Hodgins was signed to the active roster off the Steelers’ practice squad last Thursday. Just three days later, he found himself in the starting lineup against the Packers, filling in for the injured Darius Slayton. Hodgins did not miss a beat as he finished as the Giants’ leading receiver with five receptions (on six targets) for 57 yards.
Sunday’s game was Hodgins’ first of the season. He appeared in three games for the Giants last season after playing in every game during the 2023 campaign. But it was after he joined the Giants midway through the 2022 season where he really made an impact. After being claimed off waivers from the Bills in early November, Hodgins went on to catch 33 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns in the final eight games of the season. He then had the best game of his career in the Wild Card game against the Vikings, where he pulled in eight passes for a career-high 105 yards and a touchdown.
The Lions’ defense has not performed as well against the pass as it has against the run. While the unit ranks eighth in passing yards allowed, their 18 passing touchdowns are tied for 24th in the NFL. Of those 18 touchdowns, 13 have been to wide receivers, which is tied for the fourth-most of any team. Detroit is dealing with some injuries in the secondary, as well, with cornerback Terrion Arnold (concussion) and safety Kerby Joseph (knee) missing Wednesday’s practice after being sidelined for last week’s game. Starting corner D.J. Reed is still on injured reserve, although he was a limited participant in the first practice of the week.
LT Andrew Thomas/RT Jermaine Eluemunor
Thomas and Eluemunor were faced with a tough challenge last week trying to slow down Packers edge rushers Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary. It wasn’t a perfect performance, as Pro Football Focus credited each of them with one sack allowed. But the two tackles combined for four total pressures allowed on the day, which marked just the second time all season that they allowed that many pressures combined.
The two veterans have combined to form the best tackle duo the Giants have had in a long time. Thomas enters Week 12 as PFF’s fifth-highest ranked tackle in pass protection, while Eluemunor comes in at No. 16. Both tackles have had only two games each where they have surrendered more than one total pressure. But the duo is facing another difficult matchup this week in Detroit. According to Next Gen Stats, Thomas has allowed the longest average time to pressure among left tackles this season at 4.03 seconds.
When discussing the Lions’ defense, the conversation begins with Aidan Hutchinson. The talented defensive end was making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, picking up 7.5 sacks in the first five games, before a broken leg cut his season short. Hutchinson made it back on the field for the start of this season and has picked up right where he left off. The 25-year-old is tied for a league-leading four forced fumbles, while his 57 total pressures are the most in the NFL, according to PFF. Hutchinson flips sides throughout the game, so both Thomas and Eluemunor should get some matchups against the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. When they’re not matched up against Hutchinson, the two tackles will try to slow down Al-Quadin Muhammad, who ranks second on the Lions with six sacks and 12 quarterback hits.