TURNOVERS FORCED:A It can be a fluky stat in some ways, based more on offensive sloppiness than sound defense, but the successful teams still find ways to force opponents into pressurized situations that create splash plays to break out of a stalemate. The Lions' 10 interceptions and four fumble recoveries ranked 30th overall. Each of the eight divisional qualifiers recorded at least three more turnovers than the Lions did, and Detroit didn't have a single one in a final five-game stretch in which it went 0-4 against other playoff teams.
DEFENSIVE EFFICIENCY:
THIRD AND MEDIUM: It's boilerplate to say that teams have to be strong on third down to be successful. The Lions were actually incredibly successful on third-and-long on both offense and defense respective to their competition, ranking in the top 10 in both, but short and medium plays are where they suffered. The Lions finished 30th in third and medium on offense while all eight playoff teams were 14th or better. They were dead-last in that category on defense, while the next-worst playoff team was Atlanta at 25th.
ALL-PRO SELECTIONS: Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections are more individual recognitions than team statistics, but the teams that advanced this year all were loaded in them. The eight remaining teams all have at least two All-Pro selections, and seven of them have at least three. The Lions, meanwhile, had no players make either the two All-Pro teams or the NFC's initial Pro Bowl roster.
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