NFL Preview Capsule: Lions At Saints
The Associated Press
DETROIT (7-4) At NEW ORLEANS (8-3)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC
OPENING LINE — Saints by 8 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Detroit 6-4-1; New Orleans 7-4
SERIES RECORD — Saints lead 10-9-1
LAST MEETING — Saints beat Lions, 45-27, Sept. 13, 2009
LAST WEEK — Saints beat Giants 49-24; Lions lost to Packers 27-15
LIONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (9), RUSH (22), PASS (6)
LIONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (10), RUSH (23), PASS (6)
SAINTS OFFENSE — OVERALL (1), RUSH (8), PASS (1)
SAINTS DEFENSE — OVERALL (25), RUSH (17), PASS (27)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Matthew Stafford's 3,119 yards passing are most by Lions QB in first 11 games of a season. ... Stafford has 26 TDs passing, tied with Bobby Layne (1951) for second most by a Lions QB in a season. ... Stafford made first career start in Superdome in 2009, throwing three INTs. That game also marked Jim Schwartz's coaching debut with Detroit. ... WR Calvin Johnson leads NFL with 12 TD catches. He is one of only three players, along with Lance Alworth and Jerry Rice, with 12 or more TDs receiving in three of their first five seasons. ... Since start of 2008, Johnson has 41 TDs receiving, most in NFL. ... Johnson has 1,023 yards receiving this season, making him first Lions WR with 1,000-plus yards receiving in three of first five seasons. ... DE Cliff Avril has five sacks, four forced fumbles and 24-yard fumble return for TD in his past five games. ... Saints QB Drew Brees tied franchise record with six TD passes in last meeting. ... Brees has 20-plus completions in an NFL-record 31 straight games. ... Brees has passed for a TD in 38 straight games, second-longest streak in NFL history. ... Brees leads NFL with 3,689 yards passing. He has completed 70.2 percent (323 of 460) of his passes. ... Jimmy Graham leads NFL TEs with 67 receptions and 957 yards. He had two TDs last week. ... RB Pierre Thomas has a TD in three of his last four games. ... WR Lance Moore had two TDs last week.
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