The Detroit Lions are feeling confident after what they did down in Arizona last Sunday. But can they keep it going when they pay the Atlanta Falcons a visit this week? Or will the Falcons bounce back from a loss with a win at home? Check out our preview below of this meeting between the Lions and Falcons in Week 16.
Say what you want to say about the Lions, but they have just become the first team this season to beat the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, as they took down Kyler Murray and company on the road last Sunday to the tune of a 30-12 score. The margin of victory was surprising, but it could be that the Lions are starting to get it together, even though it’s too late for them. Jared Goff shined in the pocket in that game, as he passed for 216 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions on 21/26 completions. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had 90 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight catches. The rookie wideout has been on a roll of late, and he’ll look to keep it going against the Falcons’ listless defense that has allowed at least 30 points in two of Atlanta’s last three games.
The Lions are 4-1 against the spread in their last five road games.
After a rousing 29-21 road win against the Carolina Panthers in Week 14, the Falcons fell prey to the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara in Week 15, 31-13. As mentioned earlier, Atlanta’s defense hasn’t been up to par. San Francisco burned the Falcons on the ground, while Jimmy Garoppolo barely had any problem slicing Atlanta’s stop unit through the air. But while Detroit is coming off a win on the strength of its offense, Atlanta has shown it can keep up with teams that aren’t playoff-caliber. Detroit remains a bad team despite its shocking win in Arizona, and it’s not a stretch to think that the Lions will stink the next time it takes the field. Matt Ryan is an experienced and quality quarterback who can take advantage of bad defenses such as that of the Lions’ which is among the worst in the NFL.
The under is 3-0 in the Falcons’ last three home games.
