With the Detroit Lions’ margin for error gone in their playoff race, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the first team in their way between them and the postseason. If Detroit drops their home finale to the AFC foe, their playoff chances aren’t completely gone, but we’re talking about postseason odds in the single digits.
On paper, the Lions look like the more talented roster. They’ve got significantly better weapons on offense, and while things are probably more even on defense, the Steelers are missing some key players on that side of the ball.
Still, all it takes is one heroic performance by one or two players to turn the entire outcome of the game. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Steelers player is the biggest threat to a Lions victory?
My answer: Most Lions losses this year have one thing in common: the inability to run the football. The Lions have failed to reach 100 rushing yards five times this season, and they have lost each of those games. Their only time rushing for over 100 yards and still losing the game was Thanksgiving against the Packers, and even then, they needed a 24-yard scramble from Jared Goff to reach the century mark.
So, who is the biggest threat to Detroit’s run game struggling again this week?
That would be veteran defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. The 36-year-old interior defender is playing like someone a decade younger. He currently possesses the third-best PFF run defense grade among interior defenders (83.0), has seven tackles for loss, and is fourth among all defensive linemen in tackles that result in “stops”— a positive play for the defense.
His veteran experience could be a ton of trouble for Detroit’s inexperienced offensive line that is also going through several injuries. As of this publishing, it’s unclear who will be playing at left guard or center. It’s possible Christian Mahogany returns to play guard, but a downgrade to a limited practice on Friday suggests he may not be ready yet. If not, Detroit may have to rely on Trystan Colon or rookie Miles Frazier. At center, Graham Glasgow is questionable after missing the past two practices. If he can’t go, it’ll be Colon, Michael Niese, or possibly practice squad center Kingsley Eguakun—who has never started a game.
In most of these cases, we’re talking about players with single-digit starts working alongside offensive linemen for yet another combination of players who have limited reps with each other. That vs. a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro is a bit scary for Detroit.
Which Steelers player do you think is the biggest threat to a Lions victory? Scroll down and share your thoughts in the comment section.
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