Lions Home Stretch is a Beast but It's Still Winnable
Lions Home Stretch is a Beast but It’s Still Winnable
Two games remain in the regular season and, unlike much of the league, the Lions home stretch is a beast but It’s still winnable. Can they do it? The answer is maybe. Turning that “maybe” into a “yes” will depend on Detroit’s ability to manage the subtleties, because what might seem trivial in the grand scheme is what will make the difference for each game.
Versus the Cowboys
Detroit has a clear objective: contain the run. Dallas’ rookie contingent has been running circles around opponents this season so plugging middle holes that the Cowboys are so good at creating, make this an aerial battle, shifting the advantage to Stafford. With two veteran receivers in Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin showing solid performances, he has good long-range weapons. Add Eric Ebron to the mix to round it out and we have ourselves a game. The Cowboys have a solid run defense, with Sean Lee beating up anyone running anywhere near a middle line, the long game is where it can be won by the Lions. Stafford’s arm is a qualified equalizer. If he utilizes his hard count to unnerve the defense, the first three quarters of the game may very well aggravate a Dallas defense enough to make those unnecessary flubs.
Neutralizing the Run
Forcing Dak Prescott out of the pocket has proven successful so a strong pass-rush is where it’s at against this team and with the possible loss of Darius Slay for the week and the home field advantage for the Cowboys, the key to shutting down that run is likely at middle linebacker. Detroit will have to stay firm up front and make their plays, not wait for them to come. Don’t play Dallas ball in Dallas’ house.
Battle of the North
The Packers might be even more difficult to put away than the NFC-leading Cowboys. This is the last game of the regular season, which may very well determine the NFC North Champion. Expect nothing short of a steel-cage death match. The match-up is a good one for Detroit and the teams are comparable. And this means the Lions’ approach against this opponent might need to be the polar opposite of the previous week’s.
Arm Wrestling
We’re gonna see two monster-arm QBs. Both have game-winning, Hail Mary arms that can put away an opponent in closing seconds with ease. The defense needs to rely on their secondary to shadow Jordy Nelson and hawk as many balls as possible. If lockdown CB Slay is back on the field, the match-up is good for the Lions. This will be clear if the Lions’ backfield keeps pace with the wide-outs. Everyone makes mistakes, even the great Aaron Rodgers, and the Lions have caused disruption enough this season to expect it in a game this important.
Run Riddick, Washington, Zenner & Bell!
The Packers won’t be expecting a huge run game. So why not get these guys on the field and let them rack up some yardage? With a secondary like Green Bay’s, picks are a realistic expectation. Simply, they’re just good. Executing a good run game with consistent yardage, and the occasional explosion from under center can get the Lions downfield quickly. Disqualify those expectations. The Packers could find themselves wondering if anyone got a look at that blue and silver train that just hit them.
So we’re back and yes, it’s true, the Lions Home Stretch is a Beast but it’s still winnable. The Lions must play their game and show up for all four quarters.
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