Tee Detroit Lions are a day away from the bye week, but how they’ll feel during their break is going to heavily depend on how Sunday afternoon goes. Through two games, the Lions sit at an uninspiring 2-2 record. All the talk has been around Detroit’s defense, which ranks in the bottom five in just about every statistical category. Without a doubt, the Lions won’t be able to win a Super Bowl with the defense playing like that. But is there still time to right the ship?
This is a good week for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to take the heat off of himself. The Cardinals offense has not been explosive all year, and one of their top weapons—former first-round pick WR Marvin Harrison Jr.—is inactive, because Arizona is expected to trade him. They’re also missing two starters on the offensive line. Lions opponents have been beat up before, and Detroit has failed to stop them. This week feels like a potential last straw.
That said, Lions coach Dan Campbell has put some high expectations on the offense this week. They’ve been good, but Campbell expects greatness. Again, this feels like a good week to get right, as the Cardinals pass defense has been arguably worse than Detroit’s.
Win and control the play on both sides of the ball, and the vibes in Detroit could be much better during the bye week. Lose, and the outside noise for some b ig changes will only grow louder.
This is our gameday post, where you can join our Lions community to chat during the Lions vs. Cardinals matchup, which kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET. The game chat is best experienced in the SB Nation app. Here’s how to download that.