The Detroit Lions may be 3-6 on the season and viewed as one of the NFL’s worst teams, but New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll knows better than to overlook them.
In fact, Daboll enters Week 11 with concern. The Lions have a potent offense, having scored 30 or more points in four games this season. That’s more than the Giants have been able to score in 37 consecutive games.
But Detroit doesn’t just run up the scoreboard, they do it via the big play. They have 36 pass plays of 20 yards or more and five of 40 yards or more. They also have six runs of 20 yards or more and four of 40 yards or more.
The bottom line: Detroit is dangerous with the ball in their hands and the Giants can’t afford to get into a shootout.
“They create explosive plays. (Jared) Goff plays at a high level; he’s a very accurate passer downfield, intermediate, off the play action. And then their two runners have taken it to the distance a few times,” Daboll told reporters on Wednesday. “They’re both a little bit different but both very good.
“They’ve scored 30 points four times. In six of their losses, four of them have been four points or less. The other one against the Cowboys it was 10-6 with 3:20 left. Explosive team. Good football team. We’re going to need a good week of practice.”
If the defense doesn’t come to play, it could be a long day for the Giants. They are dead last in the NFL with just 12 passes of 20 or more yards and third-worst with three passes of 40 or more yards.
On the plus side, thanks in part to Saquon Barkley, the Giants can generate some explosion on the ground. They have nine runs of 20 or more yards and two that have gone for 40-plus. But that’s not going to be enough if Detroit is punching it in routinely.
“We’re going to have to do a good job of trying to slow them down and make sure we’re tackling and not giving up 50-yard runs that they break through, taking care of the deep part of the field and things like that on defense,” Daboll said.
Luckily for the Giants, they have Wink Martindale running the show and he’s more than capable of drawing up a game plan to slow down the fastest and most explosive offenses in the game.
