What went wrong?
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Of course, with the good, there’s always the bad. Let’s take a look at the top five things that didn’t go right for the Lions this season.
5. Ameer Abdullah missing nearly the entire season
Ameer Abdullah’s performance in Detroit’s first two games of the season gave them hope that their running game would come alive. He ran for 101 yards on 18 carries and caught five passes for 57 yards. But once Abdullah suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 2, the Lions running game seemed to go on IR with him. Detroit finished 30th in the NFL in rushing this year and failed to have a single runner gain at least 100 yards in a game for the third consecutive season.
4. 1-6 against teams above .500
The Lions finished 0-5 against teams that qualified for the playoffs, making them the only playoff team without a win against a playoff-bound opponent. They had just one victory over a team that was over the .500 mark, defeating the 8-7-1 Washington Redskins.
3. DeAndre Levy injuryÂ
Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy missed 11 games this year after suffering a calf injury in Week 2. He remained out until Week 14 and recorded only 20 tackles from there on out. However, GM Bob Quinn has stated that he’s confident that Levy can regain his form from a few years ago when he led the Lions with 155 tackles.
2. Stafford’s performance against Seattle
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had a chance to help the Lions exercise past demons and win their first playoff game since 1991. It didn’t happen. During Detroit’s Wild Card playoff loss to the Seahawks, Stafford went 18/32 for just 205 yards, no touchdowns, and a 56.3% completion percentage.
1. Dropping final three regular-season games and missing chance for Divisional Title 
The Lions once again let down their fans by missing out on the chance to host a playoff game. They dropped their final three regular season games, including against Green Bay at home with a chance to win the division. Instead of earning a first-round bye and hosting the Giants, they instead had to travel to Seattle, and their season was over.
