The Detroit Lions (1-1) host the New York Jets (1-1) on Sunday afternoon, marking the first matchup between head coach Dan Campbell and his former coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Glenn is in his second season as head coach of the Jets (1-1) and coming off of a 20-17 overtime loss to the Packers. The Lions
(1-1) are looking to bounce back 10 days after their tumultuous loss to the Bills on "Thursday Night Football."Before the season started, this matchup served as one of the "easy" games on the calendar for the Lions, but Detroit's uninspiring form through the first two weeks of the season combined with the Jets' improvement has shifted the feel of this game.
Here are three key stats that could tell the story of this pivotal Week 3 matchup in Detroit:
Lions' defense allowing 147 rushing yards per game
The Lions are bringing the fifth-worst run defense in the NFL to the table this Sunday, including 68 yards to Bills quarterback Josh Allen last week.
Jets quarterback Geno Smith doesn't present quite the same threat as Allen, having only 24 yards on 11 carries through two games, but the Lions' defense showed last week an inability to contain runners at the second level. Running back Breece Hall is averaging 3.4 yards per carry against superior defenses to that of the Lions.
Detroit's defense also enters ranked 31st in passing defense and scoring defense.
Jets have gone 19 games without an interception
The Jets are in the midst of a history-making interception-less streak. They haven't recorded a pick since January 2025.
They'll be without star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin) against the Lions on Sunday, which will certainly make an impact on what the Lions are able to do over the middle of the field. Lions quarterback Jared Goff hasn't thrown an interception yet this season, and is currently riding a 23-game touchdown streak.
Goff has looked sharp despite the team's faults, and the Lions to their credit have only one turnover this season.
Lions only have 17 first-half points through two games
The Lions have had significant dry spells, primarily to start their first two games of the season.
The got ahead of the Saints early in Week 1, but went scoreless in the second quarter. In Week 2, Detroit fell behind 21-0 before starting to get into an offensive rhythm when the game was already out of hand.
Through two games, the Lions are 20th in the NFL in first-half points (8.5). That's about half (16.35) of their average first-half points per game from the previous two seasons.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: 3 key stats for Detroit Lions vs. New York Jets
