The Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints are kicking off Week 1 against one another, with plenty of storylines to watch around both NFC squads. New Orleans is seeking to get dominance over the NFC South again this season, while the Lions are looking to return to the postseason in a very contentious NFC North division.
Ahead of their clash, we'll lay out how to watch today's game, in addition to latest injury updates for both teams and a prediction for today's outcome.
Lions vs. Saints Week 1: How to watch, injury news, top storylines, prediction
How to watch
Where: Ford Field
When: Sunday, September 13, 1pm EST
TV/streaming: FOX, FOX One, Fubo, NFL Sunday Ticket, Hulu + Live TV
Injury news
For the Lions, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Ahmed Hassanein, Mekhi Wingo, Christian Izien, and Jimmy Rolder are inactive. Hassanein and Rakestraw are a bit surprising, but more so Hassanein who hadn't been dealing with any injuries prior to the teams' inactives report.
New Orleans will be without Alvin Kamara this afternoon after he'd been labeled questionable throughout the week, so Travis Etienne Jr. will be getting a big work load against the Lions' defensive line today. In addition to Kamara, Oscar Delp, Audric Estimé, and Cam Jordan will be out.
Top storylines
Detroit will be facing a big test against a strong New Orleans defensive line. Their new-look O-line, featuring a rookie in Blake Miller at right tackle and Penei Sewell at left tackle, will have their hands full even without Jordan available. This game might come down to how disruptive each teams' defensive lines can be, and if that disruption can force any turnovers
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The Lions are also going to be getting their first look at their secondary, which has been constructed a bit thinly. A good game could instill some much-needed confidence in their defense's ability to support their high-flying offense. A bad game might trigger an oversized reaction from fans that already feel like the team could do more to shore up their cornerback and safety room this year.
Prediction
We'll go with the Lions over the Saints in this game due to health (shocker!) and their offense. New Orleans has some real threats in their secondary, so it'll be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing adjusts to that challenge. But, the Lions have so many weapons for Jared Goff to choose from that it shouldn't be too big of a lift to figure out.
Jahmyr Gibbs will struggle in this contest because of how strong the Saints' defensive line is, but they'll still find offense in the air thanks to the speediness of Jameson Williams. Additionally, the Lions' run defense will force Tyler Shough to rely on his arm to get the Saints' offense going.
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