Lions highlights, lowlights 2012

Lions WR Calvin Johnson was incredible in 2012, but beyond Megatron, there wasn't a lot to cheer about this season in Detroit.

By John Kreger

Jan 2, 2013 at 5:22 pm ET • 3 min read

Calvin Johnson's record-breaking season was one of the few highlights for the Lions in 2012. (US Presswire)

The Lions’ many failures and unfulfilled expectations in 2012 created a slew of moments worthy of our postseason Hall of Shame, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t bright spots during a season that ended with an eight-game skid. From Calvin Johnson’s record-setting year to another dose of holiday heartbreak, here are CBSSports.com’s RapidReports picks for the best and worst moments of 2012.

Highlights:

Megatron sets NFL single-season receiving record vs. Atlanta in Week 16 -- Johnson entered Detroit’s nationally televised game against the Falcons needing 182 yards in his last two games to break Jerry Rice’s single-season receiving yards record. When Johnson had 117 of those yards in the first half against Atlanta, it became a question of if, not when. The record-setting play was a 26-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford with 2:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Johnson celebrated by giving the ball to his father. The ovation from the Ford Field crowd was a much-needed reprieve from Detroit’s dismal 2012 effort.
“Last option” Kevin Smith turns hero in season opener vs. Rams -- When RB Kevin Smith ran undefended into the flat with 10 seconds remaining in Detroit’s season opener against the Rams, Stafford said Smith was further down his receiver progression than the option to throw the ball away and take a final shot at the end zone to earn a comeback win. At the last minute, however, Stafford saw Smith, changed his mind, and Smith scored the touchdown that put the Lions above the .500 mark for the only time all season.
Comeback win over Seattle in Week 8 -- Detroit hadn’t beaten a playoff team in two years when they welcomed Seattle to Ford Field in Week 8. The back-and-forth game was decided with 20 seconds to play when WR Titus Young caught a 1-yard pass from Stafford, and the Lions earned their only win against a postseason participant this season.

Lowlights:

Titus Young’s troubles -- When Young caught that game-winning pass against the Seahawks, most Lions’ team leaders thought the second-year player had finally moved past the immaturity that got him banned from 2012 OTAs for a week after he punched teammate Louis Delmas. In reality, the attention Young earned that day started an ego-driven downward spiral that saw him removed from team activities following on-field insubordination against the Packers in Week 11. Young’s two-minute press conference during the week following the incident was an act of defiance, and several of his teammates lost patience with his attitude. Young was eventually placed on injured reserve with a convenient knee injury and returned home to California.
“Flag gate” leads to Thanksgiving Day OT heartbreak -- When Texans’ RB Justin Forsett scampered for an 81-yard touchdown against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, TV replays confirmed that Forsett’s knee had touched the ground after contact on the play. The officials’ mistake was compounded when Lions coach Jim Schwartz threw his challenge flag, triggering an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that also prevented Forsett’s score from being reviewed. Detroit’s woes continued when kicker Jason Hanson missed a potential game-winning field goal in overtime. The NFL’s competition committee will likely review the rule that cost the Lions during the offseason, but that’s little consolation for Lions fans that saw their team drop a ninth-straight holiday classic.
Botched snap costs Lions vs. Titans -- Shaun Hill’s successful Hail Mary pass on the final play of regulation in Week 3 forced overtime against the Titans, and Detroit had the ball on the Tennessee 7-yard line in the extra period with a chance to win. On fourth-and-inches, however, a miscommunication saw center Dominic Raiola unexpectedly snap the ball on a play designed to draw the Titans offside. Hill couldn’t gain the yard Detroit needed to get a first-and-goal, and the Titans escaped with a 44-41 win.