Week 10 Staff Predictions – Patriots at Lions
Germany week is here, and with it brings the Lions on a four-game tear and the Patriots on a four-game rough patch. Two teams heading in opposite directions, with a lot on the line for each in their quest to make the playoffs.
The matchup looks fairly even, with the Lions and Patriots both having the edge in some categories on offense, although a closer look shows its extra game of play for NE that is leading to many of those leads, which PPG averages favor the Lions. Defensively the Lions have been slowly improving their rankings, and they clearly are the superior team in pressuring the QB and getting home along with better run defense. Not ideal for a Patriots team down to their 3rd and 4th RB most likely.
The officiating will be with a crew the Lions have seen back in Week 4 in Clay Martin, who is in the bottom half of flags thrown, but have been above average against the Lions and again last week in their game with Dallas and Indy. You can never discount time change and travel and field conditions, but this feels like a game the Lions should win after the Pats were smoked by the Packers, barely beat the Dolphins and Jets in the last five weeks.
Last week we all rode the Honolulu Blue and Silver to victory, keeping the status quo at the top of the leaderboard. Chris (7-1) is leading still due to the closest to the pin total Lions points, but Dan and Brent (both 7-1 but 24+ pts behind) are close on his heels while Mike and Mickey are one game back at 6-2.
Even though this is Germany week, we all went with the Lions to beat the Pats by varying amounts of points. A few of us believe the Lions will win, but in a one-score game, while one thinks it will be a comfortable two-score victory and the last is projecting a big blowout. Guess which one is having the time of his life in Germany right now? LOL
Mickey
The last time the Lions took on the Pats was Week 5 of 2022 and it didn’t end well. 29-0 Patriots! After that game MCDC declared the team had “officially hit rock bottom” as they were 1-4. Since then, including the playoffs, the Lions are 52-23. The Pats are good against the run, so I don’t think Gibbs will go off on the ground. However, with play action and Christian Gonzalez chasing Amon-Ra around, Jamo should feast against DB’s that just can’t handle his speed. Look at the numbers the Packer WR’s put up last week - that was with play action being irrelevant. The Packers D picked off 3 Drake Maye passes. Their running back room is banged up, and Maye will probably be the leading rusher. The dual threat QB is always a challenge with the Lions man-to-man D, but I can see Rodrigo being great as a spy on Maye. Still Detroit prevails 20-10.
Lions 20, Patriots 10
Dan
In pure matchup, its looks like a good game with two teams that have above average offenses and defenses that are middle of the pack. However, the last four weeks tell a different stroy, with the Lions offense playing some of he best defeses in the NFL, and the Patriots struggling to put healthy bodies on the fiell as they navigate the NFC North opponents. Last week the Packers rolled the pats for 40+ and pretty much through over the top on them all game long. The Lions offense was stymied by a Jeff Hafley defense (again?) and had its third straight game of 19 or 20 pts, but all were wins.
Defensively the Lions are playing some of their best defense all year but will be without No 1 CB DJ Reed against AJ Brown who will likely be back from injury. But the DL is stout, and gets after the QB and will likely be going against a severely depleted OL and RB room for NE. NE will be a bit of a challenge, but they don't pressure or get the QB like MIN, GB and MIA do, so Goff ideally will have time to set his feet and have surgical strikes downfield all game long
I cannot discount the travel impact here, but feels like the Lions pull out another tight one, beating th Patriots by less than one score in a semi-defensive struggle.
Lions 21, Patriots 17
Brent
Lions and Patriots enter this game on different trajectories. Pats have lost 2 of 3 to the Packers and Bears while the Lions won their 4th in a row. The Pats are also down two, and potentially their top three offensive weapons while the Lions are in a decent place physically. With all of this, don't mistake the Pats motivation to end their losing ways. The Lions remain hot and defeat the Pats 35-17
Lions 35, Patriots 17
Mike
The Packers gave the Lions the game plan on how to beat the Pats last week. Throw the ball deep often and blitz Maye a lot!! This should play right into the Lions strengths. The Pats have a solid Pass Rush but the Lions have one of the best O-Lines in the game, this should give Jamo time to run down field and in turn give Goff the time to make the deep throws. The Pats are stout against the run ranking 8th in the NFL, but they have not faced Jamyr Gibbs yet. The Lions Defense will face a decent offense with DJ Reed more than likely still out. However, I think the front 4 can provide pressure all day and force Maye into a mistake or 2. It will be a close one.
Lions: 31, Patriots 24
Chris
Drake Maye leads the league with 11 interceptions, and New England has turned it over 19 times. That’s a lot of football to give away in a city that loves a good show. Our defense has been taking the ball away, too.
The Lions have 12 sacks over the last four games and at least one interception every week. I expect Maye to hand us one, even if DJ Reed is out. The Patriots’ secondary has also allowed 32 completions of 20-plus yards, second most in the NFL, so the big play is going to show up somewhere.
Here’s why it stays close. New England’s pass rush grades second-best in the league, Reed and Mays are out, and we’ve allowed the most passing yards per game this season. Both of their starting guards are on injured reserve and left tackle Will Campbell is questionable, which helps us, but it doesn’t win the game for us.
Goff makes enough throws, the defense makes the late stop again, and the Lions keep rolling for a 5th straight win. PROST!
Lions 27, Patriots 20
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