Opponent Profile: Lions Head Overseas To Play Struggling Falcons
By Chris Morgan
The Detroit Lions earned a last minute win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, which is good, because if they lost, they would have had a long, long flight to stew over it. That's because the Lions are headed across the pond to London for their next game, a clash with the Atlanta Falcons wherein the Falcons will be the symbolic home team. The NFL has sent teams over to England for a few years, but this is Detroit's first time being selected. The game also starts at 9:30 AM Eastern, so fans better get up early if they want to see the Lions try and win their sixth game.
The Falcons are currently at the inverse record wise, as they stand 2-5. Things have not been going well for them recently, as they have lost four in a row. Their two wins were an overtime win over the Saints team the Lions just beat and a thrashing of the brutal Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both of those games were at home. This game is only technically a "home game" for Atlanta. That does not bode well for them.
Atlanta is very much like the Saints team the Lions just faced. They have some offensive talent, at least when it comes to passing, but their defense is bad. Of course, New Orleans has a bad defense, and the Lions only scored 24 points on them. Calvin Johnson did not play in that game, but it feels unlikely he will play in this game either. After this, the Lions have a bye. They may choose to keep resting him. There is nobody to fear on the Falcons' defense, so hopefully Matthew Stafford and company are in for a big game. The potential is definitely there.
Detroit's defense had some issues against the Saints, but they were still good, and they should be able to have a good game here. There is nothing to fear from Atlanta's run game, as they don't have any good running backs. Antone Smith does bust out a big play every now and then, but that's about it. The Falcons do have a couple of notable receivers in Julio Jones and Roddy White. The Lions will need to focus on shutting them, and Matt Ryan, down. There are a couple of things in Detroit's favor in that regard. One is that Ryan tends to struggle on the road. Granted, most quarterbacks are better at home, but nevertheless that could be relevant here.
More relevant is how bad Atlanta's offensive line has been. They have major injury issues. Meanwhile, the Lions have been great at rushing the passer and getting in the backfield. If they do that here, and they very much should be able to do so, then the talent of Jones and White may not be relevant. The Lions barely eked out a win at home against a similarly talented, similar built team. Now they have to play in a neutral situation, and an unusual one at that. However, if they execute better than they did against New Orleans, they could earn their sixth win as they head into their bye.
For more Lions news and updates, visit Lions Central.
Chris Morgan has been a diehard Detroit Lions fan through the good (Barry Sanders) and the bad (Matt Millen) and that love has led him to take jobs writing about sports, including as a fantasy sports "expert." His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
