Getty Trevor Lawrence running in a 2021 game for the Jaguars.
The Detroit Lions have Week 9 off with a bye, and the team is sitting back and relaxing to recharge for their second half which begins next week.
Even though the Lions themselves are off, it will still be interesting to see what plays out in the standings, as the team looks to keep hold of their top overall pick. With no wins, the Lions will be guaranteed to hold on to the top spot in the standings through the weekend, but they’d like to see some breathing room provided by virtue of some wins elsewhere.
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This week, there’s no shortage of games that will help in determining what plays out in the future, and the Lions should be rooting for several things when all is said and done to help them out in the future.
What should fans be watching the closest when the Lions are off this week? Here’s a look at the rundown of the best games to remember that could help the Lions’ cause.
New York Giants Over Las Vegas Raiders
The Giants feel as if they are going to be right there for the top overall pick pushing toward the end of the year, so the more wins they can get now, the better for Detroit. This week, they face off against the Raiders, and the Lions will want to see the Giants get the win here. The Raiders’ season could be set to head over a cliff, but the Giants are the bigger immediate danger right now to Detroit’s draft status. Detroit will have to hope for a big day out of New York in order to move them further back in the pecking order.
Jacksonville Jaguars Over Buffalo Bills
This would be the upset of all upsets, but the Lions would love to see the Jaguars get another win on the resume in the most unexpected of ways. Obviously, the Bills are a very good team, so expecting the Jaguars to simply win this game is probably not something anyone should bet on. Still, upsets happen frequently in the NFL, so Detroit will be hoping that the “any given Sunday” mantra plays out for Jacksonville in a big way this week. The Lions were lucky the Jaguars got their first win already, and they need to hope for many more to keep them off of their heels in the draft standings.
Houston Texans Over Miami Dolphins
A game between a pair of 1-7 teams is always a virtual toss up, so the Lions are going to win this one either way. They’d probably prefer Houston win to buy them a little more breathing room directly behind them in the standings, however. Miami has been a disaster this season as well, so it will be interesting to see who comes out ahead in this matchup. Either way, the Lions are going to pick up a game on a team with only a single win, so it is a fortuitous break with regard to the schedule this week.
Atlanta Falcons Over New Orleans Saints
At 3-4, the Falcons aren’t currently a big threat to the winless Lions, but another win would make sure that stays the case for a while. The Saints are a solid team at 5-2, so predicting the Falcons to win this might not be a great bet for the Lions. Still, the more teams pick up wins the better for the Lions. If the Falcons got cold and the Lions managed to get hot, it could bring the team up toward the top of the standings. Keeping the Falcons lower with a win here would be a nice bonus to Detroit down the stretch.
San Francisco 49ers Over Arizona Cardinals
The 49ers’ season has taken a massive nosedive after they beat the Lions. By virtue of that win, they’ll maintain a tiebreaker over Detroit if things every got unexpectedly close, but the more wins the 49ers pile up, the better. The Cardinals have been the class of the division this season, so it’s hard to imagine the 49ers being able to win. Seeing them pick up victory number four would be good for the Lions to keep another team off them in terms of the draft standings the rest of the way.
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