The Detroit Lions play the Denver Broncos at Ford Field in primetime tonight with the goal of returning to their winning ways. The Lions haven’t dropped two straight games this season, and a victory tonight, along with defeats by Seattle and Green Bay, Minnesota, or Los Angeles this next weekend, would guarantee the team’s first postseason trip since 2016.
But first and foremost, the Lions need to win their home game against the Broncos, who have won six of their previous seven games. Five things to be aware of in tonight’s game are as follows:
1. EARTH AND POCKET
With an average of 137.5 yards per game on the ground, Detroit’s offense is third in the NFL going into the game and fifth in terms of running. They will probably open a game with their best five offensive lineman available—Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow, and Penei Sewell—for only the fourth time this season. When Detroit establishes the run and gets their play-action passing game going, they are at their most effective offensively.
Despite beginning the season with a 1–5 record, Denver has improved their defense over the previous seven games, but they still allow a lot of yards per carry. At 144.0 yards per game, they have the poorest running defense in the league.
2. PERSONAL PROTECTION
The Broncos have allowed 16.0 points per game since Week 6, which is second in the NFL at that period. Their capacity to produce takeout has been a major contributing factor in that. Denver is the NFL leader in takeaways with 24, and they also have the fewest fumbles in the league with 13. Denver’s defense caused at least three giveaways in four consecutive games from Weeks 8–12.
The Lions are 20th in the league with 20 giveaways this season. Detroit turned the ball over seven times in their two previous games at Ford Field, a defeat to Green Bay and a victory over Chicago. Against the Broncos tonight, Detroit cannot afford to be sloppy with the football and still win.
3. TWO-THREAT
This season, Detroit’s defense has had difficulty against dual-threat quarterbacks at times. The only quarterback in league history to throw for 40,000 yards and sprint for 5,000 is Russell Wilson of Denver. This season, he has a passer rating of 98.3, 26 touchdown passes, 315 running yards, and a few touchdowns. Wilson is excellent at stretching plays to throw or run and is highly cunning in the pocket.
This season, Detroit has lost all four of its games against quarterbacks who could prolong plays, move out of the pocket, and create plays with their legs: Geno Smith, Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, and Jordan Love.
4. HOME COOKING
Jared Goff, the quarterback for the Lions, is coming off a performance last week in Chicago when he had his lowest passer rating (54.6) and passing yards of the season (161).
Detroit’s 13 points scored were the second fewest of the season after they were shut out in the second half against the Bears.
Goff has to resume playing mostly error-free football. When he’s done that, the Lions offense and the squad as a whole have been set up for success.
At Ford Field, Goff has completed 19 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. Since 2011, his home game passer rating of 103.4 ranks seventh in the NFL. With only Dak Prescott (55), Josh Allen (54), and Patrick Mahomes (49), he has the fourth-most touchdown throws at home with 48.
5. LARGE PLAYS
Throughout the season, Detroit’s defense has done a decent job of limiting big plays and points scored outside of the red zone; but, in the last four games, they have given up seven pass plays of thirty yards or more, two of which have resulted in touchdowns.
Over the last ten years, Wilson has become as one of the NFL’s top deep-ball quarterbacks. He also boasts some explosive receivers in Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Marvin Mims Jr. For the last five games, Sutton has at least one 30-yard catch. Over the last two weeks, he has made touchdown receptions of 46 and 45 yards. Kerby Joseph, a safety for the Lions, said this week that he expects the Broncos to attempt several shots and that he would be prepared for them.