2012 POD Awards: Moment of the Year

As part of our season wrap-up series, the 2012 POD Awards roll on. Next up is the category for the Detroit Lions' Moment of the Year. Here are the nominees:

Matthew Stafford to Kevin Smith for the win (Week 1 vs. Rams)

Down by 3 points with only 10 seconds left, Matthew Stafford found Kevin Smith for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The score capped off the Lions' last-minute comeback against the Rams and gave them a 27-23 victory.

Hail Mary touchdown to force overtime (Week 3 at Titans)

After scoring a touchdown and recovering an onside kick, the Lions still found themselves down a touchdown. 46 yards away from the end zone, they needed a miracle Hail Mary to send the game to overtime. They got just that when Shaun Hill connected with Titus Young for a touchdown on the final play of regulation. Although the Lions ended up losing in overtime, this was certainly a moment to remember.

Jason Hanson's overtime winner (Week 6 at Eagles)

The Lions rallied from another late deficit to send their game against the Eagles into overtime. This time around, the Lions were victorious thanks to a 45-yard walk-off field goal by Jason Hanson.

He was down! (Week 12 vs. Texans)

Up 10 points on Thanksgiving and with the game in their control, the Lions gave up an 81-yard touchdown run to Justin Forsett despite him clearly being down. Thanks to Jim Schwartz throwing the challenge flag on a play that he couldn't actually challenge, no review was allowed. The play stood and sparked the Texans' comeback. This was a negative moment for sure, but it'll go down as one of the most notable plays on Thanksgiving.

Calvin Johnson breaks the receiving record (Week 16 vs. Falcons)

With millions watching on ESPN, Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single-season receiving record in the fourth quarter of the Lions' game against the Falcons on a 26-yard pass. There was a buzz in Ford Field leading up to this play, and when Johnson finally broke the record, the crowd went wild despite the Lions losing.

Reminder: You can follow Pride Of Detroit on Twitter and like us on Facebook.