Why the Detroit Lions will beat the New York Giants
Here’s why I believe the Detroit Lions will defeat the New York Giants at home this Monday night in primetime.
The Detroit Lions had a big win last week against the visiting Arizona Cardinals in Week One, but on Monday Night head to New York to face Giants. The Giants are coming off a brutal beatdown at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, who absolutely smashed the Giants offense, 19-3.
Normally, facing a team coming off a loss in their home stadium spells trouble, but I’m leaning towards a Lions victory in this one. Here’s why:
Odell Beckham is Still Injured
The Giants biggest weapon is their star wide receiver, Odell Beckham, Jr. The talented player is nursing an injury. Beckham is supposed to be playing on Monday night. However, a sprained ankle is a tough recovery, especially for a guy who relies on burst and quickness as such a big part of his game.
Even if Beckham does play, I believe it won’t be at the high level that NFL fans are used to seeing from this star. The injury—even if it is mostly healed—makes Beckham a little bit less of a threat.
The Giant Defense, Yes…
New York’s defense can play with anyone, and with the Lions’ shoddy run game, they will be teeing off on quarterback Matthew Stafford on most downs. Stafford will need to take advantage of short, quick passes, and hope that his receivers can make plays, because the Giant defense is loaded. The Lions can’t afford to start offensively like they did last week, because points will be harder to come by this week.
The Giants Offense…Well…
Giants quarterback Eli Manning can still sling it, but he’s not terribly mobile. His best weapon is nicked up, too, as mentioned. The Lions proved they can bottle up a run game by keeping Arizona running back David Johnson under 30 yards rushing. Giants runner Paul Perkins and company won’t look so daunting.
The biggest issue the Giants have on offense, though, isn’t Beckham’s injury (provided he plays, that is), or their no-name running game. It’s the offensive line, pure and simple. Though the Lions didn’t rack up gaudy sack numbers against the Cardinals, the defensive front smashed the Cardinals all day.
I’d look for a similar performance, as the Giants O-line looked especially porous last week against the Cowboys. If the defense can keep Eli Manning moving his feet, that’s advantage: Lions.
Big Stage
The Lions have something to prove this year. Prognosticators around the league consistently put Detroit at the bottom of the NFC this year, and even with a beat-down of the Cardinals, aren’t getting respect. My bet is that Coach Jim Caldwell is using that lack of respect as fodder to keep his team hungry. Throw in that it’s a Monday Night game—the biggest stage of the regular season—and this young Lions team will be ready to pounce.
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Prediction
This won’t be a 30-point game for either team, but I think that the Lions have a little more offense than the G-Men. Provided the special teams improves even the slightest bit, and I have the Lions, 17-14.