Pride of Detroit
The Lions have now dropped three of their last five games—more than they lost in the entire 2024 regular season—after hitting an unwelcome rock bottom on offense against the Eagles, producing their first single-digit performance (9 points) since that forgettable Week 7, 2023 loss to the Ravens. Sitting third in the NFC North, Detroit once again finds itself—much like in the Commanders matchup—as a hefty favorite against a backup quarterback in what feels like a must-have bounce-back opportunity.
Dan Campbell faces the franchise that drafted him and with whom he spent his first four NFL seasons—though he’ll do so without former coaching partner Brian Daboll, now replaced on an interim basis by Mike Kafka. Kafka’s presence is only one piece of the Giants’ offensive churn in a tumultuous season. Russell Wilson torpedoed his own starting gig, rookie spark plug Jaxson Dart remains out with a concussion, and both enigmatic, tornado-in-a-trailer-park running back Cam Skattebo and second-year star receiver Malik Nabers are lost for the season. After finally piecing together a competent offensive line for the first time in over a decade, New York’s skill talent has dropped like flies. Because of this upheaval, this preview leans more toward the opposite side of the ball—where the Giants field the second-most expensive defense in football.
Campbell and several other members of the Lions have emphasized this week that the Giants are better than their 2–9 record suggests. They were particularly frisky in Dart’s starts and sit at 1–4 in one-score games, with late-game collapses against the Cowboys, Broncos, and Bears, plus last week’s loss to the Packers after leading 20–19 midway through the fourth. Detroit will need to fight for a full 60 minutes while continuing to recalibrate an offense still adjusting to life without its usual dominant offensive line or Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta.
This preview dives into five key statistical matchups as the Lions begin a stretch of three games in 18 days, entering Week 12 on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics are sourced from NFL Pro, TruMedia, FTN Fantasy, or Pro Football Reference—excluding garbage time.
Road To Victory
The Lions offense, driven so heavily by its ground game, has been far more volatile this year than it was over the previous two seasons. Detroit’s offensive line hasn’t consistently controlled the point of attack, climbed to the second level, or carved out clean lanes for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery against the Packers, Chiefs, Vikings, or Eagles. In losses, the Lions are stumbling to just 3.3 yards per rush, a 40.7% rushing success rate, and a 3.5% explosive run rate — the worst yards-per-carry figure of any team in the league in defeats. In contrast, in wins, the rushing offense averages 5.2 yards per rush, a 44.6% success rate, and an 8.2% explosive run rate, showing a clear separation in performance. When the run game fires, the offense hums. When it doesn’t, everything clogs.
Regardless of opponent, Detroit needs...
