- With the 24-13 win over the Chicago Bears, the Lions have now opened the 2011 season 5-0. It is the team’s first 5-0 start since 1956 and only the third in team history (1956, 1934).
- The Lions current 9-game win streak dating back to last season (4 wins to end 2010) is the team’s longest since 1953-54.
- It is the Lions first 5-game win streak in one season since the team had a 7-game win streak in 1995.
ATTENDANCE RECORD
- The crowd of 67,861 for the Lions Monday Night Football game set a new Ford Field record for a Lions game since the team opened the stadium in 2002. The previous record was 63,257 vs. Green Bay November 11, 2007.
- Monday night’s crowd was only 345 fans shy of the attendance for Super Bowl XL (68,206).
K JASON HANSON
- Detroit Lions K Jason Hanson has become the first player in NFL history to player 300 career games with one team. In Week 2, he set the NFL record (297) for the most games played with one team in NFL history.
- Hanson is the eighth player in NFL history to play 300 career games.
CALVIN JOHNSON HISTORY
- WR Calvin Johnson gave the Lions a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 73-yard pass from QB Matthew Stafford. It was Johnson’s ninth touchdown reception of the season. He became the first player in NFL history with nine touchdown receptions through the first five games of the season.
- The 73-yard pass play was the longest of the season for the Lions.
- Johnson’s 73-yard touchdown reception was his fifth career reception of 70+ yards. He ties WR Leonard Thomson (5) for the most 70+-yard receptions in team history.
- Johnson caught 5 passes for 130 yards with one touchdown, and he surpassed 100 yards for the 15th time in his career. He now is tied with WR Terry Barr (15, 1957-65) for the third-most 100-yard receiving games in Lions history.
- In the first half, he caught three passes for 100 yards.
BEST RUNS TO DAYLIGHT
- Lions RB Jahvid Best gave the Lions a 21-10 lead in the third quarter by running off an 88-yard touchdown run. It was the second-longest run in team history and longest since RB Bob Hoernschmeyer ran a 96-yard touchdown vs. the New York Yanks November 23, 1950.
- He finished the game with 12 carries for 163 yards (13.6 avg) and 1 touchdown. It was a career high and his first career 100-yard rushing game.
- Best’s 163 yards vs. Chicago is the most by a Lions back since RB Kevin Jones registered 196 yards vs. Arizona December 5, 2004.
- In addition to his 88-yard touchdown run, he set up the Lions final score of the game (Hanson 31-yard FG) by starting off a fourth quarter drive with a 43-yard run.
- Best became just the second player in Lions history to register an 80+-yard run (88-yard TD run vs. Chi 10/10/11) and a 75+-yard reception (75-yard TD vs. Phi 9/19/10). He joins RB Billy Sims (81-yard run at SD 9/30/84; 87-yard TD reception at GB 9/14/80; 81-yard TD reception vs. Dal 11/15/81) as the only players in team history to accomplish this feat.
SECOND HALF SHUTDOWN
- In all five games this year, the Lions have yielded less than 10 points in the second half. The three points allowed in the second half tonight marks the third time this season they gave up 3 points or less.
- Entering this weekend’s games, the Lions had the League’s best scoring margin (+72 points) in the second half with 92 points scored and 20 points allowed. Following tonight’s win, the Lions have now scored 109 points and allowed just 23 points for a +86 scoring margin (17.2/game in second half).
T JEFF BACKUS
- Today’s game marked T Jeff Backus’ 165th consecutive start. He currently has the most consecutive starts by any lineman (offense or defense) in the NFL and the most among offensive players.
- With 165 consecutive starts, he has tied Hall of Fame G Gene Upshaw for the eighth-most consecutive games started by an offensive lineman since 1970. Upshaw actually started 207-staright games dating back to 1967.
70-YARD PASS AND 80-YARD RUN
- Johnson and Best put together a pair of big plays in today’s game, including a 73-yard touchdown receptions and an 88-yard touchdown run. It marks only the second time in team history that the Lions have registered a 70+-yard reception and an 80+-yard run in the same game. The previous time was WR Herman Moore (79-yard reception) and RB Barry Sanders (82-yard TD and 80-yard TD) at Tampa Bay December 12, 1997.
- It’s the first time in team history that the Lions have scored on both a 70-yard pass play and an 80-yard rushing play. Moore’s 79-yard reception did not result in a touchdown.
