Tag: Detroit Lions vs. Denver Broncos

Lions vs. Broncos: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction

Lions vs. Broncos: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction for the Week 15 matchup in Ford Field

This week’s Detroit Lions game accelerates the timeline. A Saturday night game against the Denver Broncos means today’s morning pot of coffee gets nursed a lot longer. It’s a short sip kind of day in getting ready for the Week 15 prime-time matchup — one that could clinch a postseason berth for the Lions.

Here’s what is going through my mind about the game as we gear up for the final Lions home game before the calendar flips to the new year.

Why I think the Lions will win

  • I sense a return to an offensive game script and plan that better plays to the Lions’ strengths. Namely, running the ball and Jared Goff operating more play-action passes with better route spacing concepts. The Lions offense, and coordinator Ben Johnson, have veered away from those fundamentals lately and it’s not working. Johnson, Goff and Dan Campbell are too good, too smart, to keep failing by emphasizing things they don’t do so well. A healthy (fingers crossed!) offensive line will help, too.
  • It’s a great matchup for the Lions to get back to those offensive basics. The Broncos have the league’s worst run defense in yards per carry and also yards per carry on 1st downs. The combination of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery is a very real problem for Denver’s defense. So too is Lions rookie Sam LaPorta at tight end.So too is Lions rookie Sam LaPorta at tight end.
  • The Broncos are stylistically similar to the Bears, the Lions’ last opponent. It won’t take a radical crash course for Campbell and his coordinators to shift game plans on a short week. Meanwhile, Denver travels to Detroit having played the Chargers in a late-afternoon game last Sunday. L.A. runs a very different style of defense and also offers a contrasting passing game style and type of receiver than what the Broncos will see in Detroit.

What worries me about the Broncos

  • The matchup of the Lions secondary against Russell Wilson and the Denver passing game. The Lions CBs have played poorly in outside coverage for a few weeks now, and the safety play in the downfield passing game has been even worse. Wilson’s passing largely emphasizes either short throws or long throws. He averages less air yards per attempt than Goff and isn’t as accurate throwing down the field as his Lions counterpart, but Wilson’s willingness to let it fly and try for the big play is an issue. They’re a big-play team more than a long-drive, wear-you-down kind of offense. These Lions have had problems with offenses like that (Seattle, Baltimore, Green Bay).
  • Denver’s defense blitzes over 31 percent of the time, seventh-most in the league. And they’re not particularly good at it; their QB pressure rate of 5.2 percent (from Pro Football Reference) is 29th. By contrast, Detroit’s defense ranks 3rd in QB pressure percentage. However, Goff has really struggled with decision-making and ball security when pressured lately. Since the bye in Week 9, Goff has the league’s worst QBR when under pressure. Factor in Denver’s ability to create takeaways (12 in their last five games) and this could be a real issue.
  • I always worry about a kohai challenging a senpai, and that’s what Campbell is facing by coaching against his mentor, Sean Payton. It’s an abstract state of discomfort for me that could very well be nothing. But it might be something, something that could impact even a good coach like Campbell.

Final score prediction

I’m leaning on the Lions getting back to what was working so well earlier in the season. Those things all should translate very effectively against a tough but vulnerable Broncos team. If the coverage remains broken and the Jared Goff/Ben Johnson combination has another bad day, it’s likely to be ugly for the home team. I think the Lions remember who they are in this one and come away with a much-needed win. Lions 31, Broncos 20.

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Denver with Broncos Wire

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Denver with Broncos Wire editor Jon Heath

The national spotlight will shine upon Ford Field on Saturday night when the Detroit Lions host the Denver Broncos in a prime-time Week 15 matchup. The 9-4 Lions have a chance to clinch a playoff berth with a win, but the 7-6 Broncos won’t be an easy opponent.

Denver has rocketed up from a 1-5 start in their first season under head coach Sean Payton. In order to get more info on how the Broncos have arrived at their record in an interesting season, I exchanged questions and answers with my colleague, Jon Heath of Broncos Wire.

Heath offered up some info and perspective on the Broncos, as well as a final score prediction.

How to buy Detroit Lions vs. Denver Broncos NFL Week 15 tickets

Want to watch the Lions vs. Broncos in person? Tickets still remain for this Week 15 battle between playoff contenders.

The Detroit Lions fell to a second-consecutive NFC-North rival, losing 28-13 to the Chicago Bears in Week 14.

Next up, the Lions host the Denver Broncos on Saturday, Dec. 16 at 8:15 p.m. EST, as Detroit looks to rebound and move one step closer to a division title.

Want to watch the Lions in person this weekend? Check out Seat Geek to find the perfect Detroit Lions tickets for you and anybody else you want sitting beside you as Detroit looks to get a big win

As of this publication, the cheapest available Lions vs. Broncos tickets were priced at $152.

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Lions reveal uniform combination for Week 15 game vs. Broncos

The Lions revealed they will wear a popular uniform combination against the Broncos in Week 15

In their last home game before Christmas, the Detroit Lions are making it a blue one in Ford Field. The Lions will wear their all-blue uniforms on Saturday when they host the Denver Broncos.

The Lions will rock the Honolulu blue jerseys with silver numbers and shoulder trim along with the blue pants that feature three silver stripes, with blue socks. It’s been a winning combination for the Lions in 2023.

Dan Campbell’s Lions are 3-0 this season in that uniform combination, with wins over Atlanta (Week 3), Carolina (Week 5) and Chicago (Week 11). They’ve won five in a row in the all-blues dating back to last season, per Gridiron Uniform Database.

Sam LaPorta poised for a big bounce-back game against the Broncos

Lions TE Sam LaPorta is poised for a big bounce-back game against the Broncos

Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta is probably happy the Chicago Bears aren’t on Detroit’s schedule anymore in 2023. LaPorta is likely just as happy to see the Denver Broncos coming to Ford Field in Week 15.

In a record-setting rookie campaign for a tight end, LaPorta had his two worst games in Detroit’s matchups with the Bears. Week 14 saw LaPorta catch just two passes for 23 yards, while in the first meeting back in Week 11, he snagged three catches for 18 yards. Those combined games against Chicago total less than what his season average is for one game:

Sam LaPorta Catches Yards
Overall avg. 5.1 66
Vs. Bears (2 game total) 5 41

LaPorta has a much more favorable matchup against the Broncos in Ford Field this Saturday. Denver ranks near the bottom in every defensive metric against opposing tight ends. Some of the grisly details of Denver’s defense when facing tight ends as targets (courtesy SIS):

  • Catch rate allowed: 75.5 percent (7th-worst)
  • Yards per catch allowed: 11.3 (5th-worst)
  • Receptions allowed: 80 (3rd-worst)
  • Fantasy football points allowed: 204.4 (2nd-worst)

For the season, LaPorta ranks fourth amongst all tight ends in receptions (66) and receiving yards (702) and is tied for the league lead with six touchdowns. LaPorta also has made the most contested catches (11) and has the 7th-highest average target depth (7.6 yards). LaPorta is also third in the league at broken tackles (8) by a tight end.

It shapes up to be a very favorable matchup for LaPorta in Week 15. It might not match his sensational Week 13 game against New Orleans (9 receptions, 140 yards), but look for a lot more than his paltry games against Chicago.

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Lions final injury report for Week 15: No active players ruled out

Lions final injury report for Week 15: No active players ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Broncos

The Detroit Lions could be at full strength with the active 53-man roster for Saturday night’s game against the Denver Broncos. On Thursday’s final injury report, the Lions did not list a single player as either out or doubtful for the Week 15 game.

Four players are listed as questionable, a list that includes two starting offensive linemen. Left tackle Taylor Decker (back) and center Frank Ragnow (knee, back and toe) are questionable, as are wide receiver Josh Reynolds (back) and defensive tackle Benito Jones (neck).

Decker, Ragnow and Reynolds were all full participants in Thursday’s practice, a good sign for their game status against Denver. Reynolds was limited the final two days after not being listed on the injury report on Tuesday.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker (knee) will not be activated from the NFI list. He is listed as out; the Lions have until next Wednesday to activate the rookie QB, or else he will not be able to play in 2023.

Lions-Broncos broadcast won’t be available to most fans

The Lions-Broncos game is only on the NFL Network, which means FOX affiliates outside of Detroit cannot carry the game

Unless you live in the Detroit broadcast viewing area or subscribe to the NFL Network, Saturday night’s matchup between the Lions and Denver Broncos will not be available for you to watch.

The game is a national broadcast by the NFL Network and is not shared with local markets except the home city of the teams. The game is not airing on any over-the-air broadcast platform. That includes the FOX Sports app which normally airs games, too. Local affiliates outside Detroit (and Denver) are not even given the option of showing the game.

For Lions fans around Michigan and the rest of the country who don’t subscribe to the NFL Network or NFL+, that means the game is not available. Subscribers to those services will get the game, as well as FUBO TV subscribers. Restaurants and sports bars will be able to air the game.

Plan ahead for Saturday’s game, either by subscribing to the NFL Network or alternative packages or figuring out a destination to watch the game in public.

The Lions and Broncos have become two different teams since Week 7

The Lions and Broncos have become two different teams since Week 7 as they head to meet up in Week 15

As Lions fans, we know all about two different tales in a season. That’s what happened last season when the Lions started 1-6 and found a way to finish 9-8 on the year. Despite missing the playoffs, the expectations were at an all-time high for the Lions.

Living up to the hype during the first six games of this season, the Lions started with a 5-1 record. However, the last month or so has told a different story for the Lions. They’ve gone 4-3 in their last seven games, and while that’s much better than previous years, it still feels like this team is becoming a shell of itself.

Oddly enough, it felt like the Broncos made the wrong hire with Sean Payton as their head coach. At least, that’s what it felt like earlier this year. The Broncos lost to the Dolphins in Week 3 by a score of 70-20, and the team was 0-3 on the year. By week 6, they had a 1-5 record, and there were plenty of rumors swirling in Denver that they were shopping players and looking to rebuild.

Two months later, the Broncos and Lions have become two different teams. The Broncos have gone 6-1 since Week 7 of this season. Now, they look to keep it going as they enter a week 15 match-up in Detroit. Weeks ago, it felt like a game where the Lions would beat the Broncos in a pretty convincing way.

That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.

The Broncos are playing some of their best football, and the Lions are playing some of their worst. Russell Wilson is playing like his old self and even when he does turn the football over, the Broncos defense steps up and finds a way to win. When Jared Goff turns the football over, the Lions fall apart completely.

Whether the Lions have huge leads on the road (21-0 vs the Saints) or they come out flat against the worst team in their division, their games have just been bad as of late. No matter how you slice it, the Broncos have become the team that scratches and claws their way back to victory and the Lions appear to have lost some of their “grit.”

Despite giving up the 3rd-most yardage in the NFL with 377.4 yards per game, the Broncos defense leads the NFL in takeaways. With 24 of them, their defense steps up when needed. That cannot be said about Detroit. They’re in the bottom-5 for takeaways this season with only 14 of them.

Coming back home to Ford Field should do the Lions some good. But they’re playing some of their worst football right now, and the Broncos are playing some of their best football currently. Things can change in the snap of a finger in the NFL. The Lions win against the Bears earlier this year is proof of that. However, the game between Denver and Detroit is a bit terrifying. If the Lions come out the way they’ve been playing, it’ll definitely feel like we’re going down a road that is all too familiar in this town.

NFL flexes Lions vs. Broncos to a prime time Saturday slot

The Lions and Broncos will face off on a Saturday night in prime time in Week 15

For months, the Lions’ Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos has had a “TBD” for the scheduled date and time. The TBD has now been determined.

In a press release, the NFL set the time for the Lions-Broncos game in Ford Field for Saturday, December 16th at 8:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast nationally on the NFL Network.

The matchup keeps getting more appealing by the week. Detroit is 8-3 and running away with the NFC North. The Broncos, meanwhile, have the NFL’s longest winning streak in improving from 1-5 to 6-5 and have worked their way back into the AFC playoff picture.

Detroit Lions vs. Denver Broncos: Everything we know from Week 14

Breaking down the keys to victory, stats, stars and more from the Lions Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos

The Detroit Lions traveled to Denver in Week 14 without several key pieces of the team. Injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak forced many players much higher on the depth chart than they typically are, including seven players called up from the practice squad.

For a team that already is at a talent disadvantage most weeks, being without nearly half the starting lineup after injuries to CB Jerry Jacobs and LB Alex Anzalone made winning a nearly impossible task. The Lions put up a spirited fight in the first half before the Broncos superior talent and better execution and attention to detail ran away with the victory.