The biggest players show up in the biggest games.
The Detroit Lions have finally made it back to the playoffs and even earned a home game, but the goal was to never just get here. Dan Campbell and company set out to earn (at least) a postseason win and that opportunity comes on Sunday night. No opponent at this point is ever going to be easy, but the Los Angeles Rams present a lot of unique challenges.
Multiple storylines have taken over this week, but the Xs and Os are fascinating even without the drama. Of course, the outside storylines are what will make the outcome of this game either devastating or all the sweeter, with so much depending on the two quarterbacks famously swapped a few seasons ago.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lion needs to have a huge game this Sunday?
My answer: The easy answer would be Jared Goff, given that aforementioned drama. However, the Lions are not dependent on their quarterback to go out and win the game for them, which is certainly a viable path to a championship . Goff cannot have a disastrous outing, but does not need to be the reason why Detroit ends up victorious.
Slowing down Matthew Stafford is the higher priority, both to come out ahead and also to avoid the painful narratives. While any member of the secondary has a chance to be the hero Sunday night, what about Aidan Hutchinson? The former Wolverine is emblematic of this organization’s revitalization and a big night from him would go a long way in slowing down the Rams offense to help the Lions finally secure that long-awaited playoff win.