ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Before the game, the general manager, Martin Mayhew, was fired. So was the team president, Tom Lewand. The head coach, Jim Caldwell, remained -- but at the time, not many people expected him to be around beyond the rest of the 2015 season.
The Detroit Lions were coming off a bye. The franchise was 1-7 and had the worst record in the NFL. Oh, and they were about to face the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin, where they had not won since 1991. There was no reason to think anything would change.