The Lions were 2-8 going into December.  They were competitive in about all of their games; they lost 6 games by 8 points or less.

The Lions kicked off December against the Bears in Detroit.  The Lions were looking for revenge (we all know what happened the first time these two teams met).  Third string quarterback, Drew Stanton, got the start for the Lions.  Stanton outplayed almost everyone’s expectations.  Stanton was 16 for 24, threw for 178 yards, no turnovers, and a touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson at the end of the first half.  The Lions were once again winning at halftime, 17-14.  Dave Rayner added a field goal to make it a 6 point lead.  In the second half, Robbie Gould made a 54 yard field goal and Cutler hit Brandon Manumaleuna for a touchdown for Chicago with 8 minutes left.  That made the score 24-20 and that was enough for the Bears to escape Detroit with a close win.  Cliff Avril played a great game for the Lions, he sacked Cutler 3 times.
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The regular season began September in Chicago.  In the first half, Matthew Stafford was injured and would be sidelined for the following weeks to come.  The Lions were up 14-13 at the end of the first half.  Jay Cutler threw for 372 yards and Detroit was still in the game with backup quarterback Shaun Hill.  It looked like the Lions were going to get their first road win in 20 games when Calvin Johnson caught a 25 yard touchdown pass.  However, the play was challenged and overruled; the referees said that Johnson did not complete “the process”.  The Lions lost the game 19-14 and Calvin Johnson’s “catch” was a topic of conversation for the next couple of days.
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July saw the Lions make some last minute signings before the start of camp. They began the month by welcoming back an old friend. Veteran cornerback Dre Bly was signed to a two year deal to add depth in the secondary, but, unfortunately, he wouldn’t end up playing for the team. Bly would end up getting released in the last round of cuts just before the season began.

Later in the month, the Lions brought in linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba to help out on special teams. Ekejiuba appeared in nine of the first twelve games before a trip to the injured reserve list ended his season.

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