Opponents Finding It Tough To Stop Johnson
--It's no secret that teams are scheming to stop Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. But teams are finding that even when they have the right coverage, Johnson is so physically gifted he's beating good coverage. Johnson has nine touchdowns in five games, the most for any receiver in the history of the league through five games.
"Coverages still can dictate what we do on offense," Johnson said. "But there are ways we can move around that. We have different things and different packages that will attack different coverages. We have our ways around different coverages."
--The 49ers' defense has allowed touchdowns in only 26.7 percent of opponents' red-zone possessions, ranking first in the NFL.
"They are playing very well, especially on defense," Stafford said. "They're the No. 1 team in the red zone in the NFL and basically a top 10 defense. They do a good job of utilizing their strengths. They have a really good front seven and they stop the run really well all over the field, especially down there."
The Lions rank ninth in the league in red-zone offense, scoring a touchdown nearly 59 percent of the time in the red zone.
--Through five games, the Lions are the only team in the league ranked in the Top five in points scored and points allowed. The team ranks fourth in scoring (31.8 points per game) and is tied for fourth in points allowed (17.8). Their 70-point scoring margin through five games is the best in the NFL.
--Since 2005, 49ers running back Frank Gore has averaged 120.0 rushing yards per game vs. the Lions, ranking first in the NFL over that span (minimum of three games).
--The 49ers secondary is third in the NFL with eight interceptions and first in passes defended. On the other side, Stafford has taken care of the ball pretty well this season with 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
--On defense, the Lions have limited opponents to a passer rating of 79.5. 49ers quarterback Alex Smith comes into the game with a passer rating of 104.1.
--According to Stats, LLC, penalty research that dates back to 1993, the nine false starts committed by Chicago at Ford Field Monday night tied for the second-most by a team in a single game over the past 19 seasons. The most was 11 by the New York Giants at Seattle on Nov. 27, 2005.
BY THE NUMBERS
1-9 -- The combined record of the Lions and 49ers heading into Week 6 of the NFL season last year.
9-1 -- Their combined record heading into a Week 6 matchup this season.
6 -- The number of quarterbacks in the NFL who have more touchdown passes than Calvin Johnson has touchdown receptions (9).
109-23 -- The amount the Lions are outscoring opponents in the second half this season.
7.5 -- The number of sacks for Lions DE Cliff Avril in his last eight home games.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"They are 4-1 and their only loss was an overtime game, so, obviously, they've been in every game. The biggest thing is they're taking care of the football. They are plus-10 in turnover ratio, they've thrown one interception and that's a big departure from where they've been in the past." -- Lions coach Jim Schwartz when asked Wednesday about the 49ers.
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