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Detroit Lions Podcast: Can the team bounce back and hold on?

This week’s episode breaks down a bad game for a lot of Lions, previews the Bears matchup and stops moving the goalposts on the Lions’ rebuild

It took a couple of weeks, but the Detroit Lions Podcast is back with the latest live show. This week’s episode dissects the ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers, looks at the Lions’ chances to still make the postseason and shares perspective on why one loss shouldn’t ruin what has been an otherwise very promising last few weeks.

We break down the idea of a good team having a bad game versus being a bad team. How the Lions can respond to a poor outing from several key players as well as both coordinators will be a good indication of where Detroit is at in the franchise overhaul process.

There is also a look at the path to the postseason. What needs to happen for the Lions to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016? We preview Sunday’s matchup with the Chicago Bears and also take a look at where the first-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams is at and where it could lead.

The audio-only version is available here or from your favorite podcast provider.

Four predictions for Lions-Panthers

Four predictions for Lions-Panthers from Max Gerber for Week 16

At the start of the 2022 season, nobody would have thought that the Detroit Lions would be 7-7 and in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Yet, here we are.

In this spirit of the improbable seeming possible, here are four bold predictions for the Detroit Lions as they set up to face the Carolina Panthers.

Three keys to a Detroit Lions victory over the Carolina Panthers

Our Max Gerber breaks down the keys for a Lions victory in Charlotte in Week 16

The Detroit Lions have been on a hot streak lately, winning six of their last seven games. Now they’re set to face the much improved Carolina Panthers on Christmas Eve.

The Panthers are starting to come into their own over the past few weeks, and while they’re still one of the worst performing offenses in the league, nobody can ignore the progress they’ve made recently.

So with a tough-fought game on the horizon, here are three things the Lions will have to do to secure a win against Carolina:

1: Shut down the run game

The numbers don’t lie: in every game that the Panthers have won this season, they have relied heavily on their stable of running backs to carry their offense. All five of their victories this year were achieved with 145 or more yards on the ground.

While one of those wins was when they still had Christian McCaffrey, their other four wins came from the successful utilizations of running backs D’Onta Foreman, Chuba Hubbard, and Raheem Blackshear along with wide receiver Laviska Shenault.

The Lions have been very successful this season in forcing teams to abandon their run games completely. In all seven of their wins, no opposing running back had more than 57 yards on the ground. Even in their losses, only two running backs ran for over 100 yards against Detroit.

Every key run defender for Detroit is healthy and ready to go for Saturday’s game. Having Alim McNeill and Isaiah Buggs’ collective 620 pounds on the interior defensive line will force outside runs to players like Aidan Hutchinson and Malcolm Rodriguez, who have been instrumental in shutting down running backs all year.

2: Attack the middle of the field

Carolina’s secondary has struggled against passes to slot receivers all season. Luckily, Detroit has one of the best slot players in the league with Amon-Ra St. Brown.

St. Brown has been the best offensive weapon for Jared Goff over the past two years and should continue his success on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers are allowing an average of 51 yards receiving from the slot per game, but that average is very misleading. Their successes in defending the middle of the field vary heavily from game to game. If Detroit can consistently attack with St. Brown, who is averaging 74.9 yards receiving per game, Carolina will be forced to defend the middle of the field while leaving deep threats like Jameson Williams and DJ Chark wide open.

3. Put the pressure on Darnold

Carolina quarterbacks have been sacked an average of three times per game over their nine losses. Across all 14 games played, there were only five times where they didn’t allow a multi-sack performance.

Detroit has one of the most aggressive and productive defensive lines in the league right now. Rookies Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston have a combined 12 sacks this season and Romeo Okwara is coming off a great two-sack performance.

Even role players such as John Cominsky and Benito Jones have made their presences known when rushing the passer, meaning Carolina’s offensive line has their work cut out for them.

If Detroit wants to win this game, they’ll have to send pressure consistently onto Sam Darnold and force him to panic or step out of the pocket. Either way, the Lions’ defenders have proved they’re capable of forcing turnovers in those kinds of situations.

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Lions vs. Jets: Last-minute thoughts and game prediction

Wishing a happy football Sunday to you all! If you’re like me and living in Michigan, stay warm.

Hopefully the Lions can provide some heat and excitement for the fans today. It’s an outdoor game in New York against a good Jets team, perhaps the biggest challenge of the four games left on the schedule.

New York is 7-6 and is there largely because of a stiff, smartly coordinated defense. The Jets allow just 4.8 yards per play, a figure that ties them with the 49ers for second in the league (the Eagles are the best). Their defensive front is very good even with Quinnen Williams hobbled (he’s questionable).

This is a game where the Lions offensive line will be challenged. Detroit is back at full strength with right guard Evan Brown (hopefully) back at full strength. New York wins defensively by creating pressure without blitzing and by stopping the run without devoting extra help in the box. If the Lions are going to find success on offense, it’ll be because left tackle Taylor Decker–who hasn’t allowed a pressure or committed a penalty in three of his last four games–and the line did more than just hold up against John Franklin-Myers and the Jets impressive front.

Key matchup: Red zone

The Lions have been cruising in the red zone on both sides of the ball recently. The offense has been very effective at converting red zone possessions into touchdowns. The defense has gone from the worst in the league over the first seven games to 16th in the last six in the same category.

That will need to carry over into today’s game. The Lions defense cannot give up touchdowns to Zach Wilson when he guides the Jets into the red zone. On the flip side, Jared Goff has to stay sharp and hit those red zone shots to Brock Wright, Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift. Touchdowns over field goals.

New York’s own red zone defense is pretty good for the season, but they’ve been lousy lately; the last five opposing incursions into the Jets red zone have resulted in touchdowns. Opponents not named the Bears or Patriots have scored TDs on 14 of their last 16 red zone trips. No team is better at converting red zone possessions into touchdowns than these Lions.

Weather

This game is outdoors and that’s a variable that doesn’t help the Lions. The weather doesn’t seem bad. Gametime forecasts indicate the temp should be in the high 30s but mostly sunny and with mild (5-10 mph) winds.

Those sorts of conditions shouldn’t impact Jared Goff too much. His accuracy on intermediate routes has been great recently and this level of wind and cold doesn’t seem to be an issue. The deep throws, where Goff isn’t very accurate to begin with, might be more problematic. It would help if the Lions can get the ground game going; neither Jamaal Williams nor D’Andre Swift played well last week. They’ll need to be better at following the block and maybe breaking a tackle or two to keep Goff from having to throw deeper routes to move the ball.

Zach Wilson

The Jets young quarterback is the ultimate X-factor in this game. Benched after consistent poor play, Wilson now gets a shot at redeeming himself in front of a skeptical home fan base and with teammates who openly cheered his benching.

The Lions have to be careful here. Wilson does have athletic talent, and he’s got better receivers than Lions fans might want to acknowledge. Garrett Wilson is a budding star and should be a front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year, while TE Tyler Conklin is a reliable weapon over the middle. Rookie Bam Knight is the kind of runner who can give the Lions problems, a guy who attacks north/south and has good balance through contact.

Wilson could very well have a career day, taking full advantage of what might be his last chance to save himself in New York despite this being just his second season. But the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft has repeatedly proven he just doesn’t make good decisions and cannot reliably string together good plays. The key for the Lions is to weather the outbursts where Wilson reminds you that he’s got talent and take advantage when he reminds you why he wasn’t even the No. 2 behind Mike White when coach Robert Saleh popularly pulled the plug on him.

Prediction

I’ll be straight here–I like the matchup for Detroit. As long as the run game can be a net neutral, and the Lions defense can make that happen, I like the Lions a lot.

Detroit has the better quarterback. They have the better weapons. They have a decided advantage in the red zone. They even have the better kicker in Michael Badgley, should it come to that. New York has a very good young defense that will be a very real challenge, but I think Goff and the Lions offense rises to the challenge.

Lions 23, Jets 20

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Lions DC Aaron Glenn wants his defense to focus on tackling vs. the Jets

The Jets have one of the NFL’s best tackle-breakers in WR Garrett Wilson and a quick-hitting pass game that will test the Lions tackling

The Detroit Lions defense has been playing a lot better recently for a number of reasons. One of those has been the more reliable tackling, especially in the passing game.

Coordinator Aaron Glenn’s unit has done a fine job of not allowing loads of yards after catches (YAC), quickly tackling receivers after the catch. That’s a major focus for Glenn as he readies his Lions defense for the Week 15 matchup with the New York Jets.

“The one thing we’ve got to do a really, really good job of is tackling,” Glenn told reporters on Thursday. “They do a good job of breaking tackles, so population to the ball is something that we preach all the time. We’ve got to do a really good job of that.”

It is especially true with rookie wideout Garrett Wilson, who has played very well for the Jets. Wilson is second in the NFL in forced missed tackles by a wide receiver with 18 on the season. Only Deebo Samuel has more.

“Wilson’s the real deal. He’s a really good player,” Glenn said of the No. 10 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft. “The Jets did a good job of identifying that player, and I think on a number of levels, I would say that he’s a good player because he breaks tackles like one of the better receivers I’ve seen this year as far as breaking tackles. He’s tough, he’s taking some hits now, and he’ll get back up.”

Wilson isn’t the only YAC threat on the Jets offense. TE Tyler Conklin is one of the better runners after the catch at his position, and RBs Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight are capable as well. Quarterback Mike White thrives at quickly distributing the ball to his receivers and letting them do the work.

That means tackling is imperative. Fortunately, the Lions have been one of the best-tackling teams in the league over the last six weeks. Detroit has clawed up to No. 11 in Pro Football Focus tackling grades as a team and has notched four of its top five scores in the last five weeks.

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Last-minute thoughts and prediction for Lions vs. Jaguars

Last-minute thoughts and prediction for the Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13

For a game pitting two teams with 4-7 records against one another, there’s a surprising amount of intrigue and importance in Sunday’s matchup between the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Lions adding rookie wideout Jameson Williams into the mix only builds the excitement.

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As kickoff rapidly approaches, here are a few last-minute thoughts on the game and a final prediction.

I think

–The debut of Jameson Williams provides a major spark for the offense. That spark might not ignite the stat sheet for Williams himself, however. I expect “Jamo” to play 18-20 snaps and get a handful of targets. This is much more about building chemistry with QB Jared Goff and learning how much Williams’ world-class speed impacts the opposing coverage. Don’t be underwhelmed when Williams “only” catches three passes for 41 yards.

–This is quietly a big week for LT Taylor Decker. He’s primarily facing Josh Allen, one of the better and toolsier pass rushers the veteran will see all season. Decker hasn’t quite been as great in 2022 as he was the last couple of seasons. He needs to be big today, because RT Penei Sewell has his hands full on the other side with No. 1 overall pick, Travon Walker.

–The recent run of opponents the Lions have faced nicely prepares them for the Jacksonville offense. Trevor Lawrence is not a huge running threat like Justin Fields, Daniel Jones or Josh Allen, but he can tuck and run. Lawrence can also operate effectively outside the pocket and beyond the original structure, and he’s getting better at it by the week. The containment rush principles should serve the Lions well on Sunday.

–The Jaguars have earned their NFL-worst PFF tackling grade this season (the Lions are 12th) and it’s the kind of game where Jamaal Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown can do a ton of damage with the ball in their hands. This is a game where Jared Goff’s leaning on YAC (yards after catch) should be very beneficial.

I know

–The turnover battle will be critical. Both teams have surged in the win column lately because Detroit and Jacksonville have each been much better there lately; Detroit is plus-5 while the Jaguars are plus-3 in their last four games. The better team here gains a massive advantage.

–Doug Pederson is a very good, savvy in-game head coach for the Jaguars. He’ll test Dan Campbell’s clock management and decision-making, two areas where Campbell has shown improvement lately but also room for considerably more of it.

I predict

This is the healthiest Lions team anyone could reasonably expect at this point in the season. The good health and the emotional lift from the return of DE Romeo Okwara and the debut of Jameson Williams should be huge for the sidelines and the locker room. Other than the Jaguars using the slot WR heavily, the Lions match up nicely in the Xs and Os against the visitors from Duval.

Lions 33, Jaguars 28

4 Lions who must have good games vs. the Jaguars for the Lions to win in Week 13

Four Detroit Lions who need to win their matchups and have good games for the team to beat back the Jaguars.

A pair of 4-7 teams get together in Ford Field in Week 13 when the Detroit Lions host the Jacksonville Jaguars. Detroit aims to get back in to the win column after a heartbreaking home loss to the Bills on Thanksgiving. The Jaguars hope to keep riding the lightning that led them to a shocking upset over the Ravens in Week 12.

4 Lions who must have great games vs. the Bills

If the Lions are to pick up their fourth win in five games, they’ll need some strong performances from a few key players. Here are some Lions who need to win their matchups and have good games for the team to beat back the Jaguars.

Last-minute thoughts and prediction for the Lions vs. Bills

Happy Thanksgiving!

For the first and only time all season, the Detroit Lions draw a national television audience for the traditional turkey day kickoff. Hosting the Buffalo Bills, the NFL’s top team in point differential, is no easy task for Dan Campbell’s Lions.

Here are a few of the things running through my head a couple of hours before the game.

I think

–The injuries to the interior offensive line are a very bad development for the Lions. Hank Fraley is a great developer of young OL talent, but he’s got his work cut out for him on a short week with no actual practices.

–Amon-Ra St. Brown should be in for a big game. Having DJ Chark to stretch the field and occupy the (very good) Bills safeties should open up room for St. Brown to catch nine passes for 96 yards.

–We could see a D’Andre Swift revitalization against Buffalo. Swift finished the Giants game on a positive note and he’s got a shot at poking his head a lot farther out of RB coach Duce Staley’s doghouse with a good performance against Buffalo.

–It’s going to be a rough game for the Lions safeties, Kerby Joseph and DeShon Elliott. They’ve both been playing well; Joseph is quickly proving to be an impact talent in the passing game. But the Bills offense with Josh Allen as a running threat and the vertical receiving options in Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and even TE Dawson Knox are a different type of threat than the Lions have seen. It doesn’t mean they’re bad players; it means it’s a very difficult task.

–The Lions special teams will need to make a big play or two to help tip the scales. Coordinator Dave Fipp’s units have been pretty sharp lately, but Detroit cannot afford a shank punt like last week’s from Jack Fox or an off-target snap from long snapper Scott Daly.

–Aidan Hutchinson will have another strong game where he makes a couple of impactful plays. And the national audience will love it.

–Jared Goff will need to have his best game of the season for the Lions to win. Doing that with two new guards against a very talented Bills defense is asking a lot.

I know

–Campbell’s team will not be intimidated or in awe of the Bills. And that gives them a chance even as 9.5-point underdogs.

–Ford Field will be rocking and that’s going to make an impact on the game, at least early on.

I predict

–The Lions fight hard early on but ultimately succumb to a more talented, experienced, well-coached Bills team. Buffalo just has too many paths to victory and isn’t picky about how they do it. This is the best team the Lions will see for the rest of the season and the Bills will prove it.

Buffalo 30, Detroit 16

Watch: Detroit Lions Podcast breaks down the 3-game win streak and previews the Bills

It’s been a while since the Detroit Lions have won three games in a row. The Detroit Lions Podcast celebrates the victories and looks ahead to see if Dan Campbell’s team can make it a rare fourth win in a row.

The Lions’ knives are sharp with the wins. We break down how the team is coming up with the wins, with an emphasis on the young defensive players making huge contributions.

Could the Lions really make the playoffs? We discuss the schedule, the path to the current 4-6 record and how the team has an opportunity to rack up more wins. But will it be enough?

We also take a look at the Thanksgiving matchup with the Buffalo Bills and where the Lions might have any advantages against the team with the NFL’s best point differential.

4 Lions who must have great games vs. the Bills

If the Detroit Lions are to pull off the upset over the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, these four Lions need to have great games

The Detroit Lions are gunning for their fourth win in a row when they host the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving.

It’s not going to be easy. The 7-3 Bills are one of the top teams in the AFC with an MVP candidate in Josh Allen at quarterback and the NFL’s top point differential (plus-104) after Week 11. Buffalo is favored by 9.5 points as of Tuesday evening.

For the Lions to pull off the upset, it will take some good fortune and great play from some key sources. Here are four Lions who need to have great Thanksgiving games for Detroit to win.