Lions vs. Giants Week 8 Scouting Report: Youth movement in New York

When the Lions have the ball

It’s hard to fault the Lions’ offense when examining their three-game skid. They have averaged nearly 400 yards and over 27 points per game and have turned the ball over just three times during that span, but it hasn’t been enough. However, they could have similar success this week against a struggling Giants defense that gives up the fifth-most yards and the sixth most points per outing in the NFL.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is in the throes of a fine season, and he has adapted to offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s scheme with aplomb. He rekindled his connection with receiver Marvin Jones last week to the tune of four touchdowns, each in the red zone. Against a less-than-stellar Giants secondary – none of their qualifying cornerbacks rank higher than 67th according to Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) player grading system – the Lions should have little trouble throwing the ball.

In the wake of Johnson’s unfortunate knee injury, the Lions are forced to go back to the drawing board in the offensive backfield. While this is a seemingly endless pattern for Detroit in recent years, they have no time for self-pity, as their nondescript group of backups will be tasked with improving their 3.8 yards per rush average.

Much like the Lions, the Giants have struggled to defend the run this year, so this could be a good opportunity to attack on the ground. New York spent a first-round draft pick this year on hulking defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and he and co-tackle B.J. Hill are a handful at the point of attack. The Lions will likely look to bounce their tailbacks outside and take advantage of the Giants’ questionable group of edge defenders when looking to pick up yards on the turf.

In a resurgent season, outside linebacker Markus Golden leads New York with 5.0 sacks. The Lions’ pass protection has dipped slightly during their skid, with nine sacks surrendered during that time. They have also struggled when assigning only tight ends to slow down edge rushers, so look for extra attention to be paid to Golden should he become a problem.