NFL Playoff Picture: Lions vs. Saints—3 Keys to a Shocking Lions Upset

The Detroit Lions are more than capable of beating the New Orleans Saints.

Despite losing 31-17 at New Orleans a month ago, there were some legit excuses for the Lions.

They were without Ndamukong Suh who was suspended, QB Matthew Stafford was dealing with a hand injury and the Lions shot themselves in the foot with a ridiculous 11 penalties for 107 yards.

Suh is back, Stafford is healthy and I sure hope the Lions aren’t dumb enough to completely lose their cool again.

With that in mind, here are the three keys to the Lions shocking the Saints on the road.

Establish The Run

The Lions have been one of the worst rushing teams in the league since losing Jahvid Best for the season. They finished the regular season ranked 23rd in the NFL. It’s up to Kevin Smith and Maurice Morris to move the chains and keep the offense somewhat balanced.

If Stafford is forced to throw the ball 40-plus times, the Saints defense can send multiple blitzers, forcing bad decisions from a QB with zero playoff experience.

The best way to stop Drew Brees and the Saints offense is to keep them off the field. It’s as simple as that.

Feed Calvin Johnson

When you have the best receiver in football…use him! Megatron can out-jump any cornerback in the league and beat double-teams with ease.

Stafford can loft the ball downfield to Johnson and let him take care of the hard part. The NFL’s receiving champion only caught six passes for 69 yards and was shut out from the end zone in their first matchup and that is unacceptable.

Nobody in the game has the ability to make the plays Johnson can make…so use him!

Don’t Get Caught Up in the Moment

The Lions are in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Almost the entire team hasn’t been here before.

But that’s ok.

The mission has already been accomplished this season. All of the pressure is on the home team. The Lions need to be relaxed and not let the crowd rattle them. They are one of the only other dome teams and shouldn’t have an issue with the noise.

As long as they hold their composure and keep the penalties to a minimum, this team has a real shot at the upset.

If any of the three keys aren’t met…this magical season will come crashing to a screeching halt.