Detroit Lions Vs Washington Commanders Preview
After an exciting 38-35 week one loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Detroit Lions are looking to bounce back against another NFC East opponent in the Washington Commanders. The Commanders are coming off a win against the worst team in the NFL last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, they get a challenge on the road against the second worst team from 2021 in the Lions, and this time they’re on the road.
Let’s take a look at some of the key observations for week two.
Home Field Advantage
Last week, the home crowd for the Lions had Ford Field rocking, with their first sold out crowd in years. As an eye witness that went to the game last week, let me say the noise levels played a CLEAR factor as it felt like a playoff game. Back to back weeks at home to open the season should motivate fans to get the game sold out again, as One Pride absolutely needs that energy.
Key factor: Detroit Lions Defensive Line
Last week the Lions played one of, if not the best offensive line in the NFL and still managed to pressure the Eagles more often than most teams. Don’t let the numbers fool you, this defensive line far exceeded expectations last Sunday.
Number two pick Aidan Hutchinson may have only produced one tackle, but he was already a factoring in the Lions’ pressure. Going up against one of the best tackles in the league in Lane Johnson, he got into the backfield multiple times, but couldn’t chase down one of the best scrambling quarterbacks in the NFL. Not only is Hutch going against Carson Wentz, who isn’t known for his scrambling abilities, but he is also going against a MUCH weaker offensive line. Expect Hutch to bounce back and have his first career “he’s gonna be good” showcase. Two sacks is the prediction for the number two pick.
Key factor: Washington Wide Receivers
For years, Washington has only had one major threat at receiver in Terry McLaurin. Now they’ve added first round receiver Jahan Dotson, who made a name for himself last week against the Jaguars with two touchdowns.
The Lions allowed AJ Brown to record 10 catches for 155 yards last week, but they did have a bright spot in that secondary with Jeff Okudah’s return. He held last year’s rookie standout and Heisman winner Devonta Smith to 0 catches for 0 yards, and made multiple key tackles. Whoever he matches up on, which could be McLaurin as both went to Ohio State, he could show exactly why he was a top three pick in the draft and gain more respect around the league.
As far as Dotson goes, he matches up well with Oruwariye. The Lions secondary is an upgrade compared to the Jags, and with the pressure the Lions D-Line can produce, expect them to have a pretty decent game. However, the Lions cannot forget about Curtis Samuel. Getting the ball into his hands can make a difference in the result of this game. He will be an impact player this week.
Key factor: D’Andre Swift
If you have Swift in fantasy this week, you are one happy player. Swift missed Wednesday’s practice with an ankle problem, but the severity is minimal. If he does play, expect him to absolutely dominate this game. Swift averaged 9.6 yards per carry last week against a very promising Defensive line with one of the best interior D-Line groups in the NFL. The Commanders struggled against the run last week against a Jags team that has a significantly weaker o-line group. The mix of talent on the Lions o-line and swift’s ability to make people miss in the open field SCREAMS dominance in the trenches.
One quick note: Detroit needs to take advantage and utilize DJ Chark’s speed this week in the passing game. There were multiple times the Commander’s secondary got behind Jacksonville’s receivers but were hurt on self-inflicted errors
Final score prediction: 34-17 Lions
-Robert Martin
Twitter: @Defense_Rob