DETROIT LIONS AT TAMPA BAY BY THE NUMBERS
The following is from the Detroit Lions’ 24-21 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, December 10, 2017.
WITH A WIN
By defeating Tampa Bay 24-21 in Week 14, the Lions moved their overall record to 7-6 and improved to 5-2 on the road. Reaching FIVE road wins in 2017 marks the SIXTH time in team history that the Lions have won 5+ road games in a season and the FIRST since finishing with a 5-3 road record in 2011.
The Lions have now won at Tampa for the third consecutive time, dating back to 2010. This marks the team’s first three-game road winning streak against the Buccaneers since winning four in a row from 1995-98 during the annual NFC Central Division battle. Overall, the Lions have claimed wins in four of the past five meetings vs. Tampa Bay.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
Detroit totaled FIVE takeaways on defense in the win over Tampa Bay, including TWO interceptions (CB Darius Slay and SS Quandre Diggs) and THREE fumble recoveries (CB Darius Slay, CB DJ Hayden and LB Tahir Whitehead). This was the first time the Lions registered 5+ takeaways in a game since the team had six vs. Minnesota December 11, 2011.
With five takeaways at Tampa Bay, the Lions have now accumulated 24 takeaways in 2017, which are the most by the Lions through 13 games since the 2011 season.
SECONDARY TAKEAWAYS
At Tampa Bay, the Lions secondary registered TWO interceptions (Darius Slay and Quandre Diggs), TWO fumble recoveries (Darius Slay, DJ Hayden) and TWO forced fumbles (Quandre Diggs, Glover Quin). The last time an NFL team’s secondary recorded at least 2 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 forced fumbles in the same game was the San Diego Chargers at Denver January 3, 2016. This is the first time the Lions secondary has recorded at least 2 in each of those three defensive categories since at least 1991.
As a unit, the Lions defensive backs lead the NFL in both forced fumbles (8) and fumble recoveries (5) and they are tied for seventh with 11 interceptions. The last time the Lions defensive backs combined for 11+ interceptions, 8+ forced fumbles and 5+ fumble recoveries was 2006 (11 Int, 8 FF, 6 Fum).
QB MATTHEW STAFFORD
QB Matthew Stafford led the Lions offense by completing 36-of-44 passes (81.8 pct.) for 381 yards and 1 touchdown.
Stafford’s completion percentage of 81.8 is tied for the third-highest single-game total in NFL history by a passer with 44+ pass attempts in a game. Credit: Elias Sports Bureau
Stafford became the first passer in team history to attempt 40+ passes in a game and complete over 80-percent of his passes, surpassing the 78.6 completion percentage accumulated by Stafford at Tennessee September 23, 2012.
His 81.82 completion percentage tied for the seventh-highest completion percentage in NFL history with 40+ pass attempts during a single game. It tied for the second-highest on the road.
CONSECUTIVE PASS COMPLETIONS: Stafford’s first incompletion of the game against the Bucs occurred on his 13th attempt. By starting 12-of-12, he set the franchise record for the most consecutive completed passes to start a game in team history. His 12 consecutive pass completions tied for the third-most during a game in team history. He has now set the longest (20 at Bal 12/3) and tied for the third-longest pass completion single-game streaks in team history over that past two weeks.
COMPLETIONS IN SPAN OF 40 ATTEMPTS: In Week 13 at Baltimore, Stafford ended the game 20-of-21 and started the Tampa Bay game 17-of-19. He became the first quarterback to complete 37 passes over any stretch of 40 attempts since Phillip Rivers in 2015 (vs. Det 9/13/15 and at Cin 9/20/15)
300-YARD GAMES: With 381 passing yards at Tampa Bay, Stafford tied Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino (38) for the most 300-yard passing games by a quarterback under the age of 30 years old.
Stafford’s 38th career 300-yard game surpassed Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner and QB Drew Brees for the FIFTH-MOST 300-yard passing games by a quarterback in his first nine seasons.
STAFFORD’S GAME-WINNING DRIVES: Stafford engineered his 32nd career game-wining drive when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter or in overtime. Against the Buccaneers, Stafford guided the Lions to 9-play, 49-yard drive that positioned the team for a game-winning 46-yard field goal.
Since Jim Caldwell became the Lions head coach in 2014, Stafford has now led the team to 20 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, the most in the NFL over the past four seasons.
With 32 career game-winning drives, Stafford now ranks 15th on the career list of Game-winning Drives.
1ST QUARTER START: Stafford completed 10-of-10 passes in the first quarter and became the only Lions quarterback to complete 10+ passes in a quarter without an incompletion since at least 1991. He surpassed the previous best of 9-for-9 by QB Scott Mitchell vs. Chicago December 4, 1995. This was Stafford’s sixth-career game where he completed all of his passes in the first quarter (min. 5 attempts).
TE ERIC EBRON
TE Eric Ebron registered a career-high 10 receptions along with a career-high 94 receiving yards at Tampa Bay. This was his first-career 10+ catch game and second-career game with 90+ yards.
Ebron became the third tight end in team history to record 10+ receptions in a game, joining Hall of Famer Charlie Sanders (10 vs. Was 12/15/68) and Brandon Pettigrew (11 at Min 9/25/11)
WR MARVIN JONES JR.
WR Marvin Jones, Jr. caught 3 passes for 64 yards at Tampa Bay, including a 38-yard reception. Jones registered his 12th catch of 25+ yards this season to become the sixth Lions receiver since 1991 to register at least 12 25+-yard receptions in a season since 1991, including WR Calvin Johnson (4; 2008, 12-11, 15), WR Herman Moore (2; 1994-95), WR Brett Perriman (1; 1995), WR Germane Crowell (1; 1999) and WR Golden Tate (1; 2014). By reaching 12, Jones is now tied for the seventh-most 25+-yard receptions by a Lions receiver in a season since 1991.
Jones also set a new single-season career high with his 17th reception of 20+ yards, surpassing his previous high of 16 set in 2016.
RB THEO RIDDICK
With touchdown runs of 1 and 18 yards, RB Theo Riddick rushed for a single-game career-high two touchdowns. It was the third time in his career that he has scored a career-high two total touchdowns in a game.
CB DARIUS SLAY
In the team’s win at Tampa Bay, CB Darius Slay registered one interception, one fumble recovery and two pass defenses, along with 6 total tackles.
He has now intercepted five passes in a season for the first time in his five-year NFL career. Slay became the first Lions cornerback to record FIVE interceptions in a season since CB Chris Houston in 2011.
TAKEAWAYS: Late in the first quarter, Slay recovered his first-career fumble. In addition to his interception, this marked Slay’s second-career game with two defensive takeaways. Earlier this year, he had two interceptions vs. Atlanta on September 24.
Through 13 games, Slay has recorded the second-most takeaways (5 Int, 1 Fum) in the NFL this season. He is the first Lions cornerback with 6+ takeaways in a season since CB Alphonso Smith in 2010 (5 Int, 1 Fum).
PASS DEFENSES: Slay’s TWO pass defenses gives him 17 on the year, which ties a single-season career high he set in 2014.
With two pass defenses at Tampa Bay, Slay tied CB Dré Bly (65, 2003-06) for the second-most career pass defenses by a Lions defensive player since 1991.
Slay also moved into the Top-10 among Lions defenders for pass defenses in a single-season since 1991. He joined CB Bryant Westbrook (3; 1997-98, 2000) and CB Dré Bly (2; 2004, 2006) as the only Lions defenders to reach 17+ pass defenses in a season at least twice since 1991.
LB JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN
Against the Buccaneers, rookie LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin registered four total tackles and set career highs in sacks (.5), pass defenses (1) and special teams tackles (2).
Reeves-Maybin is the first rookie in the NFL to register at least 4 tackles, .5 sack, 1 pass defense and 2 special teams tackles in a game since Washington S LaRon Landry at Philadelphia September 17, 2007. Reeves-Maybin is also the first Lions defensive player to achieve those marks in all four statistical categories since LB James Davis vs. Philadelphia September 26, 2004.
Reeves-Maybin (rookie) and Davis are the only Lions players to accomplish this feat in a game since at least 1994.
DB QUANDRE DIGGS
Starting his second-consecutive game at strong safety, DB Quandre Diggs set a career high with 7 total tackles and he recorded his first-career interception (12-yard return). He also collected his third-career forced fumble. He now has a forced fumble in each of his first three NFL seasons.
Diggs became the first Lions player with 7+ total tackles, at least one interception and one forced fumble in a game since LB Ernie Sims vs. Chicago September 30, 2007. The last time a Lions defensive back accomplished this was S Kenoy Kennedy vs. Carolina October 16, 2005.
LB JARRAD DAVIS
Rookie LB Jarrad Davis tied his single-game career high with nine total tackles. He registered his first-career forced fumble when he sacked the Buccaneers for a 5-yard loss in the third quarter.
Davis is the first Lions defensive player with 9+ tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in a game since LB Julian Peterson at Green Bay October 18, 2009. He is the only rookie to accomplish this since at least 1994.
LB TAHIR WHITEHEAD
LB Tahir Whitehead recovered his third opponent fumble of the year at Tampa Bay. His three opponent fumble recoveries are the most by a Lions player since DE Cliff Avril and LB Stephen Tulloch each had three in 2011.
S GLOVER QUIN
On the third turnover caused by the Lions defense against Tampa Bay, S Glover Quin forced his third fumble of the season to set a new career single-season. The last time a Lions defender had 3+ interceptions and 3+ forced fumbles in the same season was S James Ihedigbo in 2014 (4 Int, 3 FF).
Quin also contributed a team-tying high nine total tackles.
K MATT PRATER
By nailing a 46-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to play to give the Lions a 24-21 win, K Matt Prater made his 14th career game-winning kick with less than 2:00 to play in the fourth quarter or overtime.
It was Prater’s 20th game-winning or game-tying kick with under 4:00 to play in the fourth quarter or overtime.
LIONS SERVICE
LB Paul Worrilow started in his 50th career game and finished with three total tackles in the game.
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