5 Lions Players to Watch against Denver Broncos
The Lions are coming off their version of the Super Bowl, after winning their first game of the season last week against Minnesota.
It is that time of the year where snow can fall out of the sky in Denver by the foot, but fortunately for Detroit, the forecast calls for partly cloudy conditions, with the temperature being around 56 degrees.
This is balmy weather for Denver and good news for the dome team from Detroit.
The Lions are riding a winning streak (sorry I couldn't help myself), and will try to make it two in a row against the Broncos, which are sitting at 6-6 and just on the outskirts of the AFC playoff picture.
Detroit has no such concerns about the playoffs, but these games are just as important to the following five players.
RB Jermar Jefferson
With Jamaal Williams having gone on to the reserve/COVID-19 list late Friday, Jefferson got catapulted into the spotlight. He will get the start Sunday, and he will get an opportunity that most seventh-round draft choices can only dream of.
“I’m going to shock the world,” said Jefferson after being drafted. “Just know the Detroit Lions are getting everything out of me. Everything.”
The Lions are going to need everything Jefferson has to give going up against Denver and its defense, which is ranked third in the league.
This patient and tough, one-cut runner has carried the ball 10 times for 65 yards this season, but he has also managed to find the end zone twice.
So, who knows, this very well could be the moment he has been waiting for.
TE Brock Wright
This is not a name that a lot of people know about. Wright is a rookie with the team, after being signed from Notre Dame as an undrafted free agent. While at Notre Dame, Wright did not put up a lot of production catching the football. In fact, he only caught seven passes for 78 yards total in three college seasons.
Already in his rookie season, Wright has caught four passes for 42 yards, and he caught his first touchdown last week against the Vikings.
Wright has found a way to work his way up the depth chart this season, and very well could become more of a factor in this offense down the stretch.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
After catching the game-winning touchdown against Minnesota last week, St. Brown has been the toast of the town this week. He is coming off a career game against the Vikings, where he was targeted 12 times and hauled in 10 passes for 86 yards.
Now, he will look to keep it going against Denver and its 10th-ranked pass defense. This past summer, PFF wrote that the Broncos' "cornerback room now looks like the best in the league," while saying Denver had three of the best corners in the league.
Undoubtedly, this will be a big test for St. Brown.
Sam Greene, The Enquirer, USA TODAY NETWORK
LB Alex Anzalone
With the 12th-ranked rushing attack in the NFL, led by rookie Javonte Williams, stopping the run will be the order of the day.
On the season, Williams is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and he turned in a 102-yard effort last week when Denver faced Kansas City.
Anzalone is tied for the team lead with 78 tackles this season, after notching another four tackles against Minnesota last week. He is going to have to fill the holes with even more authority this week, because Williams runs harder and with more power than the Vikings' Alexander Mattison.
CB Jerry Jacobs
Jacobs took heavy criticism for his letdowns against Minnesota when the two teams met earlier this season, but last week, Jacobs deserves just as much credit for his good performance.
Jacobs was the team's second-leading tackler (seven) against the Vikings.
"If you can't tackle, you can't play on this defense and Jerry really showed up," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said in his Monday press conference, via Zoom. "He's kind of a pit bull out there, and he can cover 1-on-1, but he'll also come up and tackle you and hit you. And so, that's good."
Jacobs has fought through the adversity of being an undrafted free agent, and he has weathered the ups and downs. This week, he will be tested again when facing Denver veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos' stable of wide receivers, which have put up decent numbers this season.
