Sunday's contest will feature a Lions team looking to defeat the Seattle Seahawks and start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2017 in one of the most anticipated home openers Detroit has had in years.
Last time out: The Lions took down the defending Super Bowl champs last Thursday night. Although the Chiefs were missing defensive lineman Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce, a win at Arrowhead against quarterback Patrick Mahomes is no easy feat. The defense stepped up big, limiting Mahomes to only 226 yards and forcing a takeaway in the form of a Brian Branch pick-six. Offensively, quarterback Jared Goff took care of the ball extending his streak to 359 passing attempts without an interception, while the offensive line provided a late push that helped the Lions run the clock out.
The Seahawks fell to the Rams 30-13 in Week 1. Seattle struggled to defend the Los Angeles passing game. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 334 yards and wasn't sacked once on 38 pass attempts. On the ground, the Seahawks held the Rams to under 100 yards but allowed three touchdowns. What is normally a lethal offense for Seattle was held to just 180 total net yards and was blanked in the second half.
Matchups: Sunday's game is a prime example for why Lions GM Brad Holmes acquired players like Cam Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Branch this offseason. They will be tasked with slowing down one of the top receiving rooms in the NFL. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett both had over 1,000 yards in 2022 and went for 149 and 91 yards respectively in last year's matchup against the Lions. Seattle added talented rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the mix as well. This matchup will look a lot different than last year and should be a key indicator as to who comes away with the win.
In their last meeting: Seattle won last season in a 48-45 shootout at Ford Field. The result ended up serving as a tiebreaker which propelled the Seahawks into the playoffs over the Lions.
The overall series: The Seahawks are 11-5 when they face off against the Lions. Seattle has won four straight with Detroit last winning in 2012 at Ford Field.
Matchup odds: Detroit is given a 64.7% chance to win by ESPN Analytics.
Here are 5 Seahawks storylines to follow heading into Sunday's matchup:
1. Pete Carroll: "This is a big matchup opportunity for us"
Head Coach Pete Carroll discusses the challenge they have trying to bounce back after Week 1's disappointment against a hot Lions team in a loud atmosphere at Ford Field ... WATCH
2. Devon Witherspoon on track to make Seahawks debut Sunday
Rookie corner and fifth overall pick Devon Witherspoon is hoping to make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Lions ... READ MORE
3. Bobby Wagner gives Seahawks "exactly what we need" to kick off Week 2
The Seahawks are looking to move on from Week 1 and veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner has played a big role in getting the team prepared and focused on Detroit ... READ MORE
4. Jason Peters kicks off 20th season; Stone Forsythe & Jake Curhan prepare to potentially start
Seattle lost both their tackles, Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross, in Week 1 so with Lucas now on IR and Cross being ruled out they've been busy making additions to try and shore things up ... READ MORE
5. Hawk Talk Podcast: Entering The Lion's Den
Nasser Kyobe and Michael Bumpus evaluate Week 1 performances, take a look back at last year's matchup and preview the Week 2 matchup between the Seahawks and Lions ... LISTEN
View photos of the starters for the Seattle Seahawks.
Head Coach Pete Carroll
Offensive Coordinator: Shane Waldron
Defensive Coordinator: Clint Hurtt
Special Teams Coordinator: Larry Izzo
(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
WR DK Metcalf
Backed up by Cody Thompson
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
T Charles Cross
Backed up by Stone Forsythe
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
G Damien Lewis
Backed up by Ben Brown
(AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
C Evan Brown
Backed up by Olu Oluwatimi
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
G Phil Haynes
Backed up by Anthony Bradford
(AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
T Abraham Lucas
Backed up by Jake Curhan
(AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
TE Noah Fant
Backed up by Colby Parkinson
(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
TE Will Dissly
(AP Photo/Peter Aiken)
WR Tyler Lockett
Backed up by Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
QB Geno Smith
Backed up by Drew Lock
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
FB Nick Bellore
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
RB Kenneth Walker III
Backed up by DeeJay Dallas and Zach Charbonnet
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
LB Uchenna Nwosu
Backed up by Derick Hall
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
DE Mario Edwards Jr.
Backed up by Myles Adams
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
NT Jarran Reed
Backed up by Cameron Young
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
DE Dre'Mont Jones
Backed up by Mike Morris
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
LB Boye Mafe
Backed up by Darrell Taylor and Tyreke Smith
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
LB Bobby Wagner
Backed up by Nick Bellore
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
LB Jordyn Brooks
Backed up by Devin Bush and Drake Thomas
(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
CB Tre Brown
Backed up by Devon Witherspoon and Kyu Kelly
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
CB Tariq Woolen
Backed up by Michael Jackson
(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
S Julian Love
Backed up by Jerrick Reed II and Jamal Adams
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
S Quandre Diggs
Backed up by Coby Bryant
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
K Jason Myers
(AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
P/H Michael Dickson
(AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
PR/KR DeeJay Dallas
Backed up by Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tre Brown
(AP Photo/Ben VanHouten)
LS Chris Stoll
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
