FanPost

Lions vs Jets: My five keys

This is a big game. A very big game and will be played in front of an undoubtedly sold out crowd at Ford Field. The Lions, to me and many of us other fans, are right there. We shouldn't have to keep winning games that everybody expects us to win. We need to start going toe-to-toe with 'elite' teams, and here is our first major 'elite' team on schedule. The Jets seem to have it all....big names galore on both sides of the ball....a ferocious defense, and an underrated offense. So far this season, at 5-2, they have lived up to to the hype. They are just coming off of a brutal 9-0 defeat at the hands of Green Bay, and are going to be very angry when they march onto Ford Field.

The Lions are coming off of their 37-25 (which should have been a Lions blowout win, in my honest opinion) win at home against much maligned Washington. The main thing here is that the Lions maintain this momentum into this epic battle coming to Detroit in six days. That being said, here are my five keys for the Lions/Jets game.

1.) Lions D-line vs. Jets O-line. Let's face it, the Jets have one nasty offensive line. The Lions are really going to have to come together and get after Mark Sanchez, because he's prone to making mistakes when under duress. I expect a lot of blitzing, but these guys really need to play well in order to have any chance at the Lions gaining the upper hand in this game. I think this is THE most important matchup of the day. Getting after Sanchez and forcing turnovers and limiting big plays.

2.) Lions WRs vs Jets Secondary. (Darrelle Revis vs Calvin Johnson in particular). Matthew Stafford must be on target because Revis and Antonio Cromartie can really hurt you if you're not on target. The Revis/Megatron battle is far and away going to be the most hyped and talked about battle of the week. The receivers, TEs, and RBs really are going to be a big factor in getting downfield. Ball security is a must (I'm looking your way, Nate Burleson).

3.) Lions LBs vs Jets RBs. Linebacker has been a big problem area for the Lions this year. Hopefully, DeAndre Levy has his injury issues behind him and is back to form. This unit really has to come together and not only contain a very good Jets rushing attack led by a revived LaDanian Tomlinson, Shonn Greene, and Tony Richardson who is among the best fullbacks in the league, but blitz and help put pressure on Sanchez. Very important matchup here.

4.) Lions O-Line vs Jets front seven. Expect Rex Ryan to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Stafford, so this unit must play well. Also expect a lot of max-protect and two tight end sets to help keep the flies off of Stafford. The Jets are a very difficult team to run against, so look for the check downs and screen passes to move the ball primarily. The Lions O-Line, in my opinion, has held together rather nicely this year and has been doing a very good job. This is going to be their ultimate test so far this season. Calvin Pace, David Harris, Bart Scott, Bryan Thomas and Jason Taylor make up one of the premier LB corps in the league and are going to be out for blood. Shaun Ellis, Sione Pouha, and Mike DeVito make up a very beefy interior line.

5.) Limiting mistakes. The Lions lead the league in penalties, and it has cost us at least a few games. The vast majority of these calls have simply been boneheaded plays and they HAVE to be limited in order to have a chance in this game. It seems as if every time I turn around there seems to be Lion penalty and its wiping out a score or big game. This HAS to stop. Smart, tough play and this will be one game to watch.

Prediction: Jets 21-Lions 10

What do you guys think?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pride Of Detroit or its writers.