Jaguars at Lions
Winners of three of the past four games, the Detroit Lions find themselves coming out of the bye week in a tie for first place in the NFC North division. Riding the hot hand of Matt Stafford, the Lions host turnover-prone Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Stafford has thrown 18 touchdowns with just five interceptions on the season, a stark contrast to Bortles, who has thrown 11 picks for a team that has amassed 19 turnovers on the season. The Lions capped another wild win last time out, slipping past the Minnesota Vikings 22-16 as Stafford connected with Golden Tate for a 28-yard touchdown pass in overtime. The Jaguars have watched their once-promising season evaporate in a trail of Bortles mistakes, leaving coach Gus Bradley on the hot seat. A trendy pick for its first playoff berth since 2007, Jacksonville has lost four straight and ranks 27th in the league, averaging just 19.3 points a game.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Lions -6. O/U: 47.
ABOUT THE JAGUARS (2-7): T.J.Yeldon leads the rushing game with a paltry 285 yards on 79 carries and has combined with newcomer Chris Ivory for just two rushing scores on the season. Bortles, who broke franchise records with over 4,400 yards and 35 touchdowns last season, threw a pick-six on the opening drive of the Jags' 24-21 loss to Houston last week, the third time this season he's thrown an interception on Jacksonville's first possession. Look for defensive back Jalen Ramsey, who has become a clear favorite in the race for defensive rookie of the year while shutting down a litany of star receivers throughout his first season, to shadow Detroit's Marvin Jones.
ABOUT THE LIONS (5-4): Stafford, completing 67.3 percent of his passes on the season, continues to be one of the league's best at directing come-from-behind wins -- all five of Detroit's victories have been the result of game-deciding drives by Stafford. Since 2011, Stafford has 23 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter and he reportedly is looking to parlay that success into a $25 million deal at year's end. The Lions have been fairly stingy on defense, allowing 22.9 points a game, (14th in league). Top linebacker DeAndre Levy, who has battled several leg injuries, was back at practice but he is still listed as doubtful to make his first return since Week 1.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Lions have five different players with at least 32 catches, paced by Tate with 49.
2. Neither team has shown any ability to run the ball on the season with the Jags ranking 26th in the league, one spot ahead of Lions. The teams also rank at the bottom of the NFL in forcing turnovers.
3. Rising Jaguars WR Marqise Lee exited the last game due to an ankle injury and it is unknown if he will suit up against the Lions.