Lions vs. Patriots: 3 things you need to know
The Detroit Lions (7-3) travel to New England to face an 8-2 Patriots team they haven't beaten since 2000. With both teams playing solid football this season, this is the marquee matchup of the early games, and the outcome will cement the winner as a legitimate candidate for a playoff bye.
Here's what you need to know:
Lions' offense hasn't been good for a long time
It's hard to change your identity in the NFL.
For instance, you'll always hear about the Steelers' "smash-mouth" or "blue-collar" defense, even if Pittsburgh hasn't had a particularly physical or dominant defense for quite some time.
The same perception issue exists for the Detroit Lions' offense. After all, the Lions have a talented quarterback in Matthew Stafford, and a handful of weapons, including Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Reggie Bush and a tight end group with a diverse skill set. A strong offense has historically been the team's identity.
So it's hard for people to understand that this offense just isn't very good. The Lions are in the bottom third of the league in both yards per game and points per game, and, since Week 1, they've not scored more than 24 points in a game. The offense goes long stretches at a time without any production, and if that continues this week, the Patriots will embarrass the Lions once again.
Gronk is Brometheus
The most dangerous weapon in the NFL is Rob Gronkowski, a fun-loving tight end, freakish in stature, blessed with the perfect mix of physical attributes and a quarterback able to harness them.
Just as Calvin Johnson is a caricature of a wide receiver prototype, Gronk resembles a player crafted by football-mad scientists, scheming to create a version of Frankenstein's monster that can run, block, catch passes and do keg stands.
Gronk has 734 yards on 53 receptions and nine touchdowns this season and the Patriots have already targeted him 80 times. If the Patriots can run the ball even mildly effectively, then play action will be a nightmare scenario for the league's top-ranked defense. Linebacker DeAndre Levy and safeties Glover Quin, James Ihedigbo and Cassius Vaughn will be tasked with slowing down the Patriots' top weapon. Mixing the right coverages will be paramount.
Patriots will focus on Suh
Bill Belichick praised Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh this week in an appearance on NFL Network, saying "He changes everything." And while this is typical of Belichick, who has previously heaped praise on J.J. Watt and Ed Reed, it indicates the Patriots will focus their blocking inside, double-teaming Suh and leaving the edge rushers one on one.
Suh presents a major problem for the Patriots, as Tom Brady needs a clean pocket to step into his throws and not a moving one that forces him to throw on the run. If Suh can penetrate and get pressure up the middle, and if defensive ends Ezekial Ansah and Jason Jones can win on the outside, Brady will be forced out of the pocket, a huge win for the Lions' defense.