The Detroit Lions could see big performances from these three on Sunday
The Detroit Lions will return off their bye week to play the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road this Sunday in Florida. Having started the season 1-3, the Lions have a chance to get right against a struggling 1-4 Jags’ team.
In order to do so, Detroit will need some big performances from their key players. Here are three names we expect to hear a lot from in this Week Six matchup.
D’Andre Swift, RB
With starting running back Adrian Peterson suffering from an illness that forced him to miss practice on Thursday, the Lions could look to limit his carries against Jacksonville. That tees up nicely for his backups, Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift, considering the Jags’ defense gives up 136.6 yards on the ground per game.
Swift gets the nod here versus the Jaguars as the Lions allowed the rookie to play his most offensive snaps (23) against the New Orleans Saints in Week Four since his NFL debut. In turn, Johnson played his least amount of offensive snaps (11) on the season against New Orleans.
Kenny Golladay, WR
Since returning from a hamstring injury that forced him to miss Detroit’s first two games of the season, Kenny Golladay has been a difference-maker. Through two games, he’s recorded 10 receptions off 15 targets for 119 yards and posted scores in both contests.
Expect that scoring streak to continue against Jacksonville as they currently possess the 29th worst passing defense in the league, allowing opposing offenses to average 280.2 yards per game through the air. The Jags defense also allows nearly 30 points per game to be scored against them as well, which bodes well for quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Lions’ offense.
Romeo Okwara, DE
It appears the Lions’ 2018 sack leader is ramping up his play to threaten a repeat performance in 2020. Defensive end Romeo Okwara has posted sacks in back-to-back games and had a stellar outing against the Saints in Week Four.
Recording three total tackles, a sack, and a whopping four QB hits against New Orleans, Okwara appears poised to wreak havoc against a Jacksonville offensive line that has allowed quarterback
Gardner Minshew to be sacked 16 times, which is tied for the fourth-most in the NFL.