Coming off an embarassing 9-0 home shutout at the hands of the Packers, the Jets are looking to bounce back strong against the Lions this week. However; this matchup has all the makings of a trap game, coming off a disappointing loss against a historically mediocre opponent. Let's get one thing straight, these Lions are nothing like the 2008 Lions, under second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford.
They rank 6th in the league in points per game (26.1)and 7th in passing yards per game, despite being without Stafford for several weeks. The matchup to watch this week is one of "strength on strength," the Jets best player, All-Pro cornerback, Darrelle Revis will be matched up against the 6"5, stud wide receiver, Calvin Johnson who has been dubbed "Megatron" by his teammates. A number of analysts expect Johnson's size to give Revis issues however; Revis' track record against tall recievers is impeccable, having shut-down the likes of Vincent Jackson (6"5), Andre Johnson (6"3), Terrell Owens (6"3), and Randy Moss (6"4).
Having said that, the Lions still have other weapons at their disposal including explosive rookie running back, Jahvid Best and former first round pick, tight end, Brandon Pettigrew. The Lions have played close games against virtually every team they have played, including a dramatic win against the Redskins last week. The Jets certaintly showed a fair amount of rust, at least on the offensive side of the ball, coming off the bye-week and are looking to secure wins each of the next two weeks against two very beatable teams before their schedule gets tougher beginning, with a match-up at home against the Texans. Despite the Lions offensive success, their defense has struggled to contain opponents this year, yielding 23.6 points per game and 130.4 yards per game on the ground.
The Jets should look to get back to their "bread and butter," running the ball right at the Lions' shoddy run defense, look for Shonn Greene to see an increase in touches this week. The Lions inability to stop the run will allow Mark Sanchez to execute the play-action with greater effectiveness, leaving him with opportunities to take some shots down-field. The weather will also not be an issue as the Lions play indoors at Ford Field allowing for a fast track and no Meadowlands-esque winds to disrupt the passing or kicking game. The Jets match-up extremely well on paper against the Lions and should be able to come away with the win with relative ease however; the beauty of this league is that there is no such thing as a "lock." I am not in the business of prognostication, having said that don't be surprised if the "Cardiac Cats" have Jets fans pulse's pounding this Sunday.
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