Rams at Detroit Lions: Who has the edge?
RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS
When: 5:20 p.m. Sunday
Where: Ford Field, Detroit
TV/Radio: NBC/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 226, 225
Line: Lions by 3.5
Notable injury designations
Rams: QUESTIONABLE: RT Rob Havenstein (ankle).
Lions: OUT: S Loren Strickland (thumb); DOUBTFUL: S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: DT D.J. Reader (quad).
What’s at stake? It’s a revenge game, the chance for the Rams to atone for a 24-23 loss to the Lions in the wild-card round of last season’s NFC playoffs. A chance for Rams QB Matthew Stafford to win in his former stadium, and for Jonah Jackson to win in his first game against his old team. Beyond that, with both these teams expected to vie for a playoff spot, this result could be important come January when it comes to tiebreakers.
Who’s better? The Lions won last year, and retained their coaching staff and key contributors while adding veterans like DT D.J. Reader to beef up the defensive line and reinforce Aidan Hutchinson. With the Rams’ loss of Aaron Donald and injuries on the offensive line and defense, the Lions get the nod.
Matchup to watch: Rams LBs vs. Lions RBs. In the playoffs, the Rams held the Lions to 79 yards rushing, the third-fewest amount for Detroit all season. But linebacker Ernest Jones IV, traded last week to Tennessee, played a big role in that with nine tackles and one for loss. The Lions’ rushing game is just as formidable this year with David Montgomery the steady veteran and Jahmyr Gibbs the dynamic second-year player. This will be a big, early test for Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder and the rest of the Rams’ linebackers.
Rams win if: They force two or more turnovers to stop the high-powered Lions offense. … They limit the Lions defense to two sacks and give Stafford time to operate in the pocket. … Nacua and Kupp combine for 200 yards receiving.
Fantasy sleeper: Rams TE Colby Parkinson could be a good streaming option. He’s been mostly a run blocker in his career to this point, but the Rams will utilize more of his pass-catching abilities this season.
Prediction: Lions 34, Rams 28.