Roundtable: Lions Player to Watch Against Jaguars, Key to Win

Who is Lions player to watch against Jaguars?

Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (13). / Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions remain in first place in the NFC North division after a thrilling comeback win over the Houston Texans.

Detroit currently holds the top seed in the NFC with an 8-1 record. Currently, three NFC North teams remain in the playoff picture as both Minnesota and Green Bay would be in if the season ended today. Chicago, meanwhile, is in the midst of a three-game losing streak and has fallen below the .500 mark.

Here's a look at where each of the teams stand ahead of Week 11, with input from OnSI team publishers across the division.

Detroit Lions

Rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Player to watch: Za’Darius Smith is set to make his Lions debut on Sunday, which will add intrigue to the showdown with the Jaguars. While expectations have been tempered by the coaching staff, Smith is still expected to quickly become a valuable contributor on Detroit’s defensive line. Sunday will be the first chance for the home crowd to see what the team has in the 32-year-old edge rusher. 

Key to victory: The Lions can not allow the Jaguars to hang around. With Mac Jones set to start under center, there is a path for the Lions to win handily. Still, the Lions cannot let the talented weapons, such as Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas, to get going. If the Lions can stack up early scores and pair them with stops defensively, they have what it takes to win handily. — John Maakaron, Lions OnSI.

Minnesota Vikings

Week 11: Vikings at Titans ( 1 p.m. Sunday, Nissan Stadium)

Rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Player to Watch: Justin Jefferson. The Titans have one of the better defenses in the NFL and it won’t be a shock if they steal from the game plan Jacksonville employed to bracket and double Jefferson and Jordan Addison for all 42 minutes the Vikings had the ball last week. Jefferson was targeted nine times but finished with a season-low five receptions for 48 yards. We’ll see if the Vikings can scheme him open for more action against Tennessee. 

Key to Victory: Stop turning over the ball. Sam Darnold has been really accurate and efficient until he gets in the red zone. He’s been intercepted five times in the last two weeks, with three of those coming in the end zone. If Darnold hadn’t made critical mistakes in the red area, the Vikings likely would’ve blown out both Indy and Jacksonville and resembled the dominant team that started the season 5-0. — Joe Nelson, Vikings OnSI.

Green Bay Packers

Week 11: Packers at Bears (1 p.m. Sunday, Soldier Field)

Rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Player to Watch: Jordan Love threw five touchdown passes and zero interceptions in his two games against Chicago last year, picking up where Aaron Rodgers left off in his ownership of the longtime rivals. Love is the key to everything. He threw 15 touchdown passes but 10 interceptions during the first half of the season. Can he get back to how he played down the stretch last year, when he threw 18 touchdowns vs. just one interception during the final eight games?

Keys to Victory: Chicago gave up nine sacks in last week’s loss to New England. Green Bay’s defense has one sack in each of its last two games and traded Preston Smith at the deadline. This is the ultimate weakness-vs.-weakness matchup. Green Bay had better win it because the Bears, while they’ve struggled on offense during their three-game winning streak, have some premier playmakers at receiver with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. — Bill Huber, Packers OnSI.

Chicago Bears

Week 11: Bears vs. Packers (1 p.m. Sunday, Soldier Field)

Rankings: Lions, Vikings, Packers, Bears

Player to watch: RB D'Andre Swift. He hasn't had less than 51 yards rushing and has averaged 82 over the last six games and has 20 receptions yet every game it seemed former OC Shane Waldron hadn't relied on him enough to take pressure off of Caleb Williams and to set up the play-action game.  

Key to victory: Giving Caleb Williams options in the passing game. The Waldron attack went with two and three receivers much of the time, all running down the field somewhere. He wasn't about the short middle of the field or crossing routes in the middle of the field. A rookie QB needs those routes, the kind Keenan Allen can benefit from, as well. It's going to be up to new OC Thomas Brown to make changes within the passing attack to scheme players open or have safety valves available. — Gene Chamberlain, Bears OnSI.