Spot the Ball: 10 Thoughts Ahead of Lions Week 3 Matchup With Jets

The Detroit Lions are looking to get back on the winning track after a down week against the Buffalo Bills.

Detroit's defense sputtered out of the gate in last Thursday's primetime showcase, which led to a deficit that the offense couldn't crawl out of. As a result, they fell 41-31 to the Bills.

Now, the Lions are looking to earn a win in Week 3 against the New York Jets, who are coached by former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn

Here are 10 thoughts on the Lions as they head into their Week 3 matchup with the New York Jets.

Player to watch

After the Lions defense struggled against the Bills, linebacker and captain Jack Campbell wore the disappointment. He took ownership of the team's struggles in stopping Josh Allen, and vowed to be better moving forward.

Against the Jets, I'm looking to see how Campbell bounces back. He's truly the centerpiece of the defense, and has taken on a bigger leadership role after Alex Anzalone's departure in free agency. If the Lions are going to get a win, Campbell playing well will be a big part of it.

Welcome back

Sunday will be a return to Ford Field for Glenn, who comes back for the first time since he departed following a four-year stint as the Lions' defensive coordinator. Coming to Detroit in tandem with Dan Campbell in 2021, Glenn had some big moments handling the defense before taking a head coaching job of his own.

It hasn't been a smooth start to his tenure, as Glenn has gone 4-15 since taking over the Jets. However, the defense has had a strong start as he took over the play-calling duties after delegating in his first season.

On the flip side, some questionable game management in the fourth quarter last week arguably cost Glenn a win against the Packers, and as a result he's facing questions of his own entering the pivotal Week 3 contest.

St. Brown's dominant opening

Through two weeks, Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the NFL with 19 receptions. He's also fourth in receiving yards, and tied-for-first in receiving touchdowns to start the year. With the struggles that others in the receiver room have had thus far, St. Brown's strong start has been welcome.

The USC product has looked to be in prime form to start the year, as he's been reliable in all facets and contributed big plays to the offense. Look for the Lions to get him involved early and often against the Jets.

Trouble with Geno

Geno Smith is in his second stint with the Jets over a decade after the team picked him in the second-round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Ironically, Smith has had a lot of success against the Lions at Ford Field throughout his career.

In particular, Smith shredded the Lions' secondary in three games against them at Ford Field. He went 2-1 in these games, averaging over 300 passing yards in these matchups. Now, facing a Lions defense with plenty of questions in the secondary, Smith will likely be confident heading in.

Smith has been up-and-down as of late. Coming off a bad year with the Las Vegas Raiders last year, Smith has completed 71 percent of his passes for 462 yards through the first two games.

O-line stabilization

A big downside to playing on a short week for Detroit was the fact that it didn't give Christian Mahogany and Blake Miller enough time to recover from injuries in Week 1. As a result, both players sat out and the offensive line struggled without them.

Larry Borom had a rough night starting in place of Miller, and his performance extinguished any remaining questions about Miller's value to the starting lineup. With a longer time to recovery, Miller could be back in action this week as well as Mahogany in place of Ben Bartch.

Having the unit as close to fully operational without center Cade Mays would be a big development, as it could lead to more clean pockets for Jared Goff and the run game being in better position.

Slow starting WRs

While St. Brown has enjoyed an exceptional start, it hasn't been as smooth of sailing for Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa. Both players have had limited contributions through two weeks and could be due for big games.

For Williams, there have been drops and struggles to separate as teams pay more and more attention to him. Now in his fifth season, Williams' speed is no secret and as a result he's rarely given free releases off the line of scrimmage or played without safety help overtop.

In TeSlaa's case, wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery noted that his opportunities will likely mostly come in key situations as opposed to being naturally involved with the offense.

New faces in secondary

Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph both remain out, and Avonte Maddox's injury in Week 2 is season-ending. As a result, the Lions have made multiple additions to the safety room. Jalen Mills, who played two games for them last season, is back on the practice squad while the team poached Bishop Fitzgerald to their active roster off the Steelers' practice squad.

Because of Mills' familiarity to the defense, he's a candidate to be elevated to the active roster for Sunday's game. Additionally, Fitzgerald could be a depth option if he's active as soon as this week.

Meanwhile, Thomas Harper was out of practice on Wednesday, which further adds to Detroit's need for depth in the secondary.

Best-case scenario

The Lions dominate offensively early, scoring multiple first quarter touchdowns. This puts the Jets at a major disadvantage, making them one-dimensional and essentially eliminating the threat of running back Breece Hall.

With a multiple score lead at halftime, the Lions are able to spend the second half controlling the clock. Jared Goff is efficient, Jahmyr Gibbs rips off multiple big runs and the Lions dominate en route to a 2-1 start to the year.

Worst-case scenario

Detroit's secondary is exposed yet again, with Geno Smith channeling his best football. Smith connects with Garrett Wilson on an early score, and uses his accuracy to stay ahead of the chains throughout the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Glenn pitches a gem calling the defense against his former team. Detroit is able to rally late with the urgency high, but cannot get enough stops in time to salvage a comeback.

Bold prediction

If the Lions are concerned about their secondary, it could lead to more blitzes in an effort to get to Smith before he has time to get the ball out to his receivers. As a result, my bold prediction is that the Lions record four sacks in Sunday's game.

Aidan Hutchinson has had to do a lot of the work, with three sacks already through two games. However, I think he gets help from blitzing linebackers as Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes each record a sack of their own.

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