DETROIT — Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones had a historic day Sunday in a 42-30 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, catching four touchdown passes and joining an elite group of receivers who have had multiple four-touchdown games in their careers.
But afterward he was in no mood to reflect, in part because the Lions had just lost.
“Not right now. I still don’t even think about the one I had way back when,” Jones said. “I’ll think about that, you know, when I’m old.”
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only other receivers in NFL history with multiple games with four receiving touchdowns are Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe and Bob Shaw.
Jones had three of his four touchdowns in the first half Sunday against Minnesota — his longest touchdown catch being a 16-yarder in which he spun out of a Trae Waynes tackle and then split defenders to get into the end zone.
He then scored on receptions of 3, 10 and 2 yards, part of the reason why he became the first player in NFL history to have four touchdown catches and less than 100 yards receiving in the game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Jones finished with 10 catches for 93 yards, with his longest reception being 24 yards. Jones has been a consistent receiver for most of the past three years with the Lions after joining the team in 2015 and having an up-and-down first season in Detroit.
“He’s been great,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Marv’s a true pro. Comes to work every single day, runs, does everything we ask him, shows up on game day, makes plays. Great guy in the locker room, everybody loves him. I’m just happy he’s a Detroit Lion, my teammate.”
Jones’ four receiving touchdowns tied a franchise record last achieved by Cloyce Box on Dec. 3, 1950.
“It was cool,” Jones said. “… We want to win, you know. The personal accomplishments, they come. They come when you play this game and you’ve been in the game as long as I’ve been. But at the same time, we’re in it to win.
“That’s just something for me to put a football up and when I’m old say, ‘Hey, look at that.'”
Jones’ other four-touchdown game came with Cincinnati on Oct. 27, 2013, in a 49-9 win over the New York Jets in which he had eight catches for 122 yards.