2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE

the most passing yards in the first half of a game by a Lions passer, breaking the previous best of 314 by QB Jon Kitna
at Philadelphia (9/23/07).
‣ ¾ With Stafford connecting to WR Calvin Johnson on two touchdown passes at Chicago (11/10/13), they combined for 36
touchdown receptions, breaking the franchise record for the most QB-Receiver touchdown combinations in team history.
They broke the previous record of 35 set by QB Scott Mitchell and WR Herman Moore (1994-98).
‣ ¾ In the Lions’ 31-30 win over Dallas (10/27/13), Stafford passed for 488 yards. It was the second-highest single-game
total in team history and the most in a Lions’ win. Stafford’s 488 passing yards vs. Dallas trails only his 520 yards at
Green Bay January 1, 2012.
• Stafford’s 488 passing yards was his sixth 400-yard game and 21st 300-yard game of his career. Stafford holds six
of the team’s nine 400+-yard games in franchise history.
• His 488 passing yards are the most at home by a Lions quarterback in team history.
‣ ¾ Stafford’s four touchdown passes at Cleveland (10/13/13) gave him his 13th career game with 3+ touchdown passes,
which set a franchise record for the most career games with 3+ touchdown passes. He surpassed Layne who tallied
12 during his career with the Lions.
‣ ¾ 2012: Stafford’s 37 completions vs. Atlanta (12/22/12) established a new Lions single-game record. Stafford (at GB
1/1/12) and QB Charlie Batch (at Ari 11/8/01) held the previous record of 36.
‣ ¾ With 435 completions in 2012, Stafford broke his own team single-season franchise record of 421 completions set in 2011.
‣ ¾ Stafford reached 1,000 pass completions the fastest in Lions’ history by doing so in his 41st career game vs. Indianapolis
in 2012 (12/2). Layne reached 1,000 completions in 86 games and Mitchell accomplished this in 55 games.
‣ ¾ Stafford set a new Lions record on Thanksgiving Day in 2012 vs. Houston (11/22) with 441 yards on 31-of-61 passing.
‣ ¾ 2009-11: The 24-point comeback at Dallas (10/2/11) was the third 20+-point comeback of his career, and second in
consecutive weeks, making the Lions the only team to do so in NFL history. Stafford now joins Hall of Fame QB Bobby
Layne as the only quarterbacks in team history to lead the Lions back to victories from 24-point deficits. Stafford led
the team’s only 24-point comeback on the road.
• With the 24-point comeback on the road, the Lions tied an NFL record for the largest comeback by a road team,
accomplished three previous times. The last 24-point comeback occurred December 6, 1992 when the Los Angeles
Rams won at Tampa Bay 31-27 after trailing by 24 points.
‣ ¾ The 20-point comeback at Minnesota (9/25/11) was the second 20+-point comeback Stafford engineered during his
career. In 2009, he helped bring the Lions back from 21 points down vs. Cleveland (11/22/09) at Ford Field. The comeback
against the Vikings was also the Lions largest halftime deficit to overcome in team history (20 points).
‣ ¾ He and Hall of Fame QB Bobby Layne are the only quarterbacks in team history to engineer 20+-point comebacks in
team history (regular season). Layne engineered the largest comeback ever by bringing the Lions back from 24 points
down vs. Baltimore (10/20/57). In the postseason, the Lions also came back from a 20-point deficit at San Francisco
December 22, 1957, quarterbacked by Tobin Rote, to claim a 31-27 win after training 27-7 in the third quarter. The playoff
game is known in Lions history as the “Comeback at Kezar.”
NFL RECORDS AND NOTES
‣ ¾ 2014: Stafford, with 4,257 yards in 2014, reached 4,000 yards on the season and recorded his fourth career 4,000-yard
season, an accomplishment he has done for the fourth-straight year (5,038 in 2011; 4,967 in 2012; 4,650 in 2013; 4,257
in 2014). With 4,000+ passing yards this year, Stafford joined QB Peyton Manning (5) and Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino
(4) as the only passers in NFL history with four 4,000-yard seasons in a passer’s first six years in the League.
• Stafford is the second passer, along with Manning, in history to record four-straight 4,000-yard seasons during
the player’s first six NFL seasons. He is one of six quarterbacks overall in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in
four-straight seasons.
‣ ¾ 2013: Stafford’s 79-yard touchdown pass to WR Calvin Johnson at Pittsburgh (11/17/13) was the 100th career touchdown
pass of his career. Accomplishing this feat in 55 games, he is the fourth fastest player to throw for 100 touchdown passes.
• He joins Hall of Fame QB Dan Marino (44), QB Kurt Warner (50) and Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas (53) as the only
players in history to throw 100 touchdown passes in their first 55 games.
‣ ¾ By throwing for 242 yards vs. Chicago (9/29/13), Stafford set a new NFL record for the most passing yards in a player’s first
50 games. Through 50 career games, Stafford completed 1,239 passes, the most by any quarterback in their first 50 games.
‣ ¾ With 23 pass completions vs. Chicago (9/29/13), Stafford (1,214) became the first player in NFL history to record 1,200
completions in a player’s first 50 games.
‣ ¾ 2012: With 42 pass attempts vs. Chicago in 2012 (12/30), Stafford set the NFL record for single-season attempts by
registering 727 pass attempts. He broke the record held by QB Drew Bledsoe (691) in 1994. Stafford is the first player
in NFL history to attempt 700 passes in a season.
‣ ¾ In 2012, Stafford became just the second quarterback in NFL history to register 420 completions in two different
seasons (2011, 2012). He joins Brees (422 in 2012; 469 in 2011; 448 in 2010; 440 in 2007) as the only passers in history
to accomplish this feat.
PRO
As the Lions’ starting signal caller, Stafford combines great arm strength and accuracy with exceptional ability to read
opponents’ defenses to lead the team’s offense. He has led the Lions to 17 wins during his career when the team trailed
or the game was tied in the fourth quarter or in overtime.
‣ ¾ Replaced Broncos QB Peyton Manning in the 2015 Pro Bowl.
‣ ¾ Team record 27 career 300+-yard games, breaking record held by Scott Mitchell (8, 1994-98). Of Stafford’s 27 career
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