DETROIT LIONS vs NEW ORLEANS SAINTS BY THE NUMBERS

The following is a post-game review from the Detroit Lions’ 52-38 loss against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday, October 15, 2017.

CB JAMAL AGNEW
In the third quarter at New Orleans, rookie CB Jamal Agnew returned a Saints punt 74 yards for a touchdown, his second of the season. He joined Hall of Fame CB Jack Christiansen (4 in 1951) as the only rookies in Lions history to return 2+ punts for touchdowns.

Agnew became the fifth Lions player ever to record 2+ punt return touchdowns in a season, joining Christiansen (4 in 1951, 2 in 1952), Tom Watkins (2 in 1964), WR Eddie Drummond (2 in 2004) and WR Andre Roberts (2 in 2016).

With punt return touchdowns of 88 yards (at NYG 9/18) and 74 yards this season, Agnew joins Christiansen (1951) as the only players in team history with two 70+-yard punt return touchdowns in a single season.

Agnew also registered a 26-yard return against the Saints and accumulated 106 punt return yards on 4 returns, averaging 26.5 yards per return. His 106 punt return yards are the ninth-best single-game total by a Lions returner since 1948.

TEAM PUNT RETURNS TOUCHDOWNS
With two punt return touchdowns this season (88 and 74 yards) along with two in 2016, the Lions have now registered 2+ punt returns in back-to-back seasons for the first time since accomplishing this in three-straight seasons from 2002-04.

DT A’SHAWN ROBINSON
DT A’Shawn Robinson scored his first career touchdowns and narrowed the Lions deficit to 45-38 in the fourth quarter when he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a 2-yard touchdown. Additionally, he set career single-game highs in tackles (7) and pass defenses (2).

Robinson is the first Lions defensive lineman to record a Pick-6 since DE Cliff Avril vs. San Diego December 24, 2011. Robinson recorded the Lions’ first interception return touchdown by a defensive tackle since Shaun Rogers vs. Denver November 4, 2007.

With two pass defenses against the Saints, Robinson now has 10 pass defenses in the first two seasons of his career. Since 2000, Robinson is tied for 10th among defensive linemen for the most pass defenses in a player’s first two seasons.

Robinson joined DT John Henderson (12) as the only defensive tackles to knock down 10+ passes in their first two seasons since 2000.

TEAM INTERCEPTION RETURN TOUCHDOWNS
The 2-yard interception return touchdown by DT A’Shawn Robinson accounted for the Lions’ third pick-six of 2017 through six games. This is the fourth time since 1940 that the Lions have registered 3+ interception return touchdowns through the first six games of the season and the first since 1970 (3). They also recorded 4 in 1967 and 3 in 1950 through the first six games of those respective seasons.

The last time the Lions had 3+ interception return touchdowns in a single season was 2011 (5).

TEAM RETURN TOUCHDOWNS
With the punt return touchdown by CB Jamal Agnew (74 yards) and interception return touchdown by DT A’Shawn Robinson (2 yards), the Lions now have five total return touchdowns in 2017 through the first six games. The five return touchdowns by Detroit is the team’s most through the first six games of the season since 1971 (5). This season marks just the fourth time since 1940 that the Lions have scored five return touchdowns through the first six games of the season (6 in 1950, 5 in 1954, 5 in 1971).

CB DARIUS SLAY
CB Darius Slay recorded his third interception of the season when he picked off the Saints in the second half. Slay now has registered a new single-season career high in interception (3). It was also the first interception thr0wn by Saints QB Drew Brees through the first six games of the season.

QB MATTHEW STAFFORD
Career Pass Completions
With 25 pass completions at New Orleans, Stafford (2,770) set a new NFL record for the most career pass completions by a player under the age of 30 by surpassing the previous best set by QB Peyton Manning, who completed 2,769 passes before turning 30 years old. Stafford will turn 30 following the 2017 season (2/7/18). (Credit: Elias Sports Bureau)

Career Passing Yards
Stafford threw for 312 passing yards at New Orleans and passed QB Eli Manning (31,527) for the FIFTH-most passing yards in a player’s first nine NFL seasons. Stafford now has 31,731 passing yards in his first nine seasons.

300-Yard Games
His 312-yard outing was Stafford’s 35th career 300-yard game as he tied QB Warren Moon (35) for the SEVENTH-most 300-yard passing games by a quarterback in his first nine seasons.

Career Touchdown Passes
With three touchdown passes against the Saints, Stafford has now thrown 199 career touchdown passes in nine NFL seasons. Stafford moved past QB Tom Brady (197) for the eighth-most touchdown passes during a player’s first nine seasons in NFL history.

Stafford’s career totals now include 29 games with 3+ touchdown passes, which ties QB Drew Brees (2001-09) and QB Eli Manning (2004-12) for the SEVENTH-MOST career games with 3+ touchdown passes in a player’s first nine NFL seasons.

RB THEO RIDDICK
With 5 receptions at New Orleans, Riddick passed Dexter Bussey (193, 1974-84) for fifth on the Lions’ all-time receptions list amongst running backs. In 60 games, Riddick now has 194 career catches.

Riddick accumulated 45 receiving yards against the Saints as he also passed RB Horace King for the seventh-most receiving yards by a Lions running back in team history.

TE DARREN FELLS
TE Darren Fells caught a 22-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Saints. With three touchdowns this season, Fells has now tied his career single-season high that he set in 2015.

In each of the past two games, Fells has registered touchdown receptions of 20 yards (vs. Carolina) and 22 yards (at New Orleans). He became the first Lions tight end to record 2+ receiving touchdowns of 20+ yards in a single season since David Sloan had touchdown catches of 74 and 22 yards in 1999.

Fells also became the first Lions tight end since David Hill in 1976 to record two 20+-yard touchdowns catches over a two-game span. Hill recorded touchdowns of 24 and 21 in a single game against Buffalo November 25, 1976.

In the modern era of the tight end (since 1960), Fells is the fifth Lions tight end to record at least two 20+-yard touchdowns in a single season, joining David Hill (4 in 1976), Hall of Famer Charlie Sanders (2 in 1969), Sloan (2 in 1999) and Jim Gibbons (2 in 1964).

P JEFF LOCKE
At New Orleans, P Jeff Locke punted 5 times while averaging 48.6 yards per punt and finished with a net punting average of 47.4. Among games in his career with 5+ punts, Locke set new single-game highs in both gross punting (48.6) and net punting average (47.4).

Locke’s 47.4 net punting average is the fourth highest in a single game since 1991 by a Lions punter with 5+ punts.

Detroit Lions schedule