Detroit Lions’ Saturday matchup against the Texans was a whirlwind of a game. Within the first 37 minutes, Jared Goff had thrown 5 interceptions and hopes of a comeback seemed bleak. However, the Lions defied all odds to achieve a win. They broke several records too, albeit some were on the wrong side of history.
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Goff, for instance, broke his career record for the most interceptions, surpassing his 2018 mark of 4, while playing for the LA Rams. Still, the quarterback is nowhere close to the NFL record for most interceptions in a game, which belongs to former Cardinals Jim Hardy. The ex-quarterback had scored 8 interceptions against the Eagles in 1950, culminating in a 45-7 loss in Week 1.
More recently, if we talk about the 2000s, the most interceptions (7) were thrown by another Lions’ signal caller, Ty Detmer, against the Browns in 2001. While Goff would be glad to have steered clear of making the top of that list, he did break another, more favorable record.
Goff became the first quarterback since 2012 to win a game with 5 interceptions. Prior to him, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan held the record for winning a game despite throwing 5 interceptions against the Cardinals. That said, it’s not just the 30-year-old who broke some records with the exhilarating win, but also the franchise.
At halftime, the Lions stood at a dismal 23-7 score, but they were able to overcome the 16-point gap to ultimately cement their victory. And that too, over the high-flying Houston Texans.
This victory turned out historical for Detroit, as they became the first team in over 50 years to bounce back after a deficit of at least 15 points while suffering 5+ interceptions. Their predecessors are the Colts who overcame a 17-point gap, with Johnny Unitas throwing 5 interceptions against Chicago in 1970.
While winning a game after throwing 5 interceptions seems impressive enough, the league’s record for the same is nearly double that number. And it was set by the Birds.
Philly’s record for most interceptions in a win game
The Eagles threw a whopping 9 interceptions against Pittsburgh back in 1965, yet delivering a crushing 47-13 defeat to the Steelers. They’re followed by the Jets, Lions, and Houston Oilers, who are tied for throwing 8 interceptions in the late 1900s, yet winning those outings.
On the other side of the fence, Cleveland holds a record for stealing the ball 7 times from Detroit in 2001, as per Statmuse. The Kansas City Chiefs also feature twice in the list for throwing 6 interceptions from their games in 2011 and 2016. When it comes to a season, it’s the Chargers who stand at the top spot, having recorded 49 interceptions in 1961.
While Jared Goff’s interception raised many eyebrows, it’s the sweet victory in the end that proved his capability as the team’s leader. Detroit currently leads the NFC North with a score of 8-1 and will face the struggling Jaguars at their home stadium next week.
