Game day: How to watch and 3 things to watch for Lions vs. Jaguars
● When: Sunday, Nov. 17, 1:00 p.m.
● How to watch: CBS (Kevin Harlan/Trent Green/Melanie Collins
● How to listen: 97.1-FM The Ticket in Metro Detroit or any number of network affiliates around the state.
● Line: Lions -14
● Injury report: The Lions will be without tight end Sam LaPorta. He’s nursing a shoulder injury suffered in last week’s win over Houston.
Jacksonville will be without quarterback Trevor Lawrence and leading rusher Tank Bigsby.
● Officiating assignment: Scott Novak’s crew. His most recent Lions assignment was Week 11 of the 2023 season, when the Lions fended off the Bears at Ford Field, 31-26. The crew is among the lower half in penalty flags thrown this season, averaging 13.4 per game.
● Last meeting: Detroit throttled Jacksonville in Week 13 of the 2022 season, 40-14. Jared Goff completed 31-of-41 for 340 yards and two touchdowns to Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Coverage from the week
● Three and Out: Despite complicated cap situation, Carlton Davis worthy of extension consideration
● Lions film review: How the Texans frustrated the NFL's top-scoring offense
● Lions film review: Breaking down top performances from defensive-fueled win
● What happened to the Jaguars? From team on the rise back to NFL's cellar
● Sidelined by injury, Decker felt at fault for Lions’ struggles last week
● Where Detroit Lions' offense is thriving and could stand to improve at 2024 season's midpoint
● Coordinator recap: Fipp rants on PFF, Jamo and Houston draw praise and Bates' game-day demeanor
● Midseason review: Where Detroit Lions' defense is thriving and can still improve
● 6 thoughts to end the week: Why Lions and Jags hit diverging paths
● Lions' veterans extoll Aaron Glenn's wide-ranging strengths
Three things worth watching
● Welcome to the fold, Za’Darius Smith. The veteran edge rusher will make his Lions debut this week, stabilizing Detroit’s defensive front opposite Josh Paschal.
It might be impractical to expect Smith to roll right into playing his typical 30-40 snap workload, but anything he can provide the rotation should be a welcomed upgrade contrasted against the patchwork crew the team has utilized since Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury.
In nine games with the Cleveland Browns this season, Smith tallied 5.0 sacks and 27 quarterback pressures rushing opposite the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett. Smith has long been productive in this league, tallying at least 59 pressures in five of the past six seasons.
Smith’s 27 pressures in 2024 are more than double any active Detroit edge defender and only behind Alim McNeill’s 31, overall.
● The Jaguars are statistically the NFL’s worst pass defense, but they’ll held up OK against the run. They’re tied for tenth, allowing 4.3 yards per carry, and should provide a good challenge for a ground game looking to regroup after a season-worst showing against Houston last week.
Despite Jacksonville’s struggles defending the pass (106.2 passer rating against), it would be out of character for the Lions to come out the gate slinging it. They tried that strategy once this season, against Tampa Bay, and it went over poorly with the fan base because the out-of-character approach felt like a significant factor in the team’s lone loss.
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs started finding some success in the late stages against Houston last Sunday as the execution of the blocking tightened up. The Lions will look to build on that and get back to what they do best, wearing opponents down on the ground with their power-and-speed tandem.
● It’s been a strange season for All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has seen his per game production significantly dip, but his efficiency trend up. He remains the key cog in Detroit's passing game and figures to be even more critical in this one with Goff’s other security blanket, LaPorta, temporarily on the shelf.
Does that mean St. Brown’s first 100-yard game in a month is on deck? Not necessarily. But he will be looking to extend his franchise record with a receiving touchdown in eight consecutive games.
If St. Brown can find the painted grass on Sunday, he’ll become the fifth player since 2000 to catch a touchdown pass in eight straight, joining A.J. Green, Antonio Brown, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Davante Adams.
The longest streak in NFL history, not surprisingly, belongs to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. He scored in 13 straight between the 1986 and 1987 seasons, which included the first 12 games of the ‘87 campaign.
Multiple turnover day for the Jags O.
As good or as bad as the Jags have played, their 2-8 record speaks volumes. As does the Lion's 8-1 record despite how well or not they have played. Goff and company bag another one.