WEEK 6: AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS MEDIA INFORMATION 2014 SCHEDULE (*** DATES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE ***) REGULAR SEASON 3 2 DATE OPPONENT TV TIME/RESULT 9/8 NEW YORK GIANTS ESPN# W, 35-14 9/14 at Carolina FOX L, 7-24 9/21 GREEN BAY FOX W, 19-7 9/28 at New York Jets FOX W, 24-17 10/5 BUFFALO FOX L, 14-17. 10/12 at Minnesota FOX 1:00 p.m. 10/19 NEW ORLEANS FOX 1:00 p.m. 10/26 at Atlanta (London) FOX# 9:30 a.m. 11/2 ***BYE WEEK*** 11/9 MIAMI CBS 1:00 p.m. 11/16 at Arizona FOX 4:25 p.m 11/23 at New England FOX 1:00 p.m. 11/27 CHICAGO CBS# 12:30 p.m. 12/7 TAMPA BAY FOX 1:00 p.m. 12/14 MINNESOTA FOX 1:00 p.m. 12/21 at Chicago FOX 1:00 p.m. 12/28 at Green Bay FOX 1:00 p.m. # Nationally Televised FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: NFL Sunday games during flexible Weeks 5-17 are subject to change 12 days in advance. For Weeks 5-10, flexible scheduling can be used no more than two weeks by shifting a Sunday afternoon game into primetime and moving the Sunday night game to the afternoon time slot. For Week 17, the schedule is subject to change six days in advance. Games are subject to move to different time slots but dates will remain as announced. Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday, Saturday or Monday nights. MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS Matt Barnhart...Director of Media Relations Matt.Barnhart@lions.nfl.net Deanna Caldwell... Manager of Media Services Deanna.Caldwell@lions.nfl.net Eamonn Reynolds... Media Information Manager Eamonn.Reynolds@lions.nfl.net Bill Keenist...Senior VP of Communications Bill.Keenist@lions.nfl.net GAME CREDENTIALS Applications for media credentials for 2014 Detroit Lions home games are being accepted via Media.Detroitlions. com. Applicants must complete the credential application form through Media.Detroitlions.com. Requests are only being accepted on a game-by-game basis and must be submitted by Noon Mon. of each game week. MEDIA.DETROITLIONS.COM Media.Detroitlions.com is the team s media-only Internet site. Information on the site includes the daily schedules, press releases, news clippings, statistics, updated rosters and current depth chart. Individual registration is required. 3 2 AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS 2 3 Date:... Sunday, October 12 Kickoff:... 1 p.m. ET Stadium:... TCF Bank Stadium Capacity:...50,805 Playing Surface:...FieldTurf TELEVISION: FOX Play-By-Play:...Mike Goldberg Color:...Brendon Ayanbadejo Sideline:...Peter Schrager LIONS RADIO NETWORK: 97.1 WXYT FM Play-By-Play:... Dan Miller Color:... Jim Brandstatter Sideline:... Tony Ortiz SERIES INFORMATION The Lions enter Week 6 with their fi rst NFC North road contest of the season as they travel to Minnesota to face the 2-3 Vikings. The Lions are coming off a narrow loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, while the Vikings fell to Green Bay on Thursday night. Minnesota owns the all-time series edge 69-34-2 as the two teams split last season s series. In the 2013 season opener, RB Reggie Bush made his Lions debut in style as he helped the Lions to a 34-24 win over Minnesota and collected 90 yards rushing and 101 yards receiving. He became just the third player in Lions history with 90+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards in a singlegame (Billy Sims: 119 rush, 103 rec at LaRm 9/19/82; Barry Sanders: 90 rush, 135 rec at KC 10/14/90). SERIES BY THE NUMBERS Regular Season Record vs. Min:...34-69-2 Home Record vs. Min:...21-31-1 Record at Ford Field:...4-8-0 Road Record vs. Min:...13-38-1 Record at TCF Bank Stadium:...0-0-0 Last Game:... Det 13 at Min 14 12/29/13 2014 STATISTICAL COMPARISON OFFENSE DET Rk MIN Rk Points/Game 19.8 27 20.2 26 Total Offense 343.2 19t 335.2 23 Rushing Offense 83.6 28 130.0 10 Passing Offense 259.6 10 205.2 27t 3rd Down Offense % 45.9 9 36.4 25 Red Zone Efficiency 63.6 11 50.0 20t Giveaways 8 17t 7 15t DEFENSE DET Rk MIN Rk Points/Game 15.8 2 25.2 20 Total Defense 282.4 1 347.4 15 Rushing Defense 74.4 4 121.8 19 Passing Defense 208.0 5 225.6 11 3rd Down Defense % 33.3 4t 47.8 26t Red Zone Efficiency 53.8 14 69.2 25 Takeaways 6 20t 5 22t
A TRIBUTE TO MR. FORD William Clay Ford (1925-2014) Detroit Lions Owner and Chairman, 1964-2014 Beginning Week 1 this season, the Detroit Lions introduced a special jersey patch displaying the letters WCF in honor of the franchise s late owner, Mr. William Clay Ford. The patch will appear on the left shoulder of all Lions players jerseys for the 2014 season as a tribute to one of the NFL s original statesmen. Mr. Ford passed away on March 9 at the age of 88 and owned and directed the Lions franchise during a span of 50 years. Through fi ve decades, his unwavering leadership provided stability to an organization, its fans and the community when most professional sports franchises cycled through numerous ownership changes and franchise moves. Mr. Ford remained steadfastly committed to ensuring the Lions were always a vital component to the Detroit community and the state of Michigan. THE NFL REMEMBERS MR. FORD NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: For fi ve decades, Mr. Ford s passion for the Lions, Detroit, and the NFL was the foundation of one of the NFL s historic franchises. As an NFL owner, Mr. Ford helped bring the NFL through enormous periods of change and growth, always guided by his commitment to what was best for the NFL and his beloved Lions. All of us in the NFL extend our heartfelt sympathy to Mr. Ford s wife Martha, Bill Ford, Jr. and the entire Ford family. Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones: I ve literally been at owners (meetings) when an owner came up and met Mr. Ford for the fi rst time, and the owner was a new owner in the NFL. I was standing right with him and the owner talked about how his granddad had been a Ford dealer in Texas, in the depths of Texas, and he literally teared up when he talked about what Ford, what the brand and what the individuals stood for and had stood for in his evolving to the point that he could buy an NFL football team. He actually teared up and showed that kind of emotion, and that was (former Minnesota Vikings owner) Red McCombs. Late Buffalo Bills Owner Ralph Wilson, Jr: I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Ford. He was a man of great integrity who loved his family and his Lions. Bill was well respected within our league as well as the city of Detroit and his contributions to both were numerous. We have all lost a good friend with his passing. My deepest sympathies and condolences go out to his family and many friends. Lions Hall of Fame TE and Assistant Director of Pro Personnel Charlie Sanders: I ve always just enjoyed being around him just to watch him laugh. He was a cheerful owner, you know, upbeat, always positive. I have a lot of memories, but when I think of him I just think of a man that was very fair and enjoyed people and enjoyed people that had the same desires that he had. Most of those are centered around the Detroit Lions organization. Former Lions WR Herman Moore: Every single game that he was in the locker room, we at least spoke, or he would be in the locker room. I appreciated that from our owner. That s a real moment that fans don t know about the commitment that he would show to us players.
WELCOME, HEAD COACH JIM CALDWELL JIM CALDWELL Head Coach Years with Lions: 1 Years as NFL Head Coach: 4 Years in NFL: 14 As the Lions new head coach, Jim Caldwell brings 37 years of coaching experience to Detroit, including 13 previous years in the NFL and 24 years on the college level. Two Super Bowl titles and three appearances in the NFL s championship game highlight his coaching resume, which includes leading the Indianapolis Colts to an AFC Championship and a berth in Super Bowl XLVI as head coach following the 2009 season. COACHING OVERVIEW Hired as head coach for the Detroit Lions January 14, 2014. Coached in three Super Bowls with Indianapolis (XLI and XLIV) and Baltimore (XLVII) and won two Super Bowl titles (Indianapolis and Baltimore). In fi rst year as head coach for Indianapolis (2009), he won the AFC Championship and led the franchise to Super Bowl XLIV. He became the fi rst NFL coach to win his fi rst 14 games and the fi fth rookie head coach to reach the Super Bowl. One of four head coaches to produce 24+ regular-season wins and a Super Bowl berth in their fi rst two career seasons as head coach. Holds a 26-22 (.542) regular-season record in three seasons as an NFL head coach, including two seasons with at least 10 wins. Led the Colts to two consecutive AFC South division titles in 2009 and 2010. In eight of the 10 seasons Caldwell coached in Indianapolis, the Colts ranked in the Top-10 in total offense eight times and six times in the Top-5. From 2003-09, Caldwell was the Colts quarterbacks coach and was also promoted to assistant head coach and associate head coach during that time. He worked closely with QB Peyton Manning and the team s quarterbacks. During that span, Indianapolis set NFL records with seven consecutive seasons fi nishing with 11+ wins (6, Dallas 1976-81) and 12+ victories (4, Dallas, 1992-95). Manning won all four of his NFL MVP (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009) awards under Caldwell s tutelage. Two of his quarterbacks, Manning (Super Bowl XLI) and Ravens QB Joe Flacco (Super Bowl XLVII) were named Super Bowl MVPs following their teams respective championship runs. Led the Ravens offense to a 5-2 record after taking over as offensive coordinator late in the 2012 season as the team averaged 400.6 yards per game during that span. ASSEMBLING HIS TEAM In his fi rst season in Detroit, Caldwell wasted no time putting together his coaching staff. Headlining that search were the additions of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, each of whom have won a Super Bowl with Baltimore and New Orleans, respectively. Combined, six of the 10 new Lions assistant coaches have won a Super Bowl championship. NEW LIONS COACHES Teryl Austin (Defensive Coordinator) Jim Bob Cooter (Quarterbacks) Devin Fitzsimmons (Assistant Special Teams) Joe Lombardi (Offensive Coordinator) Tony Oden (Defensive Backs/Cornerbacks) Robert Prince (Wide Receivers) Ron Prince (Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends) Matt Raich (Defensive Quality Control) Bill Sheridan (Linebackers) Alan Williams (Defensive Backs/Safeties) RETAINED LIONS COACHES Jason Arapoff (Coordinator of Physical Development) John Bonamego (Special Teams Coordinator) Gunther Cunningham (Senior Coaching Assistant) Terry Heffernan (Offensive Quality Control) Bobby Johnson (Assistant Offensive Line) Kris Kocurek (Defensive Line) Curtis Modkins (Running Backs) Ted Rath (Assistant Strength and Conditioning) Evan Rothstein (Special Projects) Jeremiah Washburn (Offensive Line) Jim Washburn (Defensive Line) CALDWELL S HEAD COACHING RECORD REGULAR SEASON Year Team G W L T Pct Result 2009 Ind 16 14 2.875 1st AFC South 2010 Ind 16 10 6.625 1st AFC South 2011 Ind 16 2 14.125 4th AFC South 2014 Det 5 3 2.600 - Totals 53 29 24 0.547 POSTSEASON Year Team G W L T Pct Playoff Berth 2009 Ind 3 2.667 Super Bowl XLIV 2010 Ind 1 0 1.000 AFC Wild Card Totals 4 2 2 0.500 OVERALL G W L T Pct Regular Season 53 29 24.600 Postseason 4 2 2 0.500 Totals 57 31 26 0.544 WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT JIM CALDWELL Former Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy: I told Martin (Mayhew) that Jim Caldwell is exactly what you re looking for. He ll lead by making people accountable and by being a role model on and off the fi eld. And with his attention to detail and history of developing quarterbacks, (Matthew) Stafford is going to flourish just like Peyton Manning did with us in Indianapolis. Baltimore Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome: I believe it would be difficult to fi nd anyone with the Ravens who is more respected than Jim Caldwell. That includes players, coaches and other staff members. He earned that because of the person he is and his extensive knowledge about football, including the keys to winning and his ability to teach all of that. Personally, it is a privilege to know him, and it was an honor to work with him. Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning: Jim Caldwell has meant a great deal to me in my career. I felt like, once he got to Indianapolis, and became my quarterbacks coach, that my game really improved. It took a step up, and I thought Jim had a great deal to do with that. Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco: I enjoyed my time with Jim greatly. He is a man that I will always respect as a football coach, leader and a friend. Through his calming influence and extensive knowledge of the game, he was an integral part of our success over the past few years. He will be missed by me and the Ravens.
TEAM CONNECTIONS PRO CONNECTIONS ¾ Lions WR Jeremy Ross and Vikings WR Greg Jennings were former NFC North teammates on the Packers in 2012. ¾ Vikings FB Jerome Felton played in Detroit from 2008-2010, while Lions DE George Johnson (2012) and DT C.J. Mosley (2005) previously spent time in Minnesota. ¾ Lions T Corey Hilliard and Vikings G Charlie Johnson played on the same Indianapolis Colts offensive line from 2007-2008. Lions Head Coach Jim Caldwell was also the Colts Associate Head Coach in 2008. ¾ Lions S James Ihedigbo and Vikings G Vladimir Ducasse joined forces on the New York Jets in 2010. ¾ Lions S Isa Abdul-Quddus and Vikings DT Tom Johnson were teammates on the New Orleans Saints from 2011-2013. COLLEGE CONNECTIONS ¾ Lions QB Matthew Stafford and Vikings K Blair Walsh played together at Georgia in 2008. ¾ Lions WR Golden Tate and RB Theo Riddick were teammates with Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph at Notre Dame in 2009. Rudolph was also teammates with Riddick and Lions WR TJ Jones at Notre Dame in 2010. ¾ Lions WR Ryan Broyles and LB Travis Lewis teamed up with Vikings T Phil Loadholt at Oklahoma in 2008. ¾ Lions T Corey Hilliard and TE Brandon Pettigrew and Vikings T Charlie Johnson played together at Oklahoma State from 2004-05. ¾ Lions RB Reggie Bush and Vikings QB Matt Cassel were USC teammates from 2003-05. ¾ Lions S James Ihedigbo and Vikings G Vladimir Ducasse played together at Massachusetts in 2006. COACHING CONNECTIONS ¾ Lions Senior Coaching Assistant Gunther Cunningham was the Chiefs defensive coordinator while Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer coordinated special teams with KC from 2006-08. Lions Running Backs Coach Curtis Modkins was also the Chiefs running back coach in 2008. ¾ Lions Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi was the New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach in 2009, while Vikings Assistant Linebackers Coach Adam Zimmer held the same position for the Saints. ¾ Lions Defensive Backs/Safeties Coach Alan Williams was the Vikings defensive coordinator from 2012-2013. ¾ Lions Assistant Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson was the Buffalo Bills assistant offensive line coach in 2011, while Vikings Defensive Coordinator George Edwards was the defensive coordinator in Buffalo. LAST TIME THEY MET LIONS 13, VIKINGS 14 December 29, 2013; Mall of America Field Attendance: 64,134 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q OT Final DET 0 0 7 6 0 13 MIN 7 0 0 7 0 14 FIRST QUARTER VIKINGS... C. Patterson 50 yd. run (B. Walsh kick) THIRD QUARTER LIONS... R. Bush 19 yd. pass from M. Stafford (D. Akers kick) FOURTH QUARTER LIONS... D. Akers 25 yd. Field Goal LIONS... D. Akers 53 yd. Field Goal VIKINGS... C. Patterson 8 yd. pass from M. Cassel (B. Walsh kick) LIONS VIKINGS First Downs 14 19 Total Net Yards 245 345 Net Yards Rushing 63 174 Net Yards Passing 182 171 (Att/Comp/Int) 33-22-0 33-20-1 Punts-Average 7-50.7 6-40.7 Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-1 Sacked-Yards 5-35 3-18 Penalties-Yards 6-52 4-25 Time of Possession 32:37 27:23 RUSHING LIONS: Bush 14-32; Bell 8-31 VIKINGS: Asiata 14-115; C. Patterson 2-54 1 TD; Cassel 4-5 PASSING LIONS: Stafford 33-22, 217, 1 TD VIKINGS: Cassel 33-20, 189, 1 TD, 1 INT RECEIVING LIONS: Ogletree 5-75; Burleson 5-64; Bush 5-33 1 TD; Bell 4-25; Fauria 3-20 VIKINGS: Jennings 5-44; Ford 5-43; Simpson 3-29; Patterson 2-31 1 TD; Wright 2-31; Asiata 2--2; Ellison 1-13
NEW TO DETROIT IN 2014 2014 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS Collins, Jed FB Washington State UFA-NO 14 Ihedigbo, James S Massachusetts UFA-Bal 14 Orlovsky, Dan QB Connecticut UFA-TB 14 Tate, Golden WR Notre Dame UFA-Sea 14 Vaughn, Cassius CB Mississippi UFA-Ind 14 2014 DRAFT CLASS Ebron, Eric TE North Carolina D-1 14 Van Noy, Kyle (IRD) LB Brigham Young D-2 14 Swanson, Travis C Arkansas D-3 14 Lawson, Nevin CB Utah State D-4 14 Webster, Larry DE Bloomsburg D-4 14 Reid, Caraun DT Princeton D-5 14 Jones, TJ (PUP) WR Notre Dame D-6 14 2014 FREE AGENTS Bynes, Josh LB Auburn FA 14 Johnson, George DE Rutgers FA 14 Ness, Nate (PS) S Arizona FA 14 Powell, William (PS) RB Kansas State FA 14 Thompson, Jordan (PS) TE Ohio FA 14 Reynolds, Garrett T North Carolina FA 14 Victorian, Josh (PS) CB Louisiana Tech FA 14 Winn, George RB Cincinnati FA 14 2014 WAIVERS Abdul-Quddus, Isa S Igwenagu, Emil (PS) FB Fordham Massachusetts W-NO 14 W-Phi 14 2014 UNDRAFTED ROOKIE FREE AGENTS Couplin, Jerome S William & Mary FA 14 Lucas, Cornelius T Kansas State FA 14 Peacock, Andrew (PS) WR Appalachian State FA 14 Seisay, Mohammed CB Nebraska FA 14 Two undrafted rookie free agents have made the Lions initial 53-man roster in each of the past two seasons. (TE Joseph Fauria and T LaAdrian Waddle in 2013). 2014 PRONUNCIATION CHART PLAYER Isa Abdul-Quddus...EE-sa Ab-dool KA-doos Ezekiel Ansah...ZEEK-e-all AHN-sa Joique Bell... JOIK Jerome Couplin...CUP-lynn Eric Ebron...EE-bron Joseph Fauria...FOR-ee-ay James Ihedigbo...ee-HEAD-ee-bo DeAndre Levy...LEV-ee Don Muhlbach...MULE-bach Glover Quin... GLOW-ver Dominic Raiola...rye-OH-la Caraun Reid...CAR-awn Riley Reiff...REEF Mohammed Seisay... SEE-say Ndamukong Suh...En-dom-ah-ken Soo Stephen Tulloch... TULL-uck Tahir Whitehead...TAH-here PRACTICE SQUAD Emil Igwenagu...eh-MEAL ig-wen-ah-goo Mohammed Seisay... SEE-say COACHES Jason Arapoff...A-rap-off John Bonamego...BON-ah-me-go Kris Kocurek...KO-SIR-ick Matt Raich...RAYch Evan Rothstein...Roth-STEEN MOVING ON TO MINNESOTA On three different occasions against the Bills in Week 5 the Lions were unsuccessful in either extending or regaining the lead with field goal opportunities. After sustaining drives of 54, 31 and 57 yards the Lions came away empty each time, including a missed 50-yard field goal to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. QB Matthew Stafford also addressed a key missed opportunity on third down during the Lions final drive that if converted, would have potentially led to a shorter field goal attempt. The Lions attempted to run a screen play on 3rdand-4 with just 35 seconds left in the game, but Buffalo s tough defensive line thwarted the play before it began. Stafford on the Lions final offensive play: If you look at the pictures we had a great play behind it. (Jerry) Hughes did a great job of being an athlete, jumping up and batting that ball. If he doesn t do that we have three linemen out front and it s a good picture. Possibly getting a first down there at least, really shortening that field goal. With Sunday s loss in the rear view mirror and the focus now on the Vikings, the Lions have acknowledged the fact of life in the NFL that close games are a given in this League, and a complete performance is expected week in and week out. DT Ndamukong Suh on the second half against Buffalo: We obviously let them move the ball a little bit late in the game to set up for a field goal. At the end of the day, we didn t do enough on defense to hold them from scoring and that s what it comes down to. Stafford on how frustrating it was to leave points on the board: Anytime you miss opportunities it s frustrating, whether it s in the kicking game or on offense or defense. We all had our hand in this one. You win as a team and lose as team. As disheartening as the loss was, it provided a clear scope for Caldwell as he addressed the team saying that if the Lions are to be contenders come January, they need continuous improvement in all phases of the game as they prepare for Sunday s contest against Minnesota. Caldwell on rebounding after the loss to Buffalo: We had some difficulty in our kicking game, which is obvious, which is an area that we re going to have to look at to continue to try to improve, that s key. But there s a couple of things that this game told us and one of them you already know, the other is obviously something we don t. Number one is that regardless if we won or lost this game, we still have to go back and go to work. IT S A PERFORMANCE-BASED LEAGUE In recent weeks, the Lions have fallen victim to injuries all over their roster. One area in particular that has taken a beating is the running back stable. Over the past two weeks, Detroit has seen back up tailbacks Joique Bell and Theo Riddick go down, leaving veteran back Reggie Bush and former undrafted rookie free agent George Winn to pick up the slack. Last Sunday against Buffalo, Winn was needed to give Bush some relief and try to help keep an injury-ridden backfield afloat. Along with those pressures, the Lions were going up against arguably one the top defense fronts in the NFL in
the Buffalo Bills. Winn continued to do what he did so well in the preseason, find the seam and pound it, as he showed poise and finished off the fourth quarter for Bush as the Lions go-to option on the ground. On the day, Winn was able to turn in a solid afternoon debut with 48 yards on 11 carries. Caldwell on Winn s performance vs. Buffalo: I thought he was gritty, which we knew we d get a real gritty performance from George. He s a good, tough runner and he s going to try to get you the tough yards. I think he did that. The rookie s valiant effort goes back to the simple mantra Caldwell has preached all season when it comes to injuries and facing adversity in this league - Next man up. Part of that equation applies to Detroit s kicking game, which saw the release of K Alex Henery after key misses against the Bills. Injuries and setbacks are just a part of the game that every team suffers through at some point in the season, and Caldwell knows it is the good teams that find the right players to step up and continue to perform in any situation. Caldwell on players stepping up and performing: One of the things that I ll continue to say and that goes for me or anyone else that plays this game, in this league, it s a performance-based league, plain and simple and you have to perform. Anyone that doesn t, we take a look and see if we can improve that one way or another. When WR Calvin Johnson left the game early in the third quarter against the Bills, fellow WR Golden Tate knew it was his time to step up and become an even bigger spark for the offense, as Detroit knew it could not afford to lose Johnson s production. After losing the four-time Pro Bowler midway through the game, Tate caught four of his seven receptions and 82 of his 134 receiving yards on the afternoon, including a 55-yarder to set the Lions up with a chance to take the lead late in the game. Tate on if it was difficult playing the rest of the game without Johnson and Bush vs. Buffalo: Yeah it is tough, but I think we have enough play-makers like myself, (Eric) Ebron, even (George) Winn showed out. Our rookie came in and had some big plays for us. Ryan Broyles, I think we have play-makers. I think we have a great game plan going into each game. BACKING UP THE DEFENSE On defense, with all the attention that the Lions front four has received, the emergence of the linebacker corps has contributed greatly to Detroit s No. 1 ranking in total defense. With veteran LB Stephen Tulloch out for the remainder of the season, Detroit has had to count on DeAndre Levy and Tahir Whitehead to step in and fill that void. Even though Tulloch s leadership cannot be replaced, the strong play of Levy, Whitehead and Ashlee Palmer is what s helping the Lions as they continue to be among the League s best. Lions Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin on what he has seen in Whitehead: What we saw early was he s sudden, he can strike people, and he can run people down. He gives you a little bit of a pass rush because he is so fast. We saw that early in OTA s and it just a matter like a lot of young guys having an opportunity to do it. While Whitehead is manning the middle of the field, Levy has continued to terrorize teams on the outside. With 13 total tackles in Week 5 vs. Buffalo, Levy recorded his thirdconsecutive game with 10-plus tackles and was also named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. Levy s play has been tremendous dating back to last season, as he is on pace to have another 100-plus-tackle year. Caldwell on what has impressed him about Levy: I think it s because he s instinctive and that he has a real good knack for finding the ball, but he does it in an unassuming way. You ll look up and he ll have eight, seven or nine tackles and obviously I think everybody has noticed his ability to catch the ball and make plays on the ball. Palmer s contributions were well-documented in the defense s stout performance against the Bills last week as he picked up his second-career sack. Palmer became the ninth different Lions player to tally a sack this season, as the team is tied for sixth in the NFL in sacks with 12. 2014 NOTABLE PLAYER MILESTONES WR CALVIN JOHNSON ¾ By recording 77 catches in 2014, Johnson (594) will surpass WR Herman Moore (670) for the most career receptions in Lions history. Johnson is already the leader in every Lions career receiving category, including receiving yards (9,676), receiving touchdowns (68) and 100-yard games (40). He needs just six receptions to become only the second Lionso WR with 600 career receptions. ¾ With one 200-yard game in 2014, Johnson will pass Hall of Fame WR Lance Alworth for the most 200-yard receiving games in NFL history with six. He has at least one 200- yard game in each of the past three seasons (2011-13). ¾ With six total touchdowns in 2014, Johnson will reach 75 total touchdowns for his career and join Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders (109) as the only Lions players to record 75 career total touchdowns. ¾ Johnson needs 324 receiving yards to reach 10,000 for his career and become the only player in Lions history with 10,000 receiving yards. QB MATTHEW STAFFORD ¾ Stafford (115) needs four passing touchdowns to pass Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne (118) and become the Lions all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 119. ¾ Currently at 2,676 career passing attempts, Stafford needs 324 attempts to reach 3,000 for his career. ¾ Stafford needs 1,146 yards to reach 20,000 career passing yards and become the first Lions player to reach this mark. ¾ Currently at 66 games, Stafford can reach 20,000 career passing yards in his first 75 games. ¾ With 4,500 passing yards in 2014, Stafford will reach that mark for the fourth-consecutive season (5,038 in 2011, 4,967 in 2012, 4,650 in 2013). DT NDAMUKONG SUH ¾ Suh (28.5 sacks, 67 games) can become the Lions alltime leader in sacks by DTs by recording one more sack in 2014. DT Shaun Rogers currently holds the Lions record for career sacks by DTs with 29 (98 games). C DOMINIC RAIOLA ¾ By playing in Week 1 vs. the New York Giants in 2014, Raiola began his 14th NFL season and tied Hall of Fame CB Dick LeBeau for third on the Lions all-time list for career seasons played. LS DON MUHLBACH ¾ By playing in Week 2 at Carolina (9/14), Muhlbach played in his 150th-career game with the Lions, becoming only the 20th player in franchise history to play in 150 career games with the club.
1.0 Lions DT Ndamukong Suh needs one more sack in 2014 to reach 29.5 for his career and surpass DT Shaun Rogers for the most career sacks by a defensive tackle in Lions history. 1 The Lions currently boast the League s No. 1 overall defense as they have limited opponents to only 282.4 total yards per game. 4 By throwing four more touchdown passes this season, QB Matthew Stafford (currently at 115 TD passes) will reach 119 for his career and surpass Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne (118) for the most career passing touchdowns in franchise history. 10 LB DeAndre Levy posted 13 tackles (12 solo) in Week 5 vs. the Buffalo Bills (10/5), marking the third-consecutive game he has recorded 10+ total tackles in a game. He leads the team with 51 total tackles. 12 The Lions defense has recorded 12.0 sacks so far in 2014, which are tied for sixth in the NFL. DE George Johnson leads the team with 2.5 sacks. 14 By playing in Week 1 vs. the New York Giants, C Dominic Raiola began his 14th NFL season and tied Hall of Fame CB Dick LeBeau for third on the Lions all-time list for career seasons played. 14 WR Golden Tate ranks first in the NFL with 14 third-down receptions, and his 186 yards on third down rank third. 33:30 Through the first quarter of the 2014 season, the Lions rank fourth in the NFL in average time of possession at 33:30. 36 Since the beginning of the 2012 season, the Lions offense has totaled 36 rushing TDs, which rank sixth in the NFL during that span. 40 S Don Carey picked up his first-career fumble return touchdown in Week 3 vs. Green Bay (9/21) on a 40-yard scoop-and-score on the Packers first offensive drive of the game. Carey s return was the longest fumble return touchdown by the Lions since 2009. 41 CB Rashean Mathis picked off Bills QB Kyle Orton in Week 5 (10/5) and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, the fourth pick-six of his career. 49 Detroit s defense allowed only 49 yards on the ground against a fierce Bills backfield in Week 5, marking the Lions defense s lowest opponent rushing total of the season. 49.2 P Sam Martin has continued his success so far into 2014 as he currently ranks third in the NFL in punting average (49.2). LIONS BY THE NUMBERS 50 Stafford started in his 50th-consecutive game in Week 2 at Carolina (9/14), becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to start in 50-straight games. 60.8 The Lions net yards differential of 60.8 yards per game currently ranks sixth in the NFL. The Lions are averaging 343.2 yards per game, while only allowing 282.4 yards per game. 75 With six total touchdowns in 2014, WR Calvin Johnson will reach 75 total touchdowns for his career and join Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders (109) as the only Lions players to record 75 career total touchdowns. 77 By recording 77 receptions in 2014, Johnson (594) will surpass WR Herman Moore (670) for the most career receptions in Lions history. Johnson is already the leader in every Lions career receiving category, including career receiving yards (9,676), receiving touchdowns (68) and 100- yard games (40). 87.2 With 111 career games, Johnson holds the NFL all-time record for receiving yards per game. His seven yards against the Bills (10/5) moved his career average to 87.2 yards per game (9,676). 108 Johnson caught six passes in Week 2 at Carolina (9/14) as he set a new franchise record with 108-consecutive games with a reception, breaking WR Herman Moore s previous record of 107 consecutive games. His current total stands at 111. 134 Tate led the Lions offense with seven catches for a careerhigh 134 yards and one touchdown in Week 5 vs. the Buffalo Bills (10/5), marking the first time in his career he has registered 100 yards in back-to-back games (116, Week 4 at NYJ). 150 By playing in Week 2 at Carolina (9/14), LS Don Muhlbach played in his 150th career game with the Lions, becoming only the 20th player in franchise history with 150 career games. 223 The 223 yards allowed by the Lions defense in Week 3 against the Packers marked the lowest output by GB when QB Aaron Rodgers started and played the entire game (since 2008). Rodgers 162 passing yards was also his lowest passing tally against Detroit in games he started and finished. 10,000 Johnson needs 324 receiving yards to reach 10,000 for his career and become the only player in Lions history with 10,000 receiving yards. 20,000 Stafford needs 1,146 yards to reach 20,000 career passing yards and become the first Lions player to reach this mark. Currently at 66 games, Stafford can reach 20,000 career passing yards in his first 75 games.
TEAM NEWS & NOTES TOP-10 OFFENSE The Lions offense maintained their place among the League s top passing offenses in Week 5 vs. Buffalo (10/5), as they currently rank 10th in passing yards per game with 259.6 2014 NFL Leaders, Passing Yards Per Game Rk Team Total Rush Pass Tot/G Ru/G Pa/G 1 Ind 2198 589 1609 439.6 117.8 321.8 2 Atl 2173 577 1596 434.6 115.4 319.2 3 Den 1586 318 1268 396.5 79.5 317.0 4 NO 2214 665 1549 442.8 133.0 309.8 5 Was 1968 524 1444 393.6 104.8 288.8 6 StL 1571 437 1134 392.8 109.3 283.5 7 SD 1846 440 1406 369.2 88.0 281.2 8 Pit 2020 686 1334 404.0 137.2 266.8 9 Phi 1822 493 1329 364.4 98.6 265.8 10 Det 1716 418 1298 343.2 83.6 259.6 ¾ Through Week 5, the Lions have continued their success on third down, converting 34-of-74 third-down attempts (45.9), which ranks ninth in the NFL. 2014 NFL Leaders, 3rd-Down Percentage Rk Team Att Made Pct 1 Dal 63 35 55.6 2 NO 62 34 54.8 3 SD 79 42 53.2 4 KC 67 34 50.7 5 NYG 68 33 48.5 6 SF 72 34 47.2 7 Atl 62 29 46.8 8 StL 52 24 46.2 9 Det 74 34 45.9 OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER Over the past three seasons, the Lions have produced some of the best single-game offensive totals in franchise history. ¾ On Thanksgiving Day vs. Green Bay last season (11/28/13), the Lions gained 561 yards of total offense (241 rushing, 330 passing), which ranks as the sixthhighest output in team history. ¾ In Week 8 vs. Dallas last season (10/27/13), the Lions set a franchise record for single-game yards by accumulating 623 total offensive yards (143 rushing, 480 passing), breaking the previous record of 583 yards set last year at Tennessee (9/23). ¾ Five of the team s Top-10 single-game bests for total offense have occured during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, including three games in 2012 (at Tennessee, vs. Houston, vs. Atlanta). Lions Leaders, Single-Game Total Yards Rk Opp Yds Ru Pa Date 1 Dal 623 143 480 10/27/2013 2 NYY 591 377 214 11/23/1950 3 at Ten 583 141 442 9/23/2012 4 at GB 575 73 502 1/1/2012 5 at Bal 565 193 372 12/3/1950 6 GB 561 241 320 11/28/2013 7 GB 539 186 353 11/22/1984 8 Min 534 139 395 11/23/1995 9 Hou 525 106 419 11/22/2012 10 Atl 522 79 443 12/22/2012 ¾ Since 2012, the Lions have topped 500 yards in five games. Prior to 2012, the Lions never registered 500 yards in a game more than once in a season. Lions Leaders, Team Single-Game Net Passing Yards Rk Opp Yds Date 1 at GB 502 1/1/12 2 Dal 488 10/27/13 3 Atl 443 12/24/12 4 at Ten 442 9/23/12 5 Ari 429 11/18/01 6 Hou 419 11/22/12 Lions Leaders, Team Single-Game Pass Completions Rk Opp Cmp Date 1 at Ten 43 9/23/12 2 Atl 37 12/24/12 3t at Ari 36 11/18/01 3t at GB 36 1/1/12 Lions Leaders, Single-Game First Downs Rk Opp 1st Ru Pa Pn Date 1 at Ten 36 11 23 2 9/23/12 2 GB 33 18 15 0 11/22/84 3 at GB 32 2 27 3 1/1/12 4t Was 30 17 11 2 9/30/51 4t GB 30 14 16 0 11/28/13 NFL Leaders, Single-Game Completion Pct. with 50+ Att. Rk Tm Date Opp Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Int Rtg 1 Det 9/23/12 Ten 55 43 78.2 442 3 0 118.9 2 Sea 11/8/09 Det 52 40 76.9 342 1 1 92.1 3 Dal 12/6/09 NYG 55 41 74.5 379 3 0 112.1 NFL Leaders, Single-Game Passer Rating with 50+ Att. Rk Tm Date Opp Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Int Rtg 1 Min 10/10/04 Hou 50 36 72.0 388 5 0 128.4 2 Min 9/28/69 Bal 56 36 64.3 530 7 2 120.4 3 Det 9/23/12 Ten 55 43 78.2 442 3 0 118.9 Lions Leaders, Single-Game Passing First Downs Rk Opp FD Date 1 at GB 27 1/1/12 2 at Ten 23 9/23/12 3 at Arz 22 11/18/01 4t Min 21 9/16/07 4t Hou 21 11/22/12 4t Atl 21 12/22/12 RECORD-SETTING OFFENSE For the third-consecutive year, the Lions offense not only ranked high in the NFL but also set several team singleseason records in 2013. The team finished in the Top-3 in the Lions single-season list for total offense for the third consecutive year. TOTAL OFFENSE ¾ The Lions 6,274 total offensive yards in 2013 is the third-highest output in franchise history, finishing behind the team s 2012 (6,540) and 2011 (6,337) totals. ¾ With 6,540 yards in 2012, Detroit produced over 6,500 total yards for the first time in franchise history. Lions Leaders, Total Offense Rk Year G Yds Yds/G 1 2012 16 6540 408.8 2 2011 16 6337 396.1 3 2013 16 6274 391.1 4 1995 16 6113 382.1 5 1981 16 5933 370.8 6 1997 16 5798 362.4 PASSING OFFENSE ¾ The Lions 2013 total of 4,482 passing yards ranks third on the team s all-time list for single-season passing yards.
Lions Leaders, Passing Yards Rk Year G Yds Yds/G 1 2012 16 4927 307.9 2 2011 16 4814 300.9 3 2013 16 4482 280.1 4 1995 16 4360 272.5 5 2007 16 3878 242.4 6 2006 16 3820 238.8 OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION ¾ Through Week 5, the Lions are tied for 10th in the NFL in passing first downs with 64. Over the last four seasons, the Lions offense has also posted Top-5 numbers in offensive production. In 2013, the Lions tallied the second-most first downs (350), fourth-most passing first downs (221) and third-most pass attempts (634). 2014 NFL Leaders, Passing First Downs Rk Tm Att Cmp Pct Pa1st 1 Ind 220 149 67.7 96 2 NO 218 150 68.8 81 3 Atl 201 133 66.2 78 4 Car 178 114 64 73 5 KC 159 101 63.5 70 6 Pit 179 124 69.3 69 7 Was 190 123 64.7 68 8 SD 165 116 70.3 66 9 Chi 192 131 68.2 65 10t Dal 159 110 69.2 64 10t Det 179 113 63.1 64 10t Phi 203 120 59.1 64 Lions Leaders, Total First Downs (Since 1950) Rk Year G FD FD/G 1 2012 16 382 23.9 2 2013 16 350 21.9 3t 1995 16 349 21.8 3t 2011 16 349 21.8 5 1981 16 340 21.3 Lions Leaders, Total Passing First Downs (Since 1950) Rk Year G Pass Pa/G 1 2012 16 272 17.0 2 2011 16 244 15.3 3 1995 16 230 14.4 4 2013 16 221 13.8 5 2006 16 208 13.0 Lions Leaders, Single-Season Passing Attempts Rk Year G Att Cmp Yds Cmp% TD Int Lg Rtg 1 2012 16 740 445 5139 60.1 22 17 57 81.5 2 2011 16 666 421 5071 63.5 41 16 73t 97.2 3 2013 16 634 371 4650 58.5 29 19 87 84.2 RUSH TO SCORE Since 2012, Detroit has recorded 36 rushing touchdowns, which rank sixth in the NFL over that span. NFL Leaders, Rushing Touchdowns Since 2012 Rk Tm G TD 1 NE 37 47 2 Min 37 45 3 Was 37 42 4 SF 37 38 5 Car 37 37 6 Det 37 36 LEAGUE-LEADING DEFENSE Under Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin, the Lions defense has powered its way to the top of the NFL early in 2014.Through Week 5, the Lions lead the League in total defense (282.4 yards per game), and rank fourth in opponent rushing yards per game (74.4) and fifth in opponent passing yards per game (208.0). 2014 NFL Leaders, Total Defense Rk Team Total Rush Pass Tot/G Ru/G Pa/G 1 Det 1412 372 1040 282.4 74.4 208.0 2 SF 1414 369 1045 282.8 73.8 209.0 3 SD 1454 480 974 290.8 96.0 194.8 ¾ The Lions rush defense held the Bills to 49 yards on the ground in Week 5 (10/5), the lowest tally allowed this season by Detroit. 2014 NFL Leaders, Rushing Defense Rk Team Total Rush Pass Tot/G Ru/G Pa/G 1 Sea 1271 249 1022 317.8 62.3 255.5 2 Buf 1614 355 1259 322.8 71.0 251.8 3 SF 1414 369 1045 282.8 73.8 209.0 4 Det 1412 372 1040 282.4 74.4 208.0 2014 NFL Leaders, Passing Defense Rk Team Total Rush Pass Tot/G Ru/G Pa/G 1 StL 1379 610 769 344.8 152.5 192.3 2 SD 1454 480 974 290.8 96.0 194.8 3 NE 1581 598 983 316.2 119.6 196.6 4 Oak 1461 633 828 365.3 158.3 207.0 5 Det 1412 372 1040 282.4 74.4 208.0 2014 NFL Leaders, Total Opponent Yards Per Play Rk Team Ply Yds Yds/Ply 1 Mia 274 1289 4.70 2 Det 299 1412 4.72 3 Buf 326 1614 4.95 2014 NFL Leaders, Opponent Rushing Yards Per Attempt Rk Team Ru Yds Yds/Att 1 Sea 95 249 2.62 2t Buf 118 355 3.01 2t Ari 102 307 3.01 4 Det 117 372 3.18 2014 NFL Leaders, Opponent Passing Yards Per Play Rk Tm Pa Yds Yds/Ply 1 Cin 175 1053 6.02 2 SF 179 1081 6.04 3 Mia 151 912 6.04 4 SD 170 1072 6.31 5 GB 173 1100 6.36 6 Det 170 1123 6.61 2014 NFL Leaders, Sacks Per Pass Play Rk Tm Att Cmp Pct Sk Sk% 1 NYJ 174 112 64.4 17 8.9 2 KC 159 98 61.6 15 8.6 3 Was 154 101 65.6 14 8.3 4 Buf 191 126 66 17 8.2 5 Jac 199 139 69.8 16 7.4 6 Mia 151 92 60.9 11 6.8 7t Det 170 103 60.6 12 6.6 7t Ind 170 97 57.1 12 6.6 7t SD 170 105 61.8 12 6.6 2014 NFL Leaders, Net Yards Per Game Differential Rk Tm G Yds/G Allowed Diff/G 1 Ind 5 439.6 342.2 97.4 2 SD 5 369.2 290.8 78.4 3 Pit 5 404.0 330.8 73.2 4 SF 5 352.0 282.8 69.2 5 NO 5 442.8 379.6 63.2 6 Det 5 343.2 282.4 60.8
DISRUPTIVE STOPS Led by DE George Johnson (2.5 sacks), the Lions 12.0 total sacks so far this season are tied for sixth in the NFL. ¾ The Lions defense is also tied for fourth in total opponent career games played. negative plays (sacks and tackles for loss) with 35. ¾ By playing in Week 1 vs. the Giants, Raiola played in his 2014 NFL Leaders, Team Sacks 14th NFL season and tied Hall of Fame CB Dick LeBeau Rk Tm Sk Yds for third on the Lions all-time list for career seasons 1t Buf 17.0 76 played. 1t NYJ 17.0 114 ¾ Currently in his 11th season with the team, Muhlbach 3 Jax 16.0 106 played in his 150th career game with Detroit against 4 KC 15.0 71 Carolina in Week 2 (9/14). His current total sits at 153 5 Was 14.0 98 games. 6t Car 12.0 92 Lions Leaders, Career Seasons Played 6t Det 12.0 83 Rk Player G Yrs Years 6t GB 12.0 56 1 J. Hanson 327 21 1992-2012 6t Ind 12.0 83 2 W. Walker 200 15 1958-72 6t SD 12.0 98 3t D. Raiola 209 14 2001-2014 NFL Leaders, Total Opponent Negative Plays 3t D. LeBeau 185 14 1959-72 Rk Tm Sk* Yds RFL Yds PFL Yds Total Yds 5t J. Schmidt 155 13 1953-65 1 NYJ 17 114 22 45 2 3 41 162 5t D. McCord 168 13 1955-67 2t Buf 16 76 19 39 5 14 40 129 5t L. Hand 164 13 1965-77 2t Jax 14 106 22 32 4 10 40 148 5t K. Glover 177 13 1985-97 4t Det 12 83 19 49 4 11 35 143 Lions Leaders, Career Games Played 4t TB 9 56 21 46 5 24 35 126 Rk Player G Yrs Years *Includes sacks for zero gain; RFL= loss on rushing play; PFL=loss 1 J. Hanson 327 21 1992-2012 on completed pass 2 D. Raiola 209 14 2001-2014 NFL Leaders, Total Yds Lost on Opponent Negative Plays 3 W. Walker 200 15 1958-72 Rk Tm Sk* Yds RFL Yds PFL Yds Total Yds 4 Jeff Backus 191 12 2001-12 1 NYJ 17 114 22 45 2 3 41 162 5 Robert Porcher 187 12 1992-2003 2 Jax 14 106 22 32 4 10 40 148 6 Dick LeBeau 185 14 1959-72 3 Det 12 83 19 49 4 11 35 143 7 Cory Schlesinger 181 12 1995-2006 *Includes sacks for zero gain; RFL= loss on rush play; PFL=loss on 8 Kevin Glover 177 13 1985-97 completed pass 9 Leonard Thompson 175 12 1975-86 THIRD-DOWN DOMINANCE ON DEFENSE 10 Eddie Murray 174 12 1980-91 11t Darris McCord 168 13 1955-67 Following up on last season s top-ranking third-down 11t Paul Naumoff 168 12 1967-78 defense, the team currently ranks fifth in the League in 13t Lomas Brown 164 11 1985-95 opponent third-down percentage (34.4) through Week 5. 13t Larry Hand 164 13 1965-77 ¾ In Week 3 vs. Green Bay (9/21), the Lions held their 15 Alex Karras 161 12 1958-62, 64-70 opponent to under five third-down conversions for the 16 Kelvin Pritchett 156 10 1991-94, 99-04 third-consecutive week by limiting the Packers to just 17 Joe Schmidt 155 13 1953-65 4-of-10 (40-percent). 18t Barry Sanders 153 10 1989-98 ¾ The Lions held the Panthers to just 3-of-12 (25.0-percent) 18t Don Muhlbach 153 11 2004-20 Dexter Bussey 150 11 1974-84 on third down in Week 2 (9/14), as the team currently ranks third in the NFL with a 24.0 opponent third-down percentage. ¾ Detroit was nearly perfect in the team s home opener against the Giants in Week 1 (9/8), limiting New York to only three third-down conversions on 13 attempts (23.1 pct), which ranks fourth in the NFL 2014 NFL Leaders, Opponent Third-Down Efficiency Rk Tm Att Made Pct. 1 Buf 21 66 31.8 2 Ind 56 18 32.1 3 NYG 61 20 32.8 4 Cin 57 19 33.3 5 Det 66 22 34.4 2014 NFL Leaders, Opponent First Downs Per Game Rk Tm G 1st 1st/G 1t Det 5 86 17.2 1t SD 5 86 17.2 3 NYJ 5 91 18.2 (Courtesy Stats, LLC) IRON LIONS Lions veteran leaders C Dominic Raiola and LS Don Mulhbach are among the NFL s ironmen when it comes to
AT THE CONTROLS Lions QB Matthew Stafford, now in his sixth NFL season, has led the Lions offense to great offensive heights. He already has set single-season and career franchise records and is closing in on more Lions career passing marks this season. Additionally, Stafford has finished among the top quarterbacks in the League passing rankings the past three seasons. STAFFORD AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS Through Week 5, Stafford maintained his place atop multiple categories, including passing yards (5th, 1,397), completions (9th, 113) and first-half passing yards (3rd, 801). Stafford s two rushing touchdowns are also tied for first in the NFL among quarterbacks. ¾ Stafford recorded his second-career game with 250+ passing yards, 2+ pass touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 1+ rushing touchdown in Week 4 against the Jets (9/28). Since 1960, only Stafford and QB Eric Hipple (10/19/81 vs. Chi; 9/29/85 vs. TB) have thrown for 250+ yards, tossed 2+ touchdowns with 0 interceptions and rushed for 1+ touchdown twice. ¾ Stafford started his 50th-consecutive game in Week 2 at Carolina (9/14), becoming the first QB in franchise history to start 50-straight games. Last season, he set the team record when he started his 43rd-consecutive game. ¾ Stafford has also begun the season with efficiency on third down as he ranks second in the NFL in third-down completions with 38. He s also thrown four touchdown passes on third down. 2014 NFL Leaders, Third-Down Completions Rk Player Att Cmp Pct Yds TD INT Rtg 1 P. Rivers 59 41 69.5 599 7 1 134.8 2 M. Stafford 58 38 65.5 593 4 2 107.9 3t D. Brees 51 36 70.6 388 3 3 87.7 3t A. Luck 53 36 67.9 398 7 2 113.8 PASSING PRIDE - CAREER Among Lions QBs, Stafford has passed his way into Lions lore by becoming the franchise leader in multiple categories. CAREER YARDS With 18,854 career passing yards, he is the Lions all-time leader in career yards and the only Lions QB to reach 18,000 career yards. With 362 in Week 11 at Pittsburgh last season (11/17/13), Stafford broke the previous record of 15,710 held by Layne, which has stood for 55 seasons (1958). Stafford achieved this record in only 55 career games. Layne reached 15,710 yards in 97 career games. ¾ With 488 passing yards in Week 8 vs. Dallas last season (10/27/13), Stafford surpassed 15,000 career passing yards in his 53rd career game. He reached 15,000 yards faster than any player in NFL history, surpassing the previous high of 56 games set by Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino, QB Kurt Warner and QB Marc Bulger (courtesy ¾ Stafford opened the season on MNF with a 346-yard, Elias Sports Bureau). two-touchdown performance on 22-of-32 passing in the ¾ By throwing for 242 yards vs. the Bears in his 50th career team s 35-14 win over the Giants. He led the offense with game in Week 4 last season (9/29/13), Stafford set a new both his arm and his feet against the Giants, throwing NFL record for the most passing yards in a player s first two touchdowns to WR Calvin Johnson (67 yards, 16 50 games. His 50-game mark ended at 14,331 yards, yards), and also punching in a score on a five-yard rush. breaking the previous mark by QB Kurt Warner (13,864). He is the first Lions quarterback since Eric Hipple (vs. NFL Leaders, Passing Yards Thru First 50 Games Chicago 10/19/81) to throw for 300+ yards, record 2+ Rk Player Yds TDs, throw no interceptions and rush for a touchdown. 1 M. Stafford 14331 2014 NFL Leaders, Passing Yards 2 K. Warner 13864 Rk Player G Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Rtg 3 M. Bulger 13551 1 A. Luck 5 216 147 68.1 1617 14 100.0 Lions Leaders, Career Passing Yards 2 M. Ryan 5 197 130 66.0 1579 11 96.4 Rk Player Att Cmp Yds TD Int Years 3 D. Brees 5 218 150 68.8 1574 9 91.8 1 M. Stafford 2676 1598 18854 115 77 2009-4 P. Rivers 5 165 116 70.3 1443 12 116.3 2 B. Layne 2193 1074 15710 118 142 1950-58 5 M. Stafford 5 179 113 63.1 1397 6 89.1 3 S. Mitchell 1850 1049 12647 79 57 1994-98 2014 NFL Leaders, Completions Lions Leaders, Career 300-Yard Passing Games Rk Player G Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Rtg Rk Player G Years 1 D. Brees 5 218 150 68.8 1574 9 91.8 1 M. Stafford 24 2009-2 A. Luck 5 216 147 68.1 1617 14 100.0 2 S. Mitchell 8 1994-98 3t M. Ryan 5 197 130 66.0 1579 11 96.4 3 J. Kitna 7 2006-08 3t J. Cutler 5 191 130 68.1 1295 12 94.9 Lions Leaders, Career 400-Yard Passing Games 5 B. Roethlisberger 5 177 122 68.9 1365 7 100.1 Rk Player G Years 6 Nick Foles 5 203 120 59.1 1380 8 82.5 1 M. Stafford 6 2009-7 Joe Flacco 5 191 119 62.3 1290 7 87.8 2t S. Mitchell 1 1994-98 8 P. Rivers 5 165 116 70.3 1443 12 116.3 2t C. Batch 1 1998-01 9 M. Stafford 5 179 113 63.1 1397 6 89.1 2t J. Kitna 1 2006-08 2014 NFL Leaders, First-Half Passing Yards Rk Player G Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Rtg CAREER TOUCHDOWNS 1 P. Rivers 5 94 70 74.5 901 7 120.0 In five seasons, Stafford has thrown 115 touchdowns, which 2 B. Roethlisberger 5 107 77 72 861 4 104.1 rank second all-time in team history. He trails Layne (118) 3 M. Stafford 5 96 61 63.5 801 5 94.1 for the team s career best and needs four to set a new Lions 2014 NFL Leaders, Rushing Touchdowns By QBs record. Rk Player G Att Yds Avg Lg TD ¾ Stafford s 346-yard performance against the Giants in 1t M. Stafford 5 20 34 1.7 8 2 the first game of 2014 was his 24th-career game with 1t J. McCown 3 5 33 6.6 13 2 two touchdown passes. 1t A. Luck 5 19 65 3.4 15 2 ¾ Stafford s 79-yard touchdown pass to Johnson in Week 11 at Pittsburgh last season (11/17/13) was the 100th touchdown pass of his career. Accomplishing this feat in 55 games, he is the fourth fastest player to throw 100 touchdown passes. He joined QB Dan Marino (44),
QB Kurt Warner (50), and QB Johnny Unitas as the only players in history to throw 100 touchdown passes in their first 55 games. Lions Leaders, Career Passing Touchdowns Rk Player Att Cmp Yds TD Int Years 1 B. Layne 2193 1074 15710 118 142 1950-58 2 M. Stafford 2676 1598 18854 115 77 2009- Lions Leaders, Career Games with 3+ TD Passes Rk Player G Years 1 M. Stafford 17 2009-2 B. Layne 12 1950-58 CAREER COMPLETIONS ¾ In the Lions 40-32 win over Chicago in Week 4 last season (9/29/13), Stafford (now with 66 career games) completed 23 passes and became the first player in NFL history to record 1,200 completions in a player s first 50 games. NFL Leaders, Completions Thru First 50 Games Rk Player Cmp 1 M. Stafford 1239 2 M. Bulger 1115 3 D. Bledsoe 1073 Lions Leaders, Career Pass Completions Rk Player Att Cmp Yds TD Int Years 1 M. Stafford 2676 1598 18854 115 77 2009-2 B. Layne 2193 1074 15710 118 142 1950-58 3 S. Mitchell 1850 1049 12647 79 57 1994-98 PASSING PRIDE - SEASON With 4,650 passing yards in 2013, Stafford secured the Top-3 single-season passing yards totals in Lions history. His 2013 total ranks third behind his 2011 (5,038) and 2012 (4,967) numbers. SEASON YARDS ¾ With 235 yards in Week 15 vs. Baltimore last season (12/16/13), Stafford surpassed 4,000 yards on the season and became the first passer in team history to record 4,000 yards in three different seasons. In 2012, Stafford became the second passer in team history to throw for 4,000 yards in two seasons (QB Jon Kitna, 2006-07). ¾ In each of the past three seasons, Stafford has a combined 22 300-yard passing games. Lions Leaders, Single-Season Passing Yards Rk Player Att Cmp Yds TD Rtg Year 1 M. Stafford 663 421 5038 41 97.2 2011 2 M. Stafford 727 435 4967 20 79.8 2012 3 M. Stafford 634 371 4650 29 84.2 2013 4 S. Mitchell 583 346 4338 32 92.3 1995 Lions Leaders, Single-Season 300-Yard Passing Games Rk Player G Year 1t M. Stafford 8 2011 1t M. Stafford 8 2012 3 M. Stafford 6 2013 SEASON COMPLETIONS ¾ Stafford s 371 completions in 2013 rank fourth on the Lions all-time single-season list. He now holds four of the franchise s Top-10 totals for single-season pass completions after setting the record in 2011 and 2012. ¾ With 371 completions in 2013, he became the first Lions player to complete 300+ passes in three different seasons. Lions Leaders, Single-Season Pass Completions Rk Player Att Cmp Yds TD Rtg Year 1 M. Stafford 727 435 4967 20 79.8 2012 2 M. Stafford 663 421 5038 41 97.2 2011 3 J. Kitna 596 372 4208 21 79.9 2006 4 M. Stafford 634 371 4650 29 84.2 2013 Lions Leaders, 300+ Completions (Season) Rk Player Att Cmp Yds TD Rtg Year 1 M. Stafford 727 435 4967 20 79.8 2012 2 M. Stafford 663 421 5038 41 97.2 2011 3 J. Kitna 596 372 4208 21 79.9 2006 4 M. Stafford 634 371 4650 29 84.2 2013 5 J. Kitna 561 355 4068 18 80.9 2007 SEASON TOUCHDOWNS ¾ Stafford s 29 touchdown passes last season were the third-most in franchise history. With 41 touchdown passes in 2011 and 20 in 2012, he now holds three of the Top-10 highest single-season touchdown totals in Lions history. Lions Leaders, Single-Season Passing Touchdowns Rk Player Att Cmp Yds TD Rtg Year 1 M. Stafford 663 421 63.5 5038 41 97.2 2011 2 S. Mitchell 583 346 59.3 4338 32 92.3 1995 3 M. Stafford 634 371 58.5 4650 29 84.2 2013 4 B. Layne 332 152 45.8 2403 26 67.6 1951 5 E. Morrall 328 174 53 2621 24 86.2 1963 6 J. Kitna 596 372 62.4 4208 21 79.9 2006 7 M. Stafford 727 435 59.8 4967 20 79.8 2012 STAFFORD SINCE 2011 NFL Leaders, Passing Yards - Since 2011 Rk Player G Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Rtg 1 D. Brees 53 2195 1486 67.7 17389 137 102.6 2 M. Stafford 53 2203 1340 60.8 16052 96 87.1 3 T. Brady 53 2048 1286 62.8 15488 104 96.1 NFL Leaders, Passing Touchdowns - Since 2011 Rk Player G Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Rtg 1 D. Brees 53 2195 1486 67.7 17389 137 102.6 2 A. Rodgers 45 1491 1005 67.4 12629 113 112.9 3t T. Brady 53 2048 1286 62.8 15488 104 96.1 3t P. Manning 36 1400 955 68.2 11429 104 110.6 5 T. Romo 52 1864 1223 65.6 14175 99 96.3 6 M. Ryan 53 2029 1338 65.9 14990 98 93.9 7 P. Rivers 53 1818 1198 65.9 14151 97 96.2 8 M. Stafford 53 2203 1340 60.8 16052 96 87.1 NFL Leaders, Pass Completions - Since 2011 Rk Player G Att Cmp Pct Yds TD Rtg 1 D. Brees 53 2195 1486 67.7 17389 137 102.6 2 M. Stafford 53 2203 1340 60.8 16052 96 87.1 3 M. Ryan 53 2029 1338 65.9 14990 98 93.9 STAFFORD S GAME-WINNING DRIVES Through five NFL seasons, Stafford has proven the ability to bring the team from behind to claim victory and perform great in the closing minutes of the game. ¾ Thus far, Stafford has tallied 12 victories when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter or overtime. ¾ Stafford has five career game-winning touchdown passes with less than one minute to play in fourth quarter (franchise record) and eight after the two-minute warning. 4TH QTR/OT WHEN TRAILING OR TIED Large Date Opp Ply Yds Poss. Clock Deficit Deficit 11/22/09 CLE 10 88 1:46 0:00 6 21 Scoring Play: Pettigrew 1 yd. pass from Stafford (Hanson kick) 10/31/10 WAS 7 37 1:20 3:12 5 6 Scoring Play: C. Johnson 10 Yd. pass from Stafford (2-pt conv.) 9/25/11 at Min 5 59 1:59 13:01ot 0 20 Scoring Play: Hanson 32 Yd. FG 10/2/11 at Dal 7 40 2:34 1:39 3 24 Scoring Play: C. Johnson 2 yd. pass from Stafford (Hanson kick) 11/20/11 CAR 7 80 2:27 2:32 0 17 Scoring Play: Pettigrew 7 yd. pass from Stafford (Hanson kick) 12/18/11 at Oak 7 98 1:35 0:39 6 13 Scoring Play: C. Johnson 6 yd. pass from Stafford (Hanson kick) 9/9/12 STL 9 80 1:45 0:10 3 7