The Detroit Lions return to action this Sunday with a road game against the LA Chargers. The Lions last played on October 30th, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football. After enjoying the bye week, the Lions have had time to get healthy and attack the second half of the season. With a 6-2 record, the Detroit Lions sit atop the NFC North and currently hold the NFC’s second seed.
The Chargers are 4-4. LA got back to .500 with an easy 27-6 win over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. The Lions have not won in California since 2011, and their last road game saw them crushed by the Baltimore Ravens. Nevertheless, the Detroit Lions have an excellent opportunity to get to 7-2. Here are three keys to victory for the Lions.
Ground and Pound
The Lions are finally starting to get healthy upfront. Four of Detroit’s starting five offensive linemen should start this game. Reuniting Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell is a considerable boost. Add that to the quality play of Graham Glasgow, and the Lions got more good news during the week. Bellcow running back David Montgomery is back from a rib injury. Montgomery was motoring before the injury.
However, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs stepped up. Gibbs broke out on Monday Night Football with a stunning performance. He and Montgomery have played excellently this season. Per Next Gen Stats, both rank in the top five among running backs for yards after contact. Montgomery is sixth in rushing success rate, and his nose for the end zone should help the Detroit Lions’ red zone troubles. Gibbs is second in yards per carry and has displayed explosive speed. Sumer Sports ranks Gibbs with the highest explosive run rate and is fourth in broken tackles. The rookie and the veteran are a physical and explosive combination. And they must be at their best against the Chargers.
LA ranks fifth in rushing yards allowed per carry. Edge defenders Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu sport 80+ PFF grades in run defense. The Chargers penetrate well and re-establish the line of scrimmage with power. Their interior defenders eat space and allow rushers to hit gaps hard. The Detroit Lions’ offensive line is one of the best at running various blocking schemes and run concepts. If they can win in the trenches, the Lions have the right weapons to pound the Chargers.
Slow Down LA’s Pass Rush
Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and Tuli Tuipulotu have claimed 19.5 of LA’s 31 sacks. They are a menacing trio. Against the Jets on Monday night, LA tallied 41 pressures. The Chargers also lead the NFL in sacks on 3rd downs. That makes it imperative for the Detroit Lions to stay out of 3rd and long situations.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson highlighted how tough a proposition the Chargers’ pass-rushers are. But the Lions’ fully fit offensive line is a different test than the Jets’ injury-riddled offensive line. Speaking to Dannie Rogers, Dan Campbell backed his offensive tackles in this matchup. It is a strength-on-strength matchup, and the Detroit Lions’ linemen must be on their A-game.
Finish in the Red Zone
If there is one area of concern for the Detroit Lions, it’s their performance in the red zone. Detroit’s offense currently ranks 24th in red zone touchdown percentage. Mental errors and sloppy play have hurt them. Against the Raiders, a fumble from Craig Reynolds cost them points. In Week 1, a Marvin Jones fumble saw them cough up possession in the red zone. Detroit has just one touchdown from their last eight red zone trips. The inefficiency and mistakes will hurt them against more potent teams.
And on defense, the Lions have surrendered points on red zone possessions in every game since Week 5. Red zone performances come down to executing under high pressure, and the Lions are currently missing that. It is something that can improve and get better, but in challenging road games, when chasing a division title, those red zone plays are the ones that can make or break a game.