The Lions finally put it all together.
They crushed the Jaguars on both offense and defense to win 31-14 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.
Running back Mikel Leshoure had 16 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the first Lions player to rush for three touchdowns since James Stewart in 2000. He’s also the first Lions player to ever rush for three touchdowns in a first half.
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson, playing on a bad knee, also had an impressive performance with seven receptions for 129 yards.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was 23 of 33 for 285 yards and broke the 10,000 yards passing mark for his career, accomplishing the feat in just 37 games. The only player to reach the mark faster was Kurt Warner (Rams) who did it in 36 games.
The Lions (4-4) crushed the Jaguars (1-7) for much of the game, gaining 434 yards and allowing just 279. They also finished eight of 12 on third downs.
The Jaguars didn’t score until the 8:40 mark in the fourth quarter, but after a five-yard touchdown pass to Michael Spurlock, they added a 2-point conversion on a pass to running back Rashad Jennings.
But the Lions answered that score on their next drive with a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Joique Bell, who had 13 carries for 73 yards and three catches for 36 yards.
The Jaguars added a touchdown with the game out of reach on a six-yard pass to rookie receiver Justin Blackmon, but the 2-point conversion failed.
Safety Erik Coleman and rookie cornerback Jonte Green both caught interceptions in the win. Green’s was the first of his career.
The Lions jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead, their first halftime advantage of the season. They out-gained the Jaguars 285-57 in the first half and converted 7 of 9 third downs in the half. Until Jacksonville’s final drive of the first half, they converted just one first down.
The Lions improved to .500 and won back-to-back games for the first time this season. However, they may not make up any ground in a crowded NFC North as the Bears and Packers were on their way to victories.