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It’s gotten a little too doom and gloomy around here. Sure, the Detroit Lions have lost two games in a row in convincing fashion. Sure, they traded away one of the best and most entertaining players away to a fellow NFC contender. Sure, the hardest part of their schedule is likely ahead of them, not behind them. So... wait, what was my point?
Oh, right. There may be a lot of reasons to be pessimistic right now, but what’s the fun in that? To be a Lions fan means to have endless hope, because without hope we’re just all a bunch of gluttons for punishment.
So while the matchup against the Chicago Bears looks daunting, let’s start the weekend right with a little bit of optimism. Today’s Question of the Day is:
Name three Lions players that could be in for a big game on Sunday.
My answers:
1. Ezekiel Ansah
Though Ansah still doesn’t have a full practice since his Week 1 injury, his return last week indicates he’s feeling better, and the man himself says he feels “amazing.” I think we see him carve out double the snaps he had last week (12) and possibly more. Ansah has a sack in four straight games, and I feel like we tend to forget how great of a player he can be when he’s healthy.
2. Damon Harrison Sr.
This is a slam dunk, because “Snacks” is already one of the most consistent Lions player on the roster. The run stuffer will be key in this game, and if he can slow Jordan Howard, it’ll put the pressure on Mitchell Trubisky to make plays with his arm. Trubisky has the potential to make the Lions pay—especially with Darius Slay out—but his inconsistencies could prove costly for the Bears, making Harrison’s contributions all that more important.
3. Michael Roberts
This Bears defense doesn’t have many vulnerabilities, but if there’s one place they could be beat, it’s in covering tight ends. Chicago’s secondary is very talented, but they only rank 19th in tight end coverage according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA. Sadly, the Lions are ill-equipped to take advantage of that weakness, but one potential candidate that could do is Michael Roberts. The young tight end has three touchdowns on the year in just five games played. I would not be surprised to see him find the end zone again on Sunday.
Your turn.