The Detroit Lions are just a few days out from their Monday Night Football matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is the teams' third match against the NFC South powerhouse since 2023, and they currently hold a 2-1 advantage over Tampa Bay over that span of time.
Detroit might be suffering through quite the injury explosion right now, especially in their secondary, but they're at least getting back a huge piece of their defensive line in Alim McNeill for Week 7. His run stopping and ability to get to the passer will be big against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers' run game. However, Tampa Bay will be without key RB Bucky Irving.
Injuries have mounted a bit for the Buccaneers, as well. Mike Evans has only just returned to practice this week, and it's unclear if he's suiting up for Week 7. Emeka Egbuka is also banged up, while Chris Godwin is doubtful for the contest.
There are still plenty of star-powered matchups to watch out for in this contest, although they may not be between who you'd initially think.
3 exciting matchups between Lions and Buccaneers ahead of Week 7 showdown
Alim McNeill vs. Buccaneers IOL
It's unclear if McNeill is going to get a start in this one or if he'll just be trading snaps with Tyleik Williams, but we know for sure that he's "frickin' playing," as confirmed by head coach Dan Campbell. Tampa Bay's offensive line is anchored by tackle Tristan Wirfs, but they've overall been one of the weaker teams in the NFL at pass blocking - ranking 23rd overall in that metric, per ESPN.
Their run blocking is ranked 17th, though, which is where McNeill can plug some holes for Detroit. McNeill was not only one of the teams' best run stoppers last season, but was one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the NFL overall: he ranked 14th in the league in 2024, also per ESPN.
Jared Goff vs. Baker Mayfield
This one is a no-brainer. Mayfield and Goff are somewhat cut from the same cloth in their NFL careers. Mayfield was given up on by the Cleveland Browns, then the Carolina Panthers. He landed with the Buccaneers as a bit of a reclamation project, but has firmly cemented himself as a frontrunner for the MVP award for 2025.
Goff was given up on by the Los Angeles Rams, famously landing in Detroit in a trade many thought would be the death knell for Campbell's tenure with the squad. Instead, he has flourished under his leadership, and he's once again on a mission to get the Lions into the postseason.
As of now, Mayfield's got 1,539 passing yards (4th in the NFL), a 12:1 TD:INT ratio, and a passer rating of 108.5. Goff, on the flip side, has sort of lost momentum after a hot start to the season. Still, he's picked up 1,390 passing yards, a league-high 14 touchdowns, and just two picks. He's also got a passer rating of 120.6.
Mayfield feels indestructible and un-tackle-able, whereas Goff is indestructible but very, very stoppable. But, both are dogged competitors and tough as nails, and they should be putting on quite the show in primetime.
Jahmyr Gibbs & David Montgomery vs. Haason Reddick & Yaya Diaby
Detroit isn't shying away from utilizing their run game any time soon. Despite struggles in Week 6 for Jahmyr Gibbs, it sounds like Campbell is fine continuing to let that dictate the rest of their offense. The biggest challenge for the Lions this week will be finding ways to get Gibbs and David Montgomery loose against top run stopping defenders in Haason Reddick and Yaya Diaby.
Reddick and Diaby are some of the best edge rushing run stoppers in the NFL, as both have 20 wins a piece in run stop rush win rate within that positional group.
With some question marks surrounding the health of the Lions O-line headed into this contest, especially around Taylor Decker, it's going to be huge if Gibbs and Montgomery can wear these two down throughout the evening.