Getty Jared Goff calls out a signal for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions have a challenge on their hands this week, and are facing the pressure to come back on the field after a tough Week 1 loss.
With the Washington Commanders coming in, the Lions have a shot at bouncing back, and while the Commanders might seem like an easier foe, they are 1-0 on the season after a Week 1 win, so they come in with some momentum.
This week, the Lions will have to find a way to stunt that momentum. How will they do that? Here’s a look at some keys to the game and a prediction.
Can Lions Hold Their Own up Front?
Once again, the Lions’ offensive line is dinged-up, with Frank Ragnow sitting and other players perhaps being forced to sit such as guard Jonah Jackson. That’s bad news for quarterback protection.
Last week, the Lions fill-in Logan Stenberg did alright to hold his head above water, but the task becomes even more desperate this week with the loss of Frank Ragnow and the likely loss of Jonah Jackson. The pressure is on the line to give Jared Goff time to throw and also help the running game do the kind of damage it did last week.
Will Detroit’s Pass Rush Get Home?
The Lions didn’t have a good time playing the Eagles and Jalen Hurts, who was nimble enough in the pocket to escape and make big plays down the field.
This week, the challenge is different for the Lions, who should be able to tee off on Carson Wentz a bit better. He’s not nearly as mobile even though he can make plays at times. With this in mind, the team’s pass rush has to get home and rattle Wentz, forcing him to make mistakes and knock him around.
The pressure is on the Lions to be able to get after it up front on the defensive line this week, and they should be able to.
Does the Passing Game Get Going?
Last week, the Lions had no trouble getting the run going with 181 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. The passing game was a bit of a different story, and took much longer to jell.
The Lions had only 205 total passing yards and two passing touchdowns on the day. Their top receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had only 64 yards receiving. DJ Chark had 52 yards. While both scored, neither were close to approaching 100 yards.
To have a more consistent offense, the Lions need to find a way to get more beef to their downfield passing attack. This means the line has to hold up, and plays have to be made.
Will a Key Turnover Tell the Story?
The Lions didn’t grab a takeaway last week, but by the end of the day, a pick six managed to hurt the team in a huge way and serve as the difference when all was said and done.
This time, the Lions have to flip the script and make a winning play or two on defense to help out their offense. Their ability to do this will tell the story about if they can emerge victorious or not, as it will provide a leg-up to the offense and an emotional boost to the defense.
Does the Crowd Bring it Again?
The Lions fans did a great job to stick with the team in Week 1, but will they do the same in Week 2? No matter whether the team was up or down, there was no booing and the team had full support to the bitter end.
This week, that’s going to have to happen again for the Lions. The fans need to continue to make Ford Field an imposing environment, because plenty of teams would have wilted under the Week 1 pressure.
Prediction: Lions 31, Commanders 20
The Lions have a solid performance in all phases and bounce back with a huge win against the Commanders to get back to 1-1. Detroit finds a way to put up points on Washington, and does just enough on defense to hold off the opposition behind a fired-up crowd. It’s a big effort as a whole.