Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson set some records on Sunday vs. the Seahawks

A bright spot in a bad loss for the Detroit Lions, T.J. Hockenson stepped up big on Sunday and set some records along the way.

Heading into Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, with the Detroit Lions down their best skill position players, plenty of space was devoted to the opportunity in front of tight end T.J. Hockenson. If he couldn’t step up, it wasn’t a stretch to say his 2022 season would be officially off-course.

Step up, Hockenson did. He had eight receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks, with an 81-yard catch-and-run as the highlight. He also caught a two-point conversion pass from Jared Goff.

The yardage was a career-high for Hockenson, and his first 100-yard game since his NFL debut in 2019. He had multiple touchdowns for the first time in his career too.

T.J. Hockenson set Lions and NFL records in banner day

Hockenson’s 179 yards set a new Lions’ franchise record for a tight, surpassing Jim Gibbons’ 161 yards from 1964.

Hockenson also became the first tight end in NFL history with 150 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the same game. He of course would go on to set that bar a few notches higher, with at least 175 yards with two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in a game. Only two other players have ever done the latter: Roddy White in 2010 and Isaac Bruce in 1995.

Via Kyle Meinke of MLive, Hockenson talked about the onus placed on him to step up with Amon-Ra St. Brown, D’Andre Swift and DJ Chark out.

"Going into the week, I knew it was going to be a fun one,” Hockenson said. “… We knew somebody was going to have to put the team on (his shoulders), and make sure the ball was moving. So that was kind of my goal just coming into this game, keep the ball moving, make plays when they’re called. I was able to do that for sure.”"

Hockenson is trying to prove he’s worthy of a contract extension in line with what the market says based solely on his current resume. He obviously won’t be setting franchise and league records every week, but Week 4 felt like a turning point after a disappointing start to the season.