Roundtable: Previewing Lions Week 10 Matchup Against Patriots

The Detroit Lions OnSI staff previews the Detroit Lions Week 10 matchup with the New England Patriots.

1. Who will be Lions MVP against Patriots?

Christian Booher: I think the Lions are going to feature Amon-Ra St. Brown heavily on Sunday. This is a huge game for St. Brown, who has family roots in Germany and has become one of the most popular players in the region after conducting camps in the area. As a result, I think the Lions will be looking to get him involved early and often, and may have a wrinkle or two up their sleeve to help St. Brown get going.

Vito Chirco: I'm going to go with Amon-Ra St. Brown. With Carlton Davis out for the Patriots and St. Brown's ties to Germany, I believe he puts on a show Sunday and plays an integral role in the Lions securing the Week 10 victory.

Emmett Matasovsky: Usually, overseas games tend to be more of grinding football, so the easy answer here, for me, is Alim McNeill. McNeill is on pace for a breakout season with All-Pro as a very realistic possibility, so the defensive tackle having a standout game makes sense.

Aidan Hutchinson will be stuck in double teams, freeing up Skyler Gill-Howard, McNeill and Tyleik Williams to cause chaos. Personally, I think McNeill is the most likely standout of the group.

2. Do you like watching NFL International games at 9:30 a.m.?

Booher: It depends on the matchup. Most Sundays for us at Lions OnSI involve pregame coverage around that time, so I rarely am sitting down watching an NFL international game intently early in the morning. It will be fun to watch the Lions on this stage and see how they perform in that setting, and it appears as though the team has quiet the fan contingent out there for the game.

Chirco: I do. It provides fans, like myself, with something to watch outside of a pregame show. I think it's a great alternative, especially because I'm of the mindset that pregame shows have lost their luster. If anything, I'd rather tune into a fantasy football show on Sundays than a traditional pregame telecast. So, yes, I'm a fan of the International Series broadcasts at this point.

Matasovsky: Personally, as someone that is a big fan of breakfast, it is perfect to have some football early in the morning. I like it as a one-off for the Lions for the first time in a few seasons, but would not enjoy it if stuck doing it once a season, every year.

It is a novelty game, but I am not a fan of the current outlook that has nearly every team on pace to play one overseas game per year.

3. What concerns you most about the Patriots?

Booher: I think the Patriots have some really solid options on their defense that could give the Lions' offense some trouble. Christian Gonzalez is coming off a rough game against the Packers, but has quickly become one of the game's best young cornerbacks and is capable of shutting down the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.

While Drake Maye has struggled with interceptions for the Patriots, he has also demonstrated that his arm talent is up there with the best quarterbacks. If he gets comfortable, he could dice the secondary up.

Chirco: It's Drake Maye. For as interception-prone as Maye has been, there's always a chance of a big play and big week from the third-year passer. He had a rough week in Week 9 against the Packers, throwing three interceptions and completing a season-low 55.3 percent of his passes. I think he'll bounce back, however, on Sunday against the Lions.

Matasovsky: Honestly, my concern is that the Patriots have yet to truly play a clean game. They are due for it, and the Lions defense has had struggles in the past in forcing turnovers.

This is a team that has underperformed expectations thus far, but do boast a win against the Buffalo Bills, which handedly took care of Detroit in Week 2.

4. If you could spend a week supporting Lions overseas, where would you like to go?

Booher: It appears that the Lions are having a blast in Munich with the fans, and as a result I think it'd be fun to be in that area if the Lions were to go back in future seasons. I'd also consider Italy, as that's another country on my bucket list to travel to.

Chirco: Mexico. I've been to the country multiple times now, and have friends who were born and raised there. Plus, I love the resorts they have there, and I know they have a passionate sports fanbase. So, I'd love to spend a week there and watch the Lions take part in an International Series contest.

Matasovsky: With the weather the last week, the answer is simply “somewhere warm.” That said, Germany is a country I would love to visit one day, along with Australia.

I do appreciate this being a week-long prompt, so that I can have time to explore and get over the jet lag prior to the game. If I have to choose a non-Germany destination, give me Melbourne, Australia.

5. Are you concerned about the Lions’ recent red-zone woes?

Booher: The Lions have had some difficulties in recent weeks when it comes to scoring in the red-zone, so I'll be keeping a close eye on how the team handles things in this facet of the game on Sunday. Drew Petzing has shown plenty of creativity in his play-calling, but at times it's grown stale particularly in the red-zone. I don't view the recent difficulties as concerning at this point, but if they struggle to score again on Sunday then perhaps more adjustments will need to be made.

Chirco: I am. Over the last three games, the Lions are converting only 33.3 percent of their red-zone chances into touchdowns. That is absolutely not good enough, and things need to improve sooner rather than later for Jared Goff & Co. I actually think they will Sunday against New England, which has been a middle-of-the-pack defense this season and has allowed opponents to score TDs on 72.73 percent of their red-zone opportunities.

Matasovsky: I am concerned, but also recognize that the Lions have found a way to win despite those struggles. At the end of the day, whatever it takes to win is acceptable for the Lions. Ugly wins count just the same as 50-point wins.

Add us as a preferred source on Google