Detroit Lions vs. New England Patriots: Complete Week 12 Preview for Detroit

The Detroit Lions don't have time to lick their wounds, as the New England Patriots aren't known for giving anyone quarter. At least, not without taxing a win for their hospitality.

The defeat in the desert didn't dash Detroit's postseason hopes. The Lions (7-3) still sit atop the NFC North, although they share that distinction with the Green Bay Packers.

But the Lions only have two games left against teams with more than four wins. They merely need to beat the bad teams to finish with 11 victories. It isn't time to jump off the playoff bandwagon just yet.

The first of those two includes a visit to Foxborough, Massachusetts, this week, where the Pats (8-2) haven't lost this season. It doesn't help that New England has been rolling ever since the franchise was declared dead after an embarrassing loss to the Chiefs.

Vegas doesn't see this as much of a game, giving New England a 7.5-point advantage (per OddsShark.com). Is that really the case? Click through to find out.

Lions' Week 11 Game Recap

Ralph Freso/Associated Press

Detroit's four-game winning streak came to a screeching halt against Arizona because the defense couldn't find a way to score. That's not a misprint. 

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's men carried the day again. After allowing two Michael Floyd touchdown catches on the first two drives, they settled in and throttled the Drew Stanton-led attack.

Additionally, running back Andre Ellington averaged just 2.2 yards per carry, and the defense grabbed a pair of interceptions.

But the offense couldn't find a way to cash in. Two field goals from Matt Prater, including a 50-yarder off the upright, concluded the scoring for the day. Detroit never made it past Arizona's 40 in the second half.

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and the offensive line have taken the heat for the loss, with Matthew Stafford catching some flak for funneling the ball to Calvin Johnson (12 of 30 targets). If these trends continue, Detroit will have a hard time beating good teams relying solely on its defense.

News and Notes

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Cutting the Fat

Joe Lombardi's ambition apparently exceeded the Lions' grasp. The offensive coordinator cited better coaching to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com as the reason for simplifying his playbook, but the underlying catalyst is a lack of execution.

To paraphrase Occam's razor: keep it simple, stupid. 

"

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said before Thursday's practice that he is reducing the playcalls by up to 20 percent for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

"It's easy to say, 'Hey, this guy has to line up in the right spot, and that guy has to block this correctly,'" Lombardi said. "But as a coach you have to take responsibility and say, 'Hey, we need to coach it better.'"

"

I'm not inferring either Lombardi or the players lack intelligence. I'm saying the team has proven that the system hasn't soaked in to the degree required to be effective.

The offensive line often looks confused as to who is responsible for which defender. Hopefully, the diminished clutter will allow for clearer heads to prevail, and the hats will end up on a man instead of spinning around to watch Stafford scramble.

The Ever-Expanding Eric Ebron?

Fans bemoan Ebron's selection in the first round. They look at his production and think Detroit could have gotten that from Kris Durham. 

I get it. But you can't label a player a bust seven games into his career.

Head coach Jim Caldwell believes the rookie's production is ready for a sharp upswing, as he explained to MLive.com's Justin Rogers.

"

With him, coming along, he played a lot more comfortable at his position...I do think, down the stretch, he's going to be able to stretch the field for us from his position. Not only that, but give us some big plays as well.

"

Ebron isn't a prototypical tight end. He's had to learn multiple roles in an offense that is so complex, it's now being pared down. That should help simplify matters for the explosive pass-catcher.

The Lions offense is at its best when the ball is being spread around. With Ebron thinking less and relying more on his physical prowess, he can become an important piston in an engine in need of more horsepower.

What's in a Name?

While the offense has been stuck in a rut since Week 1, the defense has been putting the hurt on opponents. So much so that the players let Meinke in on their self-appointed and pertinent nickname. 

"

So what does that mean? Free hurt? Safety Glover Quin explained a few weeks ago that everything in life comes at a price. But this defense is willing to dole out the hurt for free.

"That's what it is -- free hurt," safety James Ihedigbo said this week. "However you want it, this one comes for free, and you can come back and get a refill as many times as you want.

"Tax free. Duty free."

"

The defense is only allowing 290.3 yards and 15.6 points per game, both league lows. It's safe to say that somebody is paying for the pain these guys are charitably doling out. 

Injury Report

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Position	Name	Injury	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Status
DT	Nick Fairley	Knee	NP	NP	NP	Out
DE	Jason Jones	Not Injury Related	NP	NP	FP	Probable
G	Larry Warford	Knee	NP	NP	NP	Out
RB	Joique Bell	Ankle	NP	LP	FP	Probable
RB	Reggie Bush	Ankle	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
WR	Calvin Johnson	Ankle	NP	LP	LP	Probable
TE	Brandon Pettigrew	Foot	FP	LP	FP	Probable
T	LaAdrian Waddle	Ankle	LP	LP	FP	Probable
WR	Golden Tate	Hip	Not Listed	Not Listed	LP	Probable

The injury report is sourced from DetroitLions.com and the statuses are projections until the official status is released.

There hasn't been much encouraging news surrounding Fairley and Warford. Rookie Travis Swanson will see his second start, and C.J. Mosley will adequately step in at defensive tackle.

Jones had been attending to a family matter, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. It's unlikely he'll be held back because of missed practices, but the nature of the presumably sensitive issue raises the possibility of distraction. And in a game where the Lions desperately need their pass rush to have an impact, his importance cannot be understated.

Bush and Johnson both practiced and should be available. Bell's return to practice intimates that the full backfield should be ready to rock. 

Pettigrew's downgraded practice participation makes his status questionable, but the Lions have Joseph Fauria, Eric Ebron and Kellen Davis to handle the tight end duties. 

The real question is Waddle. He's been limited all week, and the Lions would prefer not to rely on undrafted rookie Cornelius Lucas during their toughest test of the season.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

DTs Ndamukong Suh and C.J. Mosley vs. C Bryan Stork, G Dan Connolly and G Ryan Wendell

The only way to beat Tom Brady is to get after his feet. If he has a comfortable pocket to step into, he'll find Rob Gronkowski for plenty of yards and points.

That's why Suh and Mosley must handle their business. They're the key to stuffing the run, which could put New England's offense in long third-down situations.

And when given that opportunity, the interior of the defensive line has to push back against a group of offensive linemen who haven't given up a sack this year. Detroit's lack of sustained pressure last week allowed the Cardinals to pick up five 3rd-and-long conversions. If history repeats itself, it won't be a one-score game.

WR Golden Tate vs. CB Darelle Revis 

Calvin Johnson and Darrelle Revis will get all the headlines, but as Cian Fahey breaks down in an outstanding piece about defending Johnson, Bill Belichick will use Revis on Detroit's second receiver.

Coincidentally, Detroit's No. 2 is actually first in yards and catches. Tate is Detroit's best with-the-ball playmaker. The Lions must find a way to get him off Revis Island and into open space.

OC Joe Lombardi vs. the Red Zone

Detroit ranks 21st in red-zone scoring efficiency (touchdowns only) per TeamRankings.com. They only come away with seven points just over half the time when they get inside the opponents' 20. 

Detroit's kicking woes aside, the consistent settling for three points has cost the Lions games and kept others closer than necessary.

Lombardi has Johnson and Joseph Fauria, two guys who have proven they can high-point the ball over most defensive backs. Lombardi has gotten very conservative when the offense gets close to the goal line. He often opts for the run or a safe play over giving one of his tall targets a chance at a game-changing play.

You can't beat the Patriots with field goals.

X-Factor: DE Ezekiel Ansah

The offense has to deliver at least 20 points for this to be a game so no one would scoff at Matthew Stafford or the offensive line in this spot. However, if the defense is going to keep this game manageable, it will need to generate pressure.

The Lions secondary is a good unit, but it isn't filled with athletic beasts that can cope with Rob Gronkowski. Ansah has to provide the outside pressure that forces Brady into the waiting arms of Suh, or finish off what the defensive tackles start.

Prediction

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

The loss of Nick Fairley loomed large over last week's game when the defensive line failed to generate pressure. Unfortunately, that same fate awaits the Lions this week.

It's not a fluke that the Patriots' losses and closest games have come against the fearsome fronts of Kansas City, Miami and the New York Jets. The Patriots didn't start rolling until they started protecting Tom Brady. 

Without the double threat of Ndamukong Suh and Fairley on the inside, New England can focus its protection on slowing Suh and Ansah. And Brady will make the Lions pay through the air.

Detroit's defense will still put up another solid effort, but it'll go wasted. The offense hasn't proven it does anything well, and now it faces a coach who thrives on taking away what a team does best. 

In the end, the best defense in the NFL won't be able to limit New England's offense enough for such an anemic scoring output.

Score: New England 23, Detroit 16

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu. 

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus and require a subscription.