Detroit Lions vs. New York Jets first half open thread

The Detroit Lions (6-7) and New York Jets (7-6) both absolutely need this game. Both teams are on the outside looking in for their perspective conference’s playoff picture, but a win would catapult their postseason odds into a very realistic territory. Per FiveThirtyEight’s playoff probability model, the Lions’ playoff chances would jump to 40 percent with a win, while the Jets’ odds would move to 48 percent with a win.

In a lot of ways, these teams are similar. They’re both in Year 2 under a new head coach. They’re both being carried by young players on both sides of the ball. But where they truly differ is their strengths. Detroit is carried by an offense that is currently ranked fifth in scoring. New York is bolstered by a defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest points in the NFL. Those two units will face off on Sunday night for one of the most intriguing matchups in Week 15.

Hang out with us during the first two-quarters of the game, and share your thoughts and observations in the comment section below. When the game moves over into the third quarter, be on the lookout for the second-half open thread, and continue the conversation there.

In the meantime, you can check out all of our pregame coverage by heading to our Week 15 story stream, which has all of our coverage from this game, including previews, predictions, odds, the latest injury news, and much, much more.