroit increase their lead with a 29-yard field goal. The Bills would get one last touchdown, as Losman completed a 4-yard TD pass to TE

Ryan Neufeld Ryan Matthew Neufeld (born November 22, 1975) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. He also was a member of the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe, the Flori ...

. The Lions held on to finally acquire their first win of the year improving to 1–5.

Week 7: at New York Jets

''at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey'' Hoping to build on their win over the Bills, the Lions flew to The Meadowlands and took on the New York Jets. From the get-go, Detroit trailed early as N.Y. RB

Leon Washington Leon Dewitt Washington Sr. (born August 29, 1982) is a former American football running back and return specialist. He currently serves as a coach for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Dra ...

got a 5-yard TD run, while QB

Chad Pennington James Chadwick Pennington (born June 26, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Marshall, where he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, and was select ...

completed a 44-yard TD pass to WR

Justin McCareins Justin Morgan McCareins (born December 1, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He also played for the New York Jets. ...

. In the second quarter, the Lions got on the board with QB

completing a 22-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams. However, the Jets responded with RB

Kevan Barlow Kevan Courtney Barlow (born January 7, 1980) is a former American football running back. During his career, he played for the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers. Early life Barlow played his high school football at P ...

running three yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, New York continued to fly high as kicker

Mike Nugent Michael Nugent (born March 2, 1982) is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for Ohio State University, and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round o ...

completed a 33-yard field goal. Even though Detroit would get another touchdown, with Kitna completing a 9-yard TD pass to RB Kevin Jones, the "Gang Green" would finish off the Lions with Washington’s 16-yard TD run. With the loss, Detroit heads into its Bye Week at 1–6.

Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons

''at Ford Field,

'' Coming off their Bye Week, the Lions were at home for Week 9 as they faced the Atlanta Falcons. In the first quarter, the Lions got off to a fast start, as kicker

nailed a 28-yard field goal, while RB Kevin Jones ran 35 yards for a touchdown. Atlanta would reply with QB

Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...

completing a 19-yard TD pass to TE

Alge Crumpler Algernon Darius Crumpler (; born December 23, 1977) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He pla ...

. In the second quarter, Jones would get a 2-yard TD run for Detroit, while Falcons RB

Warrick Dunn Warrick De'Mon Dunn (born January 5, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 ...

got a 1-yard TD run. In the third quarter, the Lions would start to gain huge momentum as Hanson nailed a 19-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Detroit put the game away with QB

completing a 60-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams and Hanson kicking a 36-yard field goal. With the amazing upset victory, the Lions improved to 2–6.

Week 10: vs. San Francisco 49ers

''at Ford Field,

'' Hoping to build on their win over the Falcons, the Lions stayed at home for their match-up against the San Francisco 49ers. In the first quarter, the Lions trailed as Niners RB

Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third in NFL career rus ...

got a 61-yard TD run, while kicker

Joe Nedney Joseph Thomas Nedney (born March 22, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996. H ...

got a 28-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Nedmey helped San Francisco get a 23-yard field goal, while Lions kicker

got a 25-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Nedney gave the 49ers a 23-yard field goal, while Lions QB

threw an 8-yard TD pass to TE

. In the fourth quarter, Nedney helped the Niners get a 47-yard field goal, while the Lions could only get a 33-yard field goal by Hanson. With the loss, the Lions fell to 2–7.

Week 11: at Arizona Cardinals

''at

University of Phoenix Stadium A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

, Glendale, Arizona'' Hoping to shake off their home loss to 49ers, the Lions traveled to the

for a match-up with the Arizona Cardinals. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions trailed early as QB

Matt Leinart Matthew Stephen Leinart (born May 11, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy ...

hooked up with WR

Bryant Johnson Bryant Andrew Johnson (born March 7, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals 17th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft and also played for the San Fran ...

on a 2-yard TD pass, while kicker Neil Rackers kicked a 36-yard field goal. In the third quarter, things got more complicated for Detroit as Leinart ran the ball in on a 9-yard TD run. The Lions would finally get on the board with kicker

nailing a 32-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, even though Detroit would get a 2-yard TD run by RB Arlen Harris, Arizona’s defense held the Lions long enough for the win. With the loss, Detroit would fall to 2–8.

Week 12: vs. Miami Dolphins

''at Ford Field,

'' Trying to snap their two-game losing streak, the Lions went home for their match-up against the Miami Dolphins in the annual Thanksgiving Day game. In the first quarter, the Lions started off strong with QB

completing a 2-yard TD pass to TE

, while kicker

nailed a 52-yard field goal. The Dolphins would respond with QB

Joey Harrington John Joseph Harrington Jr. (born October 21, 1978) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Oregon, where he w ...

(who formerly played for the Lions) threw his first Thanksgiving Day TD pass in the form of an 8-yard TD pass to WR

Marty Booker Marty Montez Booker (born July 31, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver who played for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Louisiana-Monroe, he was drafted by the Chicago Bear ...

. From there, Miami took control for the rest of the game. In the second quarter, Harrington would throw a 5-yard TD pass to TE

Randy McMichael Randy Montez McMichael (born June 28, 1979) is a former American football tight end in the National Football He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia. Early years Mc ...

for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, kicker

Olindo Mare Olindo Franco Mare (born June 6, 1973) is a former American football placekicker. He was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at MacMurray College and Syracuse. Mare, who was se ...

would nail a 42-yard field goal, while Harrington and Booker hooked up with each other again on a 19-yard TD pass. In the fourth quarter, Mare would kick a 28-yard field goal for the only score of the period, while the Dolphin defense ended up shutting down Detroit’s offense. With the loss, the Lions ended up at 2–9. The game also featured a “Super Bowl”-esque halftime show featuring John Fogerty, who also performed at the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The ...

game.

Week 13: at New England Patriots

''at

Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Foot ...

Foxboro, Massachusetts Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about southwest of Boston, northeast of Providence, Rhode Island and about northwest of Cape Cod. Foxborough is part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 18,618 a ...

'' Trying to snap their three-game losing streak, the Lions flew to

for a Week 13 fight with the New England Patriots. In the first quarter, Detroit trailed early as kicker

Stephen Gostkowski Stephen Carroll Gostkowski ( ; born January 28, 1984) is an American football former placekicker who played for 15 years in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the New England Patriots. He was selected in the fourth round of th ...

nailed a 25-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Lions took the lead with QB

completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Mike Furrey, while kicker

got a 29-yard field goal. However, New England would reclaim the lead with RB

Corey Dillon Corey James Dillon (born October 24, 1974) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. Dillon played college football at Washing ...

’s 6-yard TD run and Gostkowski’s 27-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Detroit came right back with Hanson’s 38-yard and 49-yard field goal, while DE

Jared DeVries Jared Jay DeVries (born June 11, 1976) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for the University of Iowa, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 1999 NFL D ...

sacked Pats QB

Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...

in his endzone for a safety. In the fourth quarter, Hanson would kick a 26-yard field goal. However, their lead would vanish for good, as Dillon got a 2-yard TD run, which was followed up with Brady successfully completing a 2-point conversion pass to WR

Troy Brown Troy Fitzgerald Brown (born July 2, 1971) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers and kick returners coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a wide receiver and k ...

. Dillon would then wrap the game up with a 4-yard TD run. With their fourth-straight loss, the Lions fell to 2–10.

Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings

''at Ford Field,

'' Trying to snap a four-game skid, the Lions went home for an NFC North rematch with the Minnesota Vikings. In the first quarter, the Lions trailed as Vikings RB Artose Pinner (a former Lion) got a 3-yard and a 4-yard TD run. In the second quarter, Detroit’s struggles continued as Vikes QB Brad Johnson got a 3-yard TD run, yet the 2-point conversion failed. Afterwards, the Lions finally got on the board with DB

Jamar Fletcher Jamar Mondell Israel (born August 28, 1979), born Jamar Mondell Fletcher, is an American former college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons in the early 2000s. He played ...

returning an interception 88 yards for a touchdown, while kicker

nailed a 53-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Detroit held Minnesota to a 30-yard field goal by kicker

Ryan Longwell Ryan Walker Longwell (born August 16, 1974Ryan Longwell
NFLPA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014.

, while Hanson kicked a 45-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, Pinner wrapped things up for the Vikings with a 1-yard TD run. Even though the Lions would get a touchdown, from QB

’s 23-yard strike to RB Kevin Jones, Detroit was plagued with 6 turnovers. They pulled within 10 in the 4th qtr and had a fourth and goal with less than four minutes to play. Needing two scores, inexplicably the Lions went for a touchdown and failed, thus killing any hope for a last minute victory. With their fifth-straight loss, the Lions fell to 2–11.

Week 15: at Green Bay Packers

''at

Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing ...

, Green Bay, Wisconsin'' Still looking for their first road win of 2006 and trying to break a now five-game losing streak, the Lions went to Wisconsin to take on the Green Bay Packers. After the teams traded first-quarter field goals, the Packers took a 10–3 halftime lead thanks to a 14-yard TD run by Vernand Morency. Detroit closed to within a point with two more Jason Hanson field goals, but the Packers settled matters with another touchdown run by Morency, this one from 21 yards out with less than three minutes remaining. Packers quarterback

broke Dan Marino’s career completions record during the contest, but also threw three interceptions. The Lions fell to 2–12 on the season, 0–7 away from Ford Field.

Week 16: vs. Chicago Bears

''at Ford Field,

'' Trying to snap a six-game losing skid, the Lions returned home for an NFC North rematch the-now 2-time NFC North champion Chicago Bears. In the first quarter, the Bears struck first with kicker

nailing a 36-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Lions took the lead with QB

completing a 23-yard TD pass to TE

. In the second quarter, Chicago bounced back with QB

completing a 13-yard TD pass to WR

. Afterwards, RB

Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...

got a 2-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Detroit retook the lead with Kitna completing a 20-yard TD pass to WR Mike Furrey and a 2-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams. However, in the fourth quarter, the inconsistency that continues to plague the Lions showed as the Bears won with Gould getting a 36-yard field goal, a 39-yard field goal, and a 44-yard field goal and on a dropped pass by Mike Williams in the endzone on the last play of the game. With their seventh-straight loss, the Lions fell to 2–13 as they were swept by their division rivals.

Week 17: at Dallas Cowboys

''at

Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...

, Irving, Texas'' Trying to end their season on a high note, the Lions played their last game of the year at

against the Dallas Cowboys, where Detroit won 39–31.

threw four touchdown passes. An impressive last-second comeback drive by the Cowboys saw Dallas QB

Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...

be denied of what could have been the tying score, as he attempted to scramble into the end zone, but was tackled at the Detroit 2. The Lions finished 3–13 on the season, finishing ahead of only the Oakland Raiders, who finished 2–14, and received the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. They later used this pick on Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

References

Detroit Lions on Pro Football Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:2006 Detroit Lions Season

Detroit Lions seasons Detroit Lions