Lions Preview

I’ll be on a plane Friday so I am putting out a bonus early edition of the Sunday preview.  First, the injury update which is getting crazy:

Info from the official site and the Post–

1) Portis is healthy enough to practice.  He’ll play.

2) Caldwell and McCardell are going to play.

3) James Thrash will be starting at WR.  Why?  Moss is highly questionable…

4) …and Brandon Lloyd has a shin problem.

5) Mike Sellers, Fred Smoot, and Sean Taylor were all limited in practice. 

6) The lucky fan in section 324, row D, Seat 5 will get to suit up if we have one more injury.

With all the injury news out of the way, let’s look at how we’re going to win, yes, win on Sunday.

There are only three things you need to know:

1) The Lions have never beaten the Redskins outside of Detroit.

2) The Lions have allowed the second most points in the league.

3) The Redskins are one of the few teams in the league with enough corners to cover all of the Lions wideouts.

I’m not usually one for the all-time records.  Players change, owners change, and there is no carry over from decade to decade, much less season to season to make you think that there is any real bearing here.  Except, let’s face it, it has been since 1937.  7o years!  There is a point where you have to just assume we have their number.  Or they’re due.  Take your pick.

And if we have their number, it will be on defense that we get them.  As I’ve previously mentioned, the Lions are vulnerable to speed.  And it is a shame that Santana Moss won’t be around.  But Randle-El, Cooley, and Portis will be enough to push the Lions.  The important thing here is to convert TD’s.  We can’t settle for FGs against a team like this.  That means power running at the goal line and using Cooley and Randle-El in play action.

On defense, we can use some of the bump and run and we showcased against Philly and mix it with man coverage with safeties over the top.  One of the things that jumps out about the Lions is that their 3rd and 4th receivers have nearly as many catches as their #1 receiver.  The Mike Martz offense relies on throwing as many people as possible into routes and finding the open receiver.  This works against teams that have 1 or 2 lockdown corners, but Smoot and Macklin are better than your average 3rd and 4th corners.  While I’m not saying we will shut down their passing game, if we can slow down Furrey and McDonald, we’ll get off the field on 3rd down more often.  And if we get off the field a couple of extra times, that translates into outscoring them.

I’m predicting a high scoring affair- We win 30-27.

-DW