After stringing together a much-needed three-game winning streak, the Detroit Lions now have a crucial road matchup coming up against the Carolina Panthers.

It seems as if in every season, one team manages to shock the NFL world by turning it around in the second half of the year and emerging as a dark horse playoff contender. Last season, the Miami Dolphins pulled off a notable seven-game winning streak, but they ultimately came up short of clinching a playoff spot. This year, the Lions turned their campaign around after a 1-6 start to the season, winning six out of their last seven contests.

From the balanced production on offense to the timely takeaways in pivotal moments of games, it has all been going Detroit’s way as of late. For the Lions to notch a win over Carolina and move above the .500 mark, they must achieve each of these three feats in Week 16.

Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

3. Jameson Williams orchestrates a 100-plus receiving yards game

Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has opened up his run in the NFL on a rather slow start.

Since making his NFL debut in Detroit’s Week 13 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars after recovering from his torn ACL injury, Williams has taken part in a combined 34 snaps on offense. He featured in 19 percent of snaps on offense in the Lions' road win over the New York Jets. He showed promise in the game, including on a play where, although he beat Jets cornerback D.J. Reed on a deep route, Jared Goff wound up underthrowing him. In the end, the rookie wideout failed to record a catch for the second time in three games.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is well aware that there is still much that Williams and Goff can work on together at this stage in the season.

“Yeah, it's a weekly process, and I think it is coming along,” Johnson said during a press conference on Wednesday. “We try to push Jamo a little bit more every week in terms of the routes we're asking him to run, not just for the game, but also for his development and for Jared's chemistry with him.

“We're trying to see what he's capable of, and what he's comfortable with at this point coming off that injury. So, I think we'll continue to see a growing connection between those two. It's just time on task.”

The script should flip for Williams in Week 16 with the first 100-plus receiving yards outing of his career. With the Panthers’ stout secondary expected to center much of its attention on Amon-Ra St. Brown, Goff should look to get Williams involved early in the contest, from throws downfield to finding him on slant routes down the middle.

2. Jeff Okudah wins the expected duel vs. Panthers wideout D.J. Moore

Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah did not have much to go his way in his rookie campaign. For one, his final appearance of the 2020 season came in Week 11 against the Panthers, where he allowed 100-plus receiving yards in coverage for the second time in the year.

Overall, Okudah allowed 83 receiving yards to D.J. Moore on the day, as the versatile wideout continually used his keen speed to veer by the former Ohio State defensive back with ease.

Okudah should avenge this lowly performance from two years ago with a shutdown outing against Moore in Week 16. The third-year defensive back can closely shadow Moore for the entirety of the contest and prevent him from creating any separation on the field.

In the big picture, Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold will not only be keeping a close watch on Okudah but also on the entire Lions defense.

“Super aggressive,” Darnold said about the Lions defense on Tuesday. “Just in terms of coming downhill, they got really good guys, really instinctual players. To be honest, really fun to watch on tape. They fly around, especially these last few games. We got our hands full.

“They got a really good defense, a really good scheme too, and they play well together so, it's going to be a really tough challenge for us, but we’re up for it.”

1. Lions pick up a much-needed win over the Panthers

The Lions essentially need to win their remaining three games of the regular season to give themselves a quality shot at clinching a wild-card spot in the NFC. They should inch closer to reaching this feat with a victory over Carolina in Week 16.

It sure would be quite an accomplishment for Detroit if it ends up making the playoffs.