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The Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills will kick off their 2021 NFL preseason schedules on Aug. 12. This represents the third nationally televised preseason game on the slate throughout the NFL.
Lions vs Bills: What you need to know
- The Lions host Buffalo at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, August 12th at 7:00 pm EST on NFL Network.
- Sportsnaut forecasts the Detroit Lions will beat the Buffalo Bills, 23-20.
- Odds: Bills are 2.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 37.
Mitchell Trubisky vs Jared Goff
Josh Allen will not play in the opener. The recently-extended starting quarterback is coming off an absolutely brilliant third season in the NFL and doesn’t have much to prove during the summer. In his stead, former Chicago Bears first-round pick Mitchell Trubisky will see a ton of action.
As for Jared Goff and the Lions, he’s going to need to see the field as a way to gain experience in new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn’s system after being acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Matthew Stafford blockbuster. It remains to be seen whether Goff will be on the field for this one due to a minor injury he’s working through.
- Buffalo Bills as Super Bowl contenders: This game will be all about the Allen-less Bills’ offense fine-tuning things for the regular season. If things run smooth with Trubisky and Jake Fromm under center, it will be a sign of things to come.
- A new era in Detroit: After putting up a dazzling performance for the Rams back in 2018, Goff fell out of favor in Southern California the past two seasons. It led to him being dealt to the Lions for Stafford. Detroit, clearly in rebuild mode, hopes Goff returns to earlier-career form. It would help expedite said rebuild in a big way. That starts in his Lions debut.
Advantage: Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills pass rush vs Detroit Lions offensive line
One of the Achilles’ heels for the Bills last season was their pass rush. They tallied a mere 38 sacks. That must change if Buffalo wants to be considered a top-end Super Bowl contender. On the other hand, Detroit has a surprisingly good offensive line in front of Goff. The new coaching staff is going to want to see how this unit meshes initially.
- Jared Goff’s success reliant on offensive line: Taylor Decker and stud rookie Penei Sewell will man the tackle positions under first-year offensive line coach Hank Fraley. They should see action in this one until Goff is relegated to wearing a head set midway through the opening quarter.
- The Gregory Rousseau factor: This Miami (F) product was selected 30th overall by Buffalo after sliding in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Bills are going to be relying on the freak to perform at a high level with veterans Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison also chipping in. The pressure is squarely on Rousseau to make an immediate impact.
Advantage: Detroit Lions
Lions vs Bills: The trenches
We’re primarily looking at how Buffalo’s unproven group of running backs will perform against an equally unproven Lions defensive line in this one. For the Bills, it’s important to see what they have during the preseason.
- Buffalo Bills running backs are an X-factor: Neither Devin Singletary or Zack Moss did much to stand out last season for Buffalo. In fact, Josh Allen led the team in rushing touchdowns. That’s not an ideal scenario. Perhaps, free-agent signing Matt Breida will see ample opportunities to get into the mix against the Lions.
- New-look Detroit Lions: Whatever the idioms new Lions head coach Dan Campbell has used this offseason, it’s all about physicality upfront. On defense, that starts with the recently-acquired Michael Brockers as well as rookies Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill.
Advantage: Buffalo Bills
The bottom line: This game will be all about the Lions’ new coaching staff seeing what it has on the roster. That should benefit Detroit in an outing against a Bills squad that’s more developed than its counterpart. In no way will this be an indication. But expect this Lions vs Bills matchup to be entertaining.
