Lions vs. Seahawks NFL Week 8 Preview

After losing to the Chicago Bears in Monday Night Football, the Detroit Lions dropped to an unimpressive 2-4 record. The loss sends the Lions into last place in the NFC North division. After being a breakout team in 2011, the Lions now have become the target of many overrated reactions by NFL fans and analysts alike. The Lions look to get back on track at home against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The Lions lost 13-7 on Monday, but the score reflects a much closer game then what it was. The Lions were dominated in almost every aspect of the game. The positive of the game was the Lions defense finally showed up to play. A Bears team that had been crushing opponents scored a low 13 points against the Lions. The return of Louis Delmas at safety has helped the Lions defense and special teams.

In the game against the Seahawks, the Lions will be looking to slow down the rushing attack of Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks running back is averaging 93.1 yards a game. The Lions are giving up 108.8 rushing yards on average a game. This ranks the Lions 16^th in the league at stopping the run.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has been unimpressive so far, as the Seahawks rank 31^st in the league with 161.9 passing yards per game. Wilson can attack on the ground though, and has 119 rushing yards for the Seahawks. If the Lions can stop the run, they can force the rookie to throw the ball, which could lead to a couple turnovers to go in favor of the Lions.

The Lions have been struggling on offense lately, and lost one of their key players Monday night. Nate Burleson has been ruled out for the season with a leg injury. With Burleson out, the Lions who average 307 passing yards, will be looking for Ryan Broyles and Titus Young to step up. I wrote about Broyles having the history in college of being a big playmaker that can fit the Lions second or third receiver. The Lions also added four year veteran Brian Robiskie to fill Burleson’s roster spot.

One player who has not been struggling for the Lions is Jason Hanson. The long time veteran kicker is 16 for 17 in field goals on the 2012 season. Hanson has scored 59 of the Lions 133 points. Hanson is all but a guarantee when kicking in a dome, like the Lions home stadium Ford Field. If the game is close, Hanson could be the deciding factor.

Going against the Seahawks, the Lions offense will have a tougher time. The Seahawks defense ranks in the top ten in both pass defense (8^th) and rushing offense (6^th). For the Lions to win, they will need big contributions on special teams and defense to make up for any offensive struggles.