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2024 Detroit Lions 0-0: Who comes? Sutton goes.. (10 Viewers)

Stop Jordy and you stop the packers.  My hands are clasped and my eyes gaze upward in prayer that the Lions accomplish it and win
This isn't even close to accurate right now. Rodgers, their offensive line and Montgomery are playing to well. If they shut down Jordy they can stay in the game and maybe pull it out in the end.  If they can't slow down Jordy this game is over at halftime. 

 
IF the Lions can get two of 3 or all of Riddick, Swanson, and Slay (Slay being #1) back this week, I think they win at home in this prime time tilt. The magnitude will raise the level of play across the board.

The Rodgers train stops here.

27-24 Lions 

 
IF the Lions can get two of 3 or all of Riddick, Swanson, and Slay (Slay being #1) back this week, I think they win at home in this prime time tilt. The magnitude will raise the level of play across the board.

The Rodgers train stops here.

27-24 Lions 
Michael Rothstein ESPN Staff Writer: 

Theo Riddick and Andre Roberts miss open portion of practice for the Lions. Darius Slay, Travis Swanson both return. Miles Killebrew, who left Monday night's game with an eye injury, is also practicing.

 
Losing Roberts is big. Watching Stafford and T.J. Jones try to get on the same page these past couple of weeks has been a bit painful. The WR depth hasn't been very helpful. 

I hope all the Lions return and wish you guys well against the Pack. I hope you win. 

 
Heard on the Pridecast podcast Riddick and Slay were both running running & cutting hard at JerryWorld Monday night. I'm expecting both to play. Swanson was the one I was worried about. If we can keep Tomlinson off the field that's a massive upgrade in protection.

Roberts has a sore shoulder. Just rub some dirt on it Nancy.

ETA: I strained a calf muscle Christmas Eve when I lept from two steps up. I'm day to day....actually, we're all day to day when you think about it...but I expect to be 100% for SNF on NYD.

 
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Heard on the Pridecast podcast Riddick and Slay were both running running & cutting hard at JerryWorld Monday night. I'm expecting both to play. Swanson was the one I was worried about. If we can keep Tomlinson off the field that's a massive upgrade in protection.

Roberts has a sore shoulder. Just rub some dirt on it Nancy.

ETA: I strained a calf muscle Christmas Eve when I lept from two steps up. I'm day to day....actually, we're all day to day when you think about it...but I expect to be 100% for SNF on NYD.
Running isn't what I'd want to see Riddick doing. He needs to be catching passes again. I'm surprised he's been out this long with a wrist injury. Makes me wonder if it's broken and the Lions are hiding the severity. 

 
No Riddick (game designations until 4 pm but he hasn't practiced for weeks.)

Likely no Roberts - which means TJ Jones running bad routes & no threat in the return game.

 Boldin catching the ball one-handed all week (finger on his left hand in a splint - not on the injury report.)

Slay has gone down twice with a hammy, who knows what happens when he tries to go full tilt Sunday night.

Swanson is back! #positivity

Does anybody think they have any chance of winning?

 
No Riddick (game designations until 4 pm but he hasn't practiced for weeks.)

Likely no Roberts - which means TJ Jones running bad routes & no threat in the return game.

 Boldin catching the ball one-handed all week (finger on his left hand in a splint - not on the injury report.)

Slay has gone down twice with a hammy, who knows what happens when he tries to go full tilt Sunday night.

Swanson is back! #positivity

Does anybody think they have any chance of winning?
With no Riddick or Slay it's very unlikely the Lions can keep up with GB. I can't  wait to watch the Lions play a meaningful game again but I'm not expecting to be happy when it ends. I have hope that anything can happen but I'm keeping my expectations based in reality.

 
From Roto:

Theo Riddick (wrist) is out for Week 17 against the Packers.
This will be his fourth straight absence. Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington will lead the backfield in his absence, though Zenner is the more appealing fantasy option of the two.
 
From Roto:

Theo Riddick (wrist) is out for Week 17 against the Packers.
This will be his fourth straight absence. Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington will lead the backfield in his absence, though Zenner is the more appealing fantasy option of the two.
He's got to have a fracture in there. If it were just a pain tolerance thing, I would think he'd be playing.

 
I am rooting for the Redskins to win. #### backing into the playoffs. If the Lions want to make the playoffs, play the game of your lives tonight. Then you can kick the ####### front door down and walk in.  :thumbup:

 
I am rooting for the Redskins to win. #### backing into the playoffs. If the Lions want to make the playoffs, play the game of your lives tonight. Then you can kick the ####### front door down and walk in.  :thumbup:
Now if only the Saints and 49ers can win for a shot at the #2 seed.  

 
Welcome to the playoffs Green Bay and Detroit as that game will no longer be winner take all.
 
*exhales sigh of relief* Despite Sea pulling Wilson (just in case, I presume), it's winner gets 4 seed where they'll host the Giants, and loser travels to Seattle. Pick your poison.

 
Well, I'm still coming to town next weekend. Can you guys recommend a good bar downtown to watch the game? I'll be staying near the stadium.

If anyone wants to join me for the game, the first and last round are on me.

 
Anthony Borbely said:
I am rooting for the Redskins to win. #### backing into the playoffs. If the Lions want to make the playoffs, play the game of your lives tonight. Then you can kick the ####### front door down and walk in.  :thumbup:
Very hard to understand coming from a team that has done very little for decades.  Making the playoffs is making the playoffs,  especially when you're the Lions.  

 
Congratulations on making it,  fellas.  Wish you would've beat the Pack but you're still in.  Good luck.  Will be rooting for you guys

 
Second week in a row they outplayed a better team for one half & then could not match their intensity after halftime.

 
6-2 at home this year. Started and ended the year with a L. 
 
15 years at Ford field, zero home playoff games.
 
1-11 in the SB era playoffs. 0-10 on the road. 

 
Second week in a row they outplayed a better team for one half & then could not match their intensity after halftime.

 
6-2 at home this year. Started and ended the year with a L. 
 
15 years at Ford field, zero home playoff games.
 
1-11 in the SB era playoffs. 0-10 on the road. 
2nd week in a row they completely abandon the run after Zenner has a good first half.

 
Well, I'm still coming to town next weekend. Can you guys recommend a good bar downtown to watch the game? I'll be staying near the stadium.

If anyone wants to join me for the game, the first and last round are on me.
If you're looking for sports bars then Chelis Chilli Bar or Hockeytown Cafe are solid and very close to Ford Field. If you're looking for something a little classier, check out Townhouse Detroit.  Nice cocktail list and large TVs at both bars. 

Hopcat is a short cab ride away on Woodward. Lots of microbrews and TVs. 

Enjoy The D

 
Almost had to figure out how to best prepare cotton for digestion...

Was a good game. Rodgers was on fire. Stafford made a few mistakes. Zenner looks great. 

I honestly think you guys will beat Seattle. Good luck! 

 
This was a very disheartening loss. This team simply lacks playmakers. While there was a lot of talk about Stafford and the offense struggling since his finger injury, it really went downhill when Theo Riddick got hurt. He was a real matchup problem for defenses, especially in the red zone.

It was even worse on defense. I thought the secondary did a great job yesterday but you cant cover forever. Nobody made big plays on defense. The lack of sacks and creating turnovers put a lot of pressure on everyone on both sides of the ball, leaving little if any margin for error. I cannot recall a single big play by a linebacker yesterday and very few all year. The line was not much better. No pass rush and could not stop the run when it mattered. They badly need playmakers on defense. 

The regular season ended so terribly that it honestly feels like the season ended. But there is still a playoff game in Seattle and the Lions have a chance to get rid of the bad taste of the last 3 games. 

If this team wants to rid itself of the "SOL" label, they need to win this game. 

 
If you're looking for sports bars then Chelis Chilli Bar or Hockeytown Cafe are solid and very close to Ford Field. If you're looking for something a little classier, check out Townhouse Detroit.  Nice cocktail list and large TVs at both bars. 

Hopcat is a short cab ride away on Woodward. Lots of microbrews and TVs. 

Enjoy The D
Thanks! I think I'd prefer more of a dive place than a nice place. I'll check out the ones you mentioned

 
Looking back on the season it is a miracle they are even near the playoffs and thankfully the Redskins lost.    Last nights game should have been a defining moment.  A winner take all for the division at home.  What more could you ask for.  

 
Second week in a row they outplayed a better team for one half & then could not match their intensity after halftime.

 
6-2 at home this year. Started and ended the year with a L. 
 
15 years at Ford field, zero home playoff games.
 
1-11 in the SB era playoffs. 0-10 on the road. 
In the Caldwell era  3-18 vs teams that finished season above .500  and 5-10 in games played outdoors. I predict a 23-13 Seahawks victory.

 
Welcome to the playoffs. Best of luck this coming weekend against our Seahawks. Would be happy to do some Q and A with any of you guys if you wish to invest the time.

Seattle weakness? Offensive line is offensive. Starting two rookies and have struggled mightily against dominant pass rushers from the DT position. Calais Campbell and Aaron Donald four times a years absolutely sucks (1-2-1 in those games).  Running game has disappeared. What was a constant strength for so long is now a liability. PFF guys grade Seattle as one of the worst run blocking groups nearly every week.

Seattle strength? Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, and Jimmy Graham on offense. If given a bit of time Wilson is dangerous. He's a great drop back passer and even more dangerous out of the pocket as he has wonderful field vision. Wilson is not the scrambling athlete that some might want to box him into being. He kills from the pocket. His early season injuries seem to be far behind him. Stars still all over the place on defense still. Bobby Wagner just put up a legitimate defensive MVP performance this year. Led the league in tackles and is the backbone alone with Bam Bam Kam Chancellor. Chancellor may be the best run defending safety I've ever watched in 30+ years of analytically watching football. Michael Bennett continues to make big plays and was recently rewarded with contract extension. Cliff Avril (hey, remember me Lions fans?) and Frank Clark combined for 21 1/2 sacks which is the leading duo on all playoff teams. Richard Sherman is still a great cover corner. He gets a lot of negative attention for opening his mouth and opposing fans love to see him give up yardage, but the reality is that when being targeted he's still among the league leaders in opposing passer rating. As of last week I think he was second. Sherman has a specific skill set that he's very good at. Don't attempt to beat him over the top with a fade. 

Seattle questions? Special teams has been weird. Problems with long snaps and the kicking game has hurt. Will it be a problem next week? Will Darrell Bevell continue to commit to running the ball on first down? Pass defense has been inconsistent since Earl Thomas was lost for the season. How will Steven Terrell perform this week? He was torched by Zona. Played better this past week. 

I can easily see a path to victory for the Lions if Seattle continues to struggle running the ball on first down. Again, I think they will continue to try. They put themselves in long down and distance situations leading to three and outs. If Stafford can be patient and dink and dunk down the field they can move the ball. Seattle is built to not give up the big play on defense. 

Hope its a good game. 

 
Welcome to the playoffs. Best of luck this coming weekend against our Seahawks. Would be happy to do some Q and A with any of you guys if you wish to invest the time.

Seattle weakness? Offensive line is offensive. Starting two rookies and have struggled mightily against dominant pass rushers from the DT position. Calais Campbell and Aaron Donald four times a years absolutely sucks (1-2-1 in those games).  Running game has disappeared. What was a constant strength for so long is now a liability. PFF guys grade Seattle as one of the worst run blocking groups nearly every week.

Seattle strength? Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, and Jimmy Graham on offense. If given a bit of time Wilson is dangerous. He's a great drop back passer and even more dangerous out of the pocket as he has wonderful field vision. Wilson is not the scrambling athlete that some might want to box him into being. He kills from the pocket. His early season injuries seem to be far behind him. Stars still all over the place on defense still. Bobby Wagner just put up a legitimate defensive MVP performance this year. Led the league in tackles and is the backbone alone with Bam Bam Kam Chancellor. Chancellor may be the best run defending safety I've ever watched in 30+ years of analytically watching football. Michael Bennett continues to make big plays and was recently rewarded with contract extension. Cliff Avril (hey, remember me Lions fans?) and Frank Clark combined for 21 1/2 sacks which is the leading duo on all playoff teams. Richard Sherman is still a great cover corner. He gets a lot of negative attention for opening his mouth and opposing fans love to see him give up yardage, but the reality is that when being targeted he's still among the league leaders in opposing passer rating. As of last week I think he was second. Sherman has a specific skill set that he's very good at. Don't attempt to beat him over the top with a fade. 

Seattle questions? Special teams has been weird. Problems with long snaps and the kicking game has hurt. Will it be a problem next week? Will Darrell Bevell continue to commit to running the ball on first down? Pass defense has been inconsistent since Earl Thomas was lost for the season. How will Steven Terrell perform this week? He was torched by Zona. Played better this past week. 

I can easily see a path to victory for the Lions if Seattle continues to struggle running the ball on first down. Again, I think they will continue to try. They put themselves in long down and distance situations leading to three and outs. If Stafford can be patient and dink and dunk down the field they can move the ball. Seattle is built to not give up the big play on defense. 

Hope its a good game. 
Weaknesses: No comment on the DBs and losing Earl Thomas? Detroit has an offense with more than 1 or 2 weapons in the passing game. When you have a competent QB back there and no Earl Thomas they are giving up an average 265 passing yards (compared with 225 per game over the course of the season). I certainly think Stafford is closer to Palmer and Rodgers than Goff and Kaep... 

Wilson is a strength? Not necessarily. He has thrown the most INTs in the last SIX GAMES since his entire rookie season. He has the worst QB rating of his entire career (ranked 21st in the league among QBs). If his early season injuries are behind him, I think I'd rather have him hurt as he was having a better season in the first half. Wilson is basically Joe Flacco this season. 
 

 
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Dr. Brew said:
Weaknesses: No comment on the DBs and losing Earl Thomas? Detroit has an offense with more than 1 or 2 weapons in the passing game. When you have a competent QB back there and no Earl Thomas they are giving up an average 265 passing yards (compared with 225 per game over the course of the season). I certainly think Stafford is closer to Palmer and Rodgers than Goff and Kaep... 

Wilson is a strength? Not necessarily. He has thrown the most INTs in the last SIX GAMES since his entire rookie season. He has the worst QB rating of his entire career (ranked 21st in the league among QBs). If his early season injuries are behind him, I think I'd rather have him hurt as he was having a better season in the first half. Wilson is basically Joe Flacco this season. 
 
I did address the pass defense in my Seattle questions. Steven Terrell graded well last week. Poorly against Zona. Seattle has safety depth. Sure losing Thomas hurts, but it doesn't equate a death sentence for the pass defense. 

Wilson has started 80 regular season games. If you believe his statistics over the past six games (really only one) are anything more than outlier numbers, well, I disagree. Further, you know well that 5 of those happened in one game. In his last three games he had a TD-INT ratio of 8-1. Now tell me why six games is more relevant. If that's true, I'm good with a sample size of 80. Fair enough?  I'm comfortable with him starting for Seattle and will I'm damn glad he's going to be in Seattle for years to come. Do you really want to argue that having Wilson under center isn't a strength?

Are you having a rough day? Just looking for people to contradict for some reason?

 
I did address the pass defense in my Seattle questions. Steven Terrell graded well last week. Poorly against Zona. Seattle has safety depth. Sure losing Thomas hurts, but it doesn't equate a death sentence for the pass defense. 

Wilson has started 80 regular season games. If you believe his statistics over the past six games (really only one) are anything more than outlier numbers, well, I disagree. Further, you know well that 5 of those happened in one game. In his last three games he had a TD-INT ratio of 8-1. Now tell me why six games is more relevant. If that's true, I'm good with a sample size of 80. Fair enough?  I'm comfortable with him starting for Seattle and will I'm damn glad he's going to be in Seattle for years to come. Do you really want to argue that having Wilson under center isn't a strength?

Are you having a rough day? Just looking for people to contradict for some reason?
Why is disagreeing with you such a bad thing all the time? You wanted a conversation. I'm sorry I'm not throwing out titles like "MVP"and "best ever" and "don't test him deep" when I'm talking about Seattle.

Losing Early Thomas is more than just talent. He's the leader of that defensive backfield. I don't care how stacked you are, you lose the QB of your defensive backfield and you're defensive backs are going to struggle. 

Wilson is having his worst statistical season ever. Not just 1 game. And if you want to take away one game because it's a negative outlier then let's take away a positive outlier and take away Dec 24th vs AZ (it's only fair). Then he's averaging at least 1 INT for every 2.8 TD passes for the season. That's not a strength. Wilson has the third  WORST TD:INT Ratio than any starting QB in the playoffs. Second only to Houston and Alex Smith. And he's not that far from Alex Smith (1.8 to 1.9). Ask any KC fan what their strengths are and they won't start with Alex Smith as you did with Wilson. That was the first thing you mentioned. If anything Wilson is your Alex Smith. A QB who can hopefully not make many mistakes and let the real heroes of the team win the game. 
 

 
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Hi Hooper! Q & A? Are Seahawks fans giving the Lions any chance? Like above 10%? Really? If so, why? >.> Anyway:

Detroit weakness: 1) Pressure. Tied for 30th in sacks, 31st in 3rd down conversions allowed. It's led to a lot of QBs standing around (and/or scrambling) until they complete a pass 5,6...9 seconds later. 2) Running Game. Yes, as always, but 30th in yards and 27th in YPC isn't exactly encouraging for a playoff team going on the road. Losing Riddick probably hurt more than losing Abdulluh. I'd list 'injuries', but that's cheating.

Detroit strengths: 1)When you look at the last two seasons, Stafford's numbers this year look pretty similar. And yet, partially thanks to Calvin leaving, it feels like one of his better ones. The 8 wins when trailing in the 4th quarter help out there. 2) Tate slept through the first month, then has averaged ~85 YPG receiving plus all of his TDs since. Boldin might have been the best pickup of the offseason. 3) Bend, but don't break: DBs have been really good... when healthy. 3b) Whitehead, Hyder and A'shawn Robinson have all been pleasant surprises. 4) Strong ST. Roberts is... decent enough (frustrating on taking Kickoffs to maybe the 20, but pretty great on punt returns), Prater has largely been clutch (7-7 from 50+) and Martin is 2nd in Punting Average.

Detroit questions: The o-line was a weakness, but now is pretty solid. Still needs off-season help/improvement, but at worst it's grown above being a problem. Is Levy half the player he was two years ago? Can Marvin Jones return to playing above being the 4th receiver (and only that high since Riddick got injured)? Ebron has improved, but can his stone hands truly be trusted? Can the Lions ignore their history of playing outdoors in weather, especially after a season where like 2 of their games weren't played in a dome?

I have to predict pain, going into Seattle and playing in the spotlight, because... well, see the last three games. Detroit feels like too much of a "not ready for primetime" team that might finish with 4 straight losses and still have a "successful" season. I hope for the best since both teams have their share of embarrassing losses (and near-embarrassing tie, in Seattle's case), but yeah. I'm more realistic than optimistic here.

 
Why is disagreeing with you such a bad thing all the time?
You asked me this question or something similar to it in another thread. I directly answered your question with two specific points. LINK. If you wish you can go reply to those points. The words we use and way we interact with each other counts for something in my iWorld. If not in yours I understand. When you don't have to see each other face to face some folks (like you) think that gives them license to be a ####.  Your choice. You have little social media grace. I'm going to choose to move on and try to engage a Detroit fan. There are tons of guys here that are cool and easy to communicate with. 

 
Hooper31 said:
Welcome to the playoffs. Best of luck this coming weekend against our Seahawks. Would be happy to do some Q and A with any of you guys if you wish to invest the time.

Seattle weakness? Offensive line is offensive. Starting two rookies and have struggled mightily against dominant pass rushers from the DT position. Calais Campbell and Aaron Donald four times a years absolutely sucks (1-2-1 in those games).  Running game has disappeared. What was a constant strength for so long is now a liability. PFF guys grade Seattle as one of the worst run blocking groups nearly every week.

Seattle strength? Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, and Jimmy Graham on offense. If given a bit of time Wilson is dangerous. He's a great drop back passer and even more dangerous out of the pocket as he has wonderful field vision. Wilson is not the scrambling athlete that some might want to box him into being. He kills from the pocket. His early season injuries seem to be far behind him. Stars still all over the place on defense still. Bobby Wagner just put up a legitimate defensive MVP performance this year. Led the league in tackles and is the backbone alone with Bam Bam Kam Chancellor. Chancellor may be the best run defending safety I've ever watched in 30+ years of analytically watching football. Michael Bennett continues to make big plays and was recently rewarded with contract extension. Cliff Avril (hey, remember me Lions fans?) and Frank Clark combined for 21 1/2 sacks which is the leading duo on all playoff teams. Richard Sherman is still a great cover corner. He gets a lot of negative attention for opening his mouth and opposing fans love to see him give up yardage, but the reality is that when being targeted he's still among the league leaders in opposing passer rating. As of last week I think he was second. Sherman has a specific skill set that he's very good at. Don't attempt to beat him over the top with a fade. 

Seattle questions? Special teams has been weird. Problems with long snaps and the kicking game has hurt. Will it be a problem next week? Will Darrell Bevell continue to commit to running the ball on first down? Pass defense has been inconsistent since Earl Thomas was lost for the season. How will Steven Terrell perform this week? He was torched by Zona. Played better this past week. 

I can easily see a path to victory for the Lions if Seattle continues to struggle running the ball on first down. Again, I think they will continue to try. They put themselves in long down and distance situations leading to three and outs. If Stafford can be patient and dink and dunk down the field they can move the ball. Seattle is built to not give up the big play on defense. 

Hope its a good game. 
Lions strengths:

Special Teams - 2016 saw outstanding production / performance on STs. Prater missed a 39 yarder last night but generally he's been clutch. Martin is a top 3 punter, great weapon. Roberts is exasperating at times but as a KR it's hard to find fault with a guy who took two to the house.

QB - Stafford has been slumping of late as injuries piled up but looking beyond recent games, for the last year and a half he's thrived under OC Jim Bob Cooter. With a weak running game and at times shaky O-line, they've designed a passing game that ideally (when everyone is healthy) is built around quick passes  & screens. He's gone from a gunslinger to a highly efficient game manager. Not top 5 elite, but def can get it done in the end game. He's been fantastic in the last 5 minutes of close games. 

As a leader I think he is elite. He's a great guy in the community, in the locker room and no one has ever challenged his authority in the huddle. He's the man and everyone on that team respects him. He has not won very often on the road versus good teams, and he's 0-2 in the playoffs. But he's better than 3/4ths of the guys playing the position and tough as nails. Didn't miss a snap all year and 96 straight starts. Most importantly, in his 7th and 8th years he has improved his footwork, pocket presence, mechanics and ability to extend plays. He's not perfect but he's pretty good. 

As an outside observer who isn't subjected to listening to the daily criticism of the media & fans, I am shocked at the way he is treated. He's one part of the team. Think about the talent that has consistently surrounded Brady, Ben or other "elite" QBs.  It would be farcical to even try to compare the rosters of consistent winners in the NFL (GB, NE, PIT, SEA) and the historically inept Lions. 

Everything else is a weakness in some form or another. The other positional groups:

D line - Ziggy Ansah has had leg injuries all year, but Kerry Hyder has been a tremendous surprise. Haloti is still a good run stuffer & A'Shawn Robinson is becoming a force. Lot of depth here & they substitute liberally to keep them fresh.

HBs - Abdullah & Riddick have missed 19 of a possible 32 games. Zenner has run like a pro bowler the first half of the last two weeks. Unfortunately they haven't sustained the run game once their opponents turn up the intensity. He's a very basic runner, hits the whole hard and keeps churning. Not a great pass catcher but he is involved in the passing game.

WRs/TEs - Tate is a very good gadget WR who racks up a ton of YAC. Ebron is a decent top 8 TE but not really a force and virtually disappears in the RZ (last receiving TD was WK 1.) Boldin is very reliable on third down and Stafford's (by far) favorite RZ option. Marvin Jones started well but battled injuries. He's started to play better the last couple weeks & is pretty much the only vertical threat. The other WRs are rarely on the same page as Stafford.

DBs - Darius Slay is not a total shutdown corner but when healthy he's one of the better cover guys in the league. The other CB, Lawson, is improving but doesn't look like he'll develop into anything special. Quinn is a terrific veteran Safety in coverage. Couple other guys (Bush, Killebrew, Wilson) have had good moments. If you see Asa Jackson,  Don Carey or Jonathan Bademosi on the field, scream at the top of your lungs for RW to go after them. If you get any 40+ plays Saturday night, there's a good chance one of those three will be the trailing DB.

O-Line - Not sure if Swanson will be back at C. Rookie Graham Glasgow was an outstanding addition at LG starting with WK 5 and has seamlessly moved over to snap the ball the last 3 weeks. #1 pick Taylor Decker will be the LT for a long time and he's improving. RG Larry Warford is a road grater in the run game. RT Reif has a hip issue. His replacement Corey Robinson had a rough outing last night. On a positive note, Laken Tomlinson sucked less than usual. This group is headed in the right direction. Really good job run blocking the last couple weeks.

LBs - I hate this group. Often out of position, not good at anything: stopping the run, non-existent as edge rushers, mediocre in coverage. I am convinced Austin game plans to minimize their exposure. Levy is a shadow of his former self. Rarely does anyone in this group impact a game in a positive manner.

On a historical basis, there's no reason to think the Lions will walk into a hostile environment and win a playoff game. It hasn't happened since 1957. They're 0-3 in outdoor games this year (CHI, DAL, GB.) They have lost three straight, are missing two of their best offensive playmakers, lost their slot CB a month ago, and they're working with a patchwork O-line.

OTOH, their opponent is very beatable. Their o-line is shaky & they're not the run heavy offense that has carried them to 9 straight home playoff wins. Wilson has battled a knee injury all year and has put up mediocre stats. The heart of their defense is out with an injury. They can still hit on big plays in the passing game & their run defense is stout, but the Seahawks are vulnerable.

 
Hi Hooper! Q & A? Are Seahawks fans giving the Lions any chance? Like above 10%? Really? If so, why? >.> Anyway:

Detroit weakness: 1) Pressure. Tied for 30th in sacks, 31st in 3rd down conversions allowed. It's led to a lot of QBs standing around (and/or scrambling) until they complete a pass 5,6...9 seconds later. 2) Running Game. Yes, as always, but 30th in yards and 27th in YPC isn't exactly encouraging for a playoff team going on the road. Losing Riddick probably hurt more than losing Abdulluh. I'd list 'injuries', but that's cheating.

Detroit strengths: 1)When you look at the last two seasons, Stafford's numbers this year look pretty similar. And yet, partially thanks to Calvin leaving, it feels like one of his better ones. The 8 wins when trailing in the 4th quarter help out there. 2) Tate slept through the first month, then has averaged ~85 YPG receiving plus all of his TDs since. Boldin might have been the best pickup of the offseason. 3) Bend, but don't break: DBs have been really good... when healthy. 3b) Whitehead, Hyder and A'shawn Robinson have all been pleasant surprises. 4) Strong ST. Roberts is... decent enough (frustrating on taking Kickoffs to maybe the 20, but pretty great on punt returns), Prater has largely been clutch (7-7 from 50+) and Martin is 2nd in Punting Average.

Detroit questions: The o-line was a weakness, but now is pretty solid. Still needs off-season help/improvement, but at worst it's grown above being a problem. Is Levy half the player he was two years ago? Can Marvin Jones return to playing above being the 4th receiver (and only that high since Riddick got injured)? Ebron has improved, but can his stone hands truly be trusted? Can the Lions ignore their history of playing outdoors in weather, especially after a season where like 2 of their games weren't played in a dome?

I have to predict pain, going into Seattle and playing in the spotlight, because... well, see the last three games. Detroit feels like too much of a "not ready for primetime" team that might finish with 4 straight losses and still have a "successful" season. I hope for the best since both teams have their share of embarrassing losses (and near-embarrassing tie, in Seattle's case), but yeah. I'm more realistic than optimistic here.
Hey Mt. Man,

Totally could see Detroit coming to Seattle and pulling off a win. It's unexpected, but could happen. Seattle continues to put themselves in third and long with little chance to convert. Penalties have been killing their drives and inability to run on first down is a problem. I know that's been a problem in Detroit for a long time, but its new to the Seahawks. If they can't move the ball on the ground between the tackles Seattle might not score much.

I could see Tate having a big game. If Stafford is willing to take all the short throws Seattle will give up I could see them moving the ball well. Also, Seattle has been inconsistent with teams that utilize their backs out of the backfield on screens and such. 

 
The heart of their defense is out with an injury.
I've seen this comment a few times. Earl Thomas is important to the Seattle defense, but I wouldn't call him the "heart" so much. He's certainly not the emotional leader. That's Kam Chancellor. Thomas is perhaps a more important element in their overall scheme. Not having to worry about being deep down the middle of the field is a luxury most teams don't have. 

 
You asked me this question or something similar to it in another thread. I directly answered your question with two specific points. LINK. If you wish you can go reply to those points. The words we use and way we interact with each other counts for something in my iWorld. If not in yours I understand. When you don't have to see each other face to face some folks (like you) think that gives them license to be a ####.  Your choice. You have little social media grace. I'm going to choose to move on and try to engage a Detroit fan. There are tons of guys here that are cool and easy to communicate with. 
I specifically left out non-relevant issues and pointed specifically to stats, which you apparently were offended by. :shrug:  Either that or you are forming a straw man argument because you can't refute the statistics. 2016 Wilson = 2016 Alex Smith

Furthermore, to address the link you provided, I specifically offered an apology in that thread at some point. 

 
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I've seen this comment a few times. Earl Thomas is important to the Seattle defense, but I wouldn't call him the "heart" so much. He's certainly not the emotional leader. That's Kam Chancellor. Thomas is perhaps a more important element in their overall scheme. Not having to worry about being deep down the middle of the field is a luxury most teams don't have. 
But when someone else makes this remark it's inflammatory

 
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