The Lions are entering the home stretch in unfamiliar territory: They are on “the graphic” in December.
That’s right. They are in the playoff hunt as the calendar turns to December. They’re 4-7 and likely won’t sniff postseason football, but they are technically in the playoff race.
It it worth noting they have several winnable games the rest of the way, starting this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here are five things to watch ahead of this week’s matchup.
No. 1 vs. No. 2
This game features the first two picks from the 2022 NFL Draft going head to head: Jags’ OLB Travon Walker (No. 1 overall) and Lions’ DE Aidan Hutchinson (No. 2 overall). Many people expected Jacksonville to draft Hutchinson, but they ended up going with Walker. Hutchinson hasn’t forgotten that. Both players have had solid rookie seasons up to this point. Keeping tabs on which player performs better in this game will be fun to track.
More: Who got it right? Jaguars-Lions matchup pits Nos. 1 and 2 NFL Draft picks
Trevor Lawrence coming-out party?
Last week against the Ravens, Trevor Lawrence had a breakout performance, leading a game-winning drive and finally living up to his draft status. He made some pretty insane throws during that drive. Is is possible that last week was his coming-out party? Is he going to start lighting up the league this week and beyond? It would be unfortunate timing for the Lions, if that’s the case.
Homecoming
Two former Lions will make their return to Ford Field this week. WRs Marvin Jones Jr. and Jamal Agnew will come back to Detroit as members of the Jaguars. Jones caught the touchdown pass to set up the game-winning two-point conversion for Jacksonville last week. He has 31 catches for 368 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Agnew has just 15 catches for 119 yards, but he has three touchdowns this season. They’ll both look to get revenge on their former team this week.
Houston, we have a problem
Rookie OLB James Houston was signed to the active roster this week after picking up two sacks on just five snaps last Thursday against the Bills. The Lions plan to use the sixth-rounder just to rush the quarterback. Hopefully he can add some pass rush for a team that desperately needs it. He should have plenty of chances against a shaky Jags’ offensive line.
Getting healthy
The Lions should get several key players back from injury this week, including CB Jeff Okudah and OG Jonah Jackson. The Lions’ secondary held up surprisingly well for the most part against Buffalo, but the O-line struggled, especially in pass protection. Getting both players back will be huge. There’s an outside shot rookie Josh Paschal returns as well. The second-rounder has been limited to just a few games this year due to various injuries. The biggest news likely will be the debut of first-round pick Jameson Williams, who was activated Saturday. The Lions are getting healthy at the right time.
Matthew Scheidel is a freelance writer.