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Lions Hungry To Keep Winning On 3 Home Game Stretch

DETROIT (97.1 The Ticket/AP) - After getting a rare victory, the Detroit Lions are eager to celebrate some more success. And, they'll have three chances to do it at home.

Detroit (2-7) will face the Oakland Raiders (4-5) on Sunday at Ford Field in its first of three straight home games during a 12-day stretch.

The Lions will have the luxury of being at home during a short week before playing Philadelphia in their annual Thanksgiving game and hosting Green Bay a week later.

"The goal is to stack wins," Lions cornerback Darius Slay said Wednesday. "It ain't just about winning one."

Here are some things to watch when Detroit (2-7) tries to win a second straight game Sunday at home against Oakland (4-5), which is trying to avoid a season-high, three-game losing streak:

AIR SHOW: The Lions are a one-dimensional team on offense, leaning heavily on passing because they're the worst rushing team in the NFL. Matthew Stafford might like what he sees when he drops back because the Raiders rank 31st against the pass. Oakland, meanwhile, also seems set up for success through the air with Derek Carr throwing to rookie receiver Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. The Lions have put two starting cornerbacks on injured reserve the past two weeks, Rashean Mathis and Josh Wilson, and signed a player, Bill Bentley, who was out of work since they cut him in June.

JUST FOR KICKS: The NFL has gotten what it wanted with a rule change, making it tougher for teams to make extra-point kicks. Instead of the kicks being an afterthought, they are potentially compelling with snaps starting at the 15. "Anything that makes your job harder, I'm not a fan of," Detroit's Matt Prater acknowledged. Teams are making 94.8 percent of their extra-point kicks after converting on 99.3 percent last year, according to STATS, and Prater is tied with San Diego's Josh Lambo and Jacksonville's Jason Myers for an NFL-high three misses. Prater help make last week's 18-16 win at Green Bay dramatic because he missed two extra points.

REPLACING ALDON: The Raiders might have a harder time getting to Stafford because of the yearlong suspension imposed linebacker Aldon Smith, who was second on the team with 3 1/2 sacks.

GOOD COMPANY: Carr became the sixth quarterback to throw at least 20 passes in each of his first two seasons. He joined Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Andy Dalton in the select club. Carr has thrown for at least 300 yards and two TDs the past three games and can be the first Raider quarterback ever to do that in four straight.

PUT ME IN, COACH: Lions rookie RB Ameer Abdullah returned a kick 104 yards last week against the Packers, and is averaging an NFL-high 31.9 yards on kickoff returns. He ran for a 24-yard touchdown and had a 36-yard catch in his debut, but the Lions are struggling to get him the ball on offense. Abdullah has 14 carries over last three games after career-high 14 attempts in a win over Chicago.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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