If the Detroit Lions are going to keep it rolling in Week 15, these players must play well against the New York Jets.
The Detroit Lions are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now, winning five of their last six games to land at 6-7 and in the NFC playoff mix. Week 15 is off to a nice start for the Lions’ playoff odds, with the San Francisco 49ers beating the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night.
But the Lions have to take care of their business too. The 7-6 New York Jets are trying to stay in the playoff race themselves, as the Lions visit MetLife Stadium for the second time this season on Sunday. If someone had told you before the season that Sunday’s game would carry playoff weight for one of the two teams, let alone both, you’d have called them crazy. But here we are.
The Lions, simply, have to keep winning games to keep their playoff odds afloat. The Jets are a tough team, crafted around a stout defense, so Sunday’s game will be a “heavyweight fight” like Dan Campbell called it.
If the Lions are going to keep the winning times rolling on Sunday, these three players have to play well against the Jets.
3 Detroit Lions who must play well against the New York Jets in Week 15
3. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jets’ cornerbacks Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and D.J. Reed have effectively locked down opposing outside receivers all season, and they are legitimately one of the best corner duos in the league. St. Brown primarily works out of the slot, so he’ll primarily go against Jets’ slot corner Michael Carter (not to be confused with the Jets running back who has the same name) on Sunday. As noted by Ben Raven of MLive, Gardner has only played eight snaps inside all season.
As Adham Beydoun of Woodward Sports opined below, it may be on St. Brown to “have a game” on Sunday.
Is Amon-Ra St. Brown the 'x-factor' for the Detroit Lions on Sunday? #OnePride
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) December 16, 2022
The Jets put plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, so there may simply not be time for Jared Goff to throw downfield regardless of the conditions at MetLife Stadium. St. Brown is in line for double-digit targets, which is a pretty typical day at the office for him anyway.
A big key for the Lions’ offense on Sunday will be sustaining/extending drives and cashing in red zone opportunities against a very tough defense. St. Brown will be vital to that idea, and unsurprisingly he has been money on third down all season.
2. CB Jeff Okudah
Okudah dealt with an illness all week leading into Week 14 against the Vikings, and it showed prominently on game day. He did have a couple nice plays in the run game, but he picked up a couple bad penalties and barely played after.
On Sunday Okudah will be tasked with covering Jets rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Wilson is having a nice debut season. But he has been particularly revived by the installation of Mike White as the Jets’ starting quarterback, with 19 catches (on 30 targets) for 335 yards and two touchdowns over the last three games.
Friday’s news White has not been cleared for contact as he deals with a rib issue and Zach Wilson will start under center for the Jets Sunday is bad news for Garrett Wilson, and good news for the Lions. But Okudah still needs to play well.
Okudah is a strong tackler, and he’ll need to be against Wilson, who is second among NFL wide receivers with 18 forced missed tackles this season (h/t to Lions Wire). Okudah has had a primary role in shutting down some prominent opposing receivers this season, and Wilson is next up.
Okudah’s illness seems to all the way behind him this week and he’s had an emergent season, becoming the Lions’ best cornerback as he leaves draft bust talk behind. He needs to perform like an all-around No. 1 corner on Sunday, or it might be a long day for the Lions’ secondary.
1. QB Jared Goff
Goff has been playing as well as any quarterback in the league during Detroit’s hot streak. But it’s worth noting the Lions’ last three games have been at home, and Goff’s home-road splits this season are striking in their contrast.
Home (eight games): 20 touchdowns, three interceptions, 277.1 passing yards per game, 106.9 passer rating
Road (five games): two touchdowns, four interceptions, 227 passing yards per game, 81.0 passer rating
It won’t be the kind of bad conditions it could be in New Jersey in mid-December on Sunday. But outdoors on the road has not been good for Goff, and beyond that it’s also a very tough matchup for him. In general, Sunday’s game against a tough Jets’ defense is lined up to be a reality check for the Lions’ offense.
After the game, the measure of how well Goff played on Sunday won’t be necessarily found in raw numbers. If he’s accurate (65 percent or better completion rate), he’s on the money with critical throws (third down, red zone, general chain-movers) and most importantly he avoids turnovers (at all, or at least in bunches like has happened to him sometimes), the Lions’ chances to win will be exponentially better.