Patriots vs. Lions: Behind Enemy Lines; 5 Questions
FOXBORO — As Michael Corleone once told a beleaguered Frank Pentangeli in 1974’s The Godfather Part II, “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”
As the New England Patriots prepare to host the Detroit Lions for their ‘Throwback Sunday’ showdown at Gillette Stadium, John Maakaron of All Lions sat down with Patriots Country to provide a look behind enemy lines at New England’s Week 5 opponent, the Detroit Lions.
Maakaron had some interesting insight on how the Lions may approach what will be rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe’s first NFL start.
Q: How has Dan Campbell changed the culture in Detroit?
Maakaron: Dan Campbell is more respected in the Lions locker room and the players genuinely enjoy playing for him. He is a former player who lets the players showcase their true personalities, on and off the field. The team is currently in year two of a long-term rebuild and the offense has taken significant steps forward. In fact, Detroit featured the top scoring offense in the NFL. That is quite the turnaround in just 12 months. The run game is strong and the offensive line is a real strength of the team. I think Campbell has instilled a never quit mindset in this team, but it is now time to start to turn the page and win some of these close games.
Q: What has changed from 2021 to 2022 with regard to quarterback Jared Goff?
Maakaron: Goff and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have worked together to install an offense that plays to his strengths. In fact, they both have been willing to acknowledge they watched a significant amount of Goff's best years with the Rams in order to craft the current scheme in Detroit. Goff is taking advantage of a solid run game and is targeting his arsenal of wide receivers with a high rate of success. An aspect of his game that continues to haunt him is the costly interception at the worst time of the game. Through four games, Goff has tossed two pick-sixes. Several other passes could have been intercepted, but Goff was lucky the defenders have at times not been able to make the play.
Q: Will Jamaal Williams be able to carry the Lions running game without the presence of D’Andre Swift?
Maakaron: General manager Brad Holmes is building this team the right way, and that is in the trenches. There has been a commitment to investing in both the offensive and defensive lines. Last week, Williams had his longest career rush, a 51-yard scamper that resulted in a touchdown, cutting into the Seahawks lead. While Williams is not on the same level as Swift in the passing game, he has the ability to make defenders miss and secure a nice chunk of yards, if the offensive line does their job and opens holes.
Q: Is there a preferable ‘pick your poison’ for an opposing offense to exploit against the Lions defense?
Maakaron: The Lions defense is coming into Week 5 in complete disarray. As well as the offense has played, the defense has been simply atrocious. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn must find ways to simplify the scheme and calls in order to get his defense to play faster and to correct the constant miscommunication on the back end. I think the Patriots will take advantage of their strengths along the offensive line and will run the ball at a high clip. At the same time, the Patriots should periodically test the Lions secondary, as the team oftentimes struggles to effectively limit their opponents tight end and are prone to give up a big play due to constant miscommunication among the defensive backs.
Q: What is your prediction on how Sunday’s game plays out?
Maakaron: This is a must-win game for both teams. The Lions do not want to head into their bye week 1-4. Unfortunately, their defense continues to be a significant liability. Until the unit shows they can accomplish what the coaching staff is looking for, it is hard to predict a win on the road against a coaching staff with that much experience. I think the Patriots will have a difficult time stopping Detroit's offense, but will make the 1-2 key plays late in the game to send the Lions back to the Motor City with a loss. I think Bailey Zappe will not have to toss it much, as the run game will be quite effective for the Patriots in Week 5.
Maakaron’s Prediction: “I see the Patriots winning 27-24 at home.”
Kickoff for the Patriots and Lions is set for 1 p.m. from Gillette Stadium.
Patriots Country also provided insight on Sunday’s game for All Lions. The second part of this joint interview may be found here.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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