THE Detroit Lions On Sunday, they will play the first of three straight games against teams with a losing record, hosting the 2-8 Jacksonville Jaguars at Ford Field. The gift comes after remaining unscathed the most difficult part of their 2024 calendar – four road games in five weeks, three against playoff contenders.
The Jaguars are tied for the worst record in the NFL. They have lost three straight, haven’t won on the road since last November and will play without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the second straight game.
The Lions are 13-point favorites, their most since a December 1995 game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville’s inaugural season, according to Action Network. But Lions coach Dan Campbell said he’s not worried about his team overlooking the Jaguars or any other team on its schedule.
After Jacksonville, the Lions (8-1) will visit the Indianapolis Colts (4-6) next Sunday and host the Chicago Bears (4-5) on Thanksgiving.
“We’re going to give everyone’s best and you have to understand that,” Campbell said Friday at Allen Park. “We have to assume that we will get the best version of who they are and what they are capable of. And so with that, we have to be focused on our game, and it’s really about ourselves and the details of what we do. And what we offer to this adversary is the question of why: “Why do we do what we do? » And the how: “How are we going to do it? “That’s really the starting point for this week or any team.
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The Lions (8-1) have gotten off to slow starts in two of their last three games. Last week, they turned the ball over five times in a come-from-behind victory over the Houston Texans, the only team in the AFC South with a winning record. And in Week 8, they traded scores with the Tennessee Titans in the second quarter before running away with a 52-14 victory.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said the offensive production we felt was “more gifted” by a dominant special teams performance “than by us pulling our own weight,” but the game also gave the Lions experience navigating trap matches.
“When someone can quit, you think you have a team that’s not as good or whatever, and the record doesn’t say they’re that good, that’s how you get ” said defensive tackle Alim McNeill. “So, personally, I don’t believe in it. I don’t think anyone else here does either. We always talk about it, that we have to arrive this week the same way we prepare every other week, that will never change no matter who it is. Because Jacksonville might shoot, you never know.
The Jaguars haven’t done much consistently well this year. They rank 20th or lower in rushing, passing, scoring, total offense and defense and third down, but Campbell said they are still a “talented team” and the Lions needed to be more concerned with continuing to improve each week.
“We just played a team in Houston that felt like our backs were against the wall,” Campbell said. “I think that’s how they approached this game, and they nailed it. And I wouldn’t expect anything different from this team, I would expect us to have their best game of the year, and same with the Colts after that, and same with Chicago after that.
Dave Birkett will sign copies of his new book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline” at 7 p.m. Monday at Applebee’s in Auburn Hills. Order your copy here. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: The Roaring Detroit Lions won’t take the skinny Jacksonville Jaguars lightly
