Lions Will Find It Hard To Rebound Against Defending AFC Champion Seahawks
By Danny Cox
In Week 3, the Detroit Lions took to primetime to take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, and it led to a third straight loss to start the season. Week 4 will bring another big primetime test as the Lions play on Monday Night Football and have to visit the defending AFC Champion Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle picked up their first win of the season on Sunday, and they're starting to look more like their old selves, but they could be without one big name and it may work to the Lions' advantage.
Season Record
The Seahawks are now 1-2 after shutting out the Chicago Bears 26-0 (sans Jay Cutler) on Sunday. An opening day loss to the St. Louis Rams and second week loss to the Green Bay Packers had people doubting this was the same team as last year's Super Bowl squad. Against the Bears, they certainly looked like it again.
Seattle Seahawks on Offense
Russell Wilson has a grip on the offense and is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league. He acquired a new target in All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham, who is just recently getting used to the Seahawks' offense, and that could spell trouble for the Lions.
One thing that could work to the Lions' advantage is if running back Marshawn Lynch can't play on Monday. He left the game on Sunday with a hamstring injury and head coach Pete Carroll said it shouldn't sideline him long. Still, if he can't play on Monday, that will be a huge danger the Lions don't have to worry about, but rookie Thomas Rawls and veteran Fred Jackson aren't bad replacements, either.
Seattle Seahawks on Defense
The Legion of Boom didn't quite look the same in the first two weeks of the season, and it's possibly because Kam Chancellor was still holding out from the team. Last week, he rejoined the team and it led to the Seahawks shutting out the Bears on Sunday. Sure, the team doesn't have have a single interception and only have six total sacks, but Chancellor's presence made a huge difference overall.
Seattle Seahawks's Players to Watch
Depending on who starts at running back, the Lions will need to keep their eyes on the offensive backfield, but the passing game is what's starting to get scary. Russell Wilson already had Doug Baldwin and Jermaie Kearse going smoothly, but Jimmy Graham had started to find his rhythm with the Seahawks, and that's not a good thing for opposing defenses.
Defensively, Stafford is going to have to keep his eyes on Chancellor and Richard Sherman, who will both have eyes and bodies on Calvin Johnson all night.
Outlook
Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions are barely at 0-3, but still a long way at being 3-0 or even at least 2-1. They have the talent and skill to beat any team in the NFL, and that includes the Seattle Seahawks, but a running game and full 60-minute defense needs to be found to avoid the 0-4 hole.
Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. Danny is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.