Game day: How to watch and 3 things to watch for Lions vs. Seahawks
Game information
● What: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions at Ford Field
● When: Mon, Sept. 30, 8:15 p.m.
● How to watch: ABC (Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Lisa Salters)
● How to listen: 97.1-FM The Ticket in Metro Detroit or any number of network affiliates around the state.
● Line: Lions -3.5
● Injury report: Detroit has ruled out starting center Frank Ragnow (pec). Additionally, safety Brian Branch was added to the injury report on Sunday with an illness and he’s doubtful.
Seattle, meanwhile, has ruled out four defensive starters, including star defensive lineman Leonard Williams, co-sack leader Boye Mafe and first-round draft pick Byron Murphy II.
● Officiating assignment: Alex Kemp’s crew. He has been the head official for seven Lions games since being promoted to role in 2018. He most recently officiated Detroit’s overtime loss to Seattle last season.
● Last meeting: Seattle spoiled Detroit’s 10-point, fourth-quarter comeback, driving for a touchdown with the opening possession of overtime to top the Lions at Ford Field in Week 2 last season, 37-31.
Coverage from the week
● Three and out: Lions' defense looks legit, but injuries challenge sustainability
● How the Lions can survive the losses of Davenport and Barnes
● Lions film review: How the ground game got going
● Lions film review: How Detroit's defense shut down Cardinals
● What's new with Seattle Seahawks since last matchup with Detroit Lions
● DFN Podcast with Seahawks reporter Bob Condotta and tight end Parker Hesse
● Pressers and Scrums: Ragnow not expected to miss a lot of time
● Seven thoughts to end the week, led by Detroit’s injury situation not unique
● DFN Mailbag: Monday's biggest challenge and explaining concussion protocol
Three things worth watching
● With the way the Lions are built offensively, they can achieve success through multiple approaches. But what’s proven most consistently reliable is leaning on the ground game and working a play-action passing attack off that success.
Given the strengths and weaknesses of Seattle’s defense, there’s little reason to approach things a different way.
Behind an athletic and opportunistic secondary, no team is holding opposing passers to a lower rating through the first three weeks of the NFL season. Their opponents are averaging just 132.3 yards through the air, and a league-low 4.7 yards per pass attempt, once you factor in the 76 yards lost via 11 sacks.
Now, to be clear, context matters. They’ve played a pretty weak slate of quarterbacks in Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett and Skylar Thompson. Still, that doesn’t alter the fact the Seahawks have serious playmakers throughout the back end.
Contrast that strength against a run defense allowing 4.6 yards per carry and missing several key pieces up front. Meanwhile, the Lions are averaging 163.0 rushing yards per game at 4.8 yards per pop. Lean into that.
● The likely absence of Branch is an unexpected and brutal blow for Detroit. Only a handful of games into his full-time switch to safety and he’s already solidified himself as one of the league’s best at the position. Whether it’s playing man, zone, supporting against the run or blitzing the passer, the second-year standout from Alabama can do it all at a high level. Plus, his three-down presence is making everyone else better in the back end, particularly Kerby Joseph, who already has a pair of interceptions without a notable miscue.
Branch’s absence will likely be felt even more against an opponent with Seattle's makeup. The visitors possess three talented receivers, an above-average and athletic tight end and a mobile quarterback. That setup demands a secondary that can both cover and solve problems on the fly.
Brandon Joseph will likely step in and fill the lineup void. It could certainly be worse. While he lacks Branch’s elite instincts and open-field tackling ability, the former Northwestern and Notre Dame product has an advanced football IQ and a nose for the ball, which not only showed up throughout his college career, but also during training camp and the preseason.
● There will be all kinds of interesting matchups to monitor in this contest, but none more than wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Both split their time between the slot and the outside, so you should expect a lot of head-to-head interaction.
St. Brown is an All-Pro because he consistently finds ways to get open, while the feisty and competitive Witherspoon has surrendered just 71 yards on 15 throws his direction through three games, thanks in no small part to his outstanding tackling limiting damage after the catch.
The Lions managed three grabs for 63 yards on five targets in Witherspoon’s NFL debut last season, but they should anticipate a significantly better defender now that he has a year’s worth of experience under his belt.
Games not on ESPN, it’s on ABC - it’s a double header MNF. Titians at Dolphins are on ESPN 7:15 kick Lions 8:15 kick ABC
This is a low key very important game. As a team that aspires to be a Super Bowl contender, absolutely cannot start the first quarter of the season 2-2, with two home losses to potential NFC playoff competitors. Not to mention 4 of the next 5 on the road - and all games that are potential coin flips or even Detroit as betting market dogs. Lions need this game like blood.