Predicting which Detroit Lions players could be in for a big game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Detroit Lions are predicted to be big winners in Week 11. They’re currently 13.5-point favorites over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it’s easy to see why. Not only is this a matchup between an 8-1 Lions team and a 2-8 Jaguars team, but there are some matchups that seriously tilt in Detroit’s favor. For example, the Lions rank third in passer rating (106.7) while the Jaguars pass defense ranks 32nd in passer rating allowed (106.2).
Could that mean a huge bounceback game for Jared Goff after his five-interception performance last week? Is Jameson Williams in for a huge game, as our own Brandon Knapp predicted earlier in the week?
Or is the Lions’ defense in for a big game? The Jaguars are going to be without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and their No. 1 running back Tank Bigsby. Is Detroit’s ball-hawking secondary going to come up big with a couple of turnovers? Could Za’Darius Smith make a huge debut after being traded to the Lions last week?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions player is in for a big game against the Jaguars?
My answer: I’m going to go with Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. While the Jaguars have a respectable run defense—ranking 10th in yards per carry allowed (4.3) and 12th in run defense DVOA—I think this could be the game where Gibbs breaks out as a receiver.
The Jaguars play a ton of man coverage, which could mean seeing Gibbs lined up one-on-one with a linebacker. How has that worked out for the Jaguars so far this season? Not particularly well. They rank 27th in DVOA given up to running backs in the passing game and allowed the fourth-most yardage in the receiving game to running backs (46.3 yards per game).
This season, the Lions rank eighth in the NFL in receiving yards by running backs (44.9 YPG) and Gibbs has exactly half of Detroit’s output (22.4 YPD). While that production has been relatively low as of late (four catches, 54 yards in the last three games), I think this could be a breakout game for him. Detroit has been wanting to get him involved in the passing game more for a while, and this is the matchup to try it out more.
Gibbs’ most receiving yards in an NFL game is just 59. Don’t be surprised if he sets a new career high on Sunday.
Who do you think could be in for a breakout game against the Jaguars? Scroll down to the bottom of the page and sound off in the comment section.
