Every week during the regular season Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his X account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: I honestly don't expect a lot to change. If you think about it, Detroit goes into this game with eight and potentially nine defensive starters available – Za'Darius Smith, Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Jack Campbell, Terrion Arnold, Carlton Davis III (practiced Monday), Amik Robertson, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.
The SAM and WILL linebacker rotation has plenty of reps under their belt at this point. They will splice a few of the new guys in, but they are all veterans with significant NFL starts. It's the depth that's really challenged right now.
I think if they stay relatively healthy this week and don't lose more starters, I don't see a bunch of wholesale changes to the scheme or defensive calls Thursday.
20man: It's a good question, but I preface this by saying there is a lot of football to be played, and things could change significantly over the next five weeks.
However if the Lions lose to Green Bay and the Eagles beat Carolina on Sunday, they would both be 11-2 on the season. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head, but the Lions and Eagles don't play this year. Second is record within conference and both Philadelphia and Detroit would be 7-2 in the NFC in this scenario. Third tiebreaker is record in common games. Both teams would have played Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Dallas and the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles are 4-1 in those contests with a loss to Tampa Bay Week 4. Detroit would be 4-2 in those games with losses to Tampa Bay and Green Bay, so Philadelphia would take over the No. 1 seed.
Detroit currently holds the head-to-head over Minnesota, so even if the Vikings were to defeat Atlanta Sunday and improve to 11-2, the Lions would remain atop the NFC North despite the loss to Green Bay. I think I have that right.
20man: This is the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL (31.9) we are talking about. I think when they've struggled to score points at times, it's been directly related to the red zone. They were 1-for-7 there in the one loss to Tampa Bay and they were 2-for-5 last week against Chicago when they had opportunities to put that game away earlier in the first half with a couple touchdowns instead of field goals. The Jahmyr Gibbs turnover didn't help, either.
Detroit averages 154 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry on the ground and that's been pretty consistent all season. It's really just been the red zone at times where they haven't always taken advantage of those opportunities. They have to go into these last five games knowing they can't settle for field goals and need the extra points against some really good offenses remaining on their schedule.
20man: Head coach Dan Campbell has been pretty consistent with his goal every year to steadily improve every week to the point where they are playing their best football in December. The calendar has flipped to December, so now we need to see that, especially offensively, where they have less injury.
I think both general manager Brad Holmes and Campbell are very good at keeping everyone focused on what is in front of them and controlling what they can control. The bigger picture goal has been consistent all year and that's been to win the division and get a home playoff game. They do that and the No. 1 seed is in play too, but the focus is the division and what they need to do to win the North first.
20man: I think the best chance of playing will be cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. Campbell seemed optimistic about that one over the weekend. Carlton Davis III could be close. I asked Campbell about him and he said Davis will be day-to-day and questionable. I thought it was a good sign he took part in practice Monday.
I do not expect to see Taylor Decker, Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike or Jalen Reeves-Maybin, though that could change.
As for the new practice squad signings, it will just be a matter of how quickly they can pick up the scheme. Some will play in depth and backup roles, but I don't expect a ton of reps unless they are forced into a heavier load due to injury.
20man: Smith's had a really positive impact in that room, especially on some of the younger players like Paschal. Smith has done it at a high level for a long time and if he's willing to bequeath that knowledge on younger guys, they'd be silly to not listen.
When it comes to helping the new signings, the important figures there are the assistant coaches that don't get enough credit for the job they do and the time they put in, especially getting new players up to speed. They spend a ton of time grinding and getting those guys ready. Coaches like David Corrao (defensive assistant/outside linebackers), Cameron Davis (assistant defensive line), Shaun Dion Hamilton (assistant linebackers), Jim O'Neil (defensive assistant), Steve Oliver (assistant offensive line), Seth Ryan (assistant wide receivers), Jett Modkins (assistant special teams) and Dre Thompson (defensive quality control). If those new veterans get a chance Thursday and make an impact, it's those people fans should thank.
20man: The defense still has plenty of ammo to get the job done. This week I look at McNeill and Reader as the keys for the Lions' defense. Not only does an inside presence free up the edges more, but the Packers have become an offense that runs through running back Josh Jacobs. It's imperative the Lions are good against Jacobs and the run game this week.
Reader missed Monday's practice with a shoulder injury so that's something to monitor as we get closer to Thursday's game.
20man: He was instrumental, along with owner Sheila Hamp, President Rod Wood and COO Mike Disner. Spielman certainly gets his due credit from the people who are around the Meijer Performance Center daily. He is a go-to for a lot of different people and aspects of the business beyond just the football field and he's a valuable member of the Executive Management Team.
20man: I expect if we see the newly acquired players it will be in depth roles, especially early on, and I think any impact they provide is a bonus.
I'd look first to players like David Long Jr., Ezekiel Turner, Ben Niemann, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Pat O'Connor, players who have been in the system and contributed for weeks now while these new veterans get acclimated to scheme and teammates and the defensive coaches learn what they do best and how they fit.
20man: Some of the most significant injuries the Lions have suffered were on the road and had more to do with direct player-to-player contact than non-contact injuries related to the surface.
Ford Field recently installed a monofilament field turf, which is considered the most grass-like surface of the three kinds of turf used in NFL stadiums. That being said, players prefer to play on grass surfaces because it puts less stress on the joints and the injury numbers do favor grass surface. It will be interesting to see if the NFL mandates grass at some point for all playing surfaces and what that means for enclosed stadiums that aren't equipped with retractable surfaces or roofs.
