After a prolonged period of time where everyone had to stew on a tough loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, the Detroit Lions are back at home this week where they will be hosting the New York Jets. And while the first order of business for Detroit will certainly be getting back in the win column, there are facets of the game where a lot of fans will want to see some marked improvement.
Whether we are talking communication and cohesion in the secondary, being efficient in the running
game, or getting back to bottling up the run as a defense—all of these and more were issues in the loss to Buffalo. However, to play devil’s advocate a bit, the matchup with Buffalo was always going to be tough. By now, you have heard and read it all. Short week after overtime in Week 1, first game in the new stadium for the Bills—you get it.
The beauty of forgettable performances like the Lions put on in Week 2 is there is still plenty of football to be played in 2026. Plenty of chances to get better and build on things as a unit. That brings us to today’s question of the day:
What area of the game do you most want to see improvement against the Jets?
My answer: It has to be the run defense. Offensively, I believe things will only get better as the offense line begins to click as they get more reps with one another. In the secondary, it is a similar story, and the addition of safety Brian Branch in the (hopefully) not-so-distant future would also help immensely. However, they need to get back to what they have hung their hat on since the arrival of coach Dan Campbell and that is being a top-flight run defense.
They looked the part against the Saints, but obviously took a step back in Buffalo. The good news is they will have a great opportunity to get back on track against a Jets team that wants to establish the run early and often. Look for the Lions’ defense, led by established All-Pros like defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Jack Campbell to set the tone.
What about you? What are you most wanting to see in the Lions’ matchup with the Jets? Let us know in the comments below.
