(Photo: Dazn)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week Ten
New England Patriots at Detroit Lions
Patriots (5-4):
I thought they were past playing sloppy football, but I was wrong. They looked absolutely terrible on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. At the beginning of the season, I noticed a trend in their struggles, and that was Drake Maye’s tendency to carelessly give the football away to the opposing team. In some instances, most teams don’t recover from turning the ball over that frequently. As I watched Sunday’s game, Drake couldn’t take care of the football to save himself, and the Packers turned those takeaways into 21 points, which makes those interceptions sting even more. The Patriots played from behind for most of the game and could never find their rhythm. I was especially surprised by their defense and how much they struggled to stop Jordan Love. I’ll put it to you this way, in the most professional manner possible: The Patriots looked soft the other day, and there’s really no other way to explain it. I haven’t seen them look that bad or play that poorly in quite some time. I even mentioned in my preview last week that they played a little too loosely for my liking in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins on the road. In that game, Miami attacked their secondary, and I raised the question: If a struggling team can move the ball against them, what do you think a stronger team would do? Honestly, Jordan Love was playing pitch and catch against them. This group has already lost more games this season than it did all of last year, but the Patriots are still in the thick of the AFC playoff race. On Sunday morning, they’ll make their way to Germany for a showdown with the Lions.
Lions (6-2):
I have to say, they are quietly going about their business this year. They’re sitting at 6–2 in a competitive NFC North division where everybody has a winning record. If the playoffs were to begin today, every team from the division would make the postseason. They’ve won their last four games, including victories over the Green Bay Packers and the previously undefeated Minnesota Vikings in back-to-back weeks. This is one of the best offenses in the league and one of the most dangerous as well because they can hurt a defense with Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and, of course, Jahmyr Gibbs, who I feel is playing like the best running back in the NFL today. As a group, the Lions are averaging 27 points per game, which is good for fifth in the league. Their defense is an interesting unit because they’ve been so strong at stopping the run and pride themselves on that, allowing just 94 rushing yards per game. When it comes to their pass rush, they can get home and have recorded 27 sacks as a defense. It’s been their pass defense that has struggled. In an NFC featuring the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Rams, I think the Lions are still trying to establish themselves alongside those other teams. The Lions will make their way to Munich, Germany, on Sunday for an interconference battle with the defending AFC champions to kick off Sunday’s slate of games.
Patriots X-Factor: Christian Barmore
This Patriots defense has been the closest thing I’ve seen to a Bill Belichick-run group in quite some time. They want to win the battle in the trenches, and it starts with their defensive line. They have a good player in Christian Barmore. On Sunday morning, the Patriots will face a quarterback in Jared Goff who likes to sit comfortably in the pocket. He’s dangerous when he has time to sit back and throw. This is where Christian comes in handy because he must apply pressure up the middle. If he can get home, it will throw off Jared’s timing. Even if he doesn’t record a sack, he can still impact Jared’s throws. Most importantly, Christian can help shut down the run because the Lions become much more difficult to defend when they get their running game going.
Lions X-Factor: Jameson Williams
I believe the Lions’ passing attack becomes even more dangerous when they get Jameson going. This is a Patriots secondary that gave up plenty of big plays down the field against the Packers, and I know for a fact the Lions can do the same! Jameson has the deep-ball ability to take the top off a defense, and one blown coverage or a lack of communication can turn into a chunk play or a touchdown. He’s incredibly speedy in space, and New England can’t afford to give him any free releases. I also love his motor after the catch because he can advance the ball and continue picking up yards after the catch. In the red zone, Jameson’s speed forces defenses to respect the outside and not just the middle of the field.
Final Thoughts:
These international games are something, aren’t they? We have another one here, this time in Germany, and it’s an important game, especially for the Patriots, who are trying to show that last season wasn’t a one-year wonder and that they belong. The Lions, on the other hand, are simply trying to keep pace in a competitive NFC North and conference as a whole. The biggest key for the Patriots in this game is to protect the football! It’s that simple at this point. Taking care of the ball against a Lions defense that’s 6–0 when forcing at least one takeaway will be critical. Shut down the run early. When it comes to playing the Lions, it starts with disrupting their running game. Contain Gibbs, force the Lions off script, and pressure Goff. Make him move outside the pocket and throw him off his spot. For the Lions, it will start with containing Drake Maye when he’s outside the pocket. He’s at his best when plays are breaking down. Take away the underneath passing windows against a New England defense that will play a ton of man coverage across the board. Lastly, finish drives with six, not three. They’ve settled for field goals a little too much for my liking, and that’s leaving points on the table.
