Jump to content

2018 Detroit Lions season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by DPH1110 (talk | contribs) at 23:57, 13 October 2018 (Week 7: at Miami Dolphins: gamebook link). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

2018 Detroit Lions season
OwnerMartha Firestone Ford
General managerBob Quinn
Head coachMatt Patricia
Home fieldFord Field
Results
Record2–3
Division place4th NFC North

The 2018 season is the Detroit Lions' 89th in the National Football League and their first under a new coaching staff led by head coach Matt Patricia.

Offseason

Coaching staff

Re-signings

Date Player Position Contract Source
March 10 Don Muhlbach Long snapper 1 year / $1.105 million [5]
Kerry Hyder Defensive end 1 year / $555,000 [6]
March 13 Tavon Wilson Safety 2 years / $7 million [7]
March 14 Nick Bellore Linebacker/Fullback 1 year / $1.005 million [8]
Nevin Lawson Cornerback 2 years / $9.2 million [9]
Jake Rudock Quarterback 1 year / $630,000 [10]
March 16 Zach Zenner Running back 1 year / $1.05 million [11]
April 9 T. J. Jones Wide receiver 1 year / $1.907 million [12]

Additions

Date Player Position Previous team Contract Source
March 14 DeShawn Shead Cornerback Seattle Seahawks 1 year / $3.5 million [13]
March 15 Christian Jones Linebacker Chicago Bears 2 years / $7.75 million [14]
Devon Kennard Linebacker New York Giants 3 years / $18.75 million
Kenny Wiggins Guard Los Angeles Chargers 2 years / $5 million [15]
March 16 LeGarrette Blount Running back Philadelphia Eagles 1 year / $4.5 million [16]
March 21 Luke Willson Tight end Seattle Seahawks 1 year / $2.5 million [17]
Sylvester Williams Defensive tackle Tennessee Titans 1 year / $3.5 million [18]
March 26 Jonathan Freeny Linebacker New Orleans Saints 1 year / $880,000 [19]
March 29 Wesley Johnson Center New York Jets 1 year / $880,000 [20]
Levine Toilolo Tight End Atlanta Falcons 1 year / $1.5 million [21]
April 4 Matt Cassel Quarterback Tennessee Titans 1 year / $1.105 million [22]

Departures

Date Player Position Note New Team Source
March 14 Eric Ebron Tight end Released Indianapolis Colts [23]
Don Carey Safety UFA Jacksonville Jaguars [24]
D. J. Hayden Cornerback UFA Jacksonville Jaguars [25]
March 15 Darren Fells Tight end UFA Cleveland Browns [26]
Haloti Ngata Defensive tackle UFA Philadelphia Eagles [27]
Tahir Whitehead Linebacker UFA Oakland Raiders [28]
March 19 Brandon Copeland Linebacker UFA New York Jets [29]
April 3 Paul Worrilow Linebacker UFA Philadelphia Eagles [30]
Travis Swanson Center UFA New York Jets [31]
April 6 Armonty Bryant Defensive end UFA Oakland Raiders [32]
April 10 Emmett Cleary Offensive tackle Retired [33]

Trades

Draft

2018 Detroit Lions Draft
Round Selection Player Position College Source
1 20 Frank Ragnow C Arkansas [36]
2 43 Kerryon Johnson RB Auburn [37]
3 82 Tracy Walker S Louisiana [38]
4 114 Da'Shawn Hand DE Alabama [39]
5 153 Tyrell Crosby OT Oregon [40]
7 237 Nick Bawden FB San Diego State [41]

Draft trades

  • The Lions traded their sixth-round selection (No. 194 overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for offensive tackle Greg Robinson.[42]
  • The Lions made two separate trades with the New England Patriots — trading their original second-round selection (No. 51 overall) and their fourth-round selection (No. 117 overall) to the Patriots in exchange for the Patriots' second-round selection (No. 43 overall); and acquiring a fourth-round selection (No. 114 overall) in exchange for a third-round selection in the 2019 draft.[43][44]

Staff

Front office
  • Owner – Sheila Ford Hamp
  • Vice chairpeople – William Clay Ford Jr., Martha Ford Morse, Elizabeth Ford Kontulis
  • Team president/CEO – Rod Wood
  • Executive vice president & general manager – Brad Holmes
  • Chief operating officer – Mike Disner
  • Special assistant/chairperson – Chris Spielman
  • Assistant general manager – Ray Agnew
  • Director of scouting – Dwayne Joseph
  • Director of college scouting – Brian Hudspeth
  • Director of scouting advancement – Mike Martin
  • Director of pro scouting – Rob Lohman
  • Senior personnel executive – John Dorsey
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
 
Defensive coaches
  • Defensive coordinator – Aaron Glenn
  • Run game coordinator/defensive line – Terrell Williams
  • Assistant defensive line – Cameron Davis
  • Linebackers – Kelvin Sheppard
  • Assistant linebackers – Shaun Dion Hamilton
  • Passing game coordinator/defensive backs – Deshea Townsend
  • Defensive assistant/outside linebackers – David Corrao
  • Defensive assistant – Jim O'Neil
  • WCF minority coaching assistant/defensive quality control – Dré Thompson
Special teams coaches
  • Special teams coordinator – Dave Fipp
  • Assistant special teams – Jett Modkins
Strength and conditioning
  • Director of sports performance – Mike Clark
  • Director of sports science – Jill Costanza
  • Head strength & conditioning – Josh Schuler
  • Assistant strength & conditioning – Morris Henry

Coaching staff
Front office
More NFL staffs

Current roster

Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve


As of November 4, 2024. Rookies in italics.

52 active, 14 reserve, 13 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 10 at Oakland Raiders L 10–16 0–1 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Recap
2 August 17 New York Giants L 17–30 0–2 Ford Field Recap
3 August 24 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 33–30 1–2 Raymond James Stadium Recap
4 August 30 Cleveland Browns L 17–35 1–3 Ford Field Recap

Regular season

Week Date Kickoff (ET) Opponent Result Record Game site TV NFL.com
recap
1 September 10 7:10 p.m. New York Jets L 17–48 0–1 Ford Field ESPN Recap
2 September 16 4:05 p.m. at San Francisco 49ers L 27–30 0–2 Levi's Stadium Fox Recap
3 September 23 8:20 p.m. New England Patriots W 26–10 1–2 Ford Field NBC Recap
4 September 30 1:00 p.m. at Dallas Cowboys L 24–26 1–3 AT&T Stadium Fox Recap
5 October 7 1:00 p.m. Green Bay Packers W 31–23 2–3 Ford Field Fox Recap
6 Bye
7 October 21 1:00 p.m. at Miami Dolphins Hard Rock Stadium Fox
8 October 28 1:00 p.m. Seattle Seahawks Ford Field Fox
9 November 4 1:00 p.m. at Minnesota Vikings U.S. Bank Stadium Fox
10 November 11 1:00 p.m. at Chicago Bears Soldier Field Fox
11 November 18 1:00 p.m. Carolina Panthers Ford Field Fox
12 November 22 12:30 p.m. Chicago Bears Ford Field CBS
13 December 2 1:00 p.m. Los Angeles Rams Ford Field Fox
14 December 9 4:25 p.m. at Arizona Cardinals State Farm Stadium Fox
15 December 16 1:00 p.m. at Buffalo Bills New Era Field Fox
16 December 23 1:00 p.m. Minnesota Vikings Ford Field Fox
17 December 30 1:00 p.m. at Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field Fox

Notes

  • Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
  • Networks and times from Weeks 7–17 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling, except Week 12 (Thanksgiving).

† Indicates game was simulcast on WXYZ-TV

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. New York Jets

Week One: New York Jets at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 7 10 31048
Lions 7 3 7017

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

The Lions opened the regular season at home, hosting the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. The Lions took an early lead in the first quarter when Quandre Diggs intercepted a Sam Darnold pass and ran it in from 37-yards, but the Jets quickly tied it up following a seven-yard touchdown run from Isaiah Crowell. In the second quarter, the Jets scored 10 more points via a 35-yard field goal by Jason Myers and a 41-yard touchdown pass from Darnold to Robby Anderson. The Lions scored the final points of the first half via a 21-yard field goal from Matt Prater, to make the score 17–10 in favor of the Jets at half-time. After the intermission, the Lions again tied the game following a 24-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate, for their only points of the second half. The Jets then scored 31 unanswered points for a runaway victory. First three touchdowns: a 21-yard reception by Quincy Enunwa, a 36-yard interception return by Darron Lee, and a 78-yard punt return by Andre Roberts. After a 32-yard field goal by Jason Myers, the Jets capped off their lopsided win with a 62-yard run by Crowell.

Week 2: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Two: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 7 3 31427
49ers 3 10 14330

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Game information

In week 2, the Lions visited the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers took an early lead in the first quarter via a 45-yard field goal by Robbie Gould. The Lions responded with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Kenny Golladay, to take their first and only lead of the game. The 49ers scored 10 points in the second quarter via a four-yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Garoppolo to Kendrick Bourne and a 42-yard field goal from Gould. The Lions scored the final points of the first half via a 27-yard field goal from Matt Prater, to make the score 13–10 in favor of the 49ers at half-time. The 49ers scored 14 points in the third quarter via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Garoppolo to Garrett Celek and a 66-yard touchdown run from Matt Breida. The Lions then added a 43-yard field goal from Prater. The 49ers extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 36-yard field goal from Gould. The Lions scored 14 points in the final quarter via a five-yard touchdown reception by Marvin Jones and a 15-yard touchdown reception by Michael Roberts.

Week 3: vs. New England Patriots

Week Three: New England Patriots at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 3 7010
Lions 3 10 7626

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

Game information

In week 3, the Lions hosted the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 38-yard field goal by Matt Prater to take a lead they never gave up. The Lions scored 10 points in the second quarter via a four-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Kenny Golladay and a 25-yard field goal from Prater. The Patriots finally got on the board late in the quarter via a 36-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, to make the score 13–3 in favor of the Lions at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, first a 10-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to James White for the Patriots, then a 33-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Marvin Jones for the Lions. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via two field goals from Prater, from 32-yards, and 30-yards, respectively, making the final score 26–10 in favor of the Lions, for their first win of the season. This was the Lions' first victory over the Patriots since the 2000 season. Kerryon Johnson's 101 rushing yards marked the first time a Lions player rushed for over 100 yards in a game since Reggie Bush on Thanksgiving Day in 2013, ending the fourth-longest streak (70 games) without a 100-yard rusher in NFL history.

Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

Week Four: Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 7 3 01424
Cowboys 3 10 7626

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Game information

In week 4, the Lions donned all gray uniforms and visited the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 32-yard field goal from Brett Maher. Detroit responded with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate, to take their first lead of the game. In the second quarter, both teams scored a field goal, first a 43-yard field goal by Maher for the Cowboys, then a 33-yard field goal by Matt Prater for the Lions. The Cowboys regained the lead with a 38-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Ezekiel Elliott, to make the score 13–10 in favor of the Dallas at half-time. The only points of the third quarter was from Dallas via a one-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to Geoff Swaim. The Lions scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter while the Cowboys had a pair of field goals. First an eight-yard touchdown run from Kerryon Johnson for Detroit, then a 22-yard field goal from Maher for Dallas. The Lions took a one-point lead when Tate caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Stafford, but the Cowboys won in the final seconds of the game with a 38-yard field goal by Maher.

Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Five: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 0 14923
Lions 14 10 0731

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: October 7
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 63,405
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Shannon Spake
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

In week 5, the Lions hosted their rival the Green Bay Packers. The Lions scored 24 unanswered points in the first half. First a pair of one-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter by LeGarrette Blount. The Lions added 10 points in the second quarter via a 39-yard field goal by Matt Prater and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones, to make the score 24–0 in favor of the Lions at half-time. The Packers finally got on the board in the third quarter scoring 14 points via a three-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Rodgers to Jamaal Williams, and a one-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Lance Kendricks. In the fourth quarter, Detroit scored their only points of the second half via a five-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Kenny Golladay. Green Bay added nine more points via a 12-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Davante Adams and a 41-yard field goal from Mason Crosby. Dating back to last season, it was the first time the Lions defeated the Packers three games in a row since they did so during the 1990 and 1991 seasons.

Week 7: at Miami Dolphins

Week Seven: Detroit Lions at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 0 000
Dolphins 0 0 000

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

  • Date: October 21
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • TV: Fox
  • Preview
Game information

After their bye week, the Lions will visit the Miami Dolphins in week 7.

Standings

Division

NFC North
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Chicago Bears 12 4 0 .750 5–1 10–2 421 283 W4
Minnesota Vikings 8 7 1 .531 3–2–1 6–5–1 360 341 L1
Green Bay Packers 6 9 1 .406 1–4–1 3–8–1 376 400 L1
Detroit Lions 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 324 360 W1

Conference

# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1[a] New Orleans Saints South 13 3 0 .813 4–2 9–3 .482 .488 L1
2[a] Los Angeles Rams West 13 3 0 .813 6–0 9–3 .480 .428 W2
3 Chicago Bears North 12 4 0 .750 5–1 10–2 .430 .419 W4
4 Dallas Cowboys East 10 6 0 .625 5–1 9–3 .488 .444 W2
Wild Cards
5 Seattle Seahawks West 10 6 0 .625 3–3 8–4 .484 .400 W2
6 Philadelphia Eagles East 9 7 0 .563 4–2 6–6 .518 .486 W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 Minnesota Vikings North 8 7 1 .531 3–2–1 6–5–1 .504 .355 L1
8[b] Atlanta Falcons South 7 9 0 .438 4–2 7–5 .482 .348 W3
9[b] Washington Redskins East 7 9 0 .438 2–4 6–6 .486 .371 L2
10[b] Carolina Panthers South 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 .508 .518 W1
11 Green Bay Packers North 6 9 1 .406 1–4–1 3–8–1 .488 .417 L1
12 Detroit Lions North 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .504 .427 W1
13[c] New York Giants East 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .527 .487 L3
14[c] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 5 11 0 .313 2–4 4–8 .523 .506 L4
15 San Francisco 49ers West 4 12 0 .250 1–5 2–10 .504 .406 L2
16 Arizona Cardinals West 3 13 0 .188 2–4 3–9 .527 .302 L4
Tiebreakers[d]
  1. ^ a b New Orleans finished ahead of LA Rams based on head-to-head victory.
  2. ^ a b c Atlanta finished ahead of Washington based on head-to-head victory. Atlanta finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.
  3. ^ a b NY Giants finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory.
  4. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

References

  1. ^ Birkett, Dave (January 1, 2018). "Jim Caldwell fired after 4 seasons as Detroit Lions coach". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  2. ^ Lewis, Edward (February 5, 2018). "Patriots DC Matt Patricia named head coach of Lions". NFL.com. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  3. ^ "Lions hire Matt Patricia as new head coach". Detroit Lions. February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  4. ^ "Lions coaching staff update". Detroit Lions. February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  5. ^ "Lions re-sign LS Don Muhlbach". Detroit Lions. March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  6. ^ "Lions re-sign DE Kerry Hyder". Detroit Lions. March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  7. ^ "Lions re-sign S Tavon Wilson". Detroit Lions. March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  8. ^ "Lions re-sign LB Nick Bellore". Detroit Lions. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  9. ^ "Lions re-sign CB Nevin Lawson". Detroit Lions. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  10. ^ "Lions re-sign QB Jake Rudock". Detroit Lions. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  11. ^ "Lions re-sign RB Zach Zenner". Detroit Lions. March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  12. ^ "Lions re-sign restricted free agent WR TJ Jones". Detroit Lions. April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  13. ^ "Lions sign free agent CB DeShawn Shead". Detroit Lions. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  14. ^ "Lions sign UFA LBs Christian Jones and Devon Kennard". Detroit Lions. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  15. ^ "Lions sign unrestricted free agent G Kenny Wiggins". Detroit Lions. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  16. ^ "Lions sign unrestricted free agent RB LeGarrette Blount". Detroit Lions. March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  17. ^ "Lions sign unrestricted free agent TE Luke Willson". Detroit Lions. March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  18. ^ "Lions sign free agent DT Sylvester Williams". Detroit Lions. March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  19. ^ "Lions sign unrestricted free agent LB Jonathan Freeny". Detroit Lions. March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  20. ^ "Detroit Lions sign unrestricted free agent C Wesley Johnson". Detroit Lions. March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  21. ^ "Detroit Lions sign free agent TE Levine Toilolo". Detroit Lions. March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  22. ^ Knoblauch, Austin (April 4, 2018). "Veteran QB Matt Cassel signing with Detroit Lions". NFL.com. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  23. ^ Wesseling, Chris (March 14, 2018). "Detroit Lions release TE Eric Ebron after four seasons". NFL.com. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  24. ^ "OFFICIAL: Carey signs". Jacksonville Jaguars. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  25. ^ Oehser, John (March 15, 2018). "OFFICIAL: Hayden signs". Jacksonville Jaguars. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  26. ^ Maks, Patrick (March 15, 2018). "Browns sign DL Chris Smith, DB Terrance Mitchell, OL Donald Stephenson, TE Darren Fells". Cleveland Browns. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  27. ^ "Veteran DT Haloti Ngata Signs With Eagles On One-Year Deal". Philadelphia Eagles. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  28. ^ "Raiders Sign Linebacker Tahir Whitehead". Oakland Raiders. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  29. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (March 19, 2018). "Jets Sign LB Brandon Copeland". New York Jets. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  30. ^ McPherson, Chris (April 3, 2018). "Eagles Agree To Terms With LB Paul Worrilow". Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  31. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (April 3, 2018). "Jets Sign C Travis Swanson". New York Jets. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  32. ^ "Raiders Sign DE Armonty Bryant". Oakland Raiders. April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  33. ^ Rogers, Justin (April 10, 2018). "Lions place Emmett Cleary on reserve/retired list". The Detroit News. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  34. ^ "Lions trade DT Akeem Spence to Miami Dolphins". Detroit Lions. May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  35. ^ Eli Harold, one of first three 49ers to kneel during anthem, traded to Lions ESPN.com, August 23, 2018
  36. ^ Twentyman, Tim (April 26, 2018). "Detroit Lions draft center Frank Ragnow". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  37. ^ Twentyman, Tim (April 27, 2018). "Lions trade up, draft running back Kerryon Johnson". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  38. ^ Twentyman, Tim (April 27, 2018). "Lions draft safety Tracy Walker". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  39. ^ Twentyman, Tim (April 28, 2018). "Lions trade up, draft defensive end Da'Shawn Hand". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  40. ^ Twentyman, Tim (April 28, 2018). "Lions draft tackle Tyrell Crosby". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  41. ^ Twentyman, Tim (April 28, 2018). "Lions draft fullback Nick Bawden". Detroit Lions. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  42. ^ Rothstein, Michael (June 15, 2017). "OT Greg Robinson traded to Lions". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  43. ^ Robinson, Geoff (April 27, 2018). "Lions trade up to take Auburn RB Johnson". The Detroit News. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  44. ^ Monarrez, Carlos (April 28, 2018). "Detroit Lions trade up, pick Alabama DE Da'Shawn Hand in NFL draft Round 4". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 28, 2018.