The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered Ford Field with a 5–1 record. They left with a 24–9 defeat, and the player statistics explain why the gap became difficult to close.
Detroit controlled the ground game, while Tampa Bay struggled to turn its passing volume into points. The official NFL gamebook confirms the key figures from the October 20, 2025 matchup.
The Final Score Was Only Part of the Story
Detroit finished with 379 total yards compared with Tampa Bay’s 251. The Lions also held the ball for 31:39, compared with 28:21 for the Buccaneers.
The biggest difference came on the ground. Detroit produced 164 rushing yards on 32 attempts. Tampa Bay managed only 41 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
That imbalance shaped the game. Detroit averaged 5.1 yards per rushing attempt, while Tampa Bay averaged 3.4.
Baker Mayfield Faced a Heavy Workload
Baker Mayfield attempted 50 passes for Tampa Bay, completing 28 for 228 yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception and was sacked four times for 18 yards.
His passer rating was 66.1 according to the official gamebook. The numbers show a quarterback asked to throw frequently, but the Buccaneers could not consistently convert that production into scoring opportunities.
Mayfield’s only touchdown pass went to Tez Johnson, who caught four passes for 58 yards. The scoring reception covered 22 yards and came during Tampa Bay’s third-quarter comeback attempt.
Jared Goff Produced the More Efficient Passing Line
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff completed 20 of 29 passes for 241 yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception and was sacked four times.
His official passer rating was 91.3, considerably higher than Mayfield’s 66.1 in this particular game. Goff also connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for Detroit’s opening touchdown, a 27-yard reception.
The difference was not simply the number of passing yards. Goff attempted 21 fewer passes while still producing more passing yards than Mayfield.
Jahmyr Gibbs Became the Central Figure
The clearest individual statistical story belonged to Jahmyr Gibbs.
Gibbs carried the ball 17 times for 136 yards, averaging 8.0 yards per attempt. He scored two rushing touchdowns, including a 78-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that immediately changed the shape of the contest.
His performance accounted for most of Detroit’s rushing production. David Montgomery added 21 yards on 13 attempts, while Goff contributed seven rushing yards.
Gibbs also caught three passes for 82 yards. That gave him 218 yards from scrimmage, making his contribution one of the most significant statistical elements of the game.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Added Another Major Contribution
Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with six receptions for 86 yards on 10 targets. His longest catch went for 27 yards, and he scored Detroit’s first touchdown.
Gibbs and St. Brown therefore accounted for 168 receiving yards between them. The Lions did not need an unusually high number of completions to create explosive plays.
Cade Otton Led Tampa Bay’s Receivers
Cade Otton was Tampa Bay’s leading receiver by yardage and receptions. He caught seven passes for 65 yards from nine targets.
Emeka Egbuka added four receptions for 58 yards, while Tez Johnson also recorded four catches for 58 yards and scored the Buccaneers’ only touchdown.
Sterling Shepard caught seven passes, but his 25 receiving yards showed how much of Tampa Bay’s short-area passing production failed to translate into significant yardage.
Tampa Bay’s Running Game Was the Missing Piece
Rachaad White was the Buccaneers’ leading rusher, finishing with 38 yards on 10 carries.
Sean Tucker added four yards on one attempt, while Teddy Bridgewater lost one yard on his only rushing attempt. As a team, Tampa Bay produced just 41 rushing yards.
The lack of rushing production placed even more pressure on Mayfield. Detroit, meanwhile, could rely on Gibbs to generate large gains without needing Goff to throw on every possession.
The Defensive Numbers Tell Another Part of the Story
Tampa Bay recorded four sacks, with multiple defenders contributing to the pressure. Tykee Smith led the Buccaneers with 13 combined tackles, while SirVocea Dennis finished with 12.
Detroit also recorded four sacks. The Lions’ defense intercepted Mayfield once, with Amik Robertson credited with the interception. Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean intercepted Goff once.
Neither defense completely shut down the opposing quarterback. The bigger difference was what happened after those individual plays.
What the Match Player Stats Ultimately Reveal
The final statistics make the result easier to understand.
Detroit gained 379 total yards to Tampa Bay’s 251 and produced 164 rushing yards to the Buccaneers’ 41. Gibbs supplied 136 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Goff completed 20 of 29 passes for 241 yards.
Mayfield threw for 228 yards and one touchdown, but Tampa Bay scored only nine points. The Buccaneers also went 0-for-1 in the red zone, while Detroit scored a touchdown on one of its two red-zone opportunities.
There is no mystery in the official record about who produced the major statistical plays. Detroit’s rushing attack, led by Gibbs, created the game’s biggest gains, while the Lions converted that production into three touchdowns and a 24–9 victory.
Author Bio:
Headline Magazine Sports Desk covers NFL games, player performances and statistical analysis. The desk focuses on verified game data, official records and clear context rather than speculation.