Joe Thomas predicts Detroit Lions double-digit loss to Saints

Hot off their first victory, Joe Thomas believes the Detroit Lions will lose big to the Saints

Following an 0-2 start to the season, many fans of the Detroit Lions were calling for the jobs of both general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia. After all, the duo has only been able to register a total of nine wins out of 34 games together.

But Detroit was able to eke out a victory last Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals on a walk-off field goal by kicker Matt Prater. In fact, the team needed all four of Prater’s field goals to defeat the Cards, 26-23.

And while no one is ready to hand the Lions the Lombardi Trophy quite yet, the lava that makes up the hot seats for both Quinn and Patrica has cooled slightly. This is to be expected after Detroit was able to get their first win of the season, something that was speculated might not happen until as late as Week 10 due to their schedule of upcoming opponents.

But according to one NFL insider, the Lions’ post-victory euphoria will be short-lived. NFL Network analyst Joe Thomas made the bold prediction that Detroit will get beat soundly by the struggling 1-2 New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Here’s what Thomas had to say via NFL.com …

"“The New Orleans Saints (1-2) will rebound from their sluggish start by beating the Detroit Lions by double digits. Drew Brees gets back to his old form, throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns with zero INTs.”"

If the Saints do beat the Lions, they’ll have to do so with a number of key starters already designated as out for the contest according to the team’s final injury report of Friday. New Orleans will be without wide receiver Michael Thomas (ankle) and cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) for the matchup.

As for Brees finding success against the Lions’ secondary, it’s certainly possible. Detroit’s backfield has struggled to find consistency. And that’s mainly due to injury and inexperience.

Starting cornerback Desmond Trufant suffered a hamstring injury in Week One and is questionable to play the Saints this Sunday. Trufant was able to be a limited participant in all three practice sessions this week.

After a tough debut, 2020 first-round selection and cornerback Jeff Okudah was able to get the first interception of his NFL career last Sunday against the Cardinals. In fact, this defense registered three picks total. Those early takeaways bode well for a defense that tied for a league-low seven total interceptions in 2019.