The Detroit Lions travel to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome tonight for a showdown with the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. The Saints snapped their four-game losing streak against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, and head coach Sean Payton will look for his team to keep the momentum rolling into Monday's matchup against Detroit. The Lions are currently 4-9 on the season, and are one of the hardest teams to figure out, as they have been inconsistent all year.
Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell will look for his team to snap their two-game losing streak Monday in New Orleans, and will need to finish the season strong as his job could be on the line following the season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford leads the Lions' offense, and has thrown for 3,409 yards with 24 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The former first round pick has been inconsistent this season, and many in Detroit are wondering if he can still be the future of the franchise.
Stafford will look to target star wide receiver Calvin Johnson Monday night, as he leads the team with 981 receiving yards. The 6-foot-5, 237-pound wide receiver creates a matchup nightmare for defenses, and tends to tower over the corners covering him. Johnson only caught one pass for five yards against the St. Louis Rams last week, and the talented wide out will look to make his presence felt on the field Monday.
Both of these teams can score points quickly, and Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah will try to disrupt the Saints offense, as he has had a phenomenal year in Detroit. The Lions 2013 first round pick has proven to be a legitimate NFL pass rusher with 13.5 sacks on the year. In the past three games Ansah has recorded 5.5 sacks and will look to create havoc for Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
The Saints veteran quarterback knows he will need to get the ball out quickly against the Lions' defensive front on Monday, and will look target wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead. Brees has thrown for 3,794 yards with 25 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, and is coming off a strong performance over the Buccaneers last week. Brees had a 75.6 completion percentage against Tampa Bay, and threw over 300 yards with two touchdown passes.
Payton will look to protect his quarterback from the Lions' pass rush by creating a strong ground game with running back Tim Hightower. Running back Mark Ingram has been place on injured reserve, and Hightower has stepped up in filling the top running back position in New Orleans. Hightower saw a season high 28 carries last Sunday, and rushed for 85 yards with a touchdown. The Saints will likely try to establish a strong ground game early, as that will open the passing game for Brees and the Saints offense.
Both teams are already ruled out of the playoffs, but with many offseason changes looming for both franchises expect a competitive matchup. The game starts at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Saints' radio broadcast, click here, and for the Lions' radio broadcast, go here.