Analyst Puts Lions on Upset Alert for Week 4: ‘Still Don’t Trust Them’

Jared Goff

Getty Jared Goff hugs Kevin O'Connell after a 2022 game in Minnesota.

The Detroit Lions have been one of the most confusing teams early during the 2022 season. At 1-2, the team has seen plenty of positives, yet they continue to lose close games.

Something’s going to have to give for the Lions to feel good about the way their season is trending at this point in time. This week, a visit from the Seattle Seahawks could cure what ails the team.

Already, Detroit has been revealed to be massive favorites for the contest, with the early line hovering anywhere between 4.5 to six points. That could also set the team up for a bit of a letdown if they lose, as well.

ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler offered some upset predictions for Week 4 in an insider piece, and he had Detroit losing to the Seahawks. As he said, the reason is that he doesn’t feel as if he can trust the team to put away victories, and the Lions may not be able to hold on in a shootout.

“I love how Detroit is improving but still don’t trust the Lions to finish games just yet. Seattle’s run defense has been shaky, so expect Pete Carroll’s staff to address that issue with changes this week. D’Andre Swift’s absence hurts Detroit’s big-play potential out of the backfield. With Detroit averaging nearly 32 points per game, the Seahawks must be prepared to win a shootout if necessary. I think they are up for it,” Fowler predicts.

At 1-2, Seattle is in tough shape early in the season as well, so a win for either team could be something that rights the ship in terms of NFC contention.

No doubt this will be a challenge for the Lions, but the good news is they should have a fired-up Ford Field crowd to help their cause. In the end, many don’t see this variable mattering much.


Injuries Could Hurt Lions’ Week 4 Cause

If there’s a big reason the Lions could fail to meet expectations this week, it could be injuries. The bug has bitten the team hard, and while the status of plenty of players is up in the air, most of the offense is dinged-up.

Lacking skill-position players, the Lions would be hoping for multiple underrated or young players to step up. The team has already lost the likes of Tracy Walker for the season, and have seen long-term injuries on both offensive and defensive lines plague them early this season.

Truthfully, when completely healthy, the Lions are probably one of the best teams in the NFL this year. Unfortunately, they have not been seen as a completely healthy unit at all this season.

The Lions will always claim that the mentality is next man up, but even that has certain realities. It might be a big-time struggle for the Lions without some of their top weapons this week.


Lions Defense Could Tell Tale vs. Seattle

While Detroit’s offense has found making big plays easy so far this year, it will be the defense that probably determines if the team can back up such a substantial line for Week 4.

Detroit all but had Week 3’s game in their back pocket and lost, and a big reason was the defense. The Lions maintained a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter, but were doomed by coverage busts and mistakes on the back end. The Lions also got next to no pressure on Kirk Cousins.

This week, the Detroit defense is going to have to find a way to slow down Seattle and give their offense a better chance to impact the game. They must get some pressure up front on Geno Smith and find a way to generate more interceptions or fumbles in order to offer sudden-change possibilities.

Many think the Lions should be favorites to start the new week, but that doesn’t mean everyone is in agreement that they will win the game.

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