Today: the preview; Monday: the wrap-up. I’m just taking a stab at the answers today; on Monday I’ll have the answers.
1. Should the Lions be favored? Well, Vegas says they should and they’re usually quite accurate. But it’s just a betting line designed to get people to gamble. Yes, the Lions do seem to be playing better; however, they also seem to lose close games. Right now, the Redskins are winning close games – against good teams no less. The Redskins can be viewed as a fortunate team and, win or lose this game, they still have the feel of a .500 team. But the Lions still have the feel of a five-win team. So draw your own conclusions.
2. Will the Redskins overlook Detroit? The problem won’t be Detroit; it’s the bye week that is the problem. If anything, the Redskins might be caught looking ahead to time off. Players never talk about any game other than the one they’re playing; and many times they say they don’t know who their next opponent is. But they all know when the bye week is and they’ve all made plans. But overlook the Lions? After losing to them last year? No. Let’s remember, the Redskins are not a juggernaut. Not sure why or how they would overlook anyone. Against the Rams, only one player talked about taking a win for granted: Albert Haynesworth. That says a ton about him. But this group is very professional.
3. What will the Redskins do at right tackle? How about pray? Considering the health of the players that’s not a bad option. Jammal Brown has been struggling most of the season and now he still has hip issues. Not sure why this week will be any different for him. He needs time off. That’s why I wouldn’t be surprised to see Stephon Heyer get more time than Brown. Not sure if Heyer will start, but if he’s healthy then the Redskins may have no choice. That’s how much Brown is struggling. Heyer will have his usual bad plays, but Brown needs time off. His lack of mobility is a big concern.
4. Is Detroit’s D-line dangerous? Yes. The strength of the Lions’ defense is the front four, the right side in particular with rookie DT Ndamukong Suh and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch. The former plays with lots of power, which is how he already has 4.5 sacks – a good figure by a DT for a season let alone six games. Vanden Bosch can be an explosive player. DT Corey Williams is solid; not sold yet on the other DE Cliff Avril. But three of the four are, at worst, good.
5. How will the Redskins handle Ndamukong Suh? Very carefully. The Lions, if they’re smart, will get him in a lot of one-on-one situations with LG Kory Lichtensteiger. Suh is much stronger than Lichtensteiger; heck, he’s probably stronger than most guys he faces. But this is an issue with ‘Steiger, who plays with heart but is limited by his size. Obviously the Redskins would want to limit his time vs. Suh. And the stretch plays can help that. This could also mean more cut blocks. But I’d worry about some overloads on this side, resulting in one-on-ones.
6. Where can the Redskins hurt Detroit’s D? The back seven is not very strong. The Lions have allowed 10 touchdown catches in six games and opposing wideouts average 11.7 yards per catch. The Lions lack a corner who would start on a good defense; second-year safety Louis Delmas is a nice player, but is nothing special. Detroit’s linebackers aren’t very good, either, so there will be coverage issues with this group, too. Opposing quarterbacks have averaged 7.33 yards per attempt and have a passer rating of 86.9. And keep in mind that MLB DeAndre Levy, if he plays, is doing so with a bad ankle. Yes, Ryan Torain could have a third straight 100-yard game. If he was breaking tackles vs. the Colts and Bears, guessing he’ll do the same Sunday.
7. What is the impact of Matthew Stafford’s layoff? He hasn’t played since the opener because of a shoulder injury. So the Redskins need to make him uncomfortable in the pocket, something they didn’t do to him last year. But Stafford is an inaccurate passer (53.3 percent completions last year), something that plagued him in college. He missed numerous open receivers in last season’s win; can’t imagine a month off will help this area. It’ll be interesting to see how the offense is different than it was with Shaun Hill. He favored the backs and tight ends (where they do have receiving talent, so that’s not a surprise).
8. Can they stop Calvin Johnson? Sure. Last year, he caught five passes for 49 yards vs. Washington. But he also drew a pass interference penalty. Johnson often lines up as a flanker, which means in a three-receiver set that Carlos Rogers would be on him initially. But that won’t be the case every time. The Redskins can’t afford to just go man-to-man on him. DeAngelo Hall would like that chance, but that would be a mismatch. Johnson has seven inches on Hall and runs just as fast. He also has a quick burst for a guy his size. That means trouble off the line. Clearly they need to have safety help. If the Lions are smart they’ll use a lot of three-step drops, at least initially. It’s how St. Louis moved on them; it’s how the Bears did as well. That seems to fit what the Lions have done anyway; Johnson is the only Lion averaging more than 10.8 yards per catch. But Johnson is at 15.1 yards per catch and in the red zone he’s lethal.
9. Can the other weapons hurt Washington? Sure. Tight ends, good ones in particular, will get open vs. this defense and the Lions have two that they’ll throw to in Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Schefler. They’ve combined for 59 catches. Running back Jahvid Best can be dangerous, but he can also be a non-factor. He’s been bothered by turf toe and is said to finally be healthy. We’ll see. He’s a nuisance on the outside, that’s for sure. He seems to either have a huge game or a very low-key one.
10. Will Albert Haynesworth dominate again? Why not? He’s motivated and is coming off two good games. The Lions have a better line than Detroit, but they are suspect at the tackle spots; Jeff Backus gives up a lot. Left guard Rob Sims will have his hands full. And center Dominic Raiola will be helping all day. If the Lions use a lot of two tight end sets, they could limit the t
11. Who will win? Before the Bears game, my thought was this: They beat Chicago and lose to the Lions. I’m not convinced the Redskins are anything other than a .500 team, which means they can easily lose this game. That makes this game a very difficult one to pick and you can make a strong case either way. However, the Lions have a suspect defense; a quarterback still learning who has missed five games and a team that turns the ball over and is heavily penalized. That’s the recipe for a close loss. Redskins 20, Lions 17.
Recommended Stories
