Jets vs. Lions: Preview, score prediction and more for Week 1
The New York Jets take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Week 1 of the 2018 NFL season in the first leg of a Monday Night Football doublheader.
The 2018 season is about to begin for the Detroit Lions and New York Jets. The storyline for this game is clearly Sam Darnold and his first real game under the lights. We will get to see if what we saw in the preseason was real or a product of the preseason.
However, there’s another big-time rookie in this game, and he’s not a player. For the first time when it counts, Matt Patricia will be manning the sidelines as the head man for the Lions. We’ll get to see the coach match wits with the young quarterback.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that Jermaine Kearse will miss the game due to a medical procedure on his abdomen. Even though there is nothing official from the Jets, yet, that would be a small blow to the Jets, but it would give Terrelle Pryor and added role in the game.
The fact that the Jets have depth at the wide receiver position should create some matchup issues for the Lions. Robby Anderson can take the top off the defense deep, and Pryor and Quincy Enunwa are big players who can create separation.
There are three pieces to watch for the Lions on defense. Darius Slay and Glover Quin will provide good coverage for this team, and Ziggy Ansah will be the one to set the edge. The Jets will have to double-team Ansah when they can, because they need to keep Darnold as clean as possible. Darnold had a huge drop off in passer rating and adjusted completion percentage (per Pro Football Focus — Subscription Required) when he was under pressure.
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The Jets defense had trouble getting to the quarterback in the preseason. However, they showed a bend but don’t break mentality, and that will carryover into at least this game. The Jets will have too many weapons on offense for the Lions to overcome.
Final Score: New York Jets 31, Detroit Lions 21
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