The Detroit Lions look to get their first win as they take on the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.
Football fans are in for a treat this Sunday as the Chargers and Lions face off for only the 12th time ever. The Chargers may lead the series 7-4 in history, but both Matthew Stafford and Phillip Rivers have only faced each other twice in that span and they spilt the difference. The last time the teams faced was in 2015 when the Chargers walked away with the win of 33-28. The first time, Detroit dominated with a 38-10 win. This game will be the tiebreaker between two of the most consistent quarterbacks in the game right now. Ironically, both teams went into overtime with their respective Week 1 games but only the Chargers walked away with a win. The Lions walked finished with a tie.
Detroit opened their season against the Arizona Cardinals. What eventually proved to be a tough feat did not start out that way. The Cardinals went into the fourth quarter with only a couple of field goals on their side. Stafford threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns, utilizing rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson and veteran Danny Amendola. The two made up for 235 of Stafford’s passing yards and two of the touchdowns. Veterans Marvin Jones, Jr. and Kenny Golladay had relatively small roles in Week 1 and will likely have a small week again against a tough Chargers pass defense that held Indianapolis Colt T.Y. Hilton to two touchdowns. Their biggest obstacle will be their own defense, which blew an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Lions avoided injuries to players in Week 1 and have a relatively healthy team at this time.
The final weeks of the Chargers’ pre-season were surrounded by conversations about Melvin Gordon’s desire to be traded. Week 1 has come and gone though, and fans weren’t thinking about Gordon. They were thinking about Austin Ekeler. Ekeler was dominant in his battle against the Colts, not only as a rusher but as a receiver as well. On the ground, he had a mere 58 yards with a touchdown. In the air, in six receptions, Ekeler added another 97 yards and two touchdowns to his record for the evening. He should have similar success against a Lions defense that gave up an 18-point lead in the final quarter of their matchup against the Cardinals. Aside from Ekeler’s strong outing, veterans Keenan Allen and Phillip Rivers continued playing at their usual level of greatness which should match, if not succeed, Kyler Murray and Larry Fitzgerald’s performance against the Lions’ defense last week. The Chargers’ biggest obstacle will be their growing injury list with eight questionable players and one huge out in the shape of Hunter Henry with a tibia plateau fracture. Among the questionable are kicker Mike Badgley (groin) and wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) who did not practice Wednesday.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, September 15, 2019
Start Time: 1:00pm EST
Location: Detroit, MI
Stadium: Ford Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Prediction
This game will be won or lost on the defensive side of the ball. While Stafford has multiple weapons to catch or run the ball, Rivers is quickly running out of targets. Both defenses lost traction as their Week 1 games went on. Whichever defense can make it through the fourth quarter will walk away with the W. Rivers has a stronger defense so, despite Stafford’s many weapons, the Chargers will narrowly take the win.
Final Score: Chargers 20, Lions 17
