The Detroit Lions are on national TV for the last time this year. The NFL gave us 6 nationally televised games thinking we would be a playoff contending team, like last year, but that hasn't worked out for a variety of reasons.
One way or another this will be a fun game as it marks the Lions first return to New Orleans since our 2011 playoff loss to them, which was a pretty close game till the end.
It'll probably end in heartbreaking loss via a ref call or a botched Lions play but fuck it we're all used to it at this point just hop on board and enjoy the ride.
Things to watch for:
1.) Continued progression of the young offensive line, especially the interior with Travis Swanson (3rd round pick - Arkansas), Laken Tomlinson and Larry Warford, all three under 25 years. This is a young offensive line and it's probably going to get younger when we draft another offensive lineman in the first round in 2016.
2.) Ezekial Ansah and his quest to break the Detroit Lions sack record set by Robert Porcher in 1997, at 15 sacks.
3.) Darius Slay...just watch him. A really fun DB to watch and it'll be interesting to see who on the Saints, Coach Austin matches him up with today. While we're talking about secondary Quandre Diggs has stepped up in his rookie season as a solid nickeback so I'd like to see his progression.
4.) As always I'll be watching Matthew Stafford and how the overall offense moves. I'd like to come out of the gates swinging but that's usually not the case with this team.
I don't know how many nationally televised games we'll get next year outside of Thanksgiving, but this is a young and fun team to watch with a lot of pieces set for the future and with a lot of draft picks in next years draft.
Also want to hear Lions fans Mike Tirico mention Sean Payton coming home at least twice tonight.
