Throughout this week, we are going to go through the 10 plays (with some liberties for moments) that shaped the 2015 season for the Detroit Lions.
See the complete list as it is unveiled here.
The play: Aaron Rodgers had just thrown an 11-yard touchdown pass to Justin Perillo to cut the Lions’ lead in Green Bay to 18-16 with 32 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Due to injuries to Nevin Lawson and Josh Wilson on the drive, the Lions had to insert just-signed cornerback Crezdon Butler into a critical situation as the Packers planned to go for the two-point conversion to tie the game. Rodgers threw at Butler on the two-point conversion, but he tipped it away from Davante Adams, keeping the Lions in the lead.
The situation: The Lions spoke to Butler’s agent the Thursday before the game against Green Bay. Butler worked out Friday. The Lions signed him Saturday when they placed Rashean Mathis on injured reserve and the next day, Butler was active against the Packers. He had been on his couch watching football the week before. He knew Rodgers would be targeting him -- heck, he said Rodgers stared him down as he came into the game so he figured he would be the target. He was, and his pass breakup appeared to be the game-winning play. Green Bay ended up with one more chance to win -- a missed Mason Crosby field goal as time expired -- but it was Butler’s play that made the difference.
The reason it mattered: The Lions had not won in Wisconsin since 1991. Coming off a 1-7 first half and the firings of the team president, general manager, offensive coordinator and offensive line coaches, the Lions looked to have little chance to beat Green Bay. Yet, the Packers had also been struggling offensively, and Detroit played with a passion and focus it had not had at any point in that season. Before the game, coach Jim Caldwell told his players 'Why not us?' It ended up being the mantra for the second half of the season for Detroit, which rallied to a 6-2 record in the final eight regular-season games. That rally helped save Caldwell’s job. If the Lions don’t win in Green Bay, it might not happen.
How Butler’s season fared: The 28-year-old was cut by the Lions after training camp and signed with the Seahawks. He appeared in one game before he was released. With the Lions suffering multiple injuries at cornerback, then-interim GM Sheldon White re-signed Butler. He played in eight games, making three tackles in spot duty.
What Crezdon Butler said about the play and winning in Green Bay: “Man, it feels like a Super Bowl. You don’t want to compare it to the Super Bowl, but it was unbelievable, unreal. Since ’91? I was four-years-old. It’s like, man, it was crazy. It was meant to be.”