ALLEN PARK — No excuses for the Lions coming off a loss. They’ve watched the tape, learned their lessons, now it’s time to put them to work.
The Atlanta Falcons (2-0) visit Ford Field at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
“We know the opponent coming in, this is a physical, violent team coming off two wins, playing pretty good football right now,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “Certainly we’ve got our hands full, we have to be on top of our game to try to get a win here at home.’’
The loss to the Seahawks took a toll on the Lions physically. A handful of starters could be sidelined. Time for the next man up.
Five things to watch:
1. Stopping the Falcons’ dual-pronged run attack — Campbell expects them to run at least 30 times — will be key. In the first two games Detroit has allowed 85 rushing yards per game which ties them for eighth in the NFL. But they haven’t faced Falcons’ running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Robinson has 180 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards in the first two games. It’s not a one-man show. “Now that guy (Allegeier), he’s about running through your face,’’ Campbell said. And so, it’s a one-two punch, totally two different styles and we’ve got to be ready to adapt quickly with the way they do it.’’
2. On the opposite end, the Lions offense must generate more of a rushing offense than in the first two weeks when they’ve averaged 110 rushing yards per game which is in the middle of the pack. Of the Lions five offensive touchdowns, two have come on the ground by back David Montgomery who is doubtful with a thigh bruise. Look for rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has 14 carries in the first two games, to pick up many more reps. “He’s not a fragile back. … He’s a rookie, he’s learning, he’s gotten better every week, he’s gotten better every game and he’ll continue to get better the more reps he gets,’’ Campbell said. Look for more touches for running back Craig Reynolds and, perhaps, fullback Jason Cabinda.
3. Turnovers were the story in the overtime loss to Seattle. The Lions offense had two critical errors — an interception thrown by Jared Goff and a fumble by Montgomery. Another fumble as the clock ran out at the half made no difference. At the same time, the defense has just one takeaway — an interception by Brian Branch — in the first two games. It’s a situation that must change if the Lions want to give themselves a chance.
4. The pass rush has been an issue, While there was some pressure put on Seattle’s Geno Smith, he was sacked just once. In Week 1, Patrick Mahomes was not sacked. “We’ve got to do a better job with our pass rush and that’s us as coaches trying to scheme guys into doing things,’’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “That’s players also, just executing their job, so that’s one thing that we have to get better at and also, when you look at the pass defense, man you’ve just got to win and we’ve got to make sure we put guys in positions to win.”
5. Take advantage of the home crowd. Ford Field was electric on Sunday and would expect the same this week. Players and coaches noticed, and they were appreciative. Cornerback Cam Sutton said they need that same noise factor in every game at Ford Field this season. Got that?
INJURIES
OUT: LT Taylor Decker (ankle), S Kerby Joseph (hip), CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee/hamstring), RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee).
DOUBTFUL: RB David Montgomery (thigh).
QUESTIONABLE: WR Josh Reynolds (groin) and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (toe).
PREDICTION: Lions 24, Falcons 21. Detroit plays well with its back against the wall. Even with injuries expect to see resilience and a home win.
Lions Lowdown 