The Jacksonville Jaguars play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Jaguars come into the game 2-7, while the Lions sport a 5-4 record. Detroit’s quarterback Matthew Stafford is playing some of the best football of his career. Jacksonville’s quarterback Blake Bortles however is churning in bad game after bad game and looks as lost as he was during his rookie year. The Jaguars are a longshot to win any game from here on out, but if Jacksonville wishes to upset the Lions then they must win the key player matchups.
Key Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions Player Matchups
Kerry Hyder vs Jaguars Offensive Tackles
Kerry Hyder has essentially come out of nowhere to lead the Lions in sacks. The defensive end had five sacks in the first four games of the season. His production tailed off as he didn’t get to the quarterback weeks five through eight. Hyder returned to form in week nine however as he recorded two sacks against the Vikings. Kelvin Beachum has enjoyed a solid first year in a Jaguars’ uniform. The left tackle has only given up 3.5 sacks per Big Cat Country. Jermey Parnell has allowed five sacks coupled with six holding penalties so look for Detroit to line Hyder across from Parnell. Ezekiel Ansah is the Lions best pass rusher, but he has battled an ankle injury which has hindered him thus far. Ansah has yet to get a sack on the season, and he is listed as questionable to play on Sunday.
Allen Robinson vs Darius Slay
Allen Robinson has had a disappointing year following his breakout second season which earned him his first Pro Bowl appearance. He has dropped passes and struggled to get open against tighter coverage. Darius Slay is one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the league, and when he is healthy he has proven to be a shutdown corner at times. Slay has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, but he is listed as probable for this Sunday. Robinson is coming off his first 100-yard game of the season, so there is hope that the receiver may be returning to the dynamic play that fans had come to expect from him. Look for Jacksonville to test out just how well Slay’s hamstring feels with early deep balls to Robinson.
Jaguars Secondary vs. the Lions Passing Attack
Matthew Stafford has done an amazing job spreading the ball around to his receivers. Five different players have 30+ receptions for Detroit. Marvin Jones leads the team in yards tallying 661, and Golden Tate leads the team in receptions with 49. Jalen Ramsey should cover Jones to eliminate the Lions offense from having big plays down the field. Prince Amukamara and Golden Tate will be a good battle to keep an eye on as Stafford often looks to Tate to keep the chains moving on 3rd downs. The Lions could really expose the Jaguars defense with their use of Theo Riddick as a receiver. Paul Posluszny has enjoyed a fine year but asking him to cover a running back like Riddick would be ill advised. Eric Ebron is another Lion who has had to overcome injuries this year. When he has been on the field, Ebron is a good pass catching tight end. In his last two games, he has 14 receptions for 171 yards on 18 targets. Watch for Detroit to go to the athletic tight end down the middle of Jacksonville’s defense.
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