The

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

season was the 78th season for the team 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 ...

. After achieving a 6–2 record at the halfway mark, the Lions lost seven of their last eight games. They finished with a 7–9 record for their seventh consecutive losing season. After the 6–2 start, the Lions would go 5–47 in their next 52 games, including a 19-game losing streak between Week 17 of 2007 and Week 2 of

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, which resulted in the first-ever winless 16-game season in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. The Lions improved upon their 3–13 record in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

but failed to make the playoffs once again, extending their postseason drought to eight years. The 7–9 record was nonetheless the best record the Lions had in any season under general manager Matt Millen. The 422 pass completions that Detroit surrendered in 2007 is an NFL record. The 70.1% completion percentage against the Lions defense was the worst in league history until it was broken by the Colts in 2011.Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1978 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by descending opposition Pass Completion %
/ref> After beating the Bears, 16–7, at Soldier Field on October 28, the Lions would lose an NFL-record 26 road games in a row, and go 0–8 on the road in each of the following two seasons.

Draft

Staff

Roster

Schedule

Standings

Regular season

Week 1: at Oakland Raiders

''at

McAfee Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home ba ...

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

'' The Lions began their 2007 campaign on the road in an interconference game against the Oakland Raiders. After a scoreless first quarter, Detroit got off to a fast start in the second quarter. 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 ...

completed a 13-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams and 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 Washi ...

connected on a 46-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Lions increased its lead with Kitna completing a 16-yard TD pass to rookie WR

Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...

. The Raiders, however, started to catch up with QB

Josh McCown Joshua Treadwell McCown (born July 4, 1979) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He attended Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Texas, where he was named the East Texas Player of the Year and earned All-State honorabl ...

completing a 4-yard TD pass to WR

Ronald Curry Ronald Antonio Curry (born May 28, 1979) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who is the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the S ...

along with RB

LaMont Jordan LaMont Damon Jordan (born November 11, 1978) is an American football coach and former running back. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Maryland. Jordan also played for the ...

getting a 12-yard TD run. In a wild fourth quarter, Hanson gave Detroit a 46-yard field goal, yet the Raiders took the lead with McCown's 7-yard TD pass to FB

Justin Griffith Justin Montrel Griffith (born July 21, 1980) is a former Fullback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State. Griffith has a ...

. The Lions hung on to take the lead with Kitna's 32-yard TD pass to WR/PR

Shaun McDonald Shaun Terrance McDonald (born June 30, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State. McDonald has also played fo ...

, Hanson kicking a 23-yard field goal, and wrapping it up with RB

Tatum Bell Tatum Antoine Bell (born March 2, 1981) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma State. He is son of Tony and Terry Bell. H ...

getting a 14-yard TD run. With the win, Detroit began its season at 1–0.

Week 2: vs. Minnesota Vikings

''at

Ford Field Ford Field is a domed American football stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It primarily serves as the home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), as well as the annual Quick Lane Bowl college football bowl game, state champ ...

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 th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

'' Following their road win over the Raiders, the Lions played their Week 2 home opener against their NFC North rival

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

for the lead in the division. After a scoreless first quarter, Detroit pounced first with QB

completing a 9-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams. The Vikings tied the game with QB

Tarvaris Jackson Tarvaris D'Andre Jackson (April 21, 1983 – April 12, 2020) was an American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Jackson played college football for both Alabama State and Arkansas. He played professionally for the ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. The Lions took the lead prior to halftime with kicker

's 30-yard field goal. In the third quarter, when Kitna was temporarily out with a concussion, QB

J. T. O'Sullivan John Thomas O'Sullivan (born August 25, 1979) is an American former professional gridiron football quarterback who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL), two seasons in NFL Europe and one season in the Canadian Football Leagu ...

came in and completed a 7-yard TD pass to

to increase Detroit's lead. Minnesota, however, tied the game up with kicker

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

getting a 32-yard field goal and DE Ray Edwards returning a fumble 9 yards for a touchdown. After both teams failed to score in the fourth quarter, the Vikings got the ball to begin overtime. The Lions forced a fumble nine plays into their drive and eventually got the win with Hanson's 37-yard field goal. With the win, Detroit improved its record to 2–0.

Week 3: at Philadelphia Eagles

''at

Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It serves as the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University. ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

'' Following their impressive divisional home win over the Vikings, the Lions flew to

for an intraconference fight with the throwback-clad

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. In the first quarter, Detroit trailed early as Eagles RB

Brian Westbrook Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...

ran 25 yards for a TD. The Lions tied the game on a Kevin Jones 2-yard TD run, but Philadelphia regained the lead with a Westbrook 5 yard TD run, along with QB

Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...

's 68-yard TD pass to WR

Kevin Curtis Kevin Devon Curtis (born July 17, 1978) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah State and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. ...

. In the second quarter, the points bonanza continued as McNabb and Curtis hooked up with each other again on a 12-yard TD pass and a 43-yard TD pass to increase the Eagles' lead. Detroit responded with QB

completing TD passes of 11 yards to WR

and 91 yards to WR Roy Williams. Philadelphia capped the half with McNabb completing a 43-yard TD pass to Westbrook. In the second half, the Eagles took control as RB

Correll Buckhalter Correll Buckhalter (; born October 6, 1978) is a former American football running back who played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for Nebraska, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in th ...

ran 1 yard for a TD run in the third quarter and RB Tony Hunt ran for a 1-yard TD in the fourth quarter. With the loss, the Lions fell to 2–1.

Week 4: vs. Chicago Bears

''at

'' Trying to rebound from their road loss to the Eagles, the Lions went home for an NFC North duel with the defending NFC champion

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 ...

. In the first quarter, Detroit drew first blood with kicker

nailing a 49-yard field goal for the only score of the period. However, in the second quarter, the Bears took the lead with QB

Brian Griese Brian David Griese ( ; born March 18, 1975) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third r ...

(

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 ...

was benched prior to the game) completing a 15-yard TD pass to WR

Muhsin Muhammad Muhsin Muhammad II (; born Melvin Darnell Campbell Jr. May 5, 1973) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Muhammad played college football for ...

for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, Chicago increased its lead with 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 ...

getting a 49-yard and a 41-yard field goal. Afterwards, a high-flying fourth quarter began with QB

completing a 4-yard TD pass to WR

, along with DB Keith Smith returning an interception 64 yards for a touchdown, giving the Lions the lead. However, the Bears regained the lead with WR/KR/PR

Devin Hester Devin Devorris Hester Sr. (born November 4, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely regarded as the greatest return specialist i ...

returning a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Detroit retook the lead with Kitna completing a 15-yard TD pass to WR

Troy Edwards Troy Edwards (born April 7, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for Louisiana Tech University, became o ...

, along with RB Kevin Jones getting a 5-yard TD pass. Chicago came close with Griese completing a 1-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 ...

. Afterwards, the Lions sealed their impressive victory with TE

Casey Fitzsimmons Casey FitzSimmons (born October 10, 1980) is a former National Football League tight end. He played his whole career for the Detroit Lions. High school years FitzSimmons attended Chester High School in Chester, Montana and was an All-Conferenc ...

returning an onside kick 41 yards for a touchdown. The Lions’ 34 points was the most fourth quarter points in NFL history. There was a combined total of 48 points in the fourth quarter, also an NFL record. With their wild win, the Lions improved to 3–1.

Week 5: at Washington Redskins

''at

FedExField FedExField (originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium) is an American football stadium located in Summerfield, Maryland, east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 un ...

Landover, Maryland Landover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 25,998. Landover is contained between Sheriff Road and Central Avenue to the so ...

'' Coming off of their surprising home win over the Bears, the Lions flew to

for a Week 5 intraconference duel with the Washington Redskins. Heading into the game, Detroit had never won a game against the Redskins in Washington, D.C. (0–20) After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions trailed as in the second quarter when Redskins QB

Jason Campbell Jason S. Campbell (born December 31, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college footbal ...

completed a 7-yard TD pass to TE

Chris Cooley Christopher Ken Cooley (born July 11, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Utah State University, and was drafted by the Redski ...

, followed by FB

Mike Sellers Michael Sellers (born July 21, 1975) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He was the youngest import player to sign a Canadian Football League (CFL) deal in the history of the football league when he pla ...

getting a 1-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Detroit managed to get on the board with kicker

getting a 39-yard field goal. However, Washington came right back with DE

Andre Carter Rubin Andre Carter (born May 12, 1979) is an American football coach recently for Louisiana State University and former player in the National Football League (NFL). A defensive end, he played college football for the University of California, ...

sacking Lions QB

in the endzone for a safety. In the fourth quarter, the Redskins sealed Detroit's fate with Campbell completing an 8-yard TD pass to Sellers, kicker

Shaun Suisham Shaun Christopher Suisham (; born December 29, 1981) is a Canadian-born former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He was signed b ...

nailing a 28-yard field goal, and CB Carlos Rogers returning an interception 61 yards for a touchdown. With the loss, not only did the Lions fall to 3–2 heading into their bye week, but lessened their record to 0–21 against the Redskins in Washington, D.C.

Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

''at

'' Coming off their bye week, the Lions were at home and wearing their alternate uniforms for a Week 7 duel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first quarter, Detroit attacked first with kicker

getting a 34-yard field goal, along with RB Kevin Jones getting a 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Buccaneers got on the board with QB

Jeff Garcia Jeffrey Jason Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University. A four-time CFL All-St ...

completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR

Ike Hilliard Isaac Jason Hilliard (born April 5, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver Who most recently served as the wide receivers coach for the Auburn Tigers (NCAA). He played college football for the University of Florida, and earned All-A ...

. Afterwards, the Lions ended the half with Hanson kicking a 42-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Detroit increased its lead with Hanson nailing a 32-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the fourth quarter, the Lions increased its lead with WR

getting a 32-yard TD run. Afterwards, Tampa Bay worked on a comeback as Garcia completed a 4-yard TD pass to WR

Maurice Stovall Maurice Aurilius Stovall (born February 21, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver and tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played co ...

. Later, the Buccaneers recovered their onside kick and eventually turn it into kicker

Matt Bryant Steven Matt Bryant (born May 29, 1975), nicknamed "Money Matt", is a former American football placekicker. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, and was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the AFL's Iowa Barnstormers in 2000. A ...

's 48-yard field goal. But Detroit erased the Buccaneers' hopes of recovering another onside kick. With the win, the Lions improved to 4–2, and also surpassed their 2006 win total.

Week 8: 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 1 ...

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

'' Coming off an impressive home win over the Buccaneers, the Lions flew to

for Round 2 of their NFC North duel with

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 ...

. After a scoreless first quarter, Detroit jumped into the lead with kicker

getting a 26-yard field goal. Afterwards, the Lions increased its lead with RB Kevin Jones getting a 4-yard TD run, while Hanson nailed a 52-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Bears threatened Detroit's lead as QB

completed a 20-yard TD pass to TE Greg Olsen for the only score of the period. Fortunately, in the fourth quarter, the Lions held on to win as Hanson got a 20-yard field goal. Detroit's defense was a huge part of this victory, as they intercepted Griese four times, including three times in the endzone. With their first season-sweep over Chicago since 2004, the Lions improved to 5–2. As a result of their winless 2008 and 2–14 2009 seasons, this became the Lions’ last win on the road until Week 15 of the 2010 season. This also remained their most recent win over a division rival until Week 14 of the 2010 season when the Lions beat the Packers.

Week 9: vs. Denver Broncos

''at

'' Coming off their season-sweeping road win over the Bears, the Lions went home for a Week 9 interconference duel with the Denver Broncos. In the first quarter, Detroit attacked first with kicker

getting a 43-yard field goal for the first score of the game. In the second quarter, the Lions increased their lead with Hanson kicking a 53-yard field goal and QB

completing a 15-yard TD pass to WR

Mike Furrey Michael Thomas Furrey (; born May 12, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver and safety who is currently the head coach of the Limestone Saints. This is Furrey's second stint as Limestone's head coach following his two seasons with t ...

. Detroit ended the half with Hanson kicking a 38-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Lions continued their domination as DE

Dewayne White Dewayne White (born October 19, 1979) is a former American defensive end. He entered the league as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers top overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft. Tied a team record by recording at least half-a-sack in six consecutive games ...

returned a fumble 3 yards for a touchdown and Kitna completed a 49-yard TD pass to WR

. In the fourth quarter, Detroit sealed Denver's doom with NT Shaun Rogers returning an interception 66 yards for a touchdown and RB

T. J. Duckett Todd Jeffery Duckett (born February 17, 1981) is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons 18th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft and also played for the Washington Redskins, D ...

scoring on a 3-yard TD run. The Broncos avoided getting shut out as QB

Patrick Ramsey Patrick Allen Ramsey (born February 14, 1979) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Ramsey has also b ...

completed a 2-yard TD pass to WR

Brandon Stokley Brandon Ray Stokley (born June 23, 1976) is a former American football wide receiver and current radio personality. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at University of L ...

. With the win, the Lions improved to 6–2 for the first time since 1999.

Week 10: 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, the ...

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the la ...

'' Coming off their blowout home win over the Broncos, the Lions flew to the

for a Week 10 duel with the Arizona Cardinals. In the first quarter, Detroit struck first with RB Kevin Jones getting a 4-yard TD run. The Cardinals responded with kicker

Neil Rackers Neil William Rackers (born August 16, 1976) is a former American football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for the University of Illinois. Rackers was drafted by ...

nailing a 23-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Lions trailed as Arizona QB

Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...

completed a 1-yard TD pass to WR

Larry Fitzgerald Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. Fitzgerald played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of Pittsb ...

, while back-up QB Tim Rattay completed a 2-yard TD pass to TE

Leonard Pope Leonard Pope (born September 10, 1983) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia. Pope has also played for the Kansas City Chi ...

. In the third quarter, the Cardinals increased their lead with Warner completing a 16-yard TD pass to Pope. Detroit responded with QB

completing a 7-yard TD pass to WR Roy Williams. In the fourth quarter, Arizona sealed the win with Warner hooking up with Fitzgerald again on a 20-yard TD pass. The Lions' last score for the game was another 7-yard TD pass from Kitna to Williams. Along with committing 5 out the game's 9 turnovers, the Lions' rushing attack was held to an embarrassing −18 yards (the fewest in one game since 1946). With the loss, Detroit fell to 6–3. This defeat marked the beginning of a stretch through week 13 of 2010 in which they went 5–47, which at the time was the worst 52-game stretch in NFL history. This mark has since been passed by the Cleveland Browns, who went 4–48 from

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

Week 11: vs. New York Giants

''at

'' Hoping to rebound from their tough road loss to the Cardinals, the Lions went home for a Week 11 intraconference duel with

the New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

. In the first quarter, Detroit trailed early as Giants kicker

Lawrence Tynes Lawrence James Henry Tynes (born May 3, 1978) is a Scottish-born former American football placekicker. After playing soccer for Milton High School a coach suggested he try out for the football team as a kicker. He played college football at Troy ...

managed to get a 28-yard field goal for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Lions continued to trail as QB

Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...

completed a 10-yard TD pass to RB

Brandon Jacobs Brandon Christopher Jacobs (born July 6, 1982) is a former American football running back, who spent the majority of his career with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Coffeyville, Auburn, ...

as the only score. In the third quarter, Detroit managed to get on the board with kicker

getting a 42-yard field goal, but New York responded with Tynes kicking a 46-yard field goal. In the fourth period, the Giants increased their lead with Tynes nailing a 20-yard field goal. The Lions tried to mount a comeback as QB

completed a 35-yard TD pass to WR

, but New York managed to hold on for the win. With the loss, Detroit fell to 6–4.

Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers

''at

'' Trying to snap a two-game skid, the Lions stayed at home for a Week 12 Thanksgiving divisional duel with the Green Bay Packers. In the first quarter, Detroit took the early lead as kicker

got a 47-yard and a 41-yard field goal. However, in the second quarter, the Packers took the lead 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 20 ...

completed an 11-yard TD pass to 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 ...

, along with RB Ryan Grant getting a 5-yard TD run. The Lions tried to respond as Hanson kicked a 45-yard field goal, yet Green Bay answered with kicker

Mason Crosby Mason Walker Crosby (born September 3, 1984) is an American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Colorado, and earned unanimous All-American honors. The Packers chos ...

getting a 20-yard field goal. In the third quarter, the Packers increased their lead with Favre completing a 4-yard TD pass to Jennings. Detroit continued to try to come back as Hanson kicked a 52-yard FG, yet Green Bay was one step ahead as Favre completed a 3-yard TD pass to WR

Ruvell Martin Ruvell Martin (born August 10, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver and former coach in the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers in 2004. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State. Martin ...

. In the fourth quarter, the Packers added to their lead with Crosby kicking a 20-yard field goal. The Lions tried to mount a comeback as QB

completed a 6-yard TD pass to rookie WR

, along with RB Kevin Jones getting a 1-yard TD run. However, Green Bay sealed the win with Crosby nailing a 26-yard field goal. With their third-straight loss (along with their fourth-straight Thanksgiving loss), Detroit fell to 6–5. File:Passing Play.jpg, A Detroit passing play File:DetroitLionsvsGreenBayPackers-2007-FavreKneel.jpg,

kneels at the end of the game

Week 13: 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 Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

'' Trying to snap a three-game losing skid, the Lions flew to the

for a Week 13 NFC North rematch with the Minnesota Vikings. In the first quarter, Detroit trailed early as Vikings RB

Chester Taylor Chester Lamar Taylor (born September 22, 1979) also known as Che Tay is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. In 2006, he signed ...

managed to get a 2-yard TD run. The Lions got on the board with kicker

nailing a 37-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Minnesota replied with 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 ...

scoring a TD, but Detroit responded with QB

completing a 1-yard TD pass to TE/FB

. However, the Vikings immediately began a pounding with WR Aundrae Allison returning the kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, while QB

completed a 6-yard TD pass to WR

Bobby Wade Robert Louis Wade, Jr. (born February 26, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona. Wade also played for the Tennes ...

, along with a 2-yard TD pass to WR

Sidney Rice Sidney R. Rice (born September 1, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Rice played college football at South Carolina. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the s ...

. In the third quarter, Minnesota ended its day with Peterson getting a 13-yard TD run for the only score of the half. With their fourth-straight loss, the Lions fell to 6–6.

Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys

''at

'' Trying to end a four-game skid, the Lions went home for a Week 14 intraconference duel with the Dallas Cowboys. In the first quarter, Detroit struck first with RB T.J. Duckett getting a 32-yard TD run, while kicker

getting a 19-yard field goal. In the second quarter, the Cowboys got on the board with RB Marion Barber getting a 20-yard TD run. The Lions responded with Hanson nailing a 36-yard field goal, while RB Kevin Jones getting a 2-yard TD run. Dallas ended the half with 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 ...

completing an 8-yard TD pass to Barber. In the third quarter, Detroit replied with Jones getting a 3-yard TD run for the only score of the period. However, in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys came back and won with Barber getting a 1-yard TD run, followed by Romo’s 16-yard TD pass to TE

Jason Witten Christopher Jason Witten (born May 6, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for 17 seasons, primarily for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Univers ...

. With their fifth straight loss, the Lions fell to 6–7.

Week 15: at San Diego Chargers

''at

Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 to 2017, the stadiu ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

'' Trying to snap a five-game slide, the Lions flew to

for a Week 15 interconference duel with the San Diego Chargers. In the first quarter, Detroit trailed early as Chargers RB

LaDainian Tomlinson LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...

managed to get a 6-yard TD run, kicker

Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...

getting a 22-yard field goal, and Tomlinson getting a 2-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Lions' struggles continued as Kaeding kicked a 22-yard field goal and LB

Shaun Phillips Shaun Jamal Phillips (born May 13, 1981) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for Purdue and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. Phillips has also been a member of the ...

returning an interception 18 yards for a touchdown. The Lions got on the board with QB

completing a 9-yard TD pass to WR

Brandon Middleton Brandon Anthony Middleton (born January 2, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver and currently is the offensive coordinator at Royal High School in Brookshire, Texas. Middleton was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free ...

. San Diego ended the half with QB

Philip Rivers Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...

completing a 1-yard TD to TE

Brandon Manumaleuna Brandon Michael Manumaleuna (; born January 4, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Arizona and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Manumaleuna has also been a mem ...

. In the third quarter, the Chargers continued their domination as RB

Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football a ...

managed to get a 1-yard TD run, while Kaeding nailed a 45-yard field goal. Detroit replied via Kitna's 17-yard TD pass to WR

. In the fourth quarter, San Diego sealed the win with Sproles getting an 11-yard TD run. With their sixth-straight loss, the Lions fell to 6–8 and were eliminated from playoff contention the next day when the Minnesota Vikings defeated

20–13.

Week 16: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

''at

'' Trying to halt a six-game losing streak, the Lions returned home to Ford Field for an interconference matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Detroit got on the board early with a T.J. Duckett 11-yard TD run and a safety off a blocked

Dustin Colquitt Dustin Farr Colquitt (born May 6, 1982) is an American football punter who is a free agent. He played college football at Tennessee and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. With the Chiefs, he won Sup ...

punt. In the second quarter, the Lions opened up a 19–0 lead with a

field goal and a

Paris Lenon Paris Michael Lenon (born November 26, 1977) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2000, then chosen by the Memphis Maniax in the XFL Draft in the ...

interception return for a touchdown. Kansas City fought back with a

Jackie Battle Ewart Haron "Jackie" Battle III (born October 1, 1983) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and Tennessee Titans. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by th ...

3-yard run and a 1-yard pass from

Damon Huard Damon Paul Huard (born July 9, 1973) is a former American football quarterback. He is the director of community relations and fundraising for the University of Washington football program, his alma mater. Huard was signed by the Cincinnati Be ...

Jared Allen Jared Scot Allen (born April 3, 1982) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football at Idaho State and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth ...

to make it 19–14, but the Lions’ Jason Hanson added two more field goals in the second half and the Chiefs could not convert a two-point conversion to

Tony Gonzalez Anthony David Gonzalez (born February 27, 1976) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is the NFL's all-time leader ...

in the 3rd after a

Dwayne Bowe Dwayne Lorenzo Bowe (born September 21, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Louisiana State University, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played ...

receiving TD. Detroit held Kansas City off 25–20, ending their long skid. With the win, the Lions improved to 7–8, 5–3 at home. This remained the Lions last regular-season victory until the third week of the 2009 season, when they would beat the Washington Redskins 19–14 after nineteen consecutive losses including all sixteen games in 2008. ImageFavre, Clifton, and Grant

Week 17: 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 Green Bay is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The county seat of Brown County, it is at the head of Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It is above sea lev ...

'' Looking for their first win in the state of Wisconsin since 1991, the Lions headed to Lambeau Field for their second game of the year against

and the Green Bay Packers. In the first quarter, after a Jason Hanson FG, Ryan Grant and

Koren Robinson Koren Lynard Robinson (born March 19, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for North Carolina State University. He was drafted by the S ...

both scored touchdowns to make it 14–3 Green Bay. In the second quarter,

Bubba Franks Daniel Lamont "Bubba" Franks (born January 6, 1978) is a former American football tight end who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Miami. He was drafted by the Green Bay ...

caught a 4-yard pass from Brett Favre to make it 21–3, but

scored on a 30-yard pass from

to make it 21–10 at halftime. The teams exchanged field goals to start the third quarter, but on 4th and 2,

Craig Nall Craig Matthew Nall (born April 21, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football for LSU Tigers ...

found

for a 32-yard score, putting the Packers up 31–13, icing the game. Rookie

added another FG in the fourth to seal up a 34–13 win for the Packers. With the loss, Detroit closes out the season finishing 7–9.

References

Detroit Lions on Pro Football Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:2007 Detroit Lions Season Detroit Lions seasons