Lions (2-3) at Falcons (1-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, MercedesBenz Stadium, Atlanta
TV: Fox
Danny Sheridan’s line: Falcons by 3
Lions’ keys to victory: Use weapons to spread out and attack Atlanta’s young cornerbacks with QB Matthew Stafford. If the Lions can get a couple of big plays early, the Falcons’ corners, led by rookie A.J. Terrell and Kendall Sheffield, have shown a tendency to get rattled. Wide receivers Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola, along with rookie RB D’Andre Swift, should be targeted early and often by Stafford.
Falcons’ keys to victory: Pressure off the edge to slow down the Lions’ passing game. Detroit has run the ball well in 2020 compared with years past with both Swift and Adrian Peterson, but the Falcons’ run defense hasn’t been a major concern this season. As long as Atlanta gets pressure from defensive ends Dante Fowler Jr. and Takkarist McKinley and DT Grady Jarrett can hold things down in the middle. The key will be making Stafford uncomfortable in the pocket.
Matchup to watch: Lions’ Golladay vs. Falcons’ Terrell. The Falcons put a lot on Terrell’s plate, and the first-round rookie out of Clemson has responded. Terrell has manned Atlanta’s No. 1 corner spot since Desmond Trufant was released. After a solid performance in Week 6, Terrell will face Golladay, who has the size and speed to give any young cornerback nightmares.
Who wins? Both teams are coming off of big wins in Week 6. Atlanta was nearly perfect against the Vikings, and the team seems to be riding the momentum of its coaching change to Raheem Morri.
Falcons, 29-28