2003 Detroit Lions season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Detroit Lions 2003 5–11 4th NFC North Steve Mariucci Matt Millen William Clay Ford Sr. Ford Field Did not qualify CB Dré Bly CB Dré Bly (2nd team) File:NFCN-2003-2004-Uniform-DET.PNG Lions seasons The 2003 season was the Detroit Lions' 74th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 70th as the Detroit Lions, and their first under head coach Steve Mariucci. The team improved upon their 3–13 record from the previous season, finishing 5–11. However, they failed to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, finishing last in the NFC North. The Lions selected Charles Rogers with the second overall selection in the 2003 NFL draft and brought in a number of defensive free agents, including cornerback Dré Bly on a five-year deal. However, injuries to the defense would hinder the Lions as they finished with the 25th ranked defense in points allowed. The offense performed poorly as they finished 26th in points scored. The run game finished 32nd in yards while the pass game finished 24th in yards. The Lions failed to win more than 5 games, nor did they win a single road game for the third consecutive season. The Lions did, however, allow the least amount of sacks in football for the second consecutive season, with 11. 3 Offseason Coaching changes After the 2002 season, general manager Matt Millen said that head coach Marty Mornhinweg would return in 2003 despite compiling a 5–27 record over his two seasons with the team.Turnaround this time? Coach, president retained https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2002/1231/1485131.html ESPN 2002-12-31 Associated Press January 18, 2024 January 19, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240119031159/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2002/1231/1485131.html live However, Mornhinweg was fired 27 days later. The team hired former San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci to a five-year, $25 million contract. Mariucci was fired after the 49ers loss in the 2003 postseason; he had compiled a 57–39 record with the team and two division titles in his six-year head coaching tenure with the team.https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0204/1503898.html Lions, Mariucci complete terms on five-year deal February 4, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN The hiring process drew allegations that the team violated the Rooney Rule, an NFL policy requiring NFL teams to consider at least one minority candidate for head coach.https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0206/1505222.html Jackson disappointed no minorities interviewed for job February 6, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118072542/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0206/1505222.html live The league investigated and fined general manager Matt Millen $200,000 for "failing to interview a minority head coaching candidate". Owner William Clay Ford Sr. said that Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was "singling out the Lions" and that he had "lost a lot of respect for [him]."July 27, 2003 https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0727/1586270.html ESPN 2003-07-27 Associated Press January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118072542/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0727/1586270.html live The Lions' previous offensive coordinator and running backs coach Maurice Carthon was hired by the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions hired Sherman Lewis as their offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, while hiring Bobby Williams as their running backs coach.Lewis promoted to offensive coordinator https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0113/1491864.html ESPN 2003-01-13 Associated Press January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118072543/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0113/1491864.html live They also fired wide receivers coach Larry Kirksey and linebackers coach Glenn Pires.Lions fire assistants Kirksey, Pires https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0108/1489295.html ESPN 2003-01-08 Associated Press January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118072543/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0108/1489295.html live Free agency thumb|The Lions signed cornerback Dré Bly, a highly touted free agent, to a five-year, $24.5 million contract. The Lions bolstered their defense by signing linebackers Earl Holmes and Wali Rainer, defensive lineman Dan Wilkinson, and cornerbacks Dré Bly and Otis Smith. After losing linebacker Chris Claiborne, the Lions signed Rainer and Holmes to one-year and three-year contracts respectively, with Holmes coming in as a seven-year veteran.Former Jag to sign two-year contract with Lions https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1532922.html ESPN 2003-04-02 Pasquarelli Len January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118074502/https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1532922.html live Lions add veteran LB Holmes https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1536182.html ESPN 2003-04-08 Pasquarelli Len January 18, 2024 Wilkinson was signed after starting tackle Luther Elliss suffered a torn pectoral.Signing should trigger other transactions https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1597866.html ESPN 2003-08-17 Clayton John January 18, 2024 Bly signed a five-year, $24.5 million deal and was rated as the best corner in free agency.Former Rams veteran heads to Detroit https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1516547.html ESPN 2003-03-01 Pasquarelli Len January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118072542/https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1516547.html live They lost cornerback Todd Lyght to retirement and brought back linebacker Brian Williams and defensive tackle Jared DeVries on a one-year and three-year deal respectively.Lyght retires after 12th NFL season http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6082667 National Football League 2002-12-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20040203124038/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6082667 2004-02-03 dead Associated Press December 22, 2024LB Williams stays put, signs one-year deal http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6252501 National Football League 2003-03-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20040203112648/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6252501 2004-02-03 dead Associated Press December 22, 2024DT DeVries signs three-year deal http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6230303 National Football League 2003-03-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20070323103927/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6230303 2007-03-23 dead Associated Press December 23, 2024 Adding to their offense, they signed wide receiver Shawn Jefferson to a one-year deal.Jefferson, Lions agree to one-year deal https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1558592.html ESPN 2003-05-24 Pasquarelli Len January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118074502/https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1558592.html live They also signed fullback Cory Schlesinger to a two-year extension and brought in running back Shawn Bryson on a one-year deal.https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1589914 Lions sign FB Schlesinger to two-yer extension August 4, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118074502/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1589914 liveLions sign RB Shawn Bryson http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6275004 National Football League 2003-03-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20040203120015/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6275004 2004-02-03 dead Associated Press December 22, 2004 Tight end Mikhael Ricks was re-signed to a three-year deal.Ricks signs three-year deal with Lions http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6132635 National Football League 2003-01-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20070420055035/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6132635 2007-04-20 dead Associated Press December 23, 2024 The Lions released wide receivers Germane Crowell and former Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard.https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0225/1514332.html Lions release former Super Bowl MVP February 25, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118072542/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0225/1514332.html live Following a 2-day team minicamp, the Lions released wide receiver Jacquez Green and quarterback Jonathan Beasley.Lions release WR Green, QB Beasley http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6292479 National Football League 2003-04-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20031230001054/http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/DET/6292479 2003-12-30 dead Detroit Lions December 22, 2024 NFL draft 2003 NFL draftWith the second overall selection, the Lions chose wide receiver Charles Rogers. Rogers was a fan favorite in Michigan and set school records for receiving yards and touchdowns for Michigan State. He also signed endorsements with Pepsi and EA Sports prior to his selection.Staying in state a big plus for Rogers https://www.espn.com/nfldraft/story?id=1545124 ESPN 2003-04-26 Rovell Darren January 28, 2024 However, Rogers' career was marred by injuries and suspensions, leading to him playing only three years in the league. Their second round pick, linebacker Boss Bailey, played for the Lions until 2007 and produced 7.0 sacks and thirteen passes defended.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BailBo20.htm Boss Bailey Stats Pro Football Reference January 28, 2024 December 9, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231209014844/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BailBo20.htm live Third round selection defensive end Cory Redding moved to defensive tackle and became the highest paid player at his position in 2007.Lions sign Redding to monster deal before franchise-player deadline https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2938519 ESPN 2007-07-16 Clayton John February 2, 2024 February 2, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240202165518/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2938519 live He would be traded away following the 2008 season.Seahawks also get 5th-round pick https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3980169 ESPN 2009-03-14 Clayton John February 2, 2024 February 2, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240202165519/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3980169 live Running back Artose Pinner, the Lions' fourth round selection, accumulated 915 total yards and 5 total touchdowns over his three seasons with Detroit.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PinnAr00.htm Artose Pinner Stats Pro Football Reference February 2, 2024 Defensive back Terrence Holt, who eventually moved to free safety in 2005, racked up eight interceptions in his four years with the Lions.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HoltTe20.htm Terrence Holt Stats Pro Football Reference February 2, 2024 December 2, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231202114019/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HoltTe20.htm live 2003 Detroit Lions 1 2 Charles Rogers WR Michigan State yes 2 34 Boss Bailey LB Georgia yes 3 66 Cory Redding DT Texas yes 4 99 Artose Pinner RB Kentucky yes 5 137 Terrence Holt S NC State yes 5 144 James Davis LB West Virginia yes 6 175 David Kircus WR Grand Valley State yes 7 216 Ben Johnson OT Wisconsin 7 220 Blue Adams CB Cincinnati From Arizona 7 236 Brandon Drumm RB Colorado From Cleveland via San Diego and Dallas 7 260 Travis Anglin WR Memphis supplemental compensatory Undrafted free agents + 2003 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeCurt AnesQuarterbackGrand Valley StateCasey FitzSimmonsTight endCarroll (MT)Chris KernDefensive backMount Union Personnel Staff / Coaches 2003 Detroit Lions Owner and chairman – William Clay Ford Sr. Vice chairman – William Clay Ford Jr. President and chief executive officer – Matt Millen Executive vice president and chief operating officer – Tom Lewand Senior vice president of football administration/legal counsel – Martin Mayhew Director of pro personnel – Sheldon White Director of college scouting – Scott McEwen Assistant director of pro personnel – Charlie Sanders College scouting coordinator – Russ Bolinger Head coach – Steve Mariucci Assistant head coach/linebackers – Richard Smith Offensive coordinator – Sherman Lewis Quarterbacks – Kevin Higgins Running backs – Tom Rathman Wide receivers – Bobby Williams Tight ends – Sean Kugler Offensive line – Carl Mauck Offensive assistant – Andy Sugarman Defensive coordinator – Kurt Schottenheimer Defensive line – George Dyer Secondary – Ray Horton Defensive assistant – Don Clemons Defensive assistant – Johnny Holland Special teams – Chuck Priefer Assistant special teams/offense – Kevin O'Dea Strength and conditioning – Jason Arapoff Assistant strength and conditioning – Malcolm Blacken Assistant strength and conditioning – Mondray Gee 2003 Detroit Lions Media Guide 4–29 Administration and Coaches Roster 2003 Detroit Lions 53 15 5 14 Ty Detmer  3 Joey Harrington  8 Mike McMahon 24 Shawn Bryson 31 Avon Cobourne 33 Olandis Gary 21 Artose Pinner 30 Cory Schlesinger FB 40 Paul Smith FB 36 Stephen Trejo FB 18 Eddie Drummond 81 Az-Zahir Hakim 11 David Kircus 84 Bill Schroeder 10 Reggie Swinton 16 James Williams 82 Casey FitzSimmons 83 John Owens 86 Mikhael Ricks 76 Jeff Backus T 77 Kerlin Blaise G/T 61 Ray Brown G 75 Matt Joyce G/T 70 Josh Lovelady G 73 Stockar McDougle T 51 Dominic Raiola C 90 Colin Cole DT 95 Jared DeVries DE 94 Luther Elliss DT 96 James Hall DE 91 Robert Porcher DE 93 Kelvin Pritchett DT 78 Cory Redding DE 92 Shaun Rogers DT 72 Dan Wilkinson DT 97 Boss Bailey OLB 55 Donté Curry OLB 52 James Davis MLB 59 Jeff Gooch OLB 54 Barrett Green OLB 50 Earl Holmes MLB 58 Wali Rainer OLB 32 Dré Bly CB 44 Julius Curry FS 39 Doug Evans CB 31 Terrence Holt SS 41 Leonard Myers CB 23 Otis Smith CB 28 Bracy Walker SS 45 Brian Walker FS  4 Jason Hanson K  2 Nick Harris P 57 Jody Littleton LS 88 Scotty Anderson WR (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 89 Bradford Banta LS (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 79 Eric Beverly G (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 26 Rod Babers CB (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 29 Chris Cash CB (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 98 Kalimba Edwards DE (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 35 André Goodman CB (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 25 Corey Harris S (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 87 Shawn Jefferson WR (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 19 John Jett P (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 67 Shawn Lazarus DT (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 80 Charles Rogers WR (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 71 Victor Rogers T (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 34 James Stewart RB (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 99 Brian Williams LB (IR) Image:injuryicon.jpg 43 Charles Drake S 74 Ben Johnson T 27 Chris Kern CB 60 David Miller G 66 Kaulana Noa T Detroit Lions Roster https://www.nfl.com/sitemap/html/rosters/2003/detroit-lions National Football League December 23, 2024 December 23, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241223234736/https://www.nfl.com/sitemap/html/rosters/2003/detroit-lions live Preseason Detroit played their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. To begin the game, punter John Jett was able to pin the Steelers within their 2-yard line which paid off when Lions Barrett Green sacked Tommy Maddox in the endzone for the safety and early 2–0 lead. The Steelers tacked on two field goals before the Lions scored on a Joey Harrington pass to Scotty Anderson. Detroit extended their lead with a Mike McMahon rushing touchdown and a Cory Redding fumble recovery touchdown. The Steelers could only muster another touchdown before the Lions sealed the 26–13 win with a field goal.https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1593134 Lions 26, Steelers 13 August 9, 2003 February 3, 2024 ESPN February 3, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240203222500/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1593134 live2003 Preseason 1 Gamebook, Steelers at Lions August 9, 2003 For their second game of the preseason, the Lions traveled to Paul Brown Stadium to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals. After three punts, the Bengals scored on three straight Neil Rackers field goals with the Lions adding their own field goal before the half with the Bengals up 9–3. The Bengals scored on a Carson Palmer touchdown pass to Jeremi Johnson before another Palmer pass, this time to T. J. Houshmandzadeh, put them up 23–3 heading into the fourth. The Lions tacked on another touchdown to reach the final score of 23–10.2003 Preseason 2 Gamebook, Lions at Bengals August 16, 2003 For their third preseason game, the Lions hosted the Cleveland Browns. The Browns failed to capitalize on an early Harrington interception and punted. Detroit started the scoring off with a Hanson 23-yard field goal before the Browns responded with a 6-yard touchdown pass. After punting, the Lions got the ball back after the Browns fumbled and scored on a 4-yard touchdown pass to go up 10–7. The Browns tied it up with 30 seconds left on a 46-yard field goal, but the Lions scored their own field goal to put the halftime score at 13–10. The Lions blew the game wide open with a Hanson field goal and then two McMahon touchdown passes before the Browns responded with a Tim Couch touchdown pass to go into the fourth quarter with the score at 31–17. Detroit was able to score another touchdown to solidify the final score of 38–17.2003 Preseason 3 Gamebook, Browns at Lions August 21, 2003 For their final preseason game, the Lions traveled to Ralph Wilson Stadium to face off against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills opened up the scoring when they returned the first punt of the game 75 yards for the touchdown. They extended their lead with a 34-yard touchdown pass to go up 14–0 heading into the second quarter. The Lions got on the board when a Buffalo fumble at their own 4-yard line was recovered in the endzone for the score. They scored two Hanson field goals to end the first half down 14–13. Beginning the second half, the Lions scored a go-ahead 46-yard field goal. The Bills responded on an eleven-minute touchdown drive to get to the final score of 22–16.2003 Preseason 4 Gamebook, Lions at Buffalo August 28, 2003 WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance 1 August 9, 2003 Pittsburgh Steelers W 26–13 1–0 Ford Field58,735 2 August 16, 2003 at Cincinnati Bengals L 10–23 1–1 Paul Brown Stadium39,956 3 August 21, 2003 Cleveland Browns L 38–17 2–1 Ford Field59,333 4 August 28, 2003 at Buffalo Bills L 16–22 2–2 Ralph Wilson Stadium45,593 Regular season Overview thumb|In his sophomore season, quarterback Joey Harrington started all 16 games for Detroit, throwing a career high 22 interceptions. The Lions were plagued with injuries before the regular season began. In May, wide receiver Scotty Anderson was stabbed outside a nightclub alongside his brother.Mariucci tells Anderson to spend time with family https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0527/1559559.html ESPN 2003-05-27 Associated Press January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118164026/https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/2003/0527/1559559.html live Starting defensive tackle Luther Elliss suffered a torn pectoral in July, although it wouldn't require surgery and he would be back on the field before the regular season started.Injury to Elliss leaves Lions thin on D-line https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1580477.html ESPN 2003-07-14 Pasquarelli Len January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118164026/https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1580477.html live Two rookies were injured; Charles Rogers dislocated his finger in training camp and required stitches and James Davis injured his ribs.Rogers to see hand specialist Wednesday https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1587147.html ESPN 2003-07-29 Clayton John January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118164025/https://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/clayton_john/1587147.html live Two starters were lost to season ending injuries: James Stewart and Chris Cash to shoulder and knee injuries respectively.https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1601867 Detroit's Cash injures knee; Davis hurts ribs August 24, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118164026/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1601867 livehttps://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1605248 Lions RB Stewart hurts right shoulder August 28, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118164025/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1605248 live After the regular season began, injuries still piled up. Charles Rogers broke his collarbone in practice on October 7, ending his rookie season.Collarbone puts WR on IR https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=1675564 ESPN 2003-12-01 Associated Press January 18, 2024 They also lost punter John Jett to a calf injury and signed Nick Harris.Lions place P Jett on IR, may get back DT Elliss https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1649831 ESPN 2003-10-29 January 18, 2024 January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118174156/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1649831 live During the Week 3 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, André Goodman dislocated his shoulder and was out for the season.https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1623564 Another Lions cornerback sits out season September 25, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118174156/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1623564 live Dré Bly, Robert Porcher, Rod Babers, and Jimmy Wyrick also dealt with injuries. Victor Rogers and Chris Watson suffered back injuries and were put on injured reserve.https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1652273 Lions' Bly, Porcher inactive November 2, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118174155/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1652273 livehttps://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1610917 Lions put cornerback on injured reserve September 7, 2003 January 18, 2024 ESPN January 18, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240118174349/https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?id=1610917 live During the Week 14 matchup against the San Diego Chargers, safety Corey Harris and long snapper Bradford Banta were lost for the season with a torn hamstring and broken collarbone respectively.Tomlinson, Chargers go to the air for win http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031207_SD@DET National Football League 2003-12-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20051115191807/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031207_SD@DET 2005-11-15 dead Associated Press December 23, 2024 The Lions began their season 1–6 and finished 5–11, fourth in the NFC North and thirteenth in the NFC, and were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14.https://www.nflgsis.com/GameStatsLive/Statistics/Standings 2003 Division Standings and Conference Seeding nflgsis.com registration January 18, 2024 The offense finished last in the league in yards and 26th in points scored. The passing game, led by second year quarterback and third overall pick Joey Harrington, had the fourth-most attempts but finished 24th in passing yards. The rushing game was the league's worst; 32nd in both rushing attempts and yards, and 30th in rushing touchdowns. The defense finished 25th and 24th in points allowed and yards allowed respectively, with the passing defense finishing 28th and 29th in yards and touchdowns and the rushing defense finishing in the middle of the league at 15th in rushing yards allowed.https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/2003.htm 2003 Detroit Lions Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees January 18, 2024 Pro Football Reference October 2, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231002211139/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/2003.htm live The Lions broke an NFL record for the most consecutive road losses with 24, one more than the previous record holder Houston Oilers from 1981 to 1984. They broke the record in their last road game of the season in a Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers.Panthers' 'D' sends Lions to NFL record http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031221_DET@CAR National Football League 2003-12-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20051125231549/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031221_DET@CAR 2005-11-25 dead Associated Press December 23, 2024 Individually, quarterback Harrington threw a career-high 22 interceptions in his 16 starts.Joey Harrington Passing https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HarrJo00.htm Pro Football Reference December 23, 2024 December 23, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241223215820/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HarrJo00.htm live Az-Zahir Hakim led the team in receiving yards with 449 and Shawn Bryson lead the team in rushing yards with 606. Cornerback Dré Bly, on the back of six interceptions, 15 passes defended, and 60 combined tackles, was named to the Pro Bowl and second team All-Pro, the only Lion to make either team.2003 Detroit Lions Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/2003.htm Pro Football Reference December 23, 2024 October 2, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231002211139/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/det/2003.htm live Schedule In addition to their regular games with NFC North divisional rivals, the Lions played teams from the NFC West and AFC West according to the NFL's schedule rotation, and also played games against the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, who had finished fourth in their respective divisions in 2002. WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance 1 September 7 Arizona Cardinals W 42–24 1–0 Ford Field60,691 2 September 14 at Green Bay Packers L 6–31 1–1 Lambeau Field70,244 3 September 21 Minnesota Vikings L 13–23 1–2 Ford Field60,865 4 September 28 at Denver Broncos L 16–20 1–3 Invesco Field at Mile High75,719 5 October 5 at San Francisco 49ers L 17–24 1–4 Candlestick Park67,365 6 Bye 7 October 19 Dallas Cowboys L 7–38 1–5 Ford Field61,160 8 October 26 at Chicago Bears L 16–24 1–6 Soldier Field61,428 9 November 2 Oakland Raiders W 23–13 2–6 Ford Field61,561 10 November 9 Chicago Bears W 12–10 3–6 Ford Field61,492 11 November 16 at Seattle Seahawks L 14–35 3–7 Seahawks Stadium65,865 12 November 23 at Minnesota Vikings L 14–24 3–8 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome63,946 13 November 27 Green Bay Packers W 22–14 4–8 Ford Field62,123 14 December 7 San Diego Chargers L 7–14 4–9 Ford Field61,544 15 December 14 at Kansas City Chiefs L 17–45 4–10 Arrowhead Stadium77,922 16 December 21 at Carolina Panthers L 14–20 4–11 Ericsson Stadium72,835 17 December 28 St. Louis Rams W 30–20 5–11 Ford Field61,006Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text Game summaries All game reports use the Pro Football Researchers' gamebook archive as a source.Professional Football Researchers Association http://www.profootballresearchers.org/index.html Professional Football Researchers Association January 18, 2024 August 12, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210812042714/https://profootballresearchers.org/index.html live Week 1: vs. Arizona Cardinals Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 1: Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions – Game summary September 7, 2003 1:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 p.m. MDT Cardinals 7 7 10 0 Lions 7 7 14 14 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 60,691 None (indoor stadium) Bill Carollo Box score First quarter ARI – Anquan Boldin 7-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Bill Gramatica kick good), 5:48. Arizona 7–0 Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:39. DET – Charles Rogers 4-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 2:00. Tied 7–7 Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:48. Second quarter DET – Charles Rogers 13-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 11:27. Detroit 14–7 Drive: 6 plays, 29 yards, 3:03. ARI – Freddie Jones 12-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Bill Gramatica kick good), 5:35. Tied 14–14 Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 5:52. Third quarter ARI – Anquan Boldin 71-yard pass from Jeff Blake (Bill Gramatica kick good), 13:59. Arizona 21–14 Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:01. DET – Eddie Drummond 57-yard punt return (Jason Hanson kick good), 8:21. Tied 21–21 DET – Cory Schlesinger 8-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 3:12. Detroit 28–21 Drive: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:50. ARI – Bill Gramatica 38-yard field goal, 0:44. Detroit 28–24 Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:28. Fourth quarter DET – Bill Schroeder 5-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 11:43. Detroit 35–24 Drive: 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:51. DET – Dré Bly 48-yard interception return (Jason Hanson kick good), 10:50. Detroit 42–24 Top passers ARI – Jeff Blake – 28/46, 358 yards, 3 TD, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 17/30, 195 yards, 4 TD Top receivers ARI – Anquan Boldin – 10 receptions, 217 yards, 2 TD DET – Mikhael Ricks – 2 receptions, 43 yards Top rushers ARI – Emmitt Smith – 13 rushes, 64 yards DET – Olandis Gary – 12 rushes, 44 yards For their season and home opener, the Lions hosted the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions took the opening kickoff and were forced to punt. The Cardinals took their first drive 11 plays to reach the endzone on an Anquan Boldin pass from Jeff Blake. The Lions responded with a touchdown of their own from Joey Harrington to Charles Rogers to tie the game at 7 apiece. A short Cardinals punt left the Lions with great field position, which they capitalized on with a Harrington touchdown pass to Rogers to go up 14–7. The Cardinals responded with another long scoring drive when Freddie Jones brought in a 12-yard touchdown pass to put the score at 14–14 going into halftime.2003 Week 1 Gamebook, Cardinals at Lions September 7, 2003 The Cardinals took the second half kickoff and scored with a Blake 71-yard pass to Boldin. The Lions punted on the responding drive. The Lions defense held the Cardinals to a three-and-out. On the punt return, Eddie Drummond returned the punt 57-yards for the touchdown to tie the game again at 21–21. The Cardinals failed to respond and punted. The Lions were held to a three-and-out and punted. On the catch, Boldin muffed the ball and it was recovered by Donté Curry. The Lions capitalized with a Cory Schlesinger 8-yard pass from Harrington to give the Lions their first lead of the day at 28–21. The Cardinals responded with a field goal drive to bring them within 4 at 28–24. The Lions punted on their next drive. On the first play of the next Cardinals drive, Blake was strip sacked which was recovered by James Hall. The Lions once again capitalized with a Bill Schroeder 5-yard score. The Cardinals failed to respond when Blake threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Dré Bly and returned 48 yards for the touchdown to bring the Lions lead to 42–24. The Cardinals had two drives to score but punted on each, sealing the Lions' first win of the season. Week 2: at Green Bay Packers Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 2: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers – Game summary September 14, 2003 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CST Lions 0 6 0 0 Packers 14 3 7 7 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 70,244 Rain, 63 °F (17.2 °C) Bernie Kukar Box score First quarter GB – Ahman Green 65-yard rush (Ryan Longwell kick good), 14:08. Green Bay 7–0 Drive: 2 plays, 78 yards, 0:58. GB – Tony Fisher 5-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick good), 4:26. Green Bay 14–0 Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 8:42. Second quarter DET – Jason Hanson 22-yard field goal, 12:20. Green Bay 14–3 Drive: 6 plays, 11 yards, 2:40. GB – Ryan Longwell 46-yard field goal, 8:22. Green Bay 17–3 Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 3:58. DET – Jason Hanson 52-yard field goal, 0:00. Green Bay 17–6 Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 0:33. Third quarter GB – Robert Ferguson 14-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick good), 10:18. Green Bay 24–6 Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 0:49. Fourth quarter GB – Al Harris 56-yard interception return (Ryan Longwell kick good), 10:18. Green Bay 31–6 Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 26/55, 241 yards, 3 INT GB – Brett Favre – 15/28, 132 yards, 2 TD, INT Top receivers DET – Shawn Bryson – 5 receptions, 48 yards GB – Antonio Freeman – 4 receptions 32 yards Top rushers DET – Shawn Bryson – 7 rushes, 43 yards GB – Ahman Green – 23 rushes, 160 yards, TD For their first road game of the season, the Lions visited the Green Bay Packers. The Packers took the opening kickoff and scored on the third play with an Ahman Green 65-yard rushing touchdown. The Lions were held to a three-and-out before the Packers scored again on a Brett Favre pass to Tony Fisher. After three straight punts, the Lions scored on a Jason Hanson 22-yard field goal. The Packers responded with a 46-yard field goal from Ryan Longwell. After five more punts, Dré Bly nabbed an interception from Favre with 0:33 left in the first half. The Lions scored with a Hanson 52-yard field goal to end the first half.2003 Week 2 Gamebook, Lions at Packers September 14, 2003 The Lions opened the second half with the ball, but gave it away on a Harrington interception. The Packers were held to a three-and-out and punted, but got it right back when Harrington threw another interception. The Packers capitalized with a Favre pass to Robert Ferguson. Six drives with no scores preceded an Al Harris 56-yard interception return touchdown to put the Packers up 31–6. The Lions failed to score on their last two drives to solidify their 6–31 loss and dropped to 1–1. Week 3: vs. Minnesota Vikings Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 3: Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – Game summary September 21, 2003 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CST Vikings 0 16 7 0 Lions 10 0 3 0 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 60,865 None (indoor stadium) Tom White Box score First quarter DET – Shawn Bryson 5-yard run (Jason Hanson kick good), 11:00. Detroit 7–0 Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 4:00. DET – Jason Hanson 27-yard field goal, 0:52. Detroit 10–0 Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 2:52. Second quarter MIN – Daunte Culpepper 14-yard run (Aaron Elling bad snap), 12:02. Detroit 10–6 Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 0:57. MIN – Daunte Culpepper 2-yard run (Aaron Elling kick good), 4:57. Minnesota 13–10 Drive: 6 plays, 98 yards, 2:51. MIN – Aaron Elling 21-yard field goal, 0:05. Minnesota 16–10 Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 0:38. Third quarter DET – Jason Hanson 37-yard field goal, 10:21. Minnesota 16–13 Drive: 8 plays, 39 yards, 4:21. MIN – Kelly Campbell 72-yard pass from Gus Frerotte (Aaron Elling kick good), 7:52. Minnesota 23–13 Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:29. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers MIN – Gus Frerotte – 8/19, 184 yards, TD, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 24/42, 235 yards, 3 INT Top receivers MIN – Randy Moss – 3 receptions, 85 yards DET – Charles Rogers – 6 receptions, 54 yards Top rushers MIN – Moe Williams – 13 rushes, 95 yards DET – Shawn Bryson – 17 rushes, 49 yards, TD In Week 3, the Lions hosted the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions took the opening kickoff and scored with a Shawn Bryson 5-yard run. The Vikings responded by driving down field and attempting a 37-yard field goal, but Aaron Elling missed it wide right. Both teams punted before the Lions began their next drive with great field position after an Eddie Drummond return. The Lions settled for a Jason Hanson 27-yard field goal, which was made to bring the Lions' lead to 10–0. After two punts, the Vikings ended the shutout with a Daunte Culpepper 14-yard rushing touchdown, which, after a bad snap on the extra point, brought the score to 10–6. Joey Harrington threw an interception on the next drive, and the Vikings capitalized by taking the lead with a Culpepper 2-yard rushing touchdown. On that touchdown, Culpepper was injured and ruled out. After a Lions punt, the Vikings extended their lead with an Elling field goal to bring the halftime score to 16–10.2003 Week 3 Gamebook, Vikings at Lions September 21, 2003 The second half began with a Gus Frerotte interception which the Lions capitalized on with a 37-yard field goal to bring the score to 16–13. The Vikings responded with a Kelly Campbell 72-yard touchdown pass that put the score at 23–13. On their next five drives, the Lions failed to score as Harrington was intercepted twice, the team punted twice, and one turnover on downs as the Lions lost to drop to 1–2. Week 4: at Denver Broncos Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 4: Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos – Game summary September 28, 2003 4:15 p.m. EDT/2:15 p.m. MDT Lions 7 3 0 6 Broncos 7 7 3 3 Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado 75,719 Sunny, 66 °F (18.9 °C) Ron Blum Box score First quarter DET – Charles Rogers 33-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 7:07. Detroit 7–0 Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 3:01. DEN – Ashley Lelie 29-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick good), 1:56. Tied 7–7 Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:11. Second quarter DEN – Shannon Sharpe 1-yard pass from Jake Plummer (Jason Elam kick good), 10:36. Denver 14–7 Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:41. DET – Jason Hanson 53-yard field goal, 6:00. Denver 14–10 Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:36. Third quarter DEN – Jason Elam 53-yard field goal, 1:17. Denver 17–10 Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:43. Fourth quarter DET – Scotty Anderson 43-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick no good), 13:36. Denver 17–16 Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 2:41. DEN – Jason Elam 41-yard field goal, 3:13. Denver 20–16 Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:29. Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 15/33, 149 yards, 2 TD DEN – Jake Plummer – 25/34, 277, 2 TD Top receivers DET – Charles Rogers – 4 receptions, 62 yards, TD DEN – Ashley Lelie – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Shawn Bryson – 13 rushes, 73 yards DEN – Jake Plummer – 6 rushes, 40 yardsIn Week 4, the Lions traveled to Mile High to face the Denver Broncos. Both teams punted on their opening possession. The Lions began their second drive by converting a third down with a Shawn Bryson run, before a big 28-yard Bryson run brought them into Denver territory. On the next play, Joey Harrington connected with Charles Rogers for a 33-yard touchdown to take the early lead. The Broncos responded with a 9 play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Jake Plummer 29-yard bomb to Ashley Lelie to tie the game at 7 apiece. The Lions went three-and-out before the Broncos scored on a Plummer pass to Shannon Sharpe to take a 14–7 lead. The Lions responded by converting a Jason Hanson 53-yard field goal to bring them within 4. The Broncos were poised to score before Plummer fumbled on Detroit's 13, turning it over to end the first half.2003 Week 4 Gamebook, Lions at Broncos September 28, 2003 Both teams punted twice before Denver scored on a Jason Elam 37-yard field goal to take the 17–10 lead. The Lions looked to tie it up when Harrington connected with Scotty Anderson who took it 43-yards for the score. However, Hanson missed the extra point, keeping it a one-point game at 17–16. Both teams punted before the Broncos extended the lead with an Elam 41-yard field goal. Four straight incompletions ended the next Lions drive as they fell 16–20. Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 5: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary October 5, 2003 4:15 p.m. EDT/1:15 p.m. PDT Lions 0 10 0 7 49ers 10 7 7 0 San Francisco Stadium at Candlestick Point, San Francisco, California 67,365 Sunny, 66 °F (18.9 °C) Mike Carey Box score First quarter SF – Terrell Owens 6-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (Owen Pochman kick good), 11:39. San Francisco 7–0 Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:33. SF – Owen Pochman 48-yard field goal, 4:52. San Francisco 10–0 Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 4:12. Second quarter SF – Aaron Walker 14-yard pass from Jeff Garcia (Owen Pochman kick good), 12:18. San Francisco 17–0 Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:54. DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, 5:57. San Francisco 17–3 Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 3:05. DET – Mikhael Ricks 6-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 2:58. San Francisco 17–10 Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:52. Third quarter SF – Jeff Garcia 1-yard rush (Owen Pochman kick good), 1:01. San Francisco 24–10 Drive: 3 plays, 38 yards, 1:23. Fourth quarter DET – Olandis Gary 2-yard rush (Jason Hanson kick good), 11:44. San Francisco 24–17 Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 4:17. Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 19/35, 200 yards, TD, 2 INT SF – Jeff Garcia – 15/27, 192 yards, 2 TD, INT Top receivers DET – Mikhael Ricks – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD SF – Terrell Owens – 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Olandis Gary – 14 rushes, 64 yards, TD SF – Garrison Hearst – 19 rushes, 74 yards In Week 5, the Lions traveled to San Francisco to face the San Francisco 49ers. On the opening drive of the game, Joey Harrington threw an interception to Ahmed Plummer on the second play. The 49ers capitalized as Jeff Garcia connected with Terrell Owens for the 6-yard score. The Lions couldn't respond and punted on their next drive. The 49ers extended their lead with an Owen Pochman 48-yard field goal. After another Lions punt, Garcia found Aaron Walker for a 14-yard touchdown to go up 17–0. After both teams traded punts, the Lions got on the board with a Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal. After an interception by Dré Bly on the first play of the 49ers next drive, the Lions scored on a Mikhael Ricks 6-yard reception from Joey Harrington to put them within 7 as the half came to a close.2003 Week 5 Gamebook, Lions at 49ers October 5, 2003 After five straight punts and an interception by Harrington, the 49ers capped off a 3-play scoring drive with a Garcia 1-yard rush. The Lions were able to respond with a scoring drive of their own after Olandis Gary scored on a 2-yard run to bring the Lions within 7 again. After two punts, the 49ers looked to seal the game with a Pochman 37-yard field goal, but he missed it wide left to keep the game within 7 points. The Lions next drive ended with a punt before the 49ers ran the rest of the clock out to seal the final score of 24–17, dropping the Lions to 1–4 and last in the NFC North. Week 7: vs. Dallas Cowboys Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 7: Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions – Game summary October 19, 2003 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT Cowboys 7 21 7 3 Lions 7 0 0 0 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 61,160 None (indoor stadium) Terry McAulay Box score First quarter DET – Dré Bly 67-yard fumble return (Jason Hanson kick good), 8:23. Detroit 7–0 DAL – Terry Glenn 20-yard pass from Quincy Carter (Billy Cundiff kick good), 4:58. Tied 7–7 Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:25. Second quarter DAL – Terry Glenn 19-yard pass from Quincy Carter (Billy Cundiff kick good), 11:31. Dallas 14–7 Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 3:18. DAL – Terry Glenn 8-yard pass from Quincy Carter (Billy Cundiff kick good), 10:21. Dallas 21–7 Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:06. DAL – Mario Edwards 27-yard interception return (Billy Cundiff kick good), 4:20. Dallas 28–7 Third quarter DAL – Troy Hambrick 3-yard rush (Billy Cundiff kick good), 7:33. Dallas 35–7 Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 7:27. Fourth quarter DAL – Billy Cundiff 23-yard field goal, 14:57. Dallas 38–7 Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 6:35. Top passers DAL – Quincy Carter – 18/25, 190 yards, 3 TD DET – Mike McMahon – 5/20, 51 yards, INT Top receivers DAL – Terry Glenn – 6 receptions, 75 yards, 3 TD DET – Scotty Anderson – 3 receptions, 27 yards Top rushers DAL – Troy Hambrick – 24 rushes, 74 yards, TD DET – Olandis Gary – 11 rushes, 37 yards In Week 7 after their bye, the Lions hosted the Dallas Cowboys. The game started with three punts. On the first play from scrimmage after a Lions punt, Dallas running back Troy Hambrick fumbled which was forced by Corey Harris and picked up by Dré Bly and brought back 67 yards for the score. The Cowboys recovered and answered with a Quincy Carter 20-yard pass to Terry Glenn to tie the game at 7 apiece. After a Lions punt, the Cowboys took the lead on another Carter pass to Glenn. After a Joey Harrington interception, the Cowboys took a 21–7 lead with the third straight Carter to Glenn touchdown pass. After trading punts, Harrington was intercepted by Mario Edwards which was brought back 27 yards for a pick-6. After that play, the Lions benched Harrington for Mike McMahon and the half came to a close.2003 Week 7 Gamebook, Cowboys at Lions October 19, 2003 The Cowboys began the second half with a Troy Hambrick 3-yard touchdown run to take a 35–7 lead. After a Lions punt, the Cowboys tacked on to the blowout with a Billy Cundiff 23-yard field goal. No more scoring would be seen as the Lions fell 38–7. Week 8: at Chicago Bears Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 8: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears – Game summary October 26, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Lions 0 0 8 8 Bears 0 10 14 0 Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois 61,428 Mostly cloudy, 46 °F (7.8 °C) Larry Nemmers Box score First quarter *No scoring plays Second quarter CHI – Justin Gage 21-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Paul Edinger kick good), 7:22. Chicago 7–0 Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 1:25. CHI – Paul Edinger 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Chicago 10–0 Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 1:03. Third quarter CHI – Jerry Azumah 89-yard kickoff return (Paul Edinger kick good), 14:46. Chicago 17–0 CHI – Brock Forsey 8-yard rush (Paul Edinger kick good), 5:23. Chicago 24–0 Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:37. DET – Reggie Swinton 96-yard kickoff return (Joey Harrington–Az-Zahir Hakim pass good), 5:10. Chicago 24–8 Fourth quarter DET – Mikhael Ricks 3-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Joey Harrington–Scotty Anderson pass good), 0:53. Chicago 24–16 Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 0:45. Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 23/40, 180 yards, TD, 2 INT CHI – Chris Chandler – 20/31, 207 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Scotty Anderson – 4 receptions, 39 yards CHI – Justin Gage – 2 receptions, 58 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Shawn Bryson – 14 rushes, 67 yards CHI – Brock Forsey – 19 rushes, 56 yards, TD In Week 8, the Lions traveled to Soldier Field to play against division rival Chicago Bears. Both teams punted thrice to start the game before Joey Harrington threw a pick to Charles Tillman on the first play of Detroit's fourth drive. The Bears took advantage of the field position with a Chris Chandler 21-yard touchdown pass to Justin Gage. After three punts, the Bears tacked on a Paul Edinger field goal to take a 10–0 lead going into halftime.2003 Week 9 Gamebook, Lions at Bears October 26, 2003 The Bears would receive the ball to start the second half. On the kickoff return, Jerry Azumah returned it 89 yards for the touchdown. The Lions failed to respond when Harrington threw an interception to Azumah. Both teams traded punts before the Bears added to their lead with a Brock Forsey 8-yard rushing touchdown to go up 24–0. The Lions ended the shutout after Reggie Swinton returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for the score. They made it a two-score game with a Harrington pass to Az-Zahir Hakim two-point conversion. After two punts, the Bears looked to make it a three-score game with an Edinger 32-yard field goal. On the attempt, James Hall was able to block it to keep the Lions' comeback hopes alive. On the ensuing drive, the Lions were able to get down to the Bears' 3-yard line. On 4th and 2, Harrington was unable to connect with Hakim as they turned it over on downs. The Lions were able to get the ball back with 1:38 left in the game. They marched down the field and scored with a Harrington pass to Mikhael Ricks, and brought it to a one-score game with a Harrington two-point pass to Scotty Anderson. On the onside kick attempt, the kick was recovered by Lions' Bill Schroeder, but the kick did not travel the necessary 10 yards for recovery by the kicking team. This sealed the 24–16 loss for Detroit to fall to 1–6. Week 9: vs. Oakland Raiders Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 9: Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions – Game summary November 2, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST Raiders 0 3 7 3 Lions 10 0 7 6 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 61,561 None (indoor stadium) Jeff Triplette Box score First quarter DET – Jason Hanson 54-yard field goal, 12:54. Detroit 3–0 Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:26. DET – Olandis Gary 2-yard run (Jason Hanson kick good), 0:58. Detroit 10–0 Drive: 4 plays, 12 yards, 1:26. Second quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 55-yard field goal, 0:00. Detroit 10–3 Drive: 13 plays, 48 yards, 1:51. Third quarter DET – Cory Schlesinger 33-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 11:06. Detroit 17–3 Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:54. OAK – Charlie Garner 7-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick good), 2:55. Detroit 17–10 Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 8:11. Fourth quarter DET – Jason Hanson 42-yard field goal, 12:45. Detroit 20–10 Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 5:10. OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 24-yard field goal, 9:14. Detroit 20–13 Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:52. DET – Jason Hanson 39-yard field goal, 5:52. Detroit 23–13 Drive: 6 plays, 16 yards, 3:22. Top passers OAK – Rick Mirer – 15/28, 125 yards, 2 INT DET – Joey Harrington – 13/21, 117 yards, TD, INT Top receivers OAK – Jerry Rice – 8 receptions, 71 yards DET – Cory Schlesinger – 4 receptions, 53 yards, TD Top rushers OAK – Charlie Garner – 15 rushes, 66 yards, TD DET – Shawn Bryson – 12 rushes, 53 yards In Week 9, the Lions hosted the Oakland Raiders. On the opening drive of the game, Raiders quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo threw an interception to Otis Smith. The Lions capitalized with a Jason Hanson 54-yard field goal. The Raiders attempted to mount a response, setting up a 55-yard field goal for kicker Sebastian Janikowski. However, he missed it wide right. The Lions went three-and-out on their next possession, but they got the ball back when Jerry Rice fumbled a pass that was recovered by Barrett Green and brought to Oakland's 12-yard line. The Lions scored with an Olandis Gary 2-yard rushing touchdown. After three punts, Joey Harrington threw an interception. Despite Tuiasosopo being benched for Rick Mirer, the Raiders punted. The Lions punted on their next possession as Janikowski kicked a 55-yard field goal to end the first half 10–3.2003 Week 9 Gamebook, Raiders at Lions November 2, 2003 The Lions took the second half kickoff and scored with a Harrington 33-yard touchdown pass to Cory Schlesinger to go up 17–3. The Raiders responded with a long 14 play, 79-yard drive that took up half of the third quarter, scoring on a Charlie Garner 7-yard rushing touchdown. The Lions responded with a Hanson 42-yard field goal. The teams traded field goals to reach the final score of 23–13. Week 10: vs. Chicago Bears Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 10: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions – Game summary November 9, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Bears 0 3 7 0 Lions 3 3 3 3 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 61,492 None (indoor stadium) Bernie Kukar Box score First quarter DET – Jason Hanson 24-yard field goal, 1:53. Detroit 3–0 Drive: 7 plays, 44 yards, 3:55. Second quarter CHI – Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal, 11:28. Tied 3–3 Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 5:25. DET – Jason Hanson 25-yard field goal, 2:40. Detroit 6–3 Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 5:06. Third quarter CHI – Desmond Clark 12-yard pass from Chris Chandler (Paul Edinger kick good), 7:52. Chicago 10–6 Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:55. DET – Jason Hanson 30-yard field goal, 2:49. Chicago 10–9 Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 5:03. Fourth quarter DET – Jason Hanson 48-yard field goal, 0:39. Detroit 12–10 Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 1:48. Top passers CHI – Chris Chandler – 16/28, 149 yards, TD, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 24/38, 238 yards Top receivers CHI – Desmond Clark – 4 receptions, 39 yards, TD DET – Scotty Anderson – 5 receptions, 77 yards Top rushers CHI – Anthony Thomas – 21 rushes, 61 yards DET – Reggie Swinton – 1 rush, 9 yards In Week 10, the Lions hosted the Chicago Bears. The teams traded punts before Detroit began their drive at Chicago's side of the field due to a poor punt by Brad Maynard. Detroit capitalized with a Hanson 24-yard field goal to open up the scoring. Chicago responded with an 11-play drive capped off by a Paul Edinger 43-yard field goal to tie it up at 3 apiece. After a Lions fake punt failed to convert, the Bears attempted a 48-yard field goal that was blocked by Jared DeVries to keep the game tied. Harrington led the Lions down the field as they converted on another Hanson field goal to put them up 6–3 at the half.2003 Week 10 Gamebook, Bears at Lions November 9, 2003 Both teams traded a punt with Chicago getting the ball at the 50-yard line to start their second drive of the half. The Bears marched down the field and scored on a Chris Chandler pass to Desmond Clark to go up 10–6. The Lions responded with a 10-play drive that ended with a Hanson 30-yard field goal to bring the score within a point. Chicago looked poised to score again on an Edinger 41-yard field goal, but Edinger missed it wide left. Both teams proceeded to punt before the Lions got the ball back with 2:27 left to play. Six straight Harrington passes set up a Hanson 48-yard field goal, which he made to put Detroit up 12–10. On the first play of Chicago's ensuing drive, Chandler threw an interception to Corey Harris that sealed the 12–10 victory for Detroit, who won two straight for the first time since 2000.Chicago at Detroit Game Recap http://nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031109_CHI@DET National Football League 2003-11-09 https://web.archive.org/web/20031204210159/http://nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031109_CHI@DET 2003-12-04 dead Associated Press December 22, 2024 Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 11: Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary November 16, 2003 4:15 p.m. EST/1:15 p.m. PST Lions 7 7 0 0 Seahawks 14 21 0 0 Seahawks Stadium, Seattle, Washington 65,865 Cloudy, intermittent rain, 46 °F (7.8 °C) Mike Carey Box score First quarter SEA – Matt Hasselbeck 4-yard run (Josh Brown kick good), 11:33. Seattle 7–0 Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:27. SEA – Shaun Alexander 1-yard run (Josh Brown kick good), 0:52. Seattle 14–0 Drive: 13 plays, 87 yards, 7:41. DET – Scotty Anderson 72-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 0:38. Seattle 14–7 Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:14. Second quarter SEA – Koren Robinson fumble recovery in endzone (Josh Brown kick good), 11:05. Seattle 21–7 Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:33. SEA – Bobby Engram 34-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Josh Brown kick good), 6:38. Seattle 28–7 Drive: 1 play, 34 yards, 0:07. SEA – Bobby Engram 83-yard punt return (Josh Brown kick good), 3:51. Seattle 35–7. DET – Az-Zahir Hakim 15-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 0:41. Seattle 35–14 Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:10. Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 26/48, 285 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT SEA – Matt Hasselbeck – 21/28, 207 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Scotty Anderson – 2 receptions, 87 yards, TD SEA – Bobby Engram – 3 receptions, 59 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Olandis Gary – 6 rushes, 43 yards SEA – Shaun Alexander – 20 rushes, 110 yards, TD In Week 11, the Lions traveled to Seattle to play the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle won the opening toss, elected to receive, and took the opening drive 80 yards for the Matt Hasselbeck 4-yard rushing touchdown. The Lions failed to respond and punted. On their second drive, the Seahawks drove downfield to score on a Shaun Alexander 1-yard run to go up 14–0. The Lions responded instantly with a Harrington 72-yard bomb to Anderson to bring the score to 14–7 to end the first quarter. The Seahawks extended their lead when Hasselbeck ran to the Lions' 3 before DeVries forced a fumble that was recovered by Seattle's Koren Robinson for the score. After three straight punts, Seattle capitalized on good field position and scored on a Hasselbeck pass to Bobby Engram to extend their lead to 28–7. The Lions failed to get anything going and punted. On the punt return, Engram ran it back 83 yards for the score to go up 35–7. Detroit finally responded on a Harrington pass to Hakim to put the score at 35–14 entering halftime.2003 Week 11 Gamebook, Seahawks at Lions November 16, 2003 After trading punts to start the second half, Detroit lurched downfield and made it to Seattle's 3-yard line on 2nd and 3. However, Harrington threw three straight incompletions to turn the ball over on downs. After a Seattle punt, the Lions once again ran downfield deep into Seattle territory. On fourth and goal from Seattle's 10, Harrington threw an interception to Shawn Springs to turn the ball over once again. After three more punts, Detroit made it into Seattle territory before Harrington turned the ball over on an interception to Reggie Tongue to seal the 14–35 loss. Week 12: at Minnesota Vikings Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary November 23, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Lions 0 0 7 7 Vikings 7 0 0 17 Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 63,946 None (indoor stadium) Peter Morelli Box score First quarter MIN – Michael Bennett 25-yard run (Aaron Elling kick good), 7:29. Minnesota 7–0 Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 3:41. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter DET – Corey Harris 35-yard fumble return (Jason Hanson kick good), 12:11. Tied 7–7 Fourth quarter MIN – Aaron Elling 24-yard field goal, 2:45. Minnesota 10–7 Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 8:49. MIN – Corey Chavous 32-yard interception return (Aaron Elling kick good), 2:26. Minnesota 17–7 MIN – Brian Williams 42-yard interception return (Aaron Elling kick good), 2:06. Minnesota 24–7 DET – Az-Zahir Hakim 5-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 0:35. Minnesota 24–14 Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 1:31. Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 21/41, 167 yards, TD, 4 INT MIN – Daunte Culpepper – 20/30, 196 yards, INT Top receivers DET – Az-Zahir Hakim – 7 receptions, 61 yards, TD MIN – Randy Moss – 5 receptions, 56 yards Top rushers DET – Joey Harrington – 2 rushes, 34 yards MIN – Michael Bennett – 15 rushes, 73 yards, TD In Week 12, the Lions traveled to the Metrodome to face the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams punted on their opening possessions before the Vikings scored on a Michael Bennett 25-yard run to put the Vikings up 7–0. The Lions looked poised to respond, marching into Minnesota territory. However, Harrington threw an interception to Brian Williams. The Vikings failed to capitalize as both teams traded punts. Minnesota crossed into Detroit territory before Daunte Culpepper tossed an interception to Brian Walker. The Lions handed it right back to Minnesota with a Harrington interception to Williams. The Vikings failed to capitalize again and punted. The Lions attempted to put points on the board heading into the half, but Hanson missed his first (and only) field goal of the season, a 43-yarder, wide right.2003 Week 12 Gamebook, Detroit at Minnesota November 23, 2003 The Lions punted to begin the second half. However, on Minnesota's first drive to start the half, a fumble by Moe Williams landed in the hands of Dre Bly, who ran it back 44 yards before lateraling it to Corey Harris who brought it the remaining 35 yards for the touchdown. After six straight punts, the Vikings orchestrated a 15-play, 73-yard drive capped off by an Aaron Elling 24-yard field goal. On the Lions ensuing drive, an errant Harrington pass intended for Hakim was intercepted by Corey Chavous and brought back 32 yards for the pick-6. On the first play of the Lions next drive, another Harrington pass was intercepted, this time by Williams, and brought back 42 yards for the second pick-6. The Lions scored on a Harrington pass to Hakim to clinch the final score of 24–14. Week 13: vs. Green Bay Packers Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 13: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – Game summary November 27, 2003 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST Packers 0 7 7 0 Lions 10 3 0 9 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 62,123 None (indoor stadium) Ron Winter Box score First quarter DET – Shawn Bryson 6-yard run (Jason Hanson kick good), 8:05. Detroit 7–0 Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:46. DET – Jason Hanson 42-yard field goal, 0:33. Detroit 10–0 Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:08. Second quarter GB – Bubba Franks 5-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick good), 10:27. Detroit 10–7 Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 5:06. DET – Jason Hanson 28-yard field goal, 2:37. Detroit 13–7 Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 7:50. Third quarter GB – Javon Walker 45-yard pass from Brett Favre (Ryan Longwell kick good), 3:48. Green Bay 14–13 Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:22. Fourth quarter DET – Jason Hanson 49-yard field goal, 13:09. Detroit 16–14 Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:44. DET – Jason Hanson 46-yard field goal, 9:17. Detroit 19–14 Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:33. DET – Jason Hanson 32-yard field goal, 3:34. Detroit 22–14 Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 4:39. Top passers GB – Brett Favre – 23/27, 296 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT DET – Joey Harrington – 21/32, 183 yards, INT Top receivers GB – Javon Walker – 3 receptions, 93 yards, TD DET – Az-Zahir Hakim – 6 receptions, 65 yards Top rushers GB – Ahman Green – 13 rushes, 57 yards DET – Shawn Bryson – 16 rushes, 50 yards, TD In Week 13, the Lions hosted the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving. The Packers took the opening kickoff nowhere and punted. Detroit opened up the scoring with a Bryson 6-yard touchdown. Green Bay failed to respond and punted and Detroit extended their lead with a Hanson 42-yard field goal. Green Bay responded by driving downfield and scoring on a Favre 5-yard pass to Bubba Franks to put the Packers on the board 10–7. Detroit responded themselves with a 14-play, 62-yard drive culminating in a Hanson 28-yard field goal to give the Lions a 13–7 lead heading into halftime.2003 Week 14 Gamebook, Packers at Lions December 7, 2003 Detroit failed to get anything going on the opening drive of the second half and punted. The Packers made it nearly into the redzone before Favre threw an interception to Bly. The Lions failed to capitalize and punted before allowing a 45-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker to fall behind 14–13. After three straight punts, Walker fumbled on an 18-yard run to give the Lions possession at Green Bay's 31. The Lions failed to move the ball, settling for a Hanson 49-yard field goal to take the lead 16–14. The Packers punted on their next possession, but got the ball back when Harrington threw an interception to Mike McKenzie. The Lions got the ball straight back when Brian Walker strip-sacked Favre, allowing Dan Wilkinson to recover. The Lions stretched their lead with a Hanson 46-yard field goal. On the Packers' responding drive, Favre threw another interception to Bly. The Lions put themselves up 22–14 with another Hanson field goal, this time from 32 yards out. Another Favre interception sealed the 22–14 victory for the Lions. Week 14: vs. San Diego Chargers Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 14: San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions – Game summary December 7, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST Chargers 7 7 0 0 Lions 0 0 0 7 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 61,544 Cloudy, 29 °F (−1.7 °C) Bill Leavy Box score First quarter KC – Tony Gonzalez 27-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick good), 6:54. Kansas City 7–0 Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:27. KC – Priest Holmes 14-yard run (Morten Andersen kick good), 2:41. Kansas City 14–0 Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:14. Second quarter KC – Priest Holmes 9-yard run (Morten Andersen kick good), 12:08. Kansas City 21–0 Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:34. DET – Jason Hanson 29-yard field goal, 3:35. Kansas City 21–3 Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 8:33. KC – Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers SD – Doug Flutie – 17/25, 244 yards, 2 TD, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 26/46, 208 yards, TD Top receivers SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 9 receptions, 148 yards, 2 TD DET – Reggie Swinton – 5 receptions, 54 yards Top rushers SD – LaDainian Tomlinson – 25 rushes, 88 yards DET – Shawn Bryson – 10 rushes, 28 yards In Week 14, the Lions hosted the San Diego Chargers. Both teams punted to begin the game, with San Diego opening up the scoring on a Doug Flutie 16-yard pass to LaDainian Tomlinson. After a Detroit punt, San Diego marched downfield before Flutie threw a redzone interception to Terrence Holt. After three punts, Flutie and Tomlinson connected on a 73-yard touchdown pass. After two punts, the Lions went into halftime down 14–0. Six straight punts opened up the second half before Harrington connected with Casey FitzSimmons to get on the board 14–7. After three more punts, the Lions took possession with 1:49 remaining in the game. Harrington was given control of the potential game-winning drive, taking the snap for all eleven plays. On fourth and 16, Harrington found Ricks for a 21-yard gain to cross midfield and end up at San Diego's 33 yard-line. However, Harrington threw three straight incompletions to turn the ball over on downs and solidify the 7–14 loss.2003 Week 14 Gamebook, Chargers at Lions December 7, 2003 Week 15: at Kansas City Chiefs Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 15: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary December 14, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST Lions 0 10 7 0 Chiefs 14 14 17 0 Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 77,922 Cloudy, 29 °F (−1.7 °C) Bill Leavy Box score First quarter KC – Tony Gonzalez 27-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick good), 6:54. Kansas City 7–0 Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:27. KC – Priest Holmes 14-yard run (Morten Andersen kick good), 2:41. Kansas City 14–0 Drive: 4 plays, 50 yards, 2:14. Second quarter KC – Priest Holmes 9-yard run (Morten Andersen kick good), 12:08. Kansas City 21–0 Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:34. DET – Jason Hanson 29-yard field goal, 3:35. Kansas City 21–3 Drive: 15 plays, 71 yards, 8:33. KC – Derrick Blaylock 63-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick good), 2:11. Kansas City 28–3 Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:24. DET – Az-Zahir Hakim 8-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 0:18. Kansas City 28–10 Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 1:53. Third quarter KC – Priest Holmes 3-yard run (Morten Andersen kick good), 10:30. Kansas City 35–10 Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:30. KC – Morten Andersen 35-yard field goal, 6:56. Kansas City 38–10 Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 3:26. DET – Shawn Bryson 1-yard rush (Jason Hanson kick good), 3:54. Kansas City 38–17 Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 3:02. KC – Tony Gonzalez 9-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick good), 1:02. Kansas City 45–17 Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 2:52. Fourth quarter No scoring plays Top passers DET – Joey Harrington – 20/36, 197 yards, TD, INT KC – Trent Green – 20/25, 341 yards, 3 TD Top receivers DET – Az-Zahir Hakim – 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD KC – Derrick Blaylock – 5 receptions, 106 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Shawn Bryson – 18 rushes, 105 yards, TD KC – Priest Holmes – 18 rushes, 94 yards, 3 TD In Week 15, the Lions traveled to Arrowhead to face the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions took the opening drive into Kansas City territory, but were stopped and forced to punt. Kansas City took their first drive 80 yards capped off by a Trent Green 27-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez for the early 7–0 lead. On the Lions' ensuing drive, Harrington threw an interception to Kawika Mitchell. The Chiefs capitalized with a Priest Holmes 14-yard rushing touchdown. After a Lions punt, the Chiefs extended their lead with another Holmes rushing touchdown to go up 21–0. The Lions responded with a 15-play, 71-yard drive ending with a Hanson 29-yard field goal. The Chiefs extended their lead with a Green 63-yard pass to Derrick Blaylock to go up 28–3. The Lions responded with a Harrington 8-yard pass to Hakim, bringing the halftime score to 28–10 after a Morten Andersen missed 48-yard field goal.2003 Week 15 Gamebook, Lions at Chiefs December 14, 2003 The Chiefs took the second half opening drive 46 yards for the score on a Holmes 3-yard run to extend their lead to 35–10. On the ensuing kickoff, Reggie Swinton fumbled the return, giving the ball to the Chiefs on their own 47-yard line. The Chiefs capitalized with a 35-yard field goal. The Lions quickly scored with a Shawn Bryson 1-yard run. The Chiefs tacked on another touchdown when Green connected with Gonzalez to bring the score to 45–17. The Lions last two possessions ended with a turnover on downs, sealing the 45–17 loss. With the loss, the Lions tied the Houston Oilers NFL-record of 23 straight road losses.Chiefs capture AFC West with 45-17 rout http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031214_DET@KC National Football League 2003-12-14 https://web.archive.org/web/20051113110831/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031214_DET@KC 2005-11-13 dead Associated Press December 23, 2024 Week 16: at Carolina Panthers Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 16: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers – Game summary December 21, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST Lions 0 0 0 14 Panthers 7 10 3 0 Ericsson Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina 72,835 Sunny, 42 °F (5.6 °C) Terry McAulay Box score First quarter CAR – Steve Smith Sr. 20-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick good), 10:30. Carolina 7–0 Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:34. Second quarter CAR – DeShaun Foster 10-yard pass from Jake Delhomme (John Kasay kick good), 8:03. Carolina 14–0 Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 5:23. CAR – John Kasay 42-yard field goal, 1:54. Carolina 17–0 Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 2:10. Third quarter CAR – John Kasay 44-yard field goal, 7:53. Carolina 20–0 Drive: 12 plays, 51 yards, 7:07. Fourth quarter DET – Reggie Swinton 89-yard punt return (Jason Hanson kick good), 12:02. Carolina 20–7 DET – Boss Bailey 62-yard defensive fumble return (Jason Hanson kick good), 3:44. Carolina 20–14 Top passers DET – Mike McMahon – 4/11, 36 yards, INT CAR – Jake Delhomme – 29/35, 260 yards, 2 TD, INT Top receivers DET – David Kircus – 1 reception, 18 yards CAR – Steve Smith Sr. – 5 receptions, 81 yards, TD Top rushers DET – Artose Pinner – 12 rushes, 22 yards CAR – DeShaun Foster – 21 rushes, 76 yards In Week 16, the Lions traveled to Ericsson Stadium to face the eventual NFC-champion Carolina Panthers. The Lions punted on their first possession before the Panthers scored on a Steve Smith Sr. 20-yard pass from Jake Delhomme to take the early 7–0 lead. After three punts, the Lions got a takeaway when Delhomme threw an interception to Terrance Holt. But they couldn't capitalize, and punted. Carolina took their next possession 84 yards for the score, capped off by a Delhomme 10-yard pass to DeShaun Foster. After a Harrington redzone interception, Carolina scored on a John Kasay 42-yard field goal to take the 17–0 lead going into halftime.2003 Week 16 Gamebook, Lions at Panthers December 21, 2003 The Panthers extended their lead on the opening drive of the second half with a Kasay 44-yard field goal. After two punts and a turnover on downs going into the fourth quarter, Detroit finally scored with a Swinton 89-yard punt return touchdown. After two more punts, Carolina moved into Detroit territory at the 40-yard line. A Foster reception from Delhomme was forced out by Bly and recovered by Boss Bailey for the 62-yard fumble return touchdown. Down one score with 3:38 left in the game, Detroit allowed Carolina to convert two third-downs to seal their 14–20 loss. With the loss, Detroit broke an NFL record for the most consecutive road losses with 24, having not won a road game since Week 16 of the 2000 season. Week 17: vs. St. Louis Rams Detroit Lions 2003 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 17: St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions – Game summary December 28, 2003 1:00 p.m. EST Rams 0 20 0 0 Lions 3 7 17 3 Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan 61,006 None (indoor stadium) Johnny Grier Box score First quarter DET – Jason Hanson 39-yard field goal, 2:59. Detroit 3–0 Drive: 13 plays, 53 yards, 7:06. Second quarter STL – Brandon Manumaleuna 8-yard pass from Marc Bulger (Jeff Wilkins kick good), 14:52. St. Louis 7–3 Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:07. DET – Bill Schroeder 13-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 11:50. Detroit 10–7 Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:02. STL – Jeff Wilkins 51-yard field goal, 6:06. Tied 10–10 Drive: 12 plays, 39 yards, 5:44. STL – Marshall Faulk 2-yard rush (Jeff Wilkins kick good), 3:37. St. Louis 17–10 Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:45. STL – Jeff Wilkins 36-yard field goal, 0:23. St. Louis 20–10 Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 1:28. Third quarter DET – Az-Zahir Hakim 13-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 11:43. St. Louis 20–17 Drive: 3 plays, 24 yards, 1:50. DET – Casey FitzSimmons 2-yard pass from Joey Harrington (Jason Hanson kick good), 5:30. Detroit 24–20 Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:53. DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, 2:56. Detroit 27–20 Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:25. Fourth quarter DET – Jason Hanson 50-yard field goal, 14:29. Detroit 30–20 Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 2:12. Top passers STL – Marc Bulger – 18/31, 170 yards, TD, INT DET – Joey Harrington – 26/36, 238 yards, 3 TD, INT Top receivers STL – Torry Holt – 5 receptions, 54 yards DET – Az-Zahir Hakim – 5 receptions, 58 yards, TD Top rushers STL – Marshall Faulk – 12 rushes, 35 yards, TD DET – Artose Pinner – 18 rushes, 51 yards In Week 17, the Lions hosted the heavily favored St. Louis Rams in Detroit's final game of the season. After trading punts, the Lions opened up the scoring with a Hanson 39-yard field goal. The Rams responded with a Brandon Manumaleuna 8-yard pass from Marc Bulger. The Lions themselves responded with a Harrington 13-yard touchdown pass to Schroeder to go up 10–7. St. Louis marched down the field on a 12-play, 39-yard drive that ended with a Jeff Wilkins 51-yard field goal to tie it at 10 apiece. After going three-and-out, Detroit's punt was blocked by Erik Flowers and went out of bounds at Detroit's five. With the great field position, St. Louis punched it in with a Marshall Faulk 2-yard run to go up 17–10. The Lions turned the ball over once again when a Harrington pass to Hakim was forced out by Pisa Tinoisamoa and recovered by safety Aeneas Williams at the Rams 48. The Lions defensive line batted two Bulger passes to force the Rams to settle for a Wilkins 36-yard field goal, which he made to put the score at 20–10 entering halftime.2003 Week 17 Gamebook, Rams at Lions December 28, 2003 The Rams got the ball to begin the second half, but fumbled it away when Shaun Rogers strip-sacked Bulger. The Lions capitalized on a Harrington 13-yard touchdown pass to Hakim to pull within three points. The Rams were forced to punt on a three-and-out before the Lions took the lead on a FitzSimmons 2-yard pass from Harrington to go up 24–20. On the responding drive, Bulger was intercepted by Boss Bailey who lateralled it to Bly to bring it to the Rams 28. Detroit extended their lead to 27–20 with a Hanson 38-yard field goal. After forcing another St. Louis punt, Detroit went up two scores with a Hanson 50-yarder. Detroit strip-sacked Bulger again before another Harrington interception gave it right back to the Rams. Concerned about the hits Bulger was taking, Bulger was benched and the Rams brought in Kurt Warner. Despite the change at quarterback, the Rams punted on their next drive, as did the Lions. With possession of the ball with 4:40 left in the game, Warner couldn't lead the Rams into Detroit territory and turned the ball over on downs to seal the 30–20 upset win for the Lions, forcing the Rams out of the #1 seed.Rams squander home-field with loss http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031228_STL@DET National Football League 2003-12-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20060118021208/http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20031228_STL@DET 2006-01-18 dead Associated Press December 23, 2024 Standings References External links 2003 Detroit Lions at Pro-Football-Reference.com Detroit Lions Category:Detroit Lions seasons Detroit Lions Category:2003 in Detroit