3 Lions That Must Shine to Win against Washington Football Team

Read more on who must perform well this week in order for the Detroit Lions to defeat the Washington Football Team

In order for the Detroit Lions to leave Ford Field with a victory on Sunday, these three members of the Detroit Lions' roster must play at a high level.

1.) Kicker Matt Prater

Prater has now totaled six missed field goals in 2020, which is second-most in the NFL. 

“I would say Prater’s probably his own harshest critic. So, I guess he’s upset with himself. Would be the best way to say it. But, at the same time, not something we’re going to dwell on. Like I said last week, you don’t get to go back and get a do-over. So, it’s really just kind of move on and get on to the next day and the next week. You just get back to work. You know, I certainly don’t feel differently about Prater than I did two weeks ago, six weeks ago, whatever," special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs said this week. 

In Week 10 against Washington who features a solid pass defense, Detroit will need to rely on Prater to have a bounce-back game.

If Prater excels, look for Detroit to pull off the victory. 

© Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

2.) Running back D'Andre Swift

Washington features a middle of the road run defense. Compared to their stellar pass defense, Detroit must feed Swift the football early and often in this contest.

Jack Del Rio's defense is allowing 4.3 yards per carry for the season, which ranks 13th in the NFL.

With the loss of wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who will miss his second consecutive game with a hip injury, Swift can aid an offense looking to control the clock and taking some pressure off of Matthew Stafford. 

© Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

3.) Linebacker Jamie Collins

Detroit needs a leader to step up on defense now that defensive end Trey Flowers is on the short-term injured reserve list. 

Collins understands what head coach Matt Patricia is trying to accomplish on defense more than anybody on the roster. 

Against the run, Collins must aid in the pursuit and limit tackling errors. 

Detroit's run defense has been spotty at best, but a solid performance at Ford Field on Sunday can help Detroit inch closer to the .500 mark. 

If Collins has a subpar performance, Detroit's defense will be in for a long afternoon. 

More from SI All Lions:

Predictions: Washington Football Team-Lions

A Loss at Home to Washington Could Seal Matt Patricia's Fate

5 Questions with Chris Russell of SI Washington Football

3 Midseason Takeaways from Lions' 2020 Season

5 Players Lions Should Target in 2021 NFL Draft

Whitmer, Tapper, Traina Take Aim at Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving

Get the latest Detroit Lions news by joining our community. Click "Follow" at the top right of our SI All Lions page. Mobile users click the notification bell. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @DetroitPodcast.