The Numbers Behind The Lions’ Week 15 Shootout Loss
Credit: Junfu Han via Imagn Images
The Detroit Lions fell to the Buffalo Bills in the NFL’s highest-scoring game of the year by a final score of 48-42. Jared Goff tied a career-high in passing touchdowns and threw for the second-most yards of his career, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a flawless effort by Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense.
What were the numbers that defined the Week 15 shootout loss?
90 – As mentioned, the Lions and Bills combined for the highest point total in an NFL game with 90. Coincidentally, the highest-scoring game from 2023 also had 90 combined points, when the Miami Dolphins shellacked the Denver Broncos by a final score of 70-20. This one was a lot closer.
494 – Jared Goff threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns. That was the highest total he’s achieved as a Lion (he had a 517-yard effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a LA Ram in 2019). His last five-touchdown performance was on December 16, 2023, almost exactly a year ago, in a 42-17 blowout of the Broncos. What a mess.
59 – Goff was in the rare position of having to air it out on Sunday, throwing 59 passes, also his most as a Lion. He had a 118.9 passer rating, which is by far the highest he’s had on a day where he threw at least 50 attempts.
38 – When Dan Campbell controversially decided to go for an onside kick in the fourth quarter, Bills receiver Mack Hollins instead returned the kick 38 yards to the Lions’ five-yard line. Buffalo scored one play later on a pass from Josh Allen to Ray Davis.
1 – Detroit’s defense had virtually no answer for Buffalo’s high-powered offense, as the Bills only had one punt on the day.
8 – After Amon-Ra St. Brown’s fumble midway through the third quarter, all eight drives by both teams combined to close out the game were scoring drives. All four scoring drives by the Lions were touchdowns, and the Bills had two touchdowns and two field goals.
2– Only two of Buffalo’s offensive drives did not result in points for the Bills: Their one punt and a missed field goal by Tyler Bass.
2 – Sunday’s matchup was only the second game all season in which Detroit’s defense has allowed over 30 points. The first was in the game prior against Green Bay, where they allowed 31 points in a narrow 34-31 victory.
66 – St. Brown scored a 66-yard touchdown, the second-longest receiving touchdown of his career. His longest was a 70-yard reception against Minnesota in the final game of the 2023 season.
193 – St. Brown’s 193 receiving yards was the highest single-game total of his career.
111 – Sam LaPorta totaled 111 receiving yards, the highest total he’s ever had in a loss, and the second-highest single-game total of his career.
82 – Offensive tackle and power forward Dan Skipper scored his first career touchdown on Sunday on a seven-yard catch-and-run from Jared Goff. At 6 feet, 10 inches (or 82 inches), Skipper is now the tallest player to score a receiving touchdown in NFL history.
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