Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons: 3 things to watch for
By Jacob Cox
Here are three things to watch for as the Detroit Lions take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week Seven
The Detroit Lions (2-3) go on the road to take on the Atlanta Falcons (1-5). The Falcons are coming off their first win of the season a week ago. Both teams aim to make it two in a row this Sunday, but only one will prevail.
As the Lions prepare for the Week Seven matchup in Georgia, here are three things I believe fans of the Pride should watch for on Sunday.
1. The Detroit Lions’ Pass Rush
The Lions’ pass rush has been noted as one of the leagues worst and it has been one of the reasons fans don’t want head coach Matt Patricia around anymore. With all of the so called talent Detroit has acquired on the defensive line via draft or free agency, for it to be this bad, is unacceptable.
But last Sunday in Jacksonville, the pass rush was getting there. The Lions didn’t rack up the sack numbers (1.0 team sack), but the defensive line was forcing Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew to get rid of the ball quickly which forced some bad throws.
The pressure numbers were up as the Lions recorded a total of eight quarterback hits and really disrupted the Jaguars’ offense. It was the first time this season where we saw that from this defensive unit. If Detroit could continue to put pressure in the backfield against the Falcons, it will give the Lions a much-better chance of winning.
2. D’Andre Swift, Running Back
Against the Jaguars, rookie running back and second-round pick, D’Andre Swift, finally showed us what he’s all about. He had 14 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns in Jacksonville.
Swift is a must watch against the Falcons not only to see if he will have another great game, but to really see how the offense uses him. It is clear he has the hot hand right now, so the Lions must keep feeding him, right?
The start of this game might tell us how the coaching staff really thinks of Swift. If the rookie is getting the bulk of the workload early on and is being productive, the team may have found their running back of the future.
3. Jeffrey Okudah, Cornerback
Cornerback Jeff Okudah, in my opinion, has only gotten better since he made his first appearance back in Week Two. But Okudah still doesn’t look how the third-overall pick should look.
Related Story. Lions at Falcons: 3 players who need to step up in Atlanta. light
This week, facing Falcons’ quarterback Matt Ryan, is a huge opportunity for Jeff Okudah to step up and solidify himself as being worth his draft status. While fans should keep an eye on the rookie defender, I don’t think he’ll be that hard to find as I expect Ryan to attack his side of the field all game long.