Free Press sports writers give their predictions for the Detroit Lions game Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets (1 p.m., CBS):
Dave Birkett
The Lions can move within a half-game of the NFC’s final wild-card spot with a win, but putting up points on this Jets defense won’t be easy. The Jets have allowed more than 22 points in a game once since September, and they are as well-rounded a unit as any in the league. I see two avenues for a Lions victory: They get off to a hot start and force the Jets’ ball-control offense to play from behind, and/or they effectively end Zach Wilson’s career in New York by forcing him into another turnover-riddled game.
The Jets sound like a team determined to get after Goff, and that could be the equalizer. If he resorts to his turnover-prone ways, the Lions will miss out on a golden opportunity to improve their playoff standing. The pick: Jets 23, Lions 21.
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Carlos Monarrez
So none of you wanted Robert Saleh over Dan Campbell, right? Of course not. We finally get a head-to-head meeting of Lions hiring candidates, but it’s Campbell’s squad that’s red hot and should put up another double-digit win, even while facing a very good Jets defense led by cornerback Sauce Gardner, a Detroit native and leading defensive rookie of the year candidate. The Jets’ offense is struggling and a rib injury to quarterback Mike White last week doesn’t help. The pick: Lions 29, Jets 19.
Jeff Seidel
After years of misery, why not? You say they have to win out and I say, why not? You say the Jets have a great defense – and they do – but why can’t the Lions squeeze out just enough offense? Or even more? Why can’t these young Lions get a sack and a key turnover? Why can’t Dan Campbell get these guys playing even better? Why can’t they snap all the misery? For once, something good is going to happen to Detroit. Why not? The pick: Lions 31, Jets 28.
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