Detroit Lions: 10 Offensive Records the Lions Could Break

Records are made to be broken, or so the saying goes.

The Detroit Lions should become familiar with that moniker, because they are a team capable of shattering records.

This season there are at least 10 records the Lions can set their collective sights on.

This is not just the adrenaline of a 4-0 start rushing to my head; Detroit has offensive capabilities that other teams can only dream of.

Calvin Johnson can be described as a human cheat code with the capacity to become one of the greatest receivers of all time. The more difficult part of this list leans heavily on him because of his ability and current level of production.

Keep in mind this does not mean I believe the Lions will break all of these records, but rather that they have the ability to do so.

The list includes both NFL records and Detroit Lions team records, which are separated accordingly.

Team Record: Highest Gross Punting Average in a Season

The Lions' rookie, Ryan Donahue, has already proven himself an adequate replacement for longtime punter Nick Harris.

Donahue has a gross average of 45 yards on 23 punts this season.

The team's all-time record is an average of 48.44 yards set by Yale Leary in 1961.

If Donahue can marginally improve over the course of the season, then he can compete for Leary's record.

Team Record: Most Field Goals in a Season

When you play for a team for 20 seasons like Jason Hanson you are bound to hold some records, especially if you are a kicker.

That holds true when it comes to the Lions' mark for most field goals made in a season. In 1993, Hanson hit 34 field goals on 43 attempts.

This season, he is on pace to pass that record by a slim margin.

Hanson currently has 10 field goals through four games. If he can hit 24 more over the next 12 games, then he will pass his own record.

Regardless, if he beats the record or not he will retain the top three spots in the Lions' record book.

Team Record: Highest Field Goal Percentage in a Season

Jason Hanson is a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals to begin the 2011 campaign.

It is hard to say if he can stay at 100 percent for an entire season, but if he does it will tie the NFL record set by four kickers.

Allowing for a slight margin of error, if Hanson can stay above 95.65 percent it will break the record he set back in 2003; in that season Hanson made 22 of 23 kicks.

Team Record: Most Passing Yards in a Single Season

In 1995, the Detroit Lions went 10-6 and quarterback Scott Mitchell threw for 4,338 yards.

In 2011, Matthew Stafford has the chance to surpass that record.

Stafford has already thrown for 1,217 yards through four games. That means he will have to throw for 3,121 yards in the next 12 games.

This obviously hinges on Stafford playing the first complete 16-game schedule of his young NFL career, but averaging 260 yards a game for the rest of the season seems like a reasonable expectation.

Team Record: Most Touchdown Passes in a Season

The Lions have had a long and tumultuous history at the quarterback position. Whether you want to attribute this to bad luck or lack of skill is up to you.

What is unquestionable is the fact that it leaves the door open for Matthew Stafford to break many team records.

Remember the aforementioned 1995 season of Scott Mitchell? While he threw for an impressive 4,338 yards, Mitchell also threw for a team-record 32 touchdown passes.

That amount is a far cry from the league-record 50 touchdowns Tom Brady of the New England Patriots threw in 2007, but it does present Stafford with a record he could somewhat easily pass.

Stafford has 11 touchdowns already this season. In order to set the team record he will need to average 1.75 touchdowns in the next 12 games.

This is the kind of record that can be broken with relative ease when Mitchell is the benchmark.

Team Record: Most Pass Completions in a Season

The Matthew Stafford train continues with the team pass completions record.

In 2006, Jon Kitna completed 372 passes for the Honolulu blue. He threw 596 passes that year for a 62.4 completion percentage.

Stafford has 100 completions this season. He will need to average 22 completions a game for the rest of the season to reach this record. Twenty-two completions is not easy, but it is an attainable mark.

On a side note, Detroit fans would be more than happy to erase Kitna from the record books.

NFL Record: Highest Passer Rating in a Season

This record is a relative long-shot for Stafford, but that is largely because it is an NFL record and not just a team record.

In 2004, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts posted a 121.1 passer rating for the season.

This season, Stafford has a 100.4 rating through four games.

His Week 1 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earned him a 118.9 passer rating. He will need to consistently play slightly above that level to legitimately contend with Manning.

Stafford has so many talented players around him that he could potentially compete for this record. Keep in mind that he has Calvin Johnson to throw to every week.

NFL Record: Most Field Goals of 50 or More Yards in a Season

Jason Hanson is capable of breaking the NFL record for most field goals of 50 or more yards in a season.

This is an absolute certainty for one reason: The record is already his (along with Morten Andersen).

In 2008, Hanson hit eight such kicks. He may have had ample opportunity since the Lions were so inadequate on offense, but this year Hanson can surpass that feat and do it on a good team, no less.

The Lions' all-time points leader already has three kicks of 50 yards and beyond through four games. If he can convert six more 50-yard attempts through the next 12 games then the record is his—again.

NFL Record: Most Touchdown Receptions in a Single Season

Calvin Johnson's plethora of touchdowns through four weeks have been well documented and reviewed.

The question is, can he sustain this type of performance, and can he subsequently break records in the process?

Randy Moss set the bar for most touchdown receptions in a season with 23 in 2007.

Johnson has eight through just four games. He will have to grab 16 touchdowns in the next 12 games to pass Moss' mark.

This is no easy task, but it is a record that, for the moment, appears within reach.

NFL Record: Most Consecutive Games with a Touchdown Reception

In the 1986-1987 season, Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers had 13 consecutive games with a touchdown reception.

If Calvin Johnson cuts his production in half, he can clear this mark.

Obviously Johnson will not catch two touchdowns every game, but it is not crazy to think he can catch at least one in 13 straight games.