The Detroit Lions look to keep things rolling this afternoon as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Ford Field. The players and coaches have been looking forward to getting back home in front of this crowd after back-to-back road games in Green Bay and Houston.
Detroit is looking to make it eight straight wins to stay atop the NFC North and remain the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Here are five things to watch out for in this one:
1. Turn Za’Darius Smith loose
The veteran edge rusher the Lions traded for at the Nov. 5 deadline is expected to make his Lions debut Sunday after head coach Dan Campbell gave him last week off to rest up his body and honor his scheduled bye week. Smith (6-4, 270) has 5.0 sacks in nine games this season and should add some much-needed juice to Detroit's pass rush.
"Looking forward to getting him out there, have a number of things that we want to do with him, but just going through the walkthrough with him (Wednesday), you can tell how excited he is to be a part of this organization," defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said this week.
"And listen, we're throwing some things at him and he's not going to pick everything up right away, but there are some situations that we want to make sure that he's on the field to utilize his ability to rush the passer and his ability to play the run."
Smith is a versatile defender who can play on the edge, slide inside and also sets a terrific edge in the rush game. He's expected to make an immediate impact for Detroit's defense.
2. Don't let Mac Jones get comfortable
Detroit's secondary has been the strength on defense all year and this week they'll face Jacksonville's backup quarterback, Mac Jones, who is starting for a second straight week for the injured Trevor Lawrence (shoulder).
Jones completed 14-of-22 passes in a loss to Minnesota last week for 111 yards with one rushing touchdown, two interceptions, a lost fumble and a 38.3 passer rating.
Detroit's defense got after Houston's C.J. Stroud last week with four sacks and two takeaways. They'll be looking for a similar effort this week against Jacksonville's backup quarterback.
3. Be dominant up front
Houston didn't officially record a sack last week against the Lions, but they pressured quarterback Jared Goff plenty, directly resulting in a Goff interception and a number of other forced throwaways.
Detroit had just 23 rushing yards on 13 carries (1.8 average) in the first half before settling in and getting it going a little better in the second half with some outside zone runs. Still, the Lions finished with just a 3.3-yard average per carry against the Texans, their lowest of the season.
Taylor Decker (shoulder) is expected back at left tackle after sitting out last week, which will help, but overall Detroit will be looking for more consistent play upfront to help fuel some early offensive success. Jacksonville has two good edge rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, who have 12.5 sacks between them on the year.
4. Big-play threat
The Jaguars' defense has some talented players, but they've struggled to contain the big play all year. The Jaguars rank 32nd in total defense (390.6), 30th against the pass (261.2) and they have allowed the second most completions of 20-plus yards this season (42).
Opposing quarterbacks this season have a 127.9 passer rating with six touchdowns and just one interception on passes that travel at least 21 yards in the air. Goff and the offense should have opportunities to make big plays. Can they convert?
View photos from Detroit Lions practice on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell (58) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Josh Paschal (93) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki (33) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch (32) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox (3) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Tom Kennedy (85) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick (17) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Abraham Beauplan (48) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Morice Norris (40) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Ben Niemann (51) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow (77) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler (71) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor (29) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson (28) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions long snapper Hogan Hatten (49) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Khalil Dorsey (30) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill (54) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on November 14, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
5. Touchdown streak
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown can become the fifth player since 2000 to record a touchdown reception in eight consecutive games within a season with one today vs. Jacksonville.
He would join A.J. Green (nine consecutive games in 2012 with Cincinnati), Davante Adams (eight in 2020 with Green Bay), Antonio Brown (eight in 2018 with Pittsburgh) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (eight in 2007 with Cincinnati).
St. Brown's receiving yards (524) might be down so far this season, but he's just three touchdowns away from tying his career high of 10 set last season with eight games remaining in the regular season.
