Notes: No team is protecting their quarterback better than the Detroit Lions

Wednesday, we noted that Pro Football Focus graded the Detroit Lions offensive line as the sixth best in the entire NFL. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the success of the offense.

Over the past several years, Matthew Stafford has landed on the most-sacked quarterback list nearly every season. It always seems like he and Russell Wilson are doomed to spend way too much of their NFL careers on their backs. Unfortunately for Wilson, that remains true as the Seahawks’ horrible offensive line has allowed 18 sacks, the third most in the league.

But for Stafford, he is finally enjoying some time to throw the ball. Through five games, the Lions have allowed nine sacks, which is tied with a bunch of teams for seventh-fewest in the league. However, when you take into account how often Stafford drops back and make sacks a rate stat (sacks allowed per dropback), the Lions reign supreme in the league:

Poor Russell Wilson.

• ESPN’s Michael Rothstein has a neat story on how Ricky Jean Francois is already preparing for his post-football career by, among other business ventures, owning 30 Dunkin Donuts franchises. He even shared some donuts with the media earlier in the week.

• Here’s another tasty stat about how good Kerryon Johnson has been through five weeks. Hopefully it will help you get you through the bye week:

• Another POTENTIAL TRADES list, another analyst suggesting the Lions trade Golden Tate for a fourth-round pick.

• The Lions’ don’t look like a very good team when it comes to Football Outsiders’ advanced statistics. (For an explanation on DVOA, go here)

• Erik Schlitt of Lions Wire takes a closer look at those DVOA numbers, and offers some reasons for optimism out of the bye.

• It’s been too long since we’ve checked in with SandmanLions’ “Slowlights.” Let’s revisit the Lions’ win over the Packers, but in super slow-mo: