The Detroit Lions dominated the Broncos yesterday in every facet of the game.  Matt Stafford was very sharp yesterday for the Lions as he completed 21 of 30 passes for 267 yards with 3 TD passes and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 1 time for 21 yards in this game.  Shaun Hill finished up things by completing 1 of 2 passes for 5 yards.  Maurice Morris (13 carries, 58 yards, TD run) and Keiland Williams (11 carries for 25 yards) led the way on the ground for the Lions in this game.  WR Calvin Johnson led the way as usual for the Lions in the passing  game with 6 grabs for 125 yards (20.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  WR Titus Young (4 rec, 66 yards, TD) and TE Tony Scheffler (3 rec, 38 yards, TD) also had solid games for the Lions in this game.  The Lions finished up with 113 yards rushing on 28 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 32 passes (68.8%) for 263 yards as they had possession of the ball for 29:34.

The Detroit Lions were all over Tim Tebow yesterday as they sacked him 7 times!  LB Stephen Tulloch (8 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 QB hit) and DE Lawrence Jackson (4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 fumble recovery and 2 QB hits) led the way for the Lions’ D in this game.  DE Cliff Avril (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 QB hit and a fumble recovery that he returned 24 yards for a TD) and CB Chris Houston (100 yard interception return for a TD) also made HUGE plays in this game for the Lions.  The Broncos finished up with 195 yards rushing on 30 carries (6.5 ypc) and they also completed 18 of 39 passes (46.2%) for 117 yards in this game.  The Lions are now 6-2 on the season.

The Detroit Lions have stumbled as of late as they have lost two games in a row and both of them were at home (49ers and Falcons).  So maybe a road trip will do the Lions some good.  The Broncos are coming off a 18-15 come from behind win against the Dolphins in Miami.  This will be Tim Tebow’s first start in Denver this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Lions have the ball:  The Lions are going to attack the Broncos’ secondary early in this game, as they are giving up 247.5 yards passing per game.  Opposing QBs have a 104.2 rating against the Broncos so far this year.  Matt Stafford will be aiming for WR Calvin Johnson, but he will need to keep the other WRs active this weekend.  TE Brandon Pettigrew might also have a big game for the Broncos tomorrow.  The Lions need to get to a quick lead and take the Broncos out of their running game tomorrow.  They will need to keep the pedal to the metal too as they can’t allow Tim Tebow time to work his magic in the 4th quarter.  Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams will handle the running game tomorrow.

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Broncos are definitely a run first team with Tim Tebow at QB.  The Lions are giving up 129.4 yards rushing per game and 5.0 yards per carry so far this year, so look for the Broncos to turn loose Knowshon Moreno, Lance Ball and Tim Tebow against them.  The Lions will have to get after Tebow, as he was sacked 7 times last weekend.  Tebow likes to throw to TE Daniel Fells and WR Demaryius Thomas, so the Lions will have to give them special attention, while also keeping tabs on WR Eric Decker.

PREDICTION:  LIONS 24, BRONCOS 13

The Lions have claimed 29-year old strong safety Chris Harris off waivers from the division rival Chicago Bears.  Harris played in only 3 games for the Bears this year and he had 8 tackles and 1 pass defensed.  He has now played in 88 games in his first seven years in the NFL and he has 416 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 12 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries, 35 passes defensed and 15 interceptions.  This was a very solid pickup for the Lions as Harris is still a solid football player and he knows the division.

It all starts with Megatron.  Calvin Johnson has been the best WR in the NFL so far this year, bar none.  He has caught 41 passes for 679 yards (16.6 avg) with an amazing 10 TD catches.  You can double or even triple team Johnson, and Matt Stafford will get the ball in his hands.  Nate Burleson needs to be a little more consistent on the other side.  He has caught 22 passes for 222 yards (10.1 avg) with 1 TD grab so far this year.  Rookie WR Titus Young is starting to get more involved in the offense.  He has caught 15 passes f0r 209 yards (13.9 avg) so far this year.  I look for him to get more looks in the second half of the season.  Rashied Davis (1 rec, 14 yards) and Maurice Stovall (1 rec, 8 yards) so far this year as they have not be used much.  The Lions need one of their other receivers to step up and make opponents pay for double and triple teaming Calvin Johnson.

The Lions have signed 24-year old safety Don Carey.  Carey played in 15 games for the Jaguars last year and he had 55 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 1 interception and 1 pass defensed.  The Lions need help defensively, so I like this signing for them.  Carey played solid football for the Jaguars in his first taste of the NFL and he should give them depth in the secondary, while also helping out on special teams.

The Lions looked flat yesterday and it cost them this game.  Matt Stafford didn’t look too good as he only completed 15 of 32 passes for 183 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  Maurice Morris led the way on the ground for the Lions yesterday with 9 carries for 50 yards (5.6 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 13 yards (6.5 avg).  Keiland Williams pitched in with 44 yards rushing on 9 carries (4.9 ypc).  WR Calvin Johnson led the way in the passing game for the Lions yesterday with 5 grabs for 115 yards (23.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  TE Brandon Pettigrew pitched in with 4 grabs for 31 yards (7.8 avg) in this game.  The Lions finished up with 104 yards rushing on 20 carries (5.2 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 32 passes (46.9%) for 159 yards as they had possession of the ball for only 25:03.

The defense was so-so for the Lions yesterday.  LB DeAndre Levy (11 tackles) and safety Louis Delmas (8 tackles and 1 pass defensed) led the way for the Lions on D.  Safety Amari Spievey (6 tackles, 1 pass defensed) and LB Stephen Tulloch (6 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) also had solid games for the Lions.  The Falcons finished up with 129 yards rushing on 31 carries (4.2 ypc) and they also completed 20 of 35 passes (57.1%) for 199 yards in this game.  The Lions are now 5-2 on the year.

The Detroit Lions got shocked at home last weekend when the Niners scored 10 points in less than the last two minutes to put them away.  The Falcons got back on track with a nice 31-17 win over the Panthers last weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Lions have the ball:  With Jahvid Best out this weekend, look for Matt Stafford to try to carry the offense this weekend.  As long as he has time to throw the ball, he’s going to have a good game as the Falcons are giving up 282.8 yards passing per game so far this year.  Calvin Johnson is in line for a HUGE game against the Falcons’ suspect secondary.  Brandon Pettigrew, Titus Young and Nate Burleson are also likely to get in on the action for the Lions.  Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams are going to share the ball whenever the Lions decide to run the ball, and that likely won’t be much.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Lions’ D is going to have to focus on stopping Michael Turner and that’s not going to be easy.  The Lions are giving up 129.5 yards rushing per game so far this year and 5.2 yards per carry, so Turner might get his fair share of yards.  The Lions are also going to have to get a good pass rush on Matt Ryan, or he’s going to make some plays with Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez being his main targets.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, LIONS 27

With Jahvid Best (concussion) and Jerome Harrison (out for year with a brain tumor) out of action, the Lions need Maurice Morris, Keiland Williams and recently signed Eldra Buckley to step up.  Morris has played in 6 games for the Lions so far this year and he has 9 carries for 20 yards (2.2 ypc).  He has also caught 5 passes for 55 yards (11.0 avg).  Morris is likely to get the most carries this weekend against the Falcons.  Keiland Williams has played in 5 games for the Lions so far this year and he has carried the ball 19 times for 49 yards (2.6 ypc) with 1 TD run.  The Lions were only averaging 90.8 yards rushing per game and 3.9 yards per carry when everyone was healthy, but they need more out of the running game.

The Lions have signed 26-year old RB Eldra Buckley.  Buckley played in all 16 games for the Eagles last year and he carried the ball 21 times for 67 yards (3.2 ypc).  He also caught 1 pass for 10 yards last year.  Buckley has now played in 32 games in his first two years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 36 times for 111 yards (3.1 ypc) with 1 TD grab.  He has also caught 1 pass for 10 yards in his career.  Buckley is also a really solid special teams player as he has 19 tackles and 3 forced fumbles in his career.  With Jerome Harrison done for the year and Jahvid Best likely out multiple weeks with the concussion, this signing makes perfect sense.

22-year old RB Jahvid Best has a very serious concussion, which is going to cause him to miss some serious time.  That is why the Lions tried to deal for a legit RB (Ronnie Brown) at the trade deadline.  Best has played in all six games for the Lions this year and he has carried the ball 84 times for 390 yards (4.6 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He has also caught 27 passes for 287 yards (10.6 avg) with 1 TD grab so far this year.  Best has now played in 22 games in his first two years with the Lions and he has carried the ball 255 times for 945 yards (3.7 ypc) with 6 TD runs.  He also has caught 85 passes for 774 yards (9.1 avg) with 3 TD grabs for the Lions in his career.  The Lions need Best to get back soon, because he was giving the Lions’ balance offensively.