DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 27: Devon Kennard #42 of the Detroit Lions runs past Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants for a first half touchdown after picking up a fumble at Ford Field on October 27, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
After picking up a big win over the New York Giants this afternoon, the Detroit Lions have shown they are legit contenders in the NFC and should be buyers at the trade deadline.
The Detroit Lions may be one of the NFL’s most confounding teams this season. A big win over the New York Giants today, however, brings the Lions up to 3-3-1 and should signal to the Detroit front office that it is time to be buyers at the trade deadline.
Matthew Stafford had one hell of a day against the Giants’ pathetic pass defense, completing 25 of 32 passes for 342 yards with three touchdowns and just one interception. The Giants did move the football on the Lions in this game, with Daniel Jones throwing for four touchdowns against the Detroit secondary, but they made just enough big plays to secure the victory.
Even though the Lions are only a .500 team, they have shown they can hang with the league’s best throughout the season. Detroit has blown three games early in the year, choking away late leads against the Cardinals and Chiefs, while the referees helped take away a game in Green Bay as well.
The good news is that the Lions have shown they can hang with anyone, but they do need some reinforcements if they want to try and return to the playoffs. Running back is certainly a major need after Kerryon Johnson went down with a knee injury, and the committee approach that the Lions turned to didn’t produce much today.
Detroit also made a questionable choice to deal Quandre Diggs earlier this week, creating a big hole in their secondary. While the exact reasons why Diggs was dealt remain a mystery, Detroit should look to find his replacement before the deadline to take advantage of a roster that has shown they are more than capable of being a playoff threat this season.