The Detroit Lions and New York Jets meet Sunday afternoon with both teams sitting at 1-1, and the setup brings plenty of intrigue on both sidelines.
For the Jets, this is a chance to show their early start is more than a flash. It’s also an opportunity for head coach Aaron Glenn to land his first marquee win, and doing it against Dan Campbell would make it especially meaningful.
Glenn put that connection plainly this week: “Really good friend, really good person. That friendship will always last,” Glenn said of Lions coach Dan Campbell this week.
Detroit comes in with a much different mood. After a troubling loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Lions are looking to steady themselves before the season slips further off track.
The biggest issue has been the secondary, where the injuries have piled up fast. Brian Branch is on the PUP list, Kerby Joseph is on the PUP list, Avonte Maddox is on injured reserve, and Thomas Harper is on injured reserve.
That leaves Chuck Clark and Christian Izien to start on the back end, with Detroit trying to keep Geno Smith from taking over at Ford Field the way he has in the past.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will air on FOX.
This also serves as a live game chat for the matchup, giving fans a second-screen place to follow along, react to every play, every score, and the rest of the action as it unfolds.
In Other News...
Isaac TeSlaa May Be Giving The Lions Offense Something New
Isaac TeSlaas Week 3 breakout against the New York Jets gave the Lions another encouraging look at what their passing game can become when the opportunities arrive. He caught all three of his targets for 66 yards, and his work on crucial fourth-down plays and on the long grab that helped set up the game-winning score stood out in a game Detroit needed to finish strong after another uneven start.
What made TeSlaas night matter beyond the box score was the way he described his role. He pointed to the value of blocking and helping create chances for teammates, which fits a Lions offense that has often needed more consistency early in games before finding its rhythm later. If TeSlaa can keep adding that kind of versatility, Detroit may have found another piece that helps smooth out those slow starts. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Ended Up On The Wrong Side Of A Stafford Milestone
Matthew Stafford added another line to a career already packed with them, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to top 20,000 passing yards with two different franchises. He reached the mark with the Los Angeles Rams, building on the massive production he had already piled up during his long run with the Detroit Lions.
It came in a game against the Denver Broncos, where Stafford threw for 390 yards while crossing into rarefied territory again. For Lions fans, it is another reminder of how much of his rsum was built in Detroit, and how his work there still sits alongside what he has done since moving on. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Just Caught A Break Before A Favorable Week 4 Matchup
Jaycee Horns injury gives the Lions a little extra room to breathe heading into their Week 4 trip to Carolina. The Panthers cornerback suffered a torn quad in Week 3 and is expected to be out indefinitely, with injured reserve now a possibility, a tough blow for a pass defense that had been one of Carolinas best early-season strengths.
For Detroit, the timing matters because this matchup was already lining up as one it could attack through the air. Losing Horn changes the look of the Panthers secondary and could force Carolina to adjust on the fly, which is exactly the kind of wrinkle an offense wants to see before a road game. The Lions will still have to handle a defense that has played well overall, but the absence opens a clearer path than they were facing a week ago. [Read more 🡒]