ALLEN PARK, Mich. — With Calvin Johnson severely limited by an ankle injury, wide receiver Golden Tate stepped up for the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Tate made several key plays in Detroit’s 24-17 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford repeatedly looked for Tate, who showed why he was the Lions’ top free agent target in the offseason, making eight catches for 116 yards.

The reception total tied a career high, and the yardage was 13 shy of his best mark.

Stafford led the Lions with good decision-making, finishing 24-for-34 for 293 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a 1-yard score, capping a 14-play, 90-yard drive that gave Detroit a 24-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Lions forced two turnovers and didn’t give the ball away. They also had only five penalties, avoiding the costly errors that plagued them in recent past.

Johnson said Tate’s performance was so impressive that he and Stafford discussed it after the game. Five of Tate’s catches were for more than 10 yards, and two converted third downs.

“There are guys that just have a knack for being able to get open, utilizing the spacing on the field, whether it’s man or zone and finding the soft spots in zone, being able to break away and run away from you in man-to-man,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “And he’s a power runner. For a guy his size, he’s deceptive, and obviously he has all the competitiveness that you love. But he’s a difference-maker for us.”

The Lions gave Tate to a five-year, $31 million deal in March.

“When I signed here, it was no secret that Calvin was the best player in the league right now, the best receiver,” Tate said. “But I wanted to push him, and today was a day where I needed to be the No. 1.

“I needed to step up and do what Calvin does, and it’s not a bad thing to win games in different ways.”