Detroit Lions

SideLion Report Staff Picks for Week 8

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The (4-3) Detroit Lions hit the road to take on the (4-3) Houston Texans Sunday.

Oct 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) talks with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) and wide receiver Will Fuller (15) in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 27-9. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit, after a 1-3 start, has reeled off three straight victories, while the Texans are coming off a sobering loss to the Denver Broncos. Our writers each gave their take on the Lions-Texans game, as well as highlighting another weekend matchup worth watching.

Al Stahl:

Texans-24, Lions-23.

Part of my reasoning is that the national media just seems too high on the Lions for my taste. They seem queued up for a depressing letdown game. The other part of my reasoning is that, as per Dave Birkett, the Texans average more than three times as many points at home (23.8) as they do on the road (7.3).

Patriots-16, Bills-14.

The only thing keeping me from calling this game for the Bills is the fact that the Bills have already beaten the Patriots in Gillette this year (the Bills haven’t swept the Patriots since the ‘90’s). Well, that and Tom Brady. But expect the Patriots signal caller to struggle some on Sunday, at least by his standards. The Bills have been able to put up points this year, scoring 25+ in 5 of 7 games. One of those 2 games where they struggled to put up points was against New England. I think Belichick and company come out the victors and do so on the shoulders of their defense.

Brandon Finley:

Lions-30, Texans-17.

This week’s matchup features two 4-3 teams who are still figuring things out. The game plan for Detroit needs to be exactly what happened against Washington, and that’s quarterback pressure. Stafford and this offense are good enough for 30 points this week. I have Detroit improving to 5-3 by a score of 30-17.

Broncos-21, Chargers-20.

Matt Urben

Lions-21, Texans-20.

This game appears to be a battle of strength versus strength. Detroit’s quarterback Matthew Stafford against that talented Texans defense is surely the matchup to watch in this one. Brock Osweiler has struggled for much of this season, but a defense as quarterback-friendly as Detroit’s could be just what the doctor ordered to help him get back on track. Osweiler has struggled to connect with All-Pro wideout, DeAndre Hopkins. The duo of Hopkins and 1st-round pick, WR Will Fuller, could give Detroit’s mediocre secondary fits, particularly if they’re without top corner Darius Slay.

Still, I see this as a low-scoring game, with the difference being the late-game play of Matthew Stafford. We should expect Texans running back Lamar Miller to get loose for a few big gains. However, I think Detroit can come up with a couple key defensive stops – and a possible Osweiler interception – to seal the game as they did against the Rams and Eagles. Don’t be surprised if Stafford leads his fourth straight game-winning drive after struggling for most of the day. I like Detroit to win by a score of 21-20.

Eagles-28, Cowboys-21.

This is a tough NFC East matchup where both teams have significantly overachieved with a combined 9-3 record between them. Dallas (5-1) has ran the ball at will, including over the Packers top-ranked rush defense in week 6 – winning 30-16. Both teams have rookie quarterbacks playing well beyond their years. Lions fans got to see impressive 2nd overall pick Carson Wentz in week five. He was nearly perfect until a late interception by Darius Slay won the game for Detroit. Wentz and the 4-2 Eagles responded nicely with a big win over the Minnesota Vikings last week.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys can seemingly do no wrong. If you aren’t familiar with Prescott, you will be soon. His play has been impressive enough to legitimately make Cowboys management consider keeping Tony Romo on the bench (despite what Jerry Jones continues to say). Prescott-Wentz has the potential to be one of the next great QB rivalries. I think the Eagles steal this one on the Cowboys’ home turf. Prescott has to come down to earth at some point, and I think Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz can slow down Ezekiel Elliott. Prescott, who’s thrown just one INT on the season, will make a rare mistake and cost his team a close game. Eagles-28, Cowboys-21.

Ty Finch:

The Lions currently sport the worst team defense in the entire league according to DVOA. The pass defense is ranked 32nd in the league, and the rush defense is 25th. No quarterback has completed a game against this Lions team with a rating under 100. The Texans currently own the worst team offense in the league according to DVOA. Their passing offense is ranked 31 st in the league, and the rush offense is 27th . Brock Osweiler has more games (four) under a 70 quarterback rating than he has over 70 (three). So, the question is: what happens when a completely stoppable force meets a profoundly movable object? Well, last week gave us a partial answer to that question.

The Redskin’s rush defense was ranked last in the league entering Sunday’s contest, and on designed run plays, the Lions averaged 3.6 yards per carry. When there is some aspect of an opposing team that should be taken advantage of, the Lions usually do not, you know, take advantage. If on Sunday, Brock Osweiler tops a 100 quarterback rating, all hope for this defense is lost.Everything is pointing towards a shootout. Similarly to the Los Angeles Rams (“defensive battle” that ended with 59 total points) and Washington Redskins games, the opposite is likely to come true because this Lions team is completely unpredictable.

Browns-19, Jets-13.

The Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets also play this Sunday. The Browns haven’t won a game yet this year, and 0-16 talk has crept up more and more. And no fan base, especially the Browns, deserves 0-16. We all know this well. The Jets are currently a mess in most areas of football. This is one of the few games left on the Brown’s schedule that looks winnable, at home against a struggling team going through an identity crisis.The football itself may not be very fun to watch, but the game could be interesting nonetheless. I’m thinking the Browns pick up their first win of the year, 19 – 13.

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