The Detroit Lions look like an unbeatable team right now. Detroit is 8-1 heading into Week 11 after surviving a truly bizarre game against the Texans on Sunday Night Football. They truly seem like the best team in the NFC and are well on their way to a possible franchise-first Super Bowl berth.
One of the most impressive parts of the 2024 Detroit Lions is their ability to win games in many different ways. They have survived a horrible game by Jared Goff, won games entirely with their special teams unit, and consistently forced turnovers on defense. They have shown what the definition of complementary football is all about.
The Jaguars will present an interesting challenge to the Lions in Week 11. Jacksonville has not had much success in 2024, but their roster features some impressive playmakers on both sides of the ball. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker have the potential to wreck Jared Goff's day
Do the Lions have what it takes to beat a reeling Jaguars team? Or will Detroit finally fall victim to a dreaded “trap game”?
Below we will discuss three Lions bold predictions ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the Jaguars.
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Lions QB Jared Goff bounces back after throwing 5 INTs, but still doesn't look great
Jared Goff wants to forget his performance against the Texans. Goff is one of very few QBs to throw for five interceptions during the Super Bowl era and still win the game.
It should go without saying, but Goff will not play that poorly again this season. That was truly a fluky game that Goff will put behind him after some careful studying of the game tape.
But does that mean that Goff will return to his MVP-level of play that he was on prior to Week 10?
My prediction: Jared Goff does not have a repeat performance of his disastrous Week 10 game where he threw five interceptions to the Texans. Instead, he will throw for more touchdowns than interceptions and his passing yards and completion percentage will return to normal. That said, I believe that Goff will still have a couple of poor plays that leave Lions fans scratching their heads.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has a monster game, outgaining David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs
Amon-Ra St. Brown signed a massive contract extension with the Lions during the offseason. He is still one of their best players on offense, but has not been featured like in the first three years of his career.
St. Brown has hauled in 54 receptions for 524 yards and seven touchdowns through nine games. That is solid production, but well short of the 1,515 receiving yards he had in 2023.
I believe that St. Brown will be the foundation of the offensive game plan and have a truly outrageous game against the Jaguars.
My prediction: Amon-Ra St. Brown will outgain David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined in total scrimmage yards. Now this is a really bold prediction. St. Brown is having a down year statistically, eclipsing 100 receiving yards only twice through the first nine games of the season. For this bold prediction to hit, multiple things need to happen. Not only does St. Brown need to have a huge performance (at least 150 yards receiving), but Gibbs and Montgomery need to be featured significantly less than usual.
Za'Darius Smith wows in his Lions debut
The Lions traded for Za'Darius Smith on the final day of the NFL trade deadline. Smith has yet to make his Lions debut, as Detroit gave him some days off so that he could actually have a bye week.
He fit right in on the sideline for the Lions. Smith was seen multiple times on the broadcast coaching up Lions defenders on the bench. It seems like Smith is a great culture fit and could become a leader on Detroit's defense.
Smith has the potential to be a gamechanger for the Lions. He has logged double-digit sacks multiple times in his career, including a two-year stretch with the Packers (2019-20) and once with the Vikings (2022). Smith currently has five sacks through eight games played with the Browns.
I believe that he will have a great game in his debut with the Lions.
My prediction: Za'Darius Smith will make an instant impact on the Lions' defense. He will log at least one sack and multiple pressures in his first game wearing Honolulu Blue. Smith likely will not have the same role as Aidan Hutchinson, but that kind of minutiae hardly matters. Smith could be the final piece that unlocks a Super Bowl run for the Lions.
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