Getty Damon Harrison.
The Detroit Lions are trying to bounce back after a couple of tough losses and they go back to work against a New York Giants team which has been more down than up so far this season, and there are some big names on the sidelines for both teams.
Who will be missing the game as the Lions and Giants get together for the first time since the 2017 season? Here’s a look at the inactive lists of both teams heading into this game in Week 8.
Detroit Inactives
CB Darius Slay
DT Mike Daniels
CB Amani Oruwariye
G Beau Benzschawel
G Oday Aboushi
QB David Blough
DT Kevin Strong
Analysis
It’s a big loss for the Lions to be without Slay, who is a key cornerback that routinely shuts down the opposition’s best wideout. To have him missing yet another week is difficult, but the Lions have survived without him before and the hope is this week they can do so again with a rookie quarterback on the other sideline. Not seeing Da’Shawn Hand on this list is a huge boost to the defensive front, even as Mike Daniels continues to be limited in his attempt to return. There was no sense rushing him back to the field this week whatsoever. Not seeing Damon Harrison on this list is a big boost to the Lions as well.
On the other side, the Giants will miss Sterling Shepard, who is just the kind of wideout who could have made this game a potential trouble spot for the Lions. They will be challenged enough to stop the New York offense, but Shepard is a talented player that the Lions would not have wanted to face at all in a virtual must win game after some key losses.
What To Know
The Lions and Giants will kick off at 1 p.m. EST from Ford Field in Detroit. The game will be broadcast on Fox by the trio of Kenny Albert, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver.
Detroit is a pretty massive 6.5 point favorite for this contest even in spite of their two recent ugly losses, and will be put to the test in order to stop a rookie quarterback in Daniel Jones. They will also have their hands full with the elite Saquon Barkley running the ball downhill. It’s going to be a big challenge in response for the Lions, who need a big time bounce back after a tough two weeks on the field since their bye week. A win would go a long way toward righting the ship toward the second half of the season and getting the Lions back on the right track. A loss to a below average team like the Giants would all but set the conversation toward next year for yet another football season in the Motor City.
With these inactives, it won’t be long until the Lions and Giants kick off and try to decide a winner in Week 8 of the 2019 NFL season.
READ NEXT: Top Lions That Could Get Traded at Deadline