The Detroit Lions offense accomplished something no NFL team since the merger has EVER done.
I don’t need to convince you that the Detroit Lions offense is on fire. Detroit has put up 30 points in three straight games, and Jared Goff is in the midst of an MVP-type of run.
But sometimes a stat comes along that makes your jaw drop, no matter how in-tune with the team you are. That is certainly the case for this statistic about the Lions offense, offered courtesy of the NFL on CBS Twitter account.
Check it out:
The @Lions offense is the ONLY team with more offensive TD (18) than incompletions (16) in a 4-game span since the merger.
Incomprehensible. pic.twitter.com/kl2MDlkgKs
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) October 21, 2024
Let’s put this statistic into some context. Obviously, it’s incredible that the Lions are the only team to do this since the NFL merger in 1966. But 18 touchdowns and only 16 incompletions??? That’s crazy, right?
Indeed it is. Let’s first talk about 16 incompletions over four games. This past Sunday alone:
- Gardner Minshew had 19 incompletions
- Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph had 15 incompletions
- Anthony Richardson and Brock Purdy had 14 incompletions
- Russell Wilson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson had 13 incompletions
- Josh Allen had 12 incompletions
- Patrick Mahomes, Drake Maye, Kirk Cousins, and C.J. Stroud had 11 incompletions
That’s 12 quarterbacks who have thrown at least 11 incomplete passes in one game. These players would have to throw just five or fewer incompletions in the next three game combined to match Detroit’s efficiency.
As for the 18 touchdowns over four games, currently more than half of the league (19 teams) don’t have 18 touchdowns for the entire 2024 season. The Miami Dolphins have one third of that, with just six touchdowns. Last year, the Jets only had 22 touchdowns all season. The Panthers were just ahead of them with 23 touchdown for the 2023 year.
In other words, the Lions offense is currently on a historic tear.