Lions 13–12 Saints: Score, Stats & Recap | Week 16, 2005

Q: Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints?

R. Williams (Detroit Lions) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +8.76 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 4 snaps. Their top snap (-6.81 EPA): (6:00) 3-J.Harrington pass intended for 11-R.Williams INTERCEPTED by 22-F.Thomas at NO -6. Touchback..

Quick answer

Winner: Detroit Lions
Final score: Detroit Lions 13–12 New Orleans Saints
Halftime: Detroit Lions 7–3 New Orleans Saints at halftime
FantasyHQ MVP: Ryan Williams
Top passer: T. Bouman
Biggest EPA play: (5:57) 27-A.Stecker up the middle to NO 23 for -3 yards (96-J.Hall). FUMBLES (96-J.Hall), …
Game date: 2005-12-24

Game summary

The Detroit Lions beat the New Orleans Saints 13–12 on 2005-12-24. Ryan Williams posted a game-high +8.76 total EPA in the receiving.

The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 10 combined points.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

	Q2	Q3	Q4	—	—	T
Detroit Lions	7	0	6	0	0	13
New Orleans Saints	3	6	3	0	0	12

Scoring Map

Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.

DETDetroit Lions

DET 74

+1NO 2

+3DET 16

+3DET 29

+3DET 15

+3NO 2

+3DET 2

+3NO 21

NONew Orleans Saints

FantasyHQ Analytics

Scoring timeline

8 scores

Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.

DETDetroit Lions
Q2 5:57TD
ASA. Stecker
Points+6
Yard line
DET 74
Score
6-0
(5:57) 27-A.Stecker up the middle to NO 23 for -3 yards (96-J.Hall). FUMBLES (96-J.Hall), RECOVERED by DET-92-S.Rogers at NO 21. 92-S.Rogers for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
DETDetroit Lions
Q2 5:45XP
Jake Hanson
Points+1
Yard line
NO 2
Score
7-0
4-J.Hanson extra point is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.
NONew Orleans Saints
Q2 1:08FG
JCJ. Carney
Points+3
Yard line
DET 16
Score
7-3
(1:08) 3-J.Carney 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
NONew Orleans Saints
Q3 9:20FG
JCJ. Carney
Points+3
Yard line
DET 29
Score
7-6
(9:20) 3-J.Carney 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
NONew Orleans Saints
Q3 5:53FG
JCJ. Carney
Points+3
Yard line
DET 15
Score
7-9
(5:53) 3-J.Carney 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
DETDetroit Lions
Q4 7:17FG
Jake Hanson
Points+3
Yard line
NO 2
Score
10-9
(7:17) 4-J.Hanson 21 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.
NONew Orleans Saints
Q4 1:55FG
JCJ. Carney
Points+3
Yard line
DET 2
Score
10-12
(1:55) 3-J.Carney 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
DETDetroit Lions
Q4 0:23FG
Jake Hanson
Points+3
Yard line
NO 21
Score
13-12
(:23) (No Huddle) 4-J.Hanson 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).

1Ryan Williams · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +8.76 total EPA · 4 snaps · +2.19 EPA/play
2Jimmy Horn Jr. · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +7.87 total EPA · 6 snaps · +1.31 EPA/play
3Z. Hilton · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +4.52 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.65 EPA/play
4D. Stallworth · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +3.01 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.51 EPA/play
5T. Bouman · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +2.58 total EPA · 43 snaps · +0.06 EPA/play
6Mykel Williams · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +2.53 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.53 EPA/play
7M. Pollard · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +1.92 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
8A. Pinner · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +1.24 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.31 EPA/play

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Ryan Williams — DET · Receiving

Ryan Williams posted the highest total EPA (+8.76) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Detroit Lions. Across 4 counted snaps, they averaged +2.19 EPA per play.

Ryan Williams's top snap (-6.81 EPA): (6:00) 3-J.Harrington pass intended for 11-R.Williams INTERCEPTED by 22-F.Thomas at NO -6. Touchback.

Biggest single play (-7.96 EPA): A. Stecker — (5:57) 27-A.Stecker up the middle to NO 23 for -3 yards (96-J.Hall). FUMBLES (96-J.Hall), RECOVERED by DET-92-S.Rogers at NO 21. 92-S.Rogers for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Quarterback report card

T. Bouman led all passers in efficiency for New Orleans Saints, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

T. Bouman (New Orleans Saints) · 43 dropbacks · 48.8% completion · +0.06 EPA/play · +2.58 total EPA
Jax Harrington (Detroit Lions) · 31 dropbacks · 54.8% completion · -0.08 EPA/play · -2.49 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.

Stat	Detroit Lions	New Orleans Saints
Offensive EPA/play	-0.073	-0.098
Offensive success rate	41.3%	37.8%
Pass EPA/play	-0.080	+0.060
Rush EPA/play	-0.099	-0.552
Defensive EPA/play	+0.098	+0.073
Defensive success rate	62.2%	58.7%

Drive & efficiency notes

Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Detroit Lions -0.07, New Orleans Saints -0.10) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.

Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):

Detroit Lions: -0.07 EPA/play (34th percentile vs. 2005 team-game averages)
New Orleans Saints: -0.10 EPA/play (29th percentile vs. 2005 team-game averages)

Detroit Lions: 10 drives, -5.48 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
New Orleans Saints: 11 drives, -8.03 total EPA, 5 scoring drives

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

Detroit Lions — A. Stecker (Q2 5:57)

Field goals

New Orleans Saints — J. Carney (Q2 1:08)
New Orleans Saints — J. Carney (Q3 9:20)
New Orleans Saints — J. Carney (Q3 5:53)
Detroit Lions — Jake Hanson (Q4 7:17)
New Orleans Saints — J. Carney (Q4 1:55)
Detroit Lions — Jake Hanson (Q4 0:23)

Quarter by quarter

Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.

The second quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 7–3. Detroit Lions found the end zone from the DET 74 (Q2 5:57); Detroit Lions added 1 points from the NO 2 (Q2 5:45) — 4-J.Hanson extra point is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the DET 16 (Q2 1:08) — (1:08) 3-J.Carney 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman..

The third quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 6–0. New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the DET 29 (Q3 9:20) — (9:20) 3-J.Carney 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the DET 15 (Q3 5:53) — (5:53) 3-J.Carney 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman..

The fourth quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 6–3. Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the NO 2 (Q4 7:17) — (7:17) 4-J.Hanson 21 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the DET 2 (Q4 1:55) — (1:55) 3-J.Carney 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.; Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the NO 21 (Q4 0:23) — (:23) (No Huddle) 4-J.Hanson 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most.

Detroit Lions (Q4 0:23) — (:23) (No Huddle) 4-J.Hanson 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris. [WPA +39.0% · EPA +0.53]
Detroit Lions (Q4 0:37) — (:37) (Shotgun) 3-J.Harrington pass to 11-R.Williams pushed ob at NO 36 for 40 yards (34-M.McKenzie). [WPA +31.7% · EPA +1.97]
New Orleans Saints (Q2 5:57) — (5:57) 27-A.Stecker up the middle to NO 23 for -3 yards (96-J.Hall). FUMBLES (96-J.Hall), RECOVERED by DET-92-S.Rogers at NO 21. 92-S.Rogers for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -24.4% · EPA -7.96]
Detroit Lions (Q4 0:23) — (:23) 3-J.Harrington pass to 11-R.Williams to NO 21 for 15 yards (34-M.McKenzie). [WPA +22.4% · EPA +1.13]
Detroit Lions (Q1 6:00) — (6:00) 3-J.Harrington pass intended for 11-R.Williams INTERCEPTED by 22-F.Thomas at NO -6. Touchback. [WPA -20.8% · EPA -6.81]

Impact plays

Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.

New Orleans Saints (Q2 5:57) — (5:57) 27-A.Stecker up the middle to NO 23 for -3 yards (96-J.Hall). FUMBLES (96-J.Hall), RECOVERED by DET-92-S.Rogers at NO 21. 92-S.Rogers for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -24.4% · EPA -7.96]
Detroit Lions (Q1 6:00) — (6:00) 3-J.Harrington pass intended for 11-R.Williams INTERCEPTED by 22-F.Thomas at NO -6. Touchback. [WPA -20.8% · EPA -6.81]
Detroit Lions (Q4 11:58) — (11:58) 3-J.Harrington pass to 11-R.Williams to NO 14 for 49 yards (22-F.Thomas).NO-22-F.Thomas was injured during the play. His return is Probable. [WPA +15.6% · EPA +3.61]
Detroit Lions (Q1 10:38) — (10:38) 3-J.Harrington pass to 21-A.Pinner pushed ob at NO 25 for 23 yards (24-D.Smith). [WPA +9.9% · EPA +2.76]

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.

Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q2 5:57 · DET 74 · Score 6-0
(5:57) 27-A.Stecker up the middle to NO 23 for -3 yards (96-J.Hall). FUMBLES (96-J.Hall), RECOVERED by DET-92-S.Rogers at NO 21. 92-S.Rogers for 21 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q2 5:45 · NO 2 · Score 7-0
4-J.Hanson extra point is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.
New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 1:08 · DET 16 · Score 7-3
(1:08) 3-J.Carney 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q3 9:20 · DET 29 · Score 7-6
(9:20) 3-J.Carney 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q3 5:53 · DET 15 · Score 7-9
(5:53) 3-J.Carney 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q4 7:17 · NO 2 · Score 10-9
(7:17) 4-J.Hanson 21 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.
New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q4 1:55 · DET 2 · Score 10-12
(1:55) 3-J.Carney 20 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.Houser, Holder-4-T.Bouman.
Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q4 0:23 · NO 21 · Score 13-12
(:23) (No Huddle) 4-J.Hanson 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-67-D.Muhlbach, Holder-2-N.Harris.

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.

Detroit Lions earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
Ryan Williams (Detroit Lions) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.

Frequently asked questions

Who won Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints on 2005-12-24?

The Detroit Lions beat the New Orleans Saints 13-12 in Week 16, 2005.

What was the score by quarter in Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints?

Q2: Detroit Lions 7, New Orleans Saints 3; Q3: Detroit Lions 0, New Orleans Saints 6; Q4: Detroit Lions 6, New Orleans Saints 3; Final: Detroit Lions 13, New Orleans Saints 12.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints?

Detroit Lions touchdown — A. Stecker (Q2 5:57) New Orleans Saints field goal — J. Carney (Q2 1:08, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — J. Carney (Q3 9:20, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — J. Carney (Q3 5:53, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — J. Hanson (Q4 7:17, 3 pts) New Orleans Saints field goal — J. Carney (Q4 1:55, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — J. Hanson (Q4 0:23, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.

How did the quarterbacks play in Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints?

T. Bouman (New Orleans Saints), 48.8% completion, +0.06 EPA per dropback, +2.58 total passing EPA. Jax Harrington (Detroit Lions), 54.8% completion, -0.08 EPA per dropback, -2.49 total passing EPA.

Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints?

Ryan Williams (Detroit Lions) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +8.76 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 4 snaps. Their top snap (-6.81 EPA): (6:00) 3-J.Harrington pass intended for 11-R.Williams INTERCEPTED by 22-F.Thomas at NO -6. Touchback..

Was Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints a close game?

Yes — the margin was 1 points. Detroit Lions won 13-12 in a game that came down to the wire.

Season records after this game

Detroit Lions

Entered 4-10 Now 5-10 W

New Orleans Saints

Entered 3-11 Now 3-12 L

Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints: 2005 Week 16 Recap

Top fantasy performers · Lions

Top fantasy performers · Saints

Quick answer

Game summary