{"id":49858,"date":"2018-09-21T06:40:05","date_gmt":"2018-09-21T10:40:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=49858"},"modified":"2021-05-30T13:46:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T17:46:32","slug":"new-england-patriots-vs-detroit-lions-bold-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/09\/21\/new-england-patriots-vs-detroit-lions-bold-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots vs Detroit Lions Bold Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots<\/a> travel to Detroit this week to take on a familiar foe. Longtime Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia<\/strong> is currently the head coach of the 0-2 Detroit Lions<\/a>, and Patricia would love to get his first career win against his former organization. The best part about football is that anything can happen on any given Sunday, so without further ado, here are the New England Patriots vs Detroit Lions bold predictions.<\/p>\n

Week Three: New England Patriots vs Detroit Lions Bold Predictions<\/h1>\n

Josh Gordon Records 50 Yards, One Touchdown<\/h2>\n

The Patriots traded a fifth-round pick for the services of the immensely talented<\/a> Josh Gordon<\/a><\/strong>. While consistency and reliability will always be an issue with Gordon, nobody can deny his talent when he\u2019s on the field. Gordon is expected to play Sunday, and while he won\u2019t know the whole playbook, he\u2019ll certainly see the field on a small portion of plays.<\/p>\n

Detroit has struggled on defense throughout the first two games of the season and they don\u2019t have anyone who can match up one-on-one versus Gordon. Additionally, the Patriots don\u2019t really have any reliable outside receivers stopping Gordon from seeing the field. While he probably won\u2019t start, he should be the main target every time he sees the field. Right now, it\u2019s hard to see a way for Detroit to slow him down.<\/p>\n

Derek Rivers Records First Career Sack in First NFL Game<\/h2>\n

Second-year defensive lineman Derek Rivers<\/a> <\/strong>has yet to play in an NFL game, but that will probably change this Sunday. Defensive lineman Trey Flowers<\/a><\/strong> suffered a concussion against the Jacksonville Jaguars and has yet to practice. Additionally, depth players like Keionta Davis<\/strong> struggled in Jacksonville, so Rivers should make his NFL debut against the Lions.<\/p>\n

Look for the former 83rd<\/sup> overall pick to flourish. Rivers will record the first sack of his career against Detroit. While he\u2019ll probably only see the field situationally, he\u2019ll make what playing time he sees count.<\/p>\n

Cyrus Jones Returns a Punt 30 Yards<\/h2>\n

What an interesting road it\u2019s been for third-year cornerback Cyrus Jones<\/a><\/strong>. After a rookie year plagued by inconsistency, Jones missed all of 2017 with a season-ending ACL tear. While he returned to the field for the 2018 preseason, he didn\u2019t make the final cuts, and it looked as though his New England tenure was over forever.<\/p>\n

However, the Patriots desperately need a punt returner, so New England signed Jones back from the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. With his head finally cleared from his miserable rookie campaign, Jones will show the world why he was so coveted out of college. Jones should be the teams top punt returner, and he\u2019ll put on a show in his season debut. Predicting a touchdown return is a little too bold, so let\u2019s limit the prediction to just a return of 30 or more yards. And yes, he won\u2019t fumble the ball upon getting hit.<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>