After a miserable Week 4 sweep left the Detroit Lions with nothing going their way, Week 5 opened on a better note. The Cowboys’ loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night was exactly the kind of result Detroit needed.
The rest of the week offers plenty more opportunities for the Lions to get a boost around the league. Here’s how the best outcomes break down.
In the London game, the Lions should be pulling for the Jaguars over the Eagles. Since Jacksonville is an AFC team, a win there helps keep Philadelphia from causing more trouble.
At 1 p.m. ET, the Bears-Packers game brings an easy answer in one sense: root against Chicago.
The note here is simple - Chicago looks like the best team in the division, so every loss matters. The Packers may be the worst team in the division, but they’re also a well-run organization, and a turnaround wouldn’t be shocking, especially after the offensive line moves.
Still, the better play is to hope the Bears take the loss.
The Vikings-Saints matchup is the most straightforward one on the board. Detroit is already two games behind Minnesota in the division, so a Saints win gives the Lions a chance to close the gap to one game in first place.
In Giants-Commanders, there isn’t much fear of anyone in the NFC East right now, but it still makes sense to put another loss on the current division leader.
The 4 p.m. slate has another key NFC race angle in 49ers-Seahawks. That one works either way for Detroit, since both teams could matter in the NFC Wild Card picture and it helps the Lions if they batter each other. There’s also a case for San Francisco to simply seize control of the NFC West and sweep the rest of the division, so either approach can be defended.
On “Sunday Night Football,” the Lions should be rooting for the Ravens over the Falcons. Atlanta has suddenly started looking alive after a dreadful beginning to the season, with back-to-back blowout wins giving them unexpected momentum. A Baltimore victory would cool that off quickly.
Then on “Monday Night Football,” Buffalo is the obvious choice over the Rams. A Bills win makes Detroit’s loss to Buffalo look more reasonable, and it would also drop the Rams to a losing record through five games. That would be especially useful given how lucky they were to avoid already sitting at 1-3 after last week’s fourth-quarter comeback.
In Other News...
Lions Fans Are Mourning A Personal Loss In Dan Millers Family
Cynthia Miller had long been part of the backdrop to Detroit Lions Sundays, a familiar presence for anyone who knew Dan Millers family and how deeply football ran through it. She was more than the announcers wife - she was a devoted Lions fan who made the team part of her own routine, showing up for home games and sharing in the seasons highs and lows with the same steady enthusiasm.
A memorial gathering and funeral service are scheduled for October 16 in Northville, and the loss has added a personal layer of sadness for a fan base that already feels close to the Miller family through Dans voice. For those who followed the Lions with her in the stands, her absence will be felt in a very real way, even as the family prepares to gather and remember her life. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Linebacker Decision Fans Will Notice
Devin White is back in the mix for the Lions at a time when the linebacker group could use a boost. Detroit activated White for Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals after he had been inactive since Week 3, giving the defense another body in a unit that has had its share of problems handling both the pass and the run.
Whites return also puts the Lions in an interesting spot as they head toward their bye week. He has struggled in limited snaps this season, but a game like this gives Detroit a chance to see whether he can help steady the middle of the defense, or at least create more clarity about where he stands moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Week 5 Inactives Bring One Huge Defensive Twist
The Lions Week 5 injury report brought a little bit of clarity and a little bit of churn as they lined up for Arizona, with several familiar names affected by the final inactive list. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and offensive lineman Ben Bartch were among the players ruled out, while safety Jalen Mills was elevated to the active roster and Tyler Conklin returned after missing two weeks.
What stands out most for Detroit, though, is the defensive wrinkle up front. Tyleik Williams is active and expected to start against the Cardinals, giving the Lions a fresh look in the middle of their defensive line at a time when every rotation decision matters. It is the kind of move that can quietly reshape the tone of a game before the first snap, even if the biggest answers will have to wait until the matchup unfolds. [Read more 🡒]