2024 Week 15: Bills 48, Lions 42
Well of course this happens, it always does. Whenever I give someone props they do something stupid or have a terrible game. Whenever I talk down about a player they play the game of their life. The one that bit me this time was Lions HC Dan Campbell. Last week I was droning on and on about him being the best coach in the NFL and what does he do? He tries for an onside kick with 10 minutes left in the game, down by 10.
The Bills (11-3) won the AFC East but are likely not going to earn 1 seed over KC. Buffalo needs to win out, KC needs to falter, and Buffalo is the only team to beat the Chiefs so they have the tiebreaker over them if it comes into play.
The Lions (12-2) are now tied with the Vikings for first place in the NFC North, and tied with Philly for the 1 seed in the NFC. Detroit is the best team in the NFL when fully healthy, but their defense has taken so many injuries that they might lose the division/conference.
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QB Report:
- Jared Goff (38/59 for 494 yards, 5 TDs) will have to carry the Lions offense for the rest of the season after losing David Montgomery (5-4-0; 4 catches for 31 yards) for the season. Goff has been on fire lately with 14 TDs in their last 5 games, he has the ability to carry them.
RB Report:
- Bills RB Ty Johnson (2-9-0; 5 catches for 114 yards) was a huge weapon in the passing game but this isn’t a sign of an uprising, Buffalo just happened to attack Detroit with Johnson in the passing game and it worked well. Prior to this game, Johnson had never seen more than 3 targets in a game.
WR/TE Report:
- I don’t know how anyone can trust anything in the Bills passing game outside of Khalil Shakir (6-39-1/7). Last week Amari Cooper (0-0-0/0) and Keon Coleman (1-64-0/2) looked like they had a real connection developing with Allen, Cooper especially, but look at what good it did for them in a 48-point shootout.
- Tim Patrick (4-30-1/8) scored another TD in this game, that’s 3 in the last two games. Goff has a shaky record in cold weather so that may impact the entire Detroit air attack.
D/ST Report:
- The Bills defense was projected as one of the best in the league, and they were decent in good matchups this year, but they’ve now allowed 40+ points in back-to-back games. Buffalo draws NE this week so they should be in your lineup, but I’m also eyeing my Austin Hooper props again.
image source: (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)