WEEK 12: DETROIT LIONS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS MEDIA INFORMATION GAME INFORMATION 2014 DETROIT LIONS SCHEDULE DETROIT LIONS 73 AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 82 (*** DATES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE ***) Date: ...........................................................Sunday, November 23 REGULAR SEASON 73 Kickoff :...............................................................................1:00 p.m. DATE OPPONENT TV TIME/RESULT Stadium: ..............................................................Gillette Stadium 9/8 NEW YORK GIANTS ESPN# W, 35-14 Capacity: ...............................................................................68,756 9/14 at Carolina FOX L, 7-24 Playing Surface: .............................................................FieldTurf 9/21 GREEN BAY FOX W, 19-7 TELEVISION: FOX 9/28 at New York Jets FOX W, 24-17 Play-By-Play: ................................................................. Joe Buck 10/5 BUFFALO FOX L, 14-17 Color: ........................................................................... Troy Aikman 10/12 at Minnesota FOX W, 17-3 Sideline: ....................................................................Erin Andrews 10/19 NEW ORLEANS FOX W, 24-23 10/26 at Atlanta (London) FOX# W, 22-21 LIONS RADIO NETWORK: 97.1 WXYTFM 11/2 ***BYE WEEK*** Play-By-Play: .............................................................. Dan Miller 11/9 MIAMI CBS W, 20-16 Color: .................................................................. Jim Brandstatter 11/16 at Arizona FOX L, 6-14 Sideline: ......................................................................... Tony Ortiz 11/23 at New England FOX 1:00 p.m. NATIONAL RADIO: ESPN RADIO 11/27 CHICAGO CBS# 12:30 p.m. Play-By-Play: .....................................................Marc Kestecher 12/7 TAMPA BAY FOX 1:00 p.m. Color: ................................................................................Bill Polian 12/14 MINNESOTA FOX 1:00 p.m. Sideline: ..............................................................Ian Fitzsimmons 12/21 at Chicago FOX 1:00 p.m. 12/28 at Green Bay FOX 1:00 p.m. SERIES INFORMATION # Nationally Televised The Detroit Lions take on the New England Patriots on FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: NFL Sunday games during fl exible Sunday at Gillette Stadium with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m. Weeks 5-17 are subject to change 12 days in advance. For ET. The Lions will be looking to bounce back a er falling Weeks 5-10, fl exible scheduling can be used no more than two weeks by shi ing a Sunday a ernoon game into primetime and to the Arizona Cardinals, 14-6 while the Patriots are eyeing moving the Sunday night game to the a ernoon time slot. For their seventh straight win a er knocking off the Indianapolis Week 17, the schedule is subject to change six days in advance. Colts, 42-20. Detroit and New England meet Sunday for only Games are subject to move to diff erent time slots but dates will the 11th time in series history. The two teams faced off in remain as announced. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to their inaugural contest on September 26, 1971 as the Lions games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights. won, 34-7. In the teams’ most recent meeting on November MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS 25, 2010, the Patriots defeated the Lions, 45-24 in Detroit. Matt Barnhart ....................Director of Media Relations SERIES BY THE NUMBERS [email protected]fl .net Regular Season Record vs. NE: ..........................................4-6-0 Deanna Caldwell ................. Manager of Media Services Home Record vs. NE: .............................................................2-3-0 [email protected]fl .net Record at Ford Field: .............................................................0-2-0 Eamonn Reynolds .............. Media Information Manager Road Record vs. NE ...............................................................2-3-0 [email protected]fl .net Record at Gillette Stadium: .................................................0-1-0 Bill Keenist .....................Senior VP of Communications Last Game: ........................................Det 24 vs. NE 45 11/25/10 [email protected]fl .net 2014 STATISTICAL COMPARISON GAME CREDENTIALS OFFENSE DET Rk NE Rk Applications for media credentials for 2014 Detroit Lions Points/Game 18.8 26 32.3 2 home games are being accepted via Media.Detroitlions. Total Off ense 332.3 21 380.4 7t com. Applicants must complete the credential application Rushing Off ense 79.8 30t 115.5 13 form through Media.Detroitlions.com. Requests are only Passing Off ense 252.5 12 264.9 9 being accepted on a game-by-game basis and must be 3rd Down Off ense % 40.3 19 44.0 9 submitted by Noon Mon. of each game week. Red Zone Effi ciency 52.0 21t 63.4 6 MEDIA.DETROITLIONS.COM Giveaways 13 10t 8 1t Media.Detroitlions.com is the team’s media-only Internet DEFENSE DET Rk NE Rk site. Information on the site includes the daily schedules, Points/Game 15.6 1 21.8 13 press releases, news clippings, statistics, updated rosters Total Defense 290.3 1 351.8 16 and current depth chart. Individual registration is required. Rushing Defense 68.8 1 109.9 14 Passing Defense 221.5 5 241.9 17 3rd Down Defense % 35.2 2 42.6 22 Red Zone Effi ciency 48.1 6 59.4 20t Takeaways 16 14t 19 6t DETROIT LIONS GAME INFORMATION A TRIBUTE TO MR. FORD William Clay Ford (1925-2014) Detroit Lions Owner and Chairman, 1964-2014 Beginning Week 1 this season, the Detroit Lions introduced a special jersey patch displaying the letters “WCF” in honor of the franchise’s late owner, Mr. William Clay Ford. The patch will appear on the le shoulder of all Lions players’ jerseys for the 2014 season as a tribute to one of the NFL’s original statesmen. Mr. Ford passed away on March 9 at the age of 88 and owned and directed the Lions franchise during a span of 50 years. Through fi ve decades, his unwavering leadership provided stability to an organization, its fans and the community when most professional sports franchises cycled through numerous ownership changes and franchise moves. Mr. Ford remained steadfastly committed to ensuring the Lions were always a vital component to the Detroit community and the state of Michigan. THE NFL REMEMBERS MR. FORD NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: “For fi ve decades, Mr. Ford’s passion for the Lions, Detroit, and the NFL was the foundation of one of the NFL’s historic franchises. As an NFL owner, Mr. Ford helped bring the NFL through enormous periods of change and growth, always guided by his commitment to what was best for the NFL and his beloved Lions. All of us in the NFL extend our heartfelt sympathy to Mr. Ford’s wife Martha, Bill Ford, Jr. and the entire Ford family.” Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones: “I‘ve literally been at owners (meetings) when an owner came up and met Mr. Ford for the fi rst time, and the owner was a new owner in the NFL. I was standing right with him and the owner talked about how his granddad had been a Ford dealer in Texas, in the depths of Texas, and he literally teared up when he talked about what Ford, what the brand and what the individuals stood for and had stood for in his evolving to the point that he could buy an NFL football team. He actually teared up and showed that kind of emotion, and that was (former Minnesota Vikings owner) Red McCombs.” Late Buff alo Bills Owner Ralph Wilson, Jr: “I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Ford. He was a man of great integrity who loved his family and his Lions. Bill was well respected within our league as well as the city of Detroit and his contributions to both were numerous. We have all lost a good friend with his passing. My deepest sympathies and condolences go out to his family and many friends.” Lions Hall of Fame TE and Assistant Director of Pro Personnel Charlie Sanders: “I’ve always just enjoyed being around him just to watch him laugh. He was a cheerful owner, you know, upbeat, always positive. I have a lot of memories, but when I think of him I just think of a man that was very fair and enjoyed people and enjoyed people that had the same desires that he had. Most of those are centered around the Detroit Lions organization.” Former Lions WR Herman Moore: “Every single game that he was in the locker room, we at least spoke, or he would be in the locker room. I appreciated that from our owner. That’s a real moment that fans don’t know about — the commitment that he would show to us players.” DETROIT LIONS GAME INFORMATION WELCOME, HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL JIM CALDWELL NEW LIONS COACHES: Teryl Austin (Defensive Coordina- Head Coach tor), Jim Bob Cooter (Quarterbacks), Devin Fitzsimmons Years with Lions: 1 (Assistant Special Teams), Joe Lombardi (Off ensive Coor- Years as NFL Head Coach: 4 dinator), Tony Oden (Defensive Backs/Cornerbacks), Robert Years in NFL: 14 Prince (Wide Receivers), Ron Prince (Assistant Head Coach/ Tight Ends), Matt Raich (Defensive Quality Control), Bill Sheridan (Linebackers), Alan Williams (Defensive Backs/ Safeties) As the Lions’ new head coach, Jim Caldwell brings 37 RETAINED LIONS COACHES: Jason Arapoff (Coordinator years of coaching experience to Detroit, including 13 of Physical Development), John Bonamego (Special Teams Coordinator), Gunther Cunningham (Senior Coaching Assis- previous years in the NFL and 24 years on the college tant), Terry Heff ernan (Off ensive Quality Control) level. Two Super Bowl titles and three appearances in the Bobby Johnson (Assistant Off ensive Line), Kris Kocurek NFL’s championship game highlight his coaching resume, (Defensive Line), Curtis Modkins (Running Backs) which includes leading the Indianapolis Colts to an AFC Ted Rath (Assistant Strength and Conditioning), Evan Championship and a berth in Super Bowl XLVI as head coach Rothstein (Special Projects), Jeremiah Washburn following the 2009 season. (Off ensive Line), Jim Washburn (Defensive Line) COACHING OVERVIEW LIONS COACHES FIRST NINE GAMES Hired as head coach for the Detroit Lions January 14, With a win in Week 10, Caldwell earned the most wins 2014. through nine games for a Lions head coach in his fi rst Coached in three Super Bowls with Indianapolis (XLI and season with the club since the team moved to Detroit XLIV) and Baltimore (XLVII) and won two Super Bowl in 1934.