The Detroit Lions (5-2) host the Las Vegas Raiders (3-4) on “Monday Night Football,” with both teams hoping to rebound after suffering lopsided losses in Week 7. Here’s what to watch when each team is on offense:
When the Lions are on offense
Expect QB Jared Goff to bounce back at home: After a promising start to the season, Goff couldn’t maintain his momentum last week in Detroit’s 38-6 blowout loss at Baltimore. Goff completed a season-low 62.3 percent of his passes for 284 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
Fortunately for the 29-year-old, he has been a completely different quarterback at Ford Field than he has been on the road since being traded to the Lions in 2021. Over his 20 career home games with Detroit, Goff has accumulated 5,174 passing yards, 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions, compared to 4,411 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 18 away games.
Does RB Jahmyr Gibbs continue to roll?: Starting running back David Montgomery is set to miss his second straight game with a rib injury, putting Gibbs, the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, in line to assume a key role in the offense. Gibbs tallied 126 all-purpose yards and one rushing touchdown against the Ravens, but achieved most of his success in garbage time. Considering Las Vegas allows 129 rushing yards per game, the ninth-most in the NFL, Gibbs is well-positioned to have a significant impact that could influence the game’s outcome.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown’s availability: On Sunday, the Lions added St. Brown to the injury report with an illness, listing the star wideout as “questionable” for Monday’s game.
Although there’s still a strong possibility that St. Brown plays – given that he’s not dealing with an injury – his absence would be a massive blow to the Lions offense. St. Brown leads the team in receptions (51), receiving yards (557) and touchdowns (three) despite missing one game with an abdominal injury. Since returning from that injury in Week 6, St. Brown has been on a tear, racking up 25 catches for 226 yards and one touchdown across two games.
Can DE Tyree Wilson prove his last game wasn’t a fluke?: While DE Maxx Crosby (6.5 sacks) is clearly Las Vegas’ top defender, Wilson (who has been lackluster to start his career) is hoping to improve on his most productive outing of the season, though it won’t be easy. The seventh overall pick in April’s draft racked up three tackles and his first NFL sack in last week’s 30-12 loss to the Bears. Despite this, Detroit’s offensive line is considerably better than Chicago’s unit in terms of pass-blocking, allowing nine fewer sacks through seven games (16).
When the Raiders are on offense
Will a recent team meeting change the course of the season?: Several Las Vegas players have voiced frustrations at different points this season due to the team’s lack of success, notably on offense, but the team took steps earlier this week to remedy the situation. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Raiders HC Josh McDaniels allowed players “from every area of the roster” to address “a variety of issues with nothing being off limits” during a team meeting on Thursday.
Las Vegas’ 16 points per game are the third-fewest in the NFL, so even if its meeting sparks a scoring spree, the team will likely still have issues keeping pace with Detroit’s high-powered offense.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo is back in action: The return of the team’s starting signal-caller should be a solid first step to turning its bleak situation around. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, McDaniels said Garoppolo is “good to go” after missing last week’s loss with a back injury.
Garoppolo hasn’t been particularly impressive in the five games he has played this season, completing 68 percent of his passes for 1,079 yards, seven touchdowns and a league-high eight interceptions. However, the Raiders are 3-2 in those starts, as opposed to a 0-2 record when he wasn’t in the lineup.
WR Davante Adams is still waiting for a breakthrough performance: ESPN’s Adam Schefter has already reported that Adams won’t be traded ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline. Even though the six-time Pro Bowler has said he’s “happy to be a Raider,” Adams has been vocal about his lack of involvement in the offense and it’s unlikely that stance has changed. He hasn’t posted a 100-yard game or scored a touchdown since Week 3.
Adams should benefit from Garoppolo’s return as he averages 79.2 yards per game with the starting quarterback on the field and has scored all three of his touchdowns this season over those five contests.
Another dud for RB Josh Jacobs?: It appears last season’s extensive workload for the league’s reigning rushing yards champion has been taxing through the team’s first seven games. Jacobs is averaging 49.6 rushing yards per game this season, a significant drop from his 97.2 yards per game a season ago. Additionally, Jacobs is averaging two fewer yards per rushing attempt this season compared to last (2.9).
Jacobs’ inefficiency will most likely persist as the Lions are among the NFL’s top run-stopping defenses. Detroit allows 76.3 rushing yards per game – the second-best mark in the league – and has surrendered just five touchdowns on the ground.