Calvin Johnson Named NFC Offensive Player Of The Week

In the wake of yet another memorable comeback by the Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has received the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week Award. Johnson caught Sunday's game-winning touchdown within the final minute as part of a career day:

The Lions have earned four NFC Player of the Week Awards this year, the most since 2004.

"I coached defense for way too long in this league to take (Calvin’s ability) for granted," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said after the game Sunday. "He’s a playmaker and a difference-maker."

Johnson had a career high 214 yards receiving on nine catches with two touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders. It was the best day for a Lions receiver since 1989 and the third highest yardage total in team history. Johnson will need to come up big again this week against the Chargers. If the Lions can win on Sunday at home they will clinch their first trip to the playoffs in 12 years.

VIDEO: Lions Block Last-Second Field Goal To Beat Raiders

Lions Vs. Raiders Final Score: Late Calvin Johnson Touchdown Secures 28-27 Win For Detroit

The Detroit Lions will leave the Bay Area Sunday evening with an improbable fourth-quarter comeback win over the Oakland Raiders, 28-27 after Calvin Johnson capped off a monster game with a six-yard touchdown with less than a minute to play.

Things didn't look so promising earlier in the second half as the Raiders' defense found something to keep Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford under pressure and Detroit from moving the ball. Then in the fourth quarter it appeared that Oakland defense had put the game away.

Raiders defensive  tackle Tommy Kelly grabbed ahold of Stafford at the Detroit 5-yard line then raked the ball out of his hands, leaving it free on the ground for linebacker Aaron Curry to scoop up and run into the end zone to put the Raiders in control 27-15 with just under eight minutes to play.

But the Raiders' aggressive defense seemed to exhale after coming up with the big play, and the Lions quickly responded to remain in the game. Stafford went to work out of the shotgun and directed the down the field on an efficient 11-play, 71-yard scoring drive, hitting receiver Titus Young for a three-yard touchdown to draw within six points with five minutes to play.

The Raiders and Carson Palmere tried to put the game away for good on their next possession. Facing third and three around mid-field, Palmer just missed the knock out punch when his pass to an open Chaz Schillens was slightly overthrown and bounced off the receiver's outstretched hands.

The Raiders were forced to give the Lions another chance to win the game but made things difficult after a Shane Lechler punt pinned the Lions down at the two-yard line. But quarterback Matthew Stafford went to work, leaning on Calvin Johnson to make big plays down the field.

Megatron caught two passes starting with a 21-yard reception to move the Lions out to the 39-yard line. Then Stafford launched a deep ball that Johnson hauled in among Raider defenders for a 48-yard gain to put Detroit in the red zone. Johnson drew a pass interference penalty which moved the ball to the six-yard line then two plays later caught a Stafford rope in the back of the end zone to tie the score. 

Jason Hanson tacked on the game-winning PAT which held up after the Raiders scrambled to get Sebastian Janikowski a 65-yard field goal attempt. The kick never had a chance and once again the Lions secured a win to move to 9-5 on the season.

Stafford aired it out in the comeback win, completing 29 of 52 passes for 391 yards while Johnson ended the game with nine receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Lions Vs. Raiders Score Update: Oakland Maintains 17-14 Lead After Three Quarters

Defensive adjustments showed up after halftime for both the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders as both teams struggled to mount a strong offensive drive in the third quarter which ended with the Raiders still leading 17-14.

The Raiders defense brought pressure from various angels to disrupt Matthew Stafford's passing rhythm. Late in the third quarter, the Lions appeared to find something, digging their way out of their own territory by utilizing a no-huddle offense. But the drive stalled at the Oakland 39 after the Lions were denied on a 4th and one rushing attempt and forced to turn the ball over on downs. 

The Raiders were held down by poor field position on their first two possessions starting drives on their own 5 and 8-yard line. After the Lions failed fourth down, the Raiders had some breathing room and Carson Palmer connected with Darrius Heyward-Bey to move the Raiders into the red zone on the final play of the third quarter, but fumbled while running after the catch giving the ball to the Lions to start the fourth quarter.

Lions Vs. Raiders Score Update: Oakland Leads Detroit 17-14 At Halftime

The Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders continue to trade blows with the Raiders taking a 17-14 lead to the half.

The Raiders reclaimed the lead on their first possession in the second quarter in style, going 96 yards in seven plays to take a 14-7 advantage. Carson Palmer connected twice with Darrius Heyward-Bey on big plays during the drive. The first play came on a 35-yard reception to dig the Raiders out of a hole deep in their own territory. Then the two connected on the 43-yard scoring play after Palmer dropped off a short pass to Bey and the speedy receiver did the rest with his legs.

After the teams swapped possessions, the Lions put together a key scoring drive late in the second quarter to tie up the score before the half. Once again, quarterback Matthew Stafford found his target on a deep pass, this time hitting Nate Burleson for 39 yards down the left side allowing Burleson to run into the end zone and tie up the game.

The Lions defense couldn't hold down the Raiders to end the half though, allowing Carson Palmer to direct the Raiders into field goal range, where kicker Sebastian Janikowski made good on the effort by the offense, knocking in a 46-yard field goal at the end of the half.

Lions Vs. Raiders Score Update: Lions Tie Game On Johnson Touchdown Catch 7-7

The Detroit Lions tied up the score with the Oakland Raiders at 7-7 late in the first quarter when quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with receiver Calving Johnson on a 51-yard scoring strike.

The Lions came up empty on their first two possessions which ended with punts before they put together an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the big play from Johnson. The score answered a touchdown scored by the Raiders on their second possession. The Raiders struck quickly, covering 76 yards in just five plays with the big play coming on first down after Oakland moved into Lions territory. Marcel Reese took a short pass and advanced it 24 yards followed by a Stephen Tulloch personal foul which moved the ball to the 12 yard line.

Speedy receiver Louis Murphy then took the ball around the end for a 12-yard touchdown to get the home crowd going early. Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer is 8 for 10, delivering an efficient passing game so far for the Raiders.

VIDEO: Calvin Johnson Catches 51-Yard Touchdown From Matthew Stafford

Oakland Raiders Injury Report And Inactives, Week 15: Denarius Moore Active Vs. Lions

Oakland Raiders' wide receiver Denarius Moore, who was questionable all week with a foot injury, is active and will start against the Lions depleted secondary on Sunday. 

As expected, Darren McFadden is out and may miss the rest of the season. That's obviously a big blow to a team that's still very much alive in the AFC playoff picture. 

Here is the full inactives list for the Raiders:

Detroit Lions Injury Report And Inactives, Week 15: Louis Delmas, Lawrence Jackson Out Vs. Raiders

As mentioned last night, Louis Delmas did not travel with the team to Oakland, so he is obviously out. Lawrence Jackson, who was doubtful all week, was also ruled out last night. Jackson is expected to be back next week. 

Kevin Smith, who was questionable with an ankle injury that forced him to miss last week, will start at running back for the Lions. Maurice Morris will spell him as needed.

Here is the full list of inactives for the Lions: 

Welcome To The Black Hole, Detroit

Calvin Johnson Fantasy Projection, Week 15

Fantasy owners looking to take a step toward their league championship this week need a boost from the wide receiver spot and Calvin Johnson can be that player to make a championship difference. Johnson leads all wide receivers with 12 receiving touchdowns (second in receiving TDs to TE Rob Gronkowski's 15).

Unfortunately for fantasy owners, eight of Johnson's 12 TDs came in the first four games of the season, as the dynamic receiver shows up in Oakland on Sunday with just one touchdown in his last five games. The Raiders pass defense is among the middle of the pack in the NFL but they have given up 23 touchdowns through the air which leaves them tied for 25th among the other pass defenses.

Johnson's fantasy projections remain conservative, with numberFire.com expecting 6.19 receptions for 89.90 yards with 0.67 TDs. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has become more comfortable in spreading the ball around, but Johnson should still be his key target as the Lions look to maintain the inside track on a wild card playoff spot.

Matthew Stafford Fantasy Projection, Week 15

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford may have something to offer fantasy owners looking for a playoff win today. The Lions travel to the Bay Area to take on the Oakland Raiders as Detroit hopes to continue a trend of success against AFC West teams.

Earlier this season the Lions crushed the Kansas City Chiefs 48-3 and put the only blemish on Tim Tebow's season when they beat the Denver Broncos 45-10. In those games, Stafford was on point, combining for seven touchdowns and just one interception.

According to numberFire.com, Stafford projects to up his recent fantasy expectations in Oakland by completing 20.42 of 32.16 passes for 245.58 yards with 1.86 TDs and 0.90 INTs. With the expected return of Kevin Smith to the running attack for the Lions, Stafford will have a full compliment of offensive weapons to disperse the ball to as the Lions look to string some wins together to close out the season and hang onto a wild card playoff spot.

Lions Vs. Raiders: Game Time, TV Schedule, Radio Streaming And More

The Detroit Lions have fought their way into a playoff spot, at least for now. On Sunday, they'll take on the Oakland Raiders, a team who themselves fought into the playoffs unexpectedly, before slowing down and dropping straight games. They're not out of things yet, which means they'll be playing Detroit exceptionally hard. Detroit is coming off a good win over the Minnesota Vikings, that most people can't get over because Detroit should have been called for a penalty near the end of the game that would have set Minnesota up with the opportunity to win it.

Oakland is coming off a rather embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers, and most maintain that this makes them more dangerous than usual. It's certainly possible, as an attitude-driven team, they could play Detroit exceptionally hard. The consensus seems to be this: expect a lot of penalties for a lot of different reasons.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, Dec. 18, 4:05 p.m. ET

Location: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA

TV Schedule: FOX (TV Distribution Map)

TV Announcers: Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick

Radio: 97.1 The Ticket (WXYT-FM) 

Detroit Lions Injury Report, Week 15: Louis Delmas Doesn't Travel With Team

Although Detroit Lions' safety Louis Delmas was a limited participant in practice on Friday and listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Raiders, it's being reported now that Delmas will not play: 

Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas did not travel with the team and has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.

Delmas was listed as questionable on the Lions' initial injury report Friday with a torn knee ligament that's kept him out of the last two games. The Lions traveled to Oakland on Friday.

Chris Harris will start his third straight game in Delmas' place.

As the report says, Delmas has missed the Lions' last two games due to the knee injury. Hopefully, this is not a setback and only a precaution to improve Delmas' chances of returning for the stretch run (or playoffs).

Lawrence Jackson has also been downgraded to out after being listed as doubtful on yesterday's report.

Oakland Raiders Injury Report, Week 15: Darren McFadden Out Again Vs. Lions

Raiders running back Darren McFadden will miss his seventh consecutive game on Sunday vs. the Lions (eight if you don't count his two rushes in Week 7). The Raiders will also be without Jacoby Ford for the fifth straight week witha  foot injury. 

Denarius Moore has been a limited participant in practice all week and is listed as questionable. 

Here is the full injury report for the Raiders: 

Detroit Lions Injury Report, Week 15: Nick Fairley Questionable For Sunday With 4 Others

With 11 players on the injury report this week, the Detroit Lions have five listed as questionable and two doubtful; the rest are probable. 

Kevin Smith is amongst the questionable, having been limited the last two days of practice. It seems the Lions are taking a similar approach to Smith's injury as they did when he ultimately played less than 100-percent on Thanksgiving vs. the Packers. He did not play last week after re-injuring the ankle against the Packers.

Justin Durant, Louis Delmas, and Eric Wright are also questionable, but they returned to practice on Friday in a limited fashion. Nick Fairley was limited in practice on Wednesday but did not practice on Thursday or Friday. 

Lawrence Jackson is doubtful with Aaron Berry, but Jackson did practice a little on Friday. 

Here is the full report: 

Kevin Smith Injury: Lions RB Questionable According To Week 15 Injury Report

The Detroit Lions will be battling toward a berth in the NFL Playoffs when they play the Oakland Raiders this weekend and, in a surprise move, the majority of the key players will be relatively healthy. The Lions released their final injury report on Friday with Kevin Smith listed as questionable, but numerous reports indicate the running back will start on Sunday.

Smith was limited all week in practice, but that seems to be more of a precautionary measure in hopes that he's able to sustain a couple of hits from the Raiders. The last time Smith played hurt, he was forced to miss a solid portion of the game after re-injuring his ankle.

No players are listed as definitive outs for the Lions, but defensive end Lawrence Jackson and cornerback Aaron Berry are both doubtful to play. Nick Fairley, Louis Delmas, Justin Durant and Eric Smith all join Smith on the questionable list.

Rob Sims, Amari Spievey, Chris Houston and Willie Young are all listed as probable to play against the Raiders.

Week 15 NFL Lines And Odds: Lions Vs. Raiders

The Detroit Lions can almost taste their first playoff berth in over a decade, but first they need to get past the Oakland Raiders, who are fighting for their own playoff lives. The Lions head out to the west coast this week to take on a Raiders team that has been up and down over the past few weeks. The Lions have also struggled, and that is why SB Nation's official odds partner, Oddsshark, has given this game even odds:

The Detroit Lions have been scoring in bunches on the road and the opening total of 47.5 could be in jeopardy as they visit the Oakland Raiders in Week 15 NFL betting.The OVER is 9-2-1 in the past 12 Lion road games and it has been a trend in Raider December games as well (12-2-2 past 16 games).

The return of Ndamukong Suh from his two-game suspension should also be a big factor for Detroit.

Detroit Lions Injury Report, Week 15: Nick Fairley Status In Question

The Detroit Lions are working toward clinching a berth in the NFL Playoffs in a few weeks, but they can't overlook this weekend's game against the Oakland Raiders. The Lions injury report didn't exactly reveal great news on Thursday, particularly regarding the status of rookie defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

Fairley has been hit-or-miss all season as far as his injury status is concerned. Thursday was another miss, unfortunately, as the big man was downgraded from "limited" to "out."

The Detroit News has more on the situation.

Rookie defensive tackle Nick Fairley, after being a limited participant Wednesday, was not on the practice field Thursday. He's dealing with foot soreness and, as he said Wednesday, there will be good days and bad days.

"I come in, get treated in the morning and if it feels right I practice," he said Wednesday. "If not, then I continue with the treatment."

He still hopes to play Sunday.

Starting running back Kevin Smith was upgraded from out to limited after going through position drills on Thursday.

Oakland Raiders Injury Report, Week 15: Denarius Moore Could Play Vs. Lions

The Oakland Raiders are preparing for their game agains the Detroit Lions this weekend as the NFL playoff picture comes into focus. The Raiders will likely be without starting running back Darren McFadden as he deals with a foot injury, but Thursday's injury report indicated better news for rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore.

Moore was limited on Thursday, according to the injury report, but Steve Corkran painted a better picture as far as Moore's status is concerned.

Moore is running around, catching passes and doing everything else that the other receivers are being asked to do. Assuming he doesn't suffer any setbacks today from the foot injury that sidelined him the past three games, he is expected to play Sunday.

Center Samson Satele (shoulder) is working with the starting offense, which bodes well for his playing Sunday. Wide receivers Chaz Schilens (foot) and Darrius Heyward-Bey (heel) appear fine and ready to roll Sunday, too.

The team's full injury report is available here.

Lions Vs. Raiders: Oakland Injury Report Includes Darren McFadden

Darren McFadden has had a few outstanding games for the Oakland Raiders this season, but it seems that the Detroit Lions might not have to worry about the running back for their game this week. The Raiders released their first injury report on Wednesday and McFadden was listed as out due to a foot injury.

McFadden's foot injury has been reclassified as a Lisfranc injury instead of a the mild foot sprain that was originally reported, but Hue Jackson told reporters earlier this week that it doesn't change the running back's status.

No," Jackson said. "And it's not a season-ender. I mean, that's what we said - it's a sprained foot, Lisfranc, whatever you want to call it. Basically the same thing. I think Darren will be back before the season's over. And when we get him back, we'll get him back."

Safety Michael Huff, defensive tackle John Henderson and wide receiver Jacoby Ford also showed up on the Raiders injury report as out on Wednesday. 

Kevin Smith Injury Update: Lions RB Missed Practice Wednesday

Kevin Smith has been dealing with an ankle sprain for the past few weeks, but the injury is apparently slowly but surely improving. The Detroit Lions first injury report of the week, released on Wednesday afternoon, indicates that the running back could be set for carries this weekend against the Oakland Raiders.

Smith was listed as a Did Not Practice according the official injury report, but Chris McCosky for the Detroit News wrote that "Smith, who appeared to be moving well, worked on the side with a trainer during position drills." The running back was unable to play in this past weekend's victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Chris Houston and Nick Fairley also returned to practice this week after missing the Vikings game, joining Amari Spievey and Willie Young on the "limited" list. Aaron Berry, Louis Delmas, Justin Durant, Lawrence Jackson and Eric Wright were forced to miss all of Wednesday's practice while veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch used it as his usual day of rest.

The Lions are gearing up to play the Oakland Raiders this weekend as they inch closer to clinching a playoff berth.

Lions Vs. Raiders: Detroit Takes On Oakland, Goes For Second Straight Win

For more on the Lions, check out Pride of Detroit.