2023 NFC Wildcard Preview: #3 Lions vs. #6 Rams
On January 20, 2021, the Detroit Lions traded franchise legend Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff and a collection of draft picks. Now, three years later, the two teams will meet in the first round of the 2023-24 NFL Playoffs. For the first time, Stafford will enter Ford Field as a villain rather than the hero. At the same time, Goff will have the opportunity to get revenge on the team that shipped him out of town for a fresh face.
The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams NFL Playoff matchup matchup will come down to much more than Goff and Stafford, however. Let’s dive into what each team needs to do to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive followed by a prediction for the game.
How the Lions can win:
Limit turnovers:
One of the consistencies in the Lions’ struggles is turnovers. Throughout the regular season, Goff has largely had two types of games. On the positive side of things, he protects the ball, gets it to his playmakers, and the offense flows. On the negative side, he will misread coverage and throw an interception and fumble while being sacked. Obviously, the Lions will need the former.
The Lions will not be able to afford turnovers against the Rams. If you give an impressive offense a positive field position you can find yourself quickly falling behind. Additionally, it gives the Rams more possessions. The Lions could benefit from running the ball and keeping its defense off the field. That is impossible if you are turning the ball over.
Contain Cooper Kupp, Puca Nacua:
The Lions’ secondary has faced serious struggles against elite wide receivers. Most notably, the Lions were torched against Ceedee Lamb and Justin Jefferson. Plus, D.J. Moore and D.K. Metcalf had big plays against Detroit. If the Raiders had better quarterback play, Davante Adams would have likely had big plays.
From Detroit’s perspective, what is intimidating about the Rams is the team’s combination of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. It will be very hard for a suspect secondary to shut down two great receivers.
Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has a task on his hands. It will not be easy to game plan for a dynamic duo. In all likelihood, it will require a lot of safety help, and in turn, the Lions’ defensive line will need to pressure the quarterback without relying on blitz packages.
Replace Sam Laporta’s Production (if he doesn’t play):
In Week 18, Lions tight end Sam LaPorta suffered a knee injury. It is not clear if LaPorta will be suiting up for the playoffs. In a best-case scenario, he will play hurt. Regardless, the Lions will have to divert some offensive production to other players on the offense.
The Lions’ incoming production will come from a mix of tight ends and receivers. As far as the tight ends go, James Mitchell and Brock Wright will take a larger role in the offense. That begins with blocking in the run game. LaPorta is a quality blocker and the Lions will need the aforementioned duo to hold their own in that realm. In the passing game, Mitchell will likely eat a few of LaPorta’s targets.
LaPorta’s production has been so impactful that the Lions will need receivers to help replace him fully. The most likely candidates for that are Jameson Williams and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Williams has seen his involvement in Detroit’s offense rise throughout the year. If LaPorta is sidelined, Williams should see a larger route tree and more targets in the short passing game; Peoples-Jones could be useful on third downs because of his slightly larger frame and reliable hands.
How the Rams can win:
Manage crowd noise:
The Detroit Lions have not had a home playoff game since 1993. The fans in Detroit have been craving for a successful team that brings them to the postseason. The 2023 Lions have accomplished that. In turn, the atmosphere at Ford Field has been electric all year, but it will be a new level against the Rams.
It will be paramount that the Rams manage the crowd noise and prevent it from creating penalties. In a close game, operational penalties, on either side, will be costly.
Ideally, the Rams need to get out to a hot start and take the crowd out of this game. I am not saying that is a requirement to win this game, but it will make their life much easier on the offensive side of the ball.
#2 Provide interior pass rush
One of the best ways to get the Lions offense off rhythm is to provide an interior pass rush. Goff simply does not perform well when he has pressure in his face. In fairness, it is not easy to manage pressure in your face, but Goff struggles because he is not mobile enough to work his way out of that pressure.
If the Rams can provide an interior pass rush they can get the Lions offense off track. At a minimum, they can force Goff to throw the ball away. At best, they can create sacks and turnovers.
As far as accomplishing this objective goes, it should be a battle. The Lions have a stout interior offensive line while the Rams defensive line features Aaron Donald and Kobie Turner. The winner of this matchup will play a massive role in the victor of this game.
#3 Take Aidan Hutchinson out of the game
In the Detroit Lions’ paths to victories, we discussed how the Lions need to contain Kupp and Nacua. One of the few ways to accomplish that was to get to Stafford without relying on blitzes. On the opposite side of things, the Rams need to take Aidan Hutchinson out of the game to ensure that doesn’t happen.
The Lions heavily rely on Hutchinson to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The remainder of the defensive line struggles to rush the passer. The only other player who has been provided pressure at a dependable rate is Alim McNeill; however, he has only played in one game since returning from a knee injury.
The Rams will need to give Hutchinson multiple different looks to help contain him. That begins with sending double teams when possible. Additionally, teams have had success chipping him with backs and tight ends.
Prediction: Lions win 28-24
I am expecting this to be a close game. Aside from the built-in narratives that surround this game, this matchup includes two hot teams that are peaking at a proper time. Ultimately, I believe the difference in this game will be the difference in rushing attacks. Detroit has a complex rushing attack with two backs that complement each other well. More importantly, the offensive line is one of the best in the NFL. Meanwhile, despite struggling to rush the passer, the Lions have a respectable run defense. I think that dynamic leads to Detroit controlling the ball with the run game while mixing in play action at the proper time. That gets them the win in a fairly high-scoring and exciting game. I will take the Detroit Lions to beat the Los Angeles Rams in the opening round of the NFL Playoffs. I’ll call a final score of 28-24.
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