2025 Detroit Lions season

Off-season

Training camp/preseason

Regular season

Week 1: at Green Bay Packers

In the season opener, the Lions visited their divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers scored ten points in the first quarter via a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Tucker Kraft and a 34-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. The Lions got on the board in the second quarter via a 30-yard field goal by Jake Bates. The Packers responded with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Love to Jayden Reed, which made the score 17–3 in favor of Green Bay at half-time. The Lions scored the only points of the third quarter via a 27-yard field goal by Bates. The Packers scored ten points in the fourth quarter via a three-yard touchdown run from Josh Jacobs and a 38-yard field goal by McManus. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Isaac TeSlaa, making the final score 27–13 in favor of Green Bay. This was the first road loss for the Lions since losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023–24 NFC Championship Game.

Week 2: vs. Chicago Bears

In Week 2, the Lions hosted their division rival the Chicago Bears. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a six-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Bears responded with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to Rome Odunze to tie the game. The Lions regained the lead via a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The Lions extended their lead in the second quarter via an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Brock Wright. The Bears responded with a six-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Odunze. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a four-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, which made the score 28–14 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions scored ten points in the third quarter via a 34-yard field goal by Jake Bates and a 44-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jameson Williams. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the fourth quarter, first an eight-yard touchdown pass from Goff to St. Brown for the Lions, then a three-yard touchdown run from D'Andre Swift for the Bears. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a four-yard touchdown pass from Goff to St. Brown, making the final score 52–21 in favor of Detroit. This was Bears head coach Ben Johnson's first return to Detroit since leaving the Lions as offensive coordinator to become head coach of the Bears.

Week 3: at Baltimore Ravens

In week 3, the Lions visited the Baltimore Ravens, who were heavy favorites to win the game. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Ravens responded with a 28-yard touchdown run from Derrick Henry to tie the game. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the second quarter, first a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery for the Lions, then a three-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to Rashod Bateman for the Ravens, tying the score at 14–14 at half-time. The Ravens took their first lead of the game in the third quarter via a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Mark Andrews. The Lions responded with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown to again tie the game. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a four-yard touchdown run from Gibbs. The teams then exchanged field goals, first a 41-yard field goal by Tyler Loop for the Ravens, then a 45-yard field goal by Jake Bates for the Lions. The Lions extended their lead via a 31-yard touchdown run from Montgomery. The Ravens scored the final points of the game via a 27-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Andrews, followed by a failed two-point conversion attempt, making the final score 38–30 in favor of Detroit. The win marked the Lions' first victory against the Ravens since 2005, their first road victory against the Ravens in franchise history, and their first win in Baltimore since the 1977 season when they defeated the then-Baltimore Colts.^[81]

Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns

In week 4, the Lions hosted the Cleveland Browns. The Browns opened the scoring in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Quinshon Judkins. The Lions responded with an eight-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs to tie the game. The Lions scored 13 points in the second quarter via a 48-yard field goal by Jake Bates, a two-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and a 58-yard field goal by Bates, which made the score 20–7 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Browns scored the only points of the third quarter via a 33-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt. The Lions scored 14 points in the fourth quarter via a 65-yard punt return by Kalif Raymond and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Goff to St-Brown, making the final score 34–10 in favor of Detroit.

Week 5: at Cincinnati Bengals

In week 5, the Lions visited the Cincinnati Bengals. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a ten-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta. The Lions extended their lead in the second quarter via a three-yard touchdown pass from David Montgomery to Brock Wright. The Bengals finally got on the board via a 50-yard field goal by Evan McPherson as time expired in the half, which made the score 14–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions scored 14 points in the third quarter via a 20-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs and an eight-yard touchdown run from Montgomery. The Bengals scored 14 unanswered points to begin the fourth quarter via a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jake Browning to Ja'Marr Chase and a 64-yard touchdown pass from Browning to Chase, reducing the Lions' lead to nine points. The teams then exchanged touchdowns, first a 12-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Isaac TeSlaa for the Lions, then a two-yard touchdown pass from Browning to Tee Higgins for the Bengals. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a safety, making the final score 37–24 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions defeated the Bengals for the first time since 1992 and snapped their seven-game losing streak against them.^[82]

Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs

In week 6, the Lions visited the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 28-yard field goal by Jake Bates. The Chiefs responded with a six-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Xavier Worthy, and a failed point after touchdown. The Lions regained the lead in the second quarter via a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jameson Williams. The Chiefs scored the final points of the half via a one-yard touchdown run from Mahomes, which made the score 13–10 in favor of Kansas City at half-time. The Chiefs scored the only points of the third quarter via a nine-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Hollywood Brown. The Lions opened the fourth quarter with a four-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Sam LaPorta. The Chiefs responded with ten unanswered points via a three-yard touchdown pass from Mahomes to Brown and a 33-yard field goal by Harrison Butker, making the final score 30–17 in favor of Kansas City.^[83]

At the end of the game, a fight broke out near midfield. Mahomes attempted to give a high-five to Lions safety Brian Branch as they met near midfield. However, Branch walked past Mahomes without acknowledging him. Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster confronted Branch over that. In response, Branch threw a right hook that knocked Smith-Schuster to the ground, sparking a fight.^[84] The NFL later suspended Branch one game for his actions.^[85]

Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In week 7, the Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 27-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions extended their lead in the second quarter via a 78-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Buccaneers finally got on the board via a 53-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin as time expired in the half, which made the score 14–3 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Buccaneers scored in the third quarter via a 22-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to Tez Johnson, and a failed two-point conversion attempt. The Lions responded with a five-yard touchdown run from Gibbs. The Lions scored the only points of the fourth quarter via an NFL career-long tying 58-yard field goal by Jake Bates, making the final score 24–9 in favor of Detroit.

Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Following their bye week, in week 9, the Lions hosted their divisional rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 40-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta. The Vikings responded with a ten-yard touchdown pass from J. J. McCarthy to Justin Jefferson to tie the game. The Vikings extended their lead via a seven-yard touchdown pass from McCarthy to T. J. Hockenson. The Lions again tied the game in the second quarter via a two-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The Vikings scored the final points of the half via a 50-yard field goal by Will Reichard, which made the score 17–14 in favor of Minnesota at half-time. The Vikings extended their lead in the third quarter via a nine-yard touchdown run from McCarthy. The Lions responded with a 41-yard field goal by Jake Bates. During the fourth quarter, the Lions' attempted comeback failed when Bates' 45-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Levi Drake Rodriguez and recovered by Isaiah Rodgers. The Vikings then scored on their ensuing drive via a 20-yard field goal by Reichard, extending their lead to ten points. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 37-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jameson Williams, making the final score 27–24 in favor of Minnesota The Lions finished with a season-high 10 penalties and allowed a season-high five sacks. This was the Lions' first loss to the Vikings since 2022.^[86]

Week 10: at Washington Commanders

In week 10, the Lions visited the Washington Commanders in a rematch of the 2024 Divisional Round. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs. The Commanders responded with a 44-yard field goal by Matt Gay. The Lions extended their lead via a nine-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions extended their lead in the second quarter via a 13-yard touchdown run from Gibbs and a two-point conversion run by David Montgomery. The Commanders responded with a one-yard touchdown run from Chris Rodriguez Jr.. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a 22-yard field goal by Jake Bates, which made the score 25–10 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions scored ten points in the third quarter via a 14-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jameson Williams and a 28-yard field goal by Bates. The Commanders responded with a four-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Deebo Samuel, and a failed two-point conversion attempt. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 43-yard touchdown run from Gibbs, and a blocked extra point kick. The Commanders responded with a four-yard touchdown pass from Mariota to Ben Sinnott, and a failed two-point conversion attempt. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 48-yard field goal by Bates, making the final score 44–22 in favor of Detroit.

Played at Northwest Stadium, roughly ten miles east of Washington, D.C., Donald Trump was in attendance for this game, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NFL game since Jimmy Carter in October 1978. This led to extra security measures being enacted and Air Force One flying over the stadium in the first quarter.^[87] Trump also spoke from the broadcast booth with Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma during the third quarter.^[88] Trump was booed when he appeared on the jumbotron at halftime.^[89]

With the blowout win, Detroit improved to 6–3.

Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles

In Week 11, the Lions visited the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Philadelphia opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 27-yard field goal by kicker Jake Elliott, and extended its lead in the second quarter with a 34-yard field goal, also by Elliott. Detroit responded with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jameson Williams. Following the score, Williams was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, enforcing the foul on the extra point attempt. The resulting 48-yard attempt sailed wide right, leaving the game tied. The Eagles retook the lead late in the half on a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Hurts, making the score 13–6 at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, Philadelphia extended its lead in the fourth with a 49-yard field goal by Elliott. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 54-yard field goal by Jake Bates, making the final score 16–9 in favor of Philadelphia. The Lions finished the game 0-for-5 on fourth-down conversion attempts.^[90]

Week 12: vs. New York Giants

In Week 12, the Lions hosted the New York Giants. The Giants scored ten points in the first quarter via a 39-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to Wan'Dale Robinson and a 21-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo. The Lions finally got on the board in the second quarter via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The teams then exchanged touchdowns, first a 12-yard touchdown pas from Winston to Isaiah Hodgins for the Giants, then a three-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs for the Lions. The Giants extended their lead via a 44-yard field goal by Koo. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a 37-yard field goal by Jake Bates as time expired, which made the score 20–17 in favor of New York at half-time. After a scoreless third quarter, the Giants extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 33-yard touchdown pass from Gunner Olszewski to Winston. The Lions scored 10 unanswered points via a 49-yard touchdown run from Gibbs and a Lions' franchise-record-tying 59-yard field goal by Bates to tie the game and force overtime. During overtime, the Lions scored on the first play via a 69-yard touchdown run from Gibbs. The Giants' attempted comeback failed when Winston was sacked by Aidan Hutchinson on the final possession of the game, making the final score 34–27 in favor of Detroit. With the win, the Lions knocked the Giants out of playoff contention to improve to 7–4 and 2–1 against the NFC East.

The 59-yard field goal by Jake Bates tied a Lions franchise record for longest field goal.^[91]

Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers

Thanksgiving Day games

For their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions hosted their divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers. For the first time since the 1982 season, the kickoff time was 1:00 p.m. rather than 12:30 p.m., as the NFL moved the start time to align with the traditional broadcast window.^[92] The Packers opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 45-yard field goal by Brandon McManus. The Packers scored 14 points in the second quarter via a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love to Dontayvion Wicks and a two-yard touchdown pass from Love to Romeo Doubs. The Lions scored 14 points in the quarter via a three-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery, and a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jameson Williams, which made the score 17–14 in favor of Green Bay at half-time. The Packers scored 14 points in the third quarter via a 51-yard touchdown pass from Love to Christian Watson and a one-yard touchdown pass from Love to Wicks. The Lions responded with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Isaac TeSlaa. The Lions scored the only points of the fourth quarter via a 31-yard field goal by Jake Bates, making the final score 31–24 in favor of Green Bay. For the second game this season, they failed to convert on any 4th down conversions, going 0/3 on 4th Downs. With the loss, the Lions were swept by the Packers for the first time since 2020.

Week 14: vs. Dallas Cowboys

In week 14, the Lions hosted the Dallas Cowboys. The game was exclusive to WJBK in Detroit. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 38-yard field goal by Jake Bates. The Cowboys responded with a 57-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey to tie the game. The Lions regained the lead via a one-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Cowboys scored six points in the second quarter via two field goals by Aubrey, from 42-yards, and 55-yards, respectively. The Lions responded with a 35-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery. The Lions scored the final points of the quarter via a 47-yard field goal by Bates as time expired in the half, which made the score 20–9 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions extended their lead in the third quarter via a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Isaac TeSlaa. The Cowboys scored ten points in the quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Javonte Williams and a 63-yard field goal by Aubrey. The Cowboys scored 11 points in the fourth quarter via a 42-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Ryan Flournoy and a two-point conversion pass from Prescott to Jake Ferguson, and a 29-yard field goal by Aubrey. The Lions scored 17 points in the quarter via a 46-yard field goal by Bates, and two rushing touchdowns from Gibbs, from ten yards and 13 yards, respectively, making the final score 44–30 in favor of Detroit. With their second straight win over Dallas, the Lions improved to 8–5 and finished 3–1 against the NFC East.

Week 15: at Los Angeles Rams

In week 15, the Lions visited the Los Angeles Rams. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Rams responded with a four-yard touchdown run from Kyren Williams to tie the game. The Lions scored 17 points in the second quarter via a 24-yard field goal by Jake Bates, an eight-yard touchdown pass from Goff to St. Brown and a 31-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jameson Williams. The Rams scored ten points in the quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Williams and a 37-yard field goal by Harrison Mevis as time expired in the half, which made the score 24–17 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Rams scored 17 points in the third quarter via a 44-yard field goal by Mevis, a 26-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Colby Parkinson, and an 11-yard touchdown run from Blake Corum. The Rams extended their lead in the fourth quarter via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Parkinson. The Lions scored ten points in the quarter via a 48-yard field goal by Jake Bates and a one-yard touchdown run from David Montgomery, making the final score 34–41 in favor of Los Angeles.

Week 16: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Lions faced the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who had previously played for the Packers, the Lions’ divisional rivals.^[93]

The Steelers opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 59-yard field goal by Chris Boswell. The Lions scored ten points in the second quarter via a 36-yard field goal by Jake Bates and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Isaac TeSlaa. The Steelers scored the final points of the half via a 45-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Kenneth Gainwell, tying the score at 10–10 at half-time. The Steelers scored the only points of the third quarter via a safety. The Steelers scored 17 points in the fourth quarter via a 23-yard field goal by Boswell, and two 45-yard rushing touchdowns by Jaylen Warren. The Lions scored 14 points in the quarter via a 27-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Kalif Raymond and a four-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions' attempted comeback failed when on the final play, Goff threw a fourth-down pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who caught the ball at the one yard line, but couldn't get in the end zone, so he lateraled the ball back to Goff, and Goff scored a touchdown as time expired. However, multiple flags were thrown, and officials huddled for several minutes before announcing that although Jared Goff had scored a touchdown, it was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty on Amon-Ra St. Brown, making the final score 29–24 in favor of Pittsburgh.^[94] The Lions’ defense struggled, allowing Pittsburgh to finish with 481 total yards.^[95]

With the loss, the Lions lost two consecutive games for the first time since the October 23 and October 30 games of the 2022 season.^[96]

During the game, Steelers receiver DK Metcalf was involved in an altercation with a fan seated near the sideline. Video footage from the game showed Metcalf grabbing a shirt and engaging in a verbal exchange with the fan before attempting to strike the individual. The incident was not observed by game officials, and no penalty was assessed during the game.^[97] Following the game, the National Football League stated that they were reviewing the incident.^[98] After carefully reviewing the incident, Metcalf was suspended for the last two games of the regular season.^[99]

Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings

Christmas Day games

In Week 17, the Lions visited their division rival, the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day. The Vikings opened the scoring in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Aaron Jones. The Lions wouldn't get on the board until the final minutes of the second quarter via a four-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Isaac TeSlaa, tying the score at 7–7 at half-time. The Vikings scored six points in the third quarter via two field goals by Will Reichard from 52 and 56 yards, respectively. The Lions scored their only points of the second half via a 48-yard field goal by Jake Bates. The Vikings scored 10 points in the fourth quarter via a 65-yard touchdown run from Jordan Addison and a 42-yard field goal by Reichard, making the final score 10–23 in favor of Minnesota. The Lions finished the game with a season-high six turnovers, after entering the game with eight turnovers through Week 16. This was their most turnovers in a game since 2015.^[100] With the upset loss, they fell to 8–8 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2022, and were swept by Minnesota for the first time since 2020.^[101]

Week 18: at Chicago Bears

To close out the season, the Lions visited their divisional rival, the Chicago Bears. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 34-yard field goal by Jake Bates. They scored 10 points in the second quarter via a 30-yard field goal by Bates and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs, which made the score 13–0 in favor of Detroit at halftime. They extended their lead in the third quarter via a 25-yard field goal by Bates. After being held scoreless for the first three quarters of the game, the Bears scored 16 points in the fourth via a 25-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to Jahdae Walker, and a two-point conversion run by Kyle Monangai. They then scored a one-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Colston Loveland, and a two-point conversion pass to Cole Kmet to tie the game. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 42-yard field goal by Bates as time expired, making the final score 19–16 in favor of Detroit. With the upset win, the Lions finished their season with a 9–8 record. However, with the Vikings' win over the Packers earlier in the day, this ensured the Lions finished last in the NFC North for the first time since 2021.

Division

Conference