The Detroit Lions kept things rolling Week 4 with a 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field to improve their record to an NFC North leading 3-1 to start the season. It was a complementary performance from all three phases for the Lions to secure the decisive victory.
Here are five stats that stood out from Detroit's performance:
1. Number: 14
What it means: Total sacks for the Lions on the season
Twentyman: The Lions racked up three more sacks Sunday against Cleveland to give them 14 on the season, which is tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams for the NFL lead. Detroit has three players with multiple sacks on the year – Aidan Hutchinson (4.0), Al-Quadin Muhammad (3.5) and Alex Anzalone (1.5). Eight Lions players total have recorded at least one sack through the team's first four contests.
2. Number: 0
What it means: The Lions have not allowed a sack in three straight games.
Twentyman: Since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, this is the first time the Lions have gone three straight games without allowing a sack in a single season. The four sacks allowed by the Lions on the season are the second fewest in the NFL behind only Jacksonville (3).
This stat isn't just on the offensive line, which has played well the last three weeks, but also on quarterback Jared Goff, the running backs picking up the blitz and the tight ends fighting to block the edges.
3. Number: 6
What it means: Touchdown receptions for wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown on the season
Twentyman: St. Brown currently leads the NFL in touchdown receptions and is the first player to have six touchdown receptions through the first four games of any season since Randy Moss in 2007. St. Brown became just the second player in franchise history to accumulate six touchdown receptions through the first four games of any season, joining Calvin Johnson (8) in 2011.
St. Brown and Goff have one of the best quarterback-receiver connections going in the league. It's so fun to watch them operate, especially near the goal line where St. Brown has proven to be one of the best weapons in the NFL.
4. Number: 10.4
What it means: Average yards per punt return for Kalif Raymond
Twentyman: Raymond recorded his first punt-return touchdown of the season Sunday vs. Cleveland with a 65-yarder early in the fourth quarter that helped break the game open for Detroit. It was Raymond's third punt return touchdown in his Lions career.
Raymond is one of just five punt returners this season to average at least 10.0 yards per return (min. 10 returns) – Kameron Johnson (15.9), Jaylin Lane (14.8), Jaylin Noel (11.3), Myles Price (11.1), Raymond (10.4).
5. Number: 137
What it means: Detroit has totaled 137 points scored through the first four games of the season.
Twentyman: It's the second-most points the Lions have ever accumulated through the first four games of any season. Detroit's nine passing touchdowns trail only Baltimore (10). Their seven rushing touchdowns trail only Buffalo (9). The Lions have a point differential of plus-49 through the first four games of a season for the first time since 2011 as they've outscored opponents 137-88 on way to a 3-1 record to start the season.
