Opponent Profile: Lions Face Bills Team On A Downturn
By Chris Morgan
The Detroit Lions, who are now 3-1, are undefeated at home, and just scored their first road win. Their defense has been strong, their offense has had its moments, and now they head back home to play the Buffalo Bills. If Detroit can win this game, the Lions have the chance to get off to a real strong start, especially since they already sit atop the NFC North with a win over the Green Bay Packers.
The Bills made a bit of noise to start the year. They won their first two games, including a road win in overtime against the Chicago Bears. However, they have now lost their last two games, and just got beat by the Houston Texans, who only won two games last year. Now, they are a better team this year, but questions are starting to arise about the Bills. This all starts with their man under center.
EJ Manuel was a first round pick last year, and so far, he has not really earned that distinction. Even in Buffalo's two wins, he hasn't played terribly well, and he only has five passing touchdowns to three interceptions. The Bills are one of the worst passing offenses in the league so far, while the Lions have been surprisingly good against the pass thus far. However, Manuel's lousy season to the point is irrelevant, because Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone has announced that Kyle Orton will start in his place against the Lions. Orton is a capable, decent quarterback, but not somebody to fear from a Detroit perspective. In fact, in terms of yards per game, the Lions have been better against the pass than the run thus far. This is mildly concerning. Detroit lost middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch against the Packers, and they actually let the Jets run reasonably well. Buffalo has better running backs in C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson.
Meanwhile, for the second week in a row, the Lions face a team with a tough rush defense. That's not good for Reggie Bush and Joique Bell, although they both did reasonably well against the Jets. Fortunately for Detroit, Buffalo has struggled against the pass to a degree. The health of LaAdrian Waddle will be important, because the Lions have struggled against the pass rush without him, but that didn't stop Matthew Stafford from having a big game against the Jets. Calvin Johnson was banged up against New York, and his being healthy is important. Although, Golden Tate stepped into that void against the Jets.
This matchup is fairly similar to what the Lions faced against the Jets. The Bills have a questionable quarterback, a couple good running backs, and a strong run defense with concerns against the pass. Detroit was able to beat the Jets on the road. Buffalo is probably a slightly better team than the Jets. However, the Lions should be healthier, and better prepared to play without Tulloch, and they have the home field advantage too. If the Lions put pressure on Orton and try and make him beat them, and get to take advantage of a healthy Megatron, they should be able to score another win.
For more Lions news and updates, visit Lions Central.
Chris Morgan has been a diehard Detroit Lions fan through the good (Barry Sanders) and the bad (Matt Millen) and that love has led him to take jobs writing about sports, including as a fantasy sports "expert." His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
