Lions fans are feeling confident this week.<\/p>\n
Establishing their run game will likely be a focus for Detroit.<\/p>\n
\nThe\u00a0Detroit Lions<\/strong>\u00a0(3-1) are on the road in Week 6, traveling to Texas to take on the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys<\/strong>\u00a0(3-2), hoping for back-to-back wins over teams who have previously had their number.<\/p>\n
The last time the Lions were in Dallas the ending of the game was\u00a0drenched in controversy<\/strong>, and\u00a0while that can be a motivating factor<\/strong>, coach Dan Campbell is confident his team will be able to control their emotions.<\/p>\n
If the Lions want to continue their revenge tour, they\u2019ll need to follow the keys to victory laid out in this week\u2019s Honolulu Blueprint.<\/p>\n
Key 1: Run the ball early and often<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that we are an extremely physical, detailed, and explosive unit,\u201d Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said of the offense. \u201cThat\u2019s what we want to bring to the table each and every week, we want our physicality to show up. Obviously, the easiest way to do that is in the run game.\u201d<\/p>\n
By most metrics, the Lions have one of the top rushing attacks in the NFL. They have the fifth-best PFF team rushing grade, an average of 151.3 rushing yards per game, which is seventh-best, an average of 1.8 rushing touchdowns per game a third-best mark, and create an average of 1.62 yards before contact (meaning how many yards a running back gains before being touched by a defender) which is ninth best in the NFL.<\/p>\n
Key 3: Make the Cowboys\u2019 offense one-dimensional<\/strong><\/p>\n
While the Lions are expected to put points on the board, the Cowboys have the offensive firepower to stay with them.<\/p>\n
If the Lions can stunt the Cowboys\u2019 rushing attack, they can make the Cowboys one-dimensional. Now, that may seem counterintuitive, considering how efficient the Cowboys passing attack is, but there are advantages to be gained.<\/p>\n
If the Lions can indeed take away the run game early, they\u2019ll be able to counter Prescott\u2019s sped-up offense by focusing more on pass rushing, allowing them to pin their ears back on their pass rush.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Jake Bates Showing \u2018Steady Improvement\u2019 – John Maakaron, Sports Illustrated<\/h3>\n
Dallas has already found a kicker, but Detroit may have also found one of their own.<\/p>\n
\nThe\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0invested in UFL standout Jake Bates to be the team\u2019s kicker for what they are hoping to be the 2024 season and beyond.<\/p>\n
To this point,\u00a0Bates\u00a0has provided strong returns with a perfect 5-for-5 mark on field goal attempts. He did miss one extra point against Arizona and a couple of near-misses, but has shown continued improvement in the eyes of special teams coordinator Dave Fipp.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Bates, I think honestly the biggest thing for him is he really had \u2013 it\u2019s well documented he wasn\u2019t the kicker in college and all that. I mean, he kicked, but he wasn\u2019t the guy all the time. He just didn\u2019t have a lot of reps,\u201d said Fipp. \u201cSo, you have a young player who doesn\u2019t have a ton of reps, has a tremendous skillset and talent and upside.\u201d<\/p>\n
The key for the\u00a0Lions\u00a0has been allowing him to continue to bank plenty of high-intensity reps. When Michael Badgley went down with a season-ending injury, the team elected to not add another kicker to the roster.<\/p>\n
As a result,\u00a0Bates\u00a0was the beneficiary of all training camp reps from that point forward. Veteran Greg Joseph was briefly added to the practice squad, but he was eventually signed to the\u00a0New York Giants\u2019 active roster.<\/p>\n
With a plethora of reps available to him and getting some game experience, the Lions are hoping they can continue to develop the talented kicker.\u00a0Bates\u00a0clearly has one of the biggest legs in the league, and has proceeded nicely in his development.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Lions\u2019 David Montgomery reveals new nickname for Detroit backfield he shares with Jahmyr Gibbs – Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports<\/h3>\n
A solid 1-2 punch in the backfield provides plenty of opportunity for nicknames.<\/p>\n
\nThe\u00a0Detroit Lions\u00a0boast a top-10 rushing offense entering Week 6 of the 2024\u00a0NFL\u00a0season, and the beauty of their ground attack is that\u2019s it two-pronged, with\u00a0David Montgomery\u00a0and\u00a0Jahmyr Gibbs\u00a0both ranking among the league\u2019s top 20 rushers. The Lions\u2019 ball-carriers embrace the setup, too, with Montgomery\u00a0revealing to CBS Sports HQ\u00a0this week that he and Gibbs have their own nicknames for each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got a new name going around, Sonic and Knuckles, and I happen to be Knuckles,\u201d Montgomery said. \u201cI like that one.\u201d<\/p>\n
The nickname is a reference to the video-game characters Sonic the Hedgehog, who has supersonic speed; and Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic\u2019s rival-turned-friend who possesses brute strength.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut me and Jahmyr, we go hand in hand,\u201d Montgomery explained. \u201cAnd I think a lot of people kinda see it in one light. Like, Jahmyr is a guy who can just do this kind of skill and I\u2019m a guy that does just this kind of skill. But anybody who really watches the tape, they can see I can move a lot better than people think I can. … And Jahmyr, he\u2019s fast, he\u2019s shifty, but he\u2019s strong, too. … You mesh those two things together … I think the sky\u2019s the limit for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Here are the final injury reports for both the Lions and Cowboys.<\/p>\n
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