Talk about a complete team effort.
Six different players scored touchdowns for the Lions Sunday as all three phases played a critical role in a convincing 52-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans that makes it five straight wins for Detroit (6-1).
Three big special teams returns (two punt, one kickoff), four defensive takeaways and big plays on offense resulted in Detroit’s most impressive win of the season.
The 52 points scored are tied for the second most in franchise history. Over their last four games, the Lions have scored 172 points and 22 touchdowns. This marks the most points and touchdowns the Lions have ever scored in any four-game span in a single season.
Detroit’s defense set up the first points of the game when a great rush by Levi Onwuzurike led to an ill-advised pass from Tennessee quarterback Mason Rudolph right into the hands of linebacker Trevor Nowaske at the Titans’ 31-yard line. Nowaske returned it to the 23-yard line. It took just two plays from there for running back David Montgomery to punch it in from seven yards out to give the Lions a 7-0 lead.
Tennessee came right back and marched 75 yards on just four plays capped off by a Rudolph 11-yard touchdown run, the first rushing touchdown of his career.
On the first play following the Titans touchdown, running back Jahmyr Gibbs went through a huge hole opened by Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow and Frank Ragnow on the left side of the offensive line and beat everyone down the left sideline for a 70-yard touchdown run. Gibbs is the first Lions player to produce a rushing touchdown of 45-plus yards in consecutive games since Dutch Clark in 1934.
In a back-and-forth game early, Tennessee tied it at 14-14 on a 5-yard pass from Rudolph to wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine after a 70-yard drive.
Detroit countered once again on their next possession that started at the Tennessee 25-yard line following a Khalil Dorsey 72-yard kickoff return. Quarterback Jared Goff needed only three plays from there to find a wide-open Brock Wright for an 8-yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Lions early in the second quarter.
Following a Kerby Joseph interception on the first play of the subsequent Titans drive that set the Lions up at the 12-yard line, Goff found wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown wide open in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to push the Lions’ lead to 28-14. It’s the fifth straight game where St. Brown has recorded a touchdown. Joseph is the first Lions safety to record five interceptions in a season since Glover Quin in 2014.
The wild first half continued late in the second quarter when Kalif Raymond returned a punt 64 yards to Tennessee’s 22-yard line, setting up the Lions’ offense with a short field once again. Detroit made it 35-14 from there as offensive coordinator Ben Johnson went into his well of tricks with Montgomery receiving a pitch from Goff and throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta.
Detroit’s defense had a great stand from the 1-yard line on four straight plays right before the end of the first half to preserve Detroit’s 35-14 lead at halftime.
Detroit’s 35 first-half points are their most since logging 38 points at Cleveland in 1970. For the first time in team history, five different players produced touchdowns in the first half of a game.
The Lions picked up right where they left off, forcing a Titans punt on their first possession of the second half that was returned 90 yards by Raymond for a touchdown.
Detroit made it 49-14 midway through the third quarter on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Raymond after Detroit got the ball at the Tennessee 26-yard line on a Carlton Davis III fumble recovery caused by Amik Robertson.
The Lions upped the lead to 52-14 at the end of the third quarter on a Jake Bates 51-yard field goal that kept him perfect (11-for-11) on the year.
QB comparison: Goff completed 12 of his 15 pass attempts (80 percent) for 85 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 129.9 passer rating. He played three quarters before giving way to backup Hendon Hooker in the fourth quarter.
Hooker was 2-for-3 for six yards.
Rudolph completed 22 of his 38 attempts for 266 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and a 66.3 rating. He also rushed three times for 29 yards.
