6 players who'll be biggest x-factors for Detroit Lions in Divisional Round vs. Buccaneers
The Detroit Lions won their first playoff game in 32 years last week against the Los Angeles Rams, and now they'll host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Round on Sunday with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line.
The Lions and Buccaneers played each other during the regular season, a 20-6 win for the Lions down in Tampa. It's also fair to say both teams are different than they were back in Week 6.
From the Detroit side of things, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, left guard Jonah Jackson and defensive back Brian Branch missed the regular season matchup. Running back David Montgomery also left that game early with a rib injury.
That loss put Tampa Bay on a bad track after a 3-1 start, but they rallied back late and they've won six of their last seven. In the first game against the Lions, they had a lot of near-misses in the passing game.
The Lions are 6.5-point favorites over at FanDuel Sportsbook, but there's an angle where this is the most competitive game of Divisional Round weekend. The Buccaneers certainly relish being the underdog, with quarterback Baker Mayfield carrying a chip on his shoulder as the primary fuel to his fire.
Here are the players who will be the biggest x-factors for the Lions in Sunday's game against the Buccaneers.