Can the Lions be stopped? That’s the question on everybody’s lips after Detroit recorded yet another victory on Sunday, a 20-17 conquest of the Washington Redskins at Ford Field. With the victory, the Lions improved their record to 4-3 as they extended their winning streak to three games.
Leading the way for Detroit in this come-from-behind victory was Matthew Stafford. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown, and also ran twice for 32 yards. With the Lions trailing 17-13 with just 65 seconds remaining on the game clock, Stafford drove Detroit 75 yards down the field in six plays for the winning score. Stafford’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin cemented his 24th game-winning drive in the NFL in the fourth quarter or overtime.
The Lions will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they take on the Houston Texans this coming Sunday. For the Lions to extend their winning streak even further, they will need Stafford to stand tall once again. Since Week 8 of the 2015 season, Stafford has completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 4,310 yards, 35 touchdowns and just eight picks. His passer rating over that 16-game span is 105.4 and his QBR 68.8. Stafford will have his work cut out for him, however, against a Houston defense that’s allowing just 320.1 total yards per game this season, eighth in the NFL.
The Lions are 4-6 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 road games. They are pegged at +10,000to win the Super Bowl this season.
Houston’s road woes continued on Monday as the Texans suffered a humiliating 27-9 loss to the Denver Broncos. It was a disappointing performance by the Texans who are now 0-3 on the road to start the season. They have been outscored 85-22 away from NRG Stadium this campaign. Things are bound to get tougher for Bill O’Brien’s men as standing in their way this coming Sunday are the red-hot Detroit Lions. The Lions are averaging 25 points during their current three-game winning streak.
The good news for the Texans is that they’re back at home for this critical Week 8 clash. As much as they have struggled on the road this year, the Texans have compensated for that by performing well at their own home field. Houston is unbeaten through its first four games at NRG Stadium this season. For the Texans to preserve their perfect home slate against the Lions, they will need to get a much-improved performance from quarterback Brock Osweiler.
He struggled mightily in his much-talked about return to Denver, completing just 22-of-41 passes for 131 yards without a touchdown on Monday. Osweiler averaged less than 3.2 yards per attempt in that contest – the lowest for an NFL quarterback in a game this season. He was inaccurate, particularly with the deep pass, going 0-for-6 on throws more than 15 yards downfield. The Texans are confident, however, that Osweiler will rediscover his passing touch against Detroit this coming Sunday. He’s averaging 255.5 passing yards at home this season. Osweiler has thrown seven touchdowns at NRG Stadium this campaign.
The Texans are 8-2 SU and 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 home games. They are pegged at +4,000to win the Super Bowl this season.
