BSNblog

The annual NFL betting feast known as the Detroit Lions home Thanksgiving Day game continues against the New England Patriots this week. The NFL predictions surrounding the Patriots early in the preseason whispered of a Super Bowl appearance, and with the Indianapolis Colts having nothing left in the tank it seems that the Pats will wind up with the favorable NFL scores late in the season.

The Lions are going to be struggling the rest of the season without their starting quarterback. Detroit is currently riding a two-game losing streak and it is no coincidence that the first loss came against the Buffalo Bills in the first week that Matthew Stafford was declared ineligible due to injury. For those that do not think the quarterback makes that big of a difference, try to imagine the New Orleans Saints without Drew Brees or the Green Bay Packers without Aaron Rodgers. It is a completely different team. That is what the Lions are going through right now.

Offense:

Tom Brady has a corps of some of the shortest receivers and running backs the NFL has seen in a long time. Wide receivers Deion Branch and Wes Welker, along with running back Danny Woodhead, are all 5’9” or shorter. But their lack of size does not diminish their effectiveness on the field. The Patriots are coming off of a shootout 31-28 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Quarterback Tom Brady and the offense look to be hitting on all cylinders, even if those cylinders are a bit shorter than the cylinders in other NFL engines.

The Lions are lost without Matthew Stafford. He is the lynchpin that makes that offense work. The Detroit defense can hold its own against some teams, but last week the Cowboys wore the Lion defense down to the point where the Detroit defense caved in. Shaun Hill is playing a decent game in place of Stafford, but he is not able to utilize the offense like Stafford can. Without their quarterback, the Lions have no offense bite.

Defense:

The Patriots defense was improving week by week, until Peyton Manning and the injured Colts offense hung 28 points on the Pats defense. Their weak defense is the reason why many NFL experts are shying away from the Patriots Super Bowl bandwagon. But without much of a Detroit passing game to worry about, the New England defense should be able to shut down Detroit rookie running back Jahvid Best and keep the Lions under control.

The Detroit Lions defensive line is having a good season. Rookie defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh is have a rookie of the year kind of season, and veteran Kyle Vanden Bosch is playing well. But the linebackers and secondary for the Lions is suspect, and against a passing game like the one the Patriots have, the Lions could be in trouble.

The Bottom Line:

Everyone wants the Detroit Lions to win their home Thanksgiving Day game, but the Patriots are just too strong and the Lions are a developing team that is not ready for the pressure of a high-profile game like this.

BSN Sports Pick: New England Patriots