The Detroit Lions exit their bye week with a 3-2 record thanks to a 45-21 victory at the Arizona Cardinals in the Lions' most recent game.
First-year offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and Jared Goff have reestablished the Motor City offense as one of the most prolific in the league. While Dan Campbell's team is explosive on offense, defensive inconsistencies continue to raise questions about Detroit's Super Bowl potential.
Here is what the numbers say about Detroit's start to the 2026 season:
1,485
Jared Goff has completed 67% of his passes for 1,485 yards. Goff's 297 passing yards per game rank third in the NFL behind only Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (309.8) and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (299).
Goff has tossed 12 touchdowns
and is yet to surrender an interception, highlighting how efficient he's been through the opening slate. Goff is averaging 7.8 yards per attempt, which only trails Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (8.8) and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (8.0) in yards per attempt among the NFL's top 10 passing yardage leaders.
504
Jahmyr Gibbs is continuing to elevate his play after becoming the centerpiece of Drew Petzing's offense. With the departure of David Montgomery, Gibbs is seeing an increased workload, which he's paying off with elite production.
Gibbs ranks fifth in the league with 504 rushing yards on 105 carries. Among the NFL's top five rushers, only Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III has also played just five games. Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, Bills running back James Cook, and Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry have each already played six games.
The three-time Pro Bowler averages 4.8 yards per attempt 100.8 rushing yards per game. Gibbs' seven rushing touchdowns are tied for the most in the NFL among running backs.
77.3%
Through the opening stretch of games, Detroit has found a way to capitalize on trips to the red zone, scoring at an incredibly high rate. The offense has converted 17 of their 22 opportunities into touchdowns. Detroit's 77.3% red zone touchdown conversion rate is No. 3 in the NFL, trailing only the San Francisco 49ers (87.5%) and the New Orleans Saints (84.21%).
Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the team in red-zone targets with 16, while Gibbs has the most touches and production in the area with 35 touches (30 carries, five receptions) and 137 yards.
All nine of Gibbs' touchdowns and four of St. Brown's scores this season have come on red zone opportunities.
+4
The Lions have a +4 turnover differential, ranking tied-fifth-best in the league. Jared Goff is yet to throw an interception through five games. Overall, the Lions have turned the ball over just once, while forcing five takeaways. Only Minnesota, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Washington rank ahead of Detroit in this category.
Despite deficiencies in other areas, forcing takeaways while protecting the ball will be critical for Detroit moving forward.
20.0
Detroit currently leads the league in total sacks. DJ Wonnum is the top contributor on Kelvin Sheppard's defense with five. Aidan Hutchinson has four and Alim McNeill has tallied 3.5 so far.
In each of their wins, the unit has notched at least five sacks. The group is beginning to establish itself as one of the NFL's most disruptive fronts. Hutchinson has created 32 quarterback pressures.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: 5 stats from the Detroit Lions' first 5 games of 2026
