Detroit Lions at New York Jets
▶ Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
▶ TV/radio: FOX/97.1
▶ Series: Even, 7-7
▶ Line: Jets by 2½
Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News breaks down the Lions’ Week 15 matchup against the New York Jets.
Key matchup
LIONS PASSING OFFENSE VS. JETS PASSING DEFENSE
We’ve got a good ol’ strength-on-strength matchup at MetLife Stadium this Sunday, with the Lions’ No. 4-ranked offense facing off against the Jets’ No. 3-ranked defense. Each of these units butters its bread in the passing game, with the Jets’ passing defense (189.4 yards per game) ranking fourth and the Lions’ passing offense (248.8) ranking seventh. The Jets have wavered defensively in recent weeks, allowing 366 yards to Minnesota in Week 13 and an average of 302.3 over their last three games. Over the Lions’ last three games, quarterback Jared Goff is completing 69.2% of his passes for seven touchdowns, a 112.1 passer rating and an average of 303.3 yards per game.
Jets to watch
▶ CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner: It won’t be difficult finding this player on the television Sunday. The start of Gardner’s career has drawn so much attention that you’ll probably be quite sick of him when this game is over. The native Detroiter, a graduate of King High School, has two interceptions, leads the league in passes defended (16) and is the only rookie since 2000 to defend a pass in each of his first seven games.
▶ DL Quinnen Williams: Williams is the leader of New York’s front seven, and a large part of the Jets’ success in the passing game has been thanks to a line that ranks fifth in sacks per game (3.0). Williams leads the team with 11 and has 23 quarterback hits with a 3.7% sack rate that ranks first among interior defensive linemen this season.
▶ WR Garrett Wilson: Selected 10th overall in this past year’s NFL Draft, Wilson’s production has exploded since Mike White started playing quarterback. His public ‘feud’ with Zach Wilson makes Zach Wilson’s return to the starting lineup — White was ruled out Friday after getting beat up by the Bills this past Sunday — all that more interesting. Garrett Wilson leads the team in receptions (63) and receiving yards (868), a franchise rookie record).
More:Predictions: Detroit Lions at New York Jets
Facts and figures
▶ Jets rookie running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight faced a steep depth chart climb after going undrafted this past offseason, but he has thrived since injuries carved him a role. He surpassed 100 scrimmage yards in two of three games so far, becoming just the second undrafted player in NFL history to have at least 100 scrimmage yards in his first two games.
▶ After getting sawed in half Goldberg style against the Bills, it’s not surprising that White won’t play quarterback this weekend. Since taking over full-time a few weeks back, the former practice-squad QB is completing 62% of his passes this season for an average of 317.3 yards per game, with a rating of 85.8. Zach Wilson, meanwhile, has a passer rating of 72.6, a 55.6 completion percentage and has thrown just four touchdowns and five interceptions over seven games this season.
▶ Wide receiver Corey Davis hasn’t amounted to the individual success that many hoped would follow him after leaving Western Michigan, but he has been efficient this season, if nothing else. He currently ranks third league-wide in yards per catch (17.69).