Lions at Packers: Two poised for strong bounce-back
Following the Detroit Lions’ opening week loss, here are two poised for a bounce-back
The Detroit Lions are looking to bounce back from a regular-season opening loss against the Chicago Bears. And they’ll attempt to do so against another divisional foe in the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Against the Bears, the Lions’ offense was outpaced 21-10 in the second half of that contest. Here are two offensive weapons who are poised to have a much bigger impact against the Packers this Sunday.
D’Andre Swift, Running Back
What should have been a celebrated rookie debut became a nightmare for D’Andre Swift. Not only was the second-round running back limited to just three carries after struggling with a hip injury, but Swift dropped what was likely to be the game-winning touchdown pass in the endzone to seal the defeat.
The silver lining being the fact Swift was able to record his first NFL rushing touchdown despite racking up just eight yards total on the ground. Look for the Lions to increase the rookie’s opportunities in Week Two as he didn’t even appear on the injury report. And the best way for Swift to shake off his endgame miscue is to get his revenge against the Packers.
Marvin Jones Jr., Wide Receiver
Against the Green Bay defense in Week One, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen recorded six receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns. I can envision Marvin Jones Jr. posting a similar stat-line on Sunday. After all, this is a player who has recorded two touchdown performances in Lambeau Field twice before (2016, 2017).
In Week One, Jones caught just four passes for 55 yards against the Bears. The veteran was outpaced by a fifth-round rookie receiver, Quintez Cephus, who actually led the Lions with 10 targets from quarterback Matthew Stafford. Cephus would end up only bringing in three receptions for 43 yards.
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With Kenny Golladay out once again due to a hamstring injury, expect Stafford to target the more reliable Jones as long as the coverage is favorable. Although he’s unlikely to post a four-touchdown performance as he did against the Vikings last season, I believe it’s reasonable to believe Marvin Jones will record a much better stat-line then he did in the opener.