In the season’s penultimate game, the Detroit Lions are sitting near the top of the projected 2022 NFL draft order. While that is nothing new, the last two weekends of the season will tell the story of whether the Jacksonville Jaguars or Lions will have the top pick in the draft.
Before all of that, the Lions have a game out in the Pacific Northwest against the Seattle Seahawks. Can the Lions catch an out-of-contention Seahawks team napping on the second day of 2022? Our Free Press writers make their picks for Sunday’s contest.
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Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m., Fox
Dave Birkett
The Lions have played good, competitive football in most of their seven games since the bye despite injuries and a COVID outbreak that have ravaged the roster. I would not expect anything less this week, even though a trip west and bad weather on a holiday weekend is a less than ideal setting for a win. Both the Lions and Seahawks want to run the ball, and the Lions have the better personnel on their line and in their backfield to get that done. But Wilson is the wildcard in this one. He seems to be down to his final two games in Seattle and could have one of those special days where he wills his team to a win. Another factor: The Lions are 1-11-1 in road games against NFC or AFC West opponents since the start of the 2012 season. In what likely will be Boyle’s third career start, that’s a lot of history to overcome. The pick: Seahawks 19, Lions 17.
Carlos Monarrez
This is a game the Lions can and should win. The Seahawks are 5-10 and haven’t been this bad in a decade. The Lions are getting a little healthier and should be able to pull out their first win in Seattle since 1999 (though we can’t discount the wild card that is referee Tony Corrente). Unfortunately, the season of bad breaks and near misses continues for the Lions, who are thwarted once again at the end of the game, probably by Quandre Diggs. The pick: Lions 20, Seahawks 20.
Jeff Seidel
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The Lions will play tough. They will try their darndest. They won’t give up. But they just won’t have enough weapons. I don’t care how many times Dan Campbell goes for it on fourth down. No Goff? No chance. The pick: Seahawks 24, Lions 14.
Shawn Windsor
If Jared Goff plays. If not? Expect another close loss. Yes, I’m offering a caveat here. Because that’s how the world works. Sometimes new information comes to light. Whether Goff plays or not, it’s clear these Lions will find a way to stay in the game throughout. That isn’t a prediction so much as just become fact. The pick: Lions 23, Seahawks 16.