Saturday open thread: Which Lions player needs a big game on Sunday vs. Steelers?

Detroit Lions gameday is just a single day away, and morale seems pretty low amongst the Lions fanbase. Not many are giving the Lions a chance to win against the Steelers this week, especially considering the Lions have a banged up offensive line and they’ll be without rookie receiver Kenny Golladay for the fourth straight game.

But “any given Sunday” holds true across the entire NFL and the Lions will, at least, have a rowdy crowd behind them and a primetime atmosphere to provide a boost.

That being said, they’ll need some truly amazing performances from some of their players if they want to have a chance to take down this AFC powerhouse. So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which Lions player needs to have a big game on Sunday if the Lions are going to beat the Steelers?

My answer: While the answer to this every week could be Matthew Stafford, I think the key this week is actually Ameer Abdullah. As pointed out in our Steelers On Paper preview, in Pittsburgh’s two losses, their defense was dominated in the running game. If Detroit can do the same, not only will it keep Steelers defenders off Stafford, but it will keep a dangerous Pittsburgh offense on the sidelines.

I don’t have a ton of faith that Detroit can get the running game going this week, as it hasn’t been effective all year. But if there’s a path to victory, that’s likely where it starts.

Your turn.