Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions

Written by Steve Janus

This Sunday the Detroit Lions will more than likely welcome back starting quarterback Matthew Stafford when they host the Washington Redskins in week 8 of NFL action. The Lions had their bye last week, and should be well rested and ready to go against the Redskins this Sunday, while Washington comes in off a sluggish 17-14 win over the Bears last week. If you are thinking about betting on the game this weekend, the current NFL odds have the Lions favored by 3-points over the Redskins at home.

Washington (4-3): The Redskins offense didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard last week, as they turned it over three times, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown early in the first quarter, but they did enough to get the win. McNabb connected with Santana Moss for a 24 yard touchdown and Graham Gano nailed a 46 yard field goal.

It was the defense that really won the game last week, as corner DeAngelo Hall tied an NFL record with four interceptions, including a 92 yards interception for a touchdown late in the third quarter that ended up being the winning score. The Redskins also forced two fumbles, giving them six takeaways on the game, and a +8 margin on the season.

The offense really hasn’t been all that good all season, as they have only scored 20+ points in two games this year, but should be able to at least top that mark this week against the Lions defense, that comes in ranked 26th in the NFL allowing nearly 363 yards a game.

Detroit (1-5): The Lions have to be hoping that they can start winning these close games now that Stafford is back in the mix. Four of the Lions five losses have came by eight points or less, so you have to think these games are going to eventually start going in their favor.

In the Lions last game against the Giants, they actually outgained New York 366 to 334, but turned the ball over three times and were penalized 11 times for 91 yards. While the Lions are better than they were a year ago, this team is not good enough to win games making those kinds of mistakes.

The key for the Lions this week will be protecting the football, as the Redskins have lived off forcing their opponents into making mistakes. Without the turnovers Washington’s defense simply isn’t very good, allowing 292 yards passing and 114 yards rushing a game. I look for the Lions to mainly attack the Redskins through the air, as they have been able to do next to nothing on the ground this season, averaging just 79 yards a game.

Looking at the Odds: I think the Lions are an excellent play this week against a struggling Redskins team, that is very fortunate to be where they are at this point in the season. The bye week is a huge advantage for the Lions in this game, and I think they come out and get a big win at home. My final score prediction is Detroit 34, Washington 27.

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