Lions-49ers key stats: Detroit outguns San Francisco in Santa Clara Shootout

The Lions finished a perfect 8-0 on the road. That and more in this week’s look at advanced key statistics from Lions-49ers.

Regardless of the stakes, Dan Campbell was adamant about bringing everything—and everyone—they had out to the West Coast for this matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Even Fred Warner eventually learned why the Detroit Lions showed up in full force. Detroit finished their 2024 season with a perfect 8-0 record on the road, and it was their offense that made it possible—along with some timely help from Kerby Joseph.

As we’ll do every week throughout the season for this Detroit Lions team, we have some data we can comb through courtesy of various outlets that better help us understand the football the Lions have played thus far—and what to look forward to in the coming weeks. Let’s take a closer look at the Lions by the numbers after their victory over the 49ers.

PFF’s premium statistics are an invaluable data point for football fans to better understand the game. Consider subscribing to PFF to have full access to a plethora of stats and grades to keep you informed about the NFL—and college football, too. Also, NFL Pro is supplying some innovative and illustrative advanced statistics of their own that are worth checking out for the price of admission.

+11.5 receiving EPA

Expected Points Added (EPA) is a commonly used advanced statistic in football. In short, this stat measures how well a team or player performs compared to their expectation on a play-by-play basis. In Week 17, Amon-Ra St. Brown recorded a +11.5 receiving EPA, the third-best mark among all pass-catchers. St. Brown’s efficiency in extending drives was crucial to the Lions offense staying hot, converting five of his eight receptions for first downs—including a third-and-3 and a massive catch on fourth-and-goal for a touchdown.

56.4% breakaway rate

As the team’s lead running back, Jahmyr Gibbs continues to shoulder the increased workload effectively. Gibbs posted a 56.4% breakaway rate, the second-best mark among running backs in Week 17. Here’s a breakdown of what that PFF signature statistic tracks:

When a running back gains 15-plus yards on a single run, PFF tracks the run as a breakaway run and all the yards gained as breakaway yards. Then, PFF divides all of the running back’s breakaway yards by their total yards to calculate a back’s breakaway percentage and show which runners earn the highest (and lowest) percentage of yards on big runs.

The explosive plays from Gibbs this year have really helped push this offense into rarified air among the highest-scoring teams in NFL history—Detroit currently ranks 11th all-time in points for (533, 33.3 points per game). And much of the credit for Detroit’s success on the ground against the 49ers this week should be shared with an inspiring performance from the offensive line: Gibbs gained the second-most yards before contact of his career (85).

0.0% turnover-worthy play rate

In order for this Lions team to compete from here on out, it’s essential that their offense take care of the football. Aside from one ill-advised spin to try and escape the reach of Nick Bosa, Jared Goff played some of his cleanest football of the year, recording a 0.0% turnover-worthy play rate for the sixth time this season. Goff has done a remarkable job this season of keeping the ball out of harm’s way—he has just 16 turnover-worthy plays through 16 games this season, his lowest total since his rookie season (12) where he only played seven games.

100.0% pass-blocking efficiency

Pass blocking efficiency (EFF) is a PFF Signature Stat that measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis—with weighting toward sacks allowed. Bosa can be a handful, and he got the better of Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell on a couple of reps en route to 2.0 sacks. Two offensive linemen for the Lions, however, recorded perfect 100.0% pass-blocking efficiency scores against the Niners: Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler. They did not allow a single quarterback hit, hurry, pressure, or sack.

We’ve seen this passing game suffer when the interior can’t keep Goff clean, but even the return of a healthier Graham Glasgow (97.2% EFF, third-best mark among starters) helped keep the passing offense humming all night long.

16.7% run-stop rate

For a second week in a row, the Lions run defense looked up to the challenge of stopping the opponent’s running game: San Francisco had just 75 yards on 18 carries, a step down from their 4.7 yards per carry mark coming into this game. Granted, the 49ers were able to pivot to the passing game with little resistance, but it’s still encouraging to see Detroit be true to their identity on defense against a formidable running attack that ranked eighth in rush DVOA and 10th in EPA/run.

Pat O’Connor was a bright spot for the Lions this week in run defense, posting a 16.7% run-stop rate and finishing as the third-best interior defender in the NFL in that regard for Week 17.

22.5 snaps per reception allowed

The loss of Carlton Davis for the remainder of the regular season felt like an insurmountable challenge for a defense already without five other starters. But Amik Robertson has seamlessly transitioned to being the team’s outside cornerback opposite of Terrion Arnold after playing primarily in the slot for the first 15 weeks of the season. Robertson is proving to not only be the team’s solution at CB1, but a revelation.

Of 55 qualifying cornerbacks in Week 17, Robertson was the No. 1 cornerback in snaps per reception allowed (22.5). He faced six targets in total and allowed just two catches for 22 yards across 49 coverage snaps, notching a key pass breakup on third-and-10 against Jauan Jennings early in the fourth quarter that forced San Francisco into a 58-yard field goal that missed the mark and flipped the field for Detroit.