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The Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints are set to tangle for the first time in a few years on Sunday, and the game means everything to a pair of 1-2 teams in the standings.
Nether New Orleans or Detroit would say they wanted to be in a position to simply get back to .500 after Week 4, but that will be the task that both sides have to accept this weekend on the field. A win could get either team back on track in the NFC hunt, and that will be the selling point of this matchup for the staff, players and fans.
What are the most important things to watch for this battle? Here’s a look.
Saints Injury Report Impact
This week, even if the Saints get Michael Thomas back, the wideout could still be feeling the nagging effects of injury. That’s not great news for an offense which needs him for more big plays. Worse, Andrus Peat could be lost with injury as well, which puts a dent into the team’s protection of Drew Brees. The Saints are facing some struggles with health, and the Lions seem to be getting healthier by the week heading into their Week 5 bye. If Thomas is not feeling completely ready and Peat’s loss is felt up front, it could be a major factor which works in Detroit’s favor on Sunday afternoon.
Alvin Kamara’s Explosiveness
There might be no more dangerous player in the entire league than Kamara, who proves week in and week out that he doesn’t need much space at all to wreck a defense and change the game. Kamara nearly won New Orleans their Week 3 matchup by himself, and if that doesn’t prove his greatness, nothing will. Detroit will have to be ready to key up on Kamara and prevent him from wrecking the game, which he can do with relative ease. Kamara is a fantastic player, and the Lions have to try their best to not let him change momentum or take over the game on his own. Obviously, that will be easier said than done.
Can Lions’ Series History Momentum Matter?
Detroit didn’t win their last game against the Saints in 2017, but going back to 2014, have actually been on a fairly solid run against a great New Orleans team and roster. Detroit won games in 2014, 2015 and 2016 against the Saints, and all were big enough to be considered decent upsets at the time given the classic power of New Orleans, especially at home. Detroit’s had a decent amount of momentum in the series after a tough run, and won the last time the teams played at Ford Field. The hope for Detroit is this matters a little bit this time around and can play a role in the Saints falling apart.
Lions’ Red Zone Woes
If the Lions want to beat another explosive quarterback, they will not want to be settling for field goals again this week, no matter how elite Matt Prater might be. The focus will be cast on Detroit’s red zone offense, which has been horrible early this season. Kicking field goals will be another recipe for disaster for the Lions against an offense which can often score at will. The Lions have to get in the end zone, capitalize on whatever mistakes the Saints make and find a way to make red zone trips count with their money players. There might not be any way they emerge with another narrow win this week kicking 4 field goals without asking their much-maligned defense to do some very heavy lifting.
Matt Patricia’s Coaching
It’s not hyperbole to say that Sunday is another huge game for Patricia and his regime in terms of perception as well as reality. A loss will send the Lions into the bye week at a frustrating 1-3, while a win would even Detroit’s record to 2-2, and put them firmly back in play for a solid season after it looked like all was lost earlier this year. Every game seems critical for Patricia this season moving forward, but it will be interesting to see how well he handles the pressure this week in particular. Can he continue to make the right calls with regards to the offense and defense? The ball control game plan on offense did enough to win this past weekend while the defense also played well, but the staff will need to be a big reason the Lions pull off another victory that seemingly could go either way. The cushion of an impending bye should give the Lions and their staff some incentive to play aggressively and not be defensive. Otherwise, depending on how a potential loss plays out, folks will only continue to be critical of the coach and his staff. That’s not how Patricia should want to go into the bye.
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