3 Matchups Detroit Lions Must Win to Get First Victory Against Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carrol put all the concern about the Detroit Lions' inability to conceal their game plan to rest:

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Carroll on guys calling out Lions' plays: Wish we could find those same things they're talking about..I don't see what they're talking about

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 1, 2015"

Dave Birkett of Mlive Media Group had no word on whether he was rubbing his hands together like he had Lil' Wayne in his stable of rappers, or if he was sporting a fresh teardrop tattoo.

Regardless, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi shouldn't find much comfort in that statement. He needs to throw in a few twists that catch the defense off guard and convert overconfident reads with the hook-and-go treatment.

However, Doug Farrar of SI.com made an excellent point in a recent article exploring the consequences of an opponent understanding your tendencies:

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It makes for great postgame fodder. But when you talk to people in and around the league, the message is clear: Defenses knowing what's coming is common, it's been happening for decades, and the key to outplaying your opponent is to outexecute him, because most players and teams know what other players and teams are going to do most of the time.

"

That's a long way of saying what New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gets across in three words: Do your job. It's who players that will determine if Detroit erases three weeks of mistakes and puts up a few points.

Seattle is still a formidable team with a strong defense, but the two-time NFC champ isn't executing on the same level as years past. The Lions finding their first win in the Pacific Northwest isn't beyond the realm of comprehension.

They only need to pull their heads out of a dark place and stop making such costly errors. Once they get out of their own way, then they can focus on winning these three critical matchups.

Detroit OTs vs. Seattle DEs

Winning might be too lofty of a goal here.

Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware forced the training staff to administer concussion tests for Riley Reiff and LaAdrian Waddle. It turned out they were just dizzy from being spun around for 14 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

The Broncos' success was understandable since Miller and Ware the second- and third-most efficient pass-rushing outside linebackers. Luckily, Seattle doesn't use a 3-4 defense, so dealing with the two most-disruptive defensive ends shouldn't be a problem, right?

Player	Sacks	Hits	Hurries	Positional Rank
Von MIller	4	8	9	2
DeMarcus Ware	1	3	17	3
Cliff Avril	1	5	11	1
Michael Bennett	2	1	10	2

Tight end Brandon Pettigrew would be a huge help here, although his status for Monday's game is still unknown. He didn't practice Wednesday, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, and hasn't played since the season opener.

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No Ziggy Ansah, Brandon Pettigrew or Joique Bell at open portion of #Lions practice.

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) October 1, 2015"

The interior of Seattle's defensive line presents problems in the form of Brandon Mebane, Ahtyba Rubin and Jordan Hill. The later of whom has an impressive five quarterback hurries despite only playing 37 passing downs.

Pressure and defenders in the backfield have plagued this offense all season. It would help tremendously if not only did the line play better, but the running game found some traction. Seattle, uncharacteristically, has been semi-porous on the ground, allowing over 100 yards per week.

If Detroit has any hopes of scoring 20 or more points, it'll all start up front, with the tackles playing a pivotal role in letting Ameer Abdullah and Matthew Stafford get outside to make plays.

RB Theo Riddick and TE Eric Ebron vs. Seattle LBs

Another way to ease the pressure would require turning loose two of their best offensive playmakers. No, not Zach Zenner and Corey Fuller, but Eric Ebron and Theo Riddick.

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Abdullah/Riddick against LBs in coverage is the kind of advantage you relentlessly pummel an opponent with in playcalling #sweeptheleg

— Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) September 28, 2015"

Seattle's secondary carries a significant reputation for a reason. Safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are the best tandem in the league, and Richard Sherman is one of the league's best cornerbacks.

However, those three will have their hands full this week. Wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate demand the attention of at least three defensive backs so long as one is physical enough to frustrate Tate. Otherwise, they could require the entire secondary to effectively corral them.

That should leave Ebron and Riddick to the linebackers, a matchup both should win handily.

NFL Game Pass

In the embedded GIF, you can see Ebron matched up with Broncos safety David Bruton Jr.. It didn't matter if the latter knew the play because Ebron was able to blow by him for the necessary separation and was too strong for Bruton's weak attempt at physicality.

Stafford dropped the ball into Ebron's arms in front of the other safety, and Detroit had itself a chunk play.

Those same options should be available Monday night. If Lombardi throws in shorter tosses to Riddick where he can beat a defender in space, the offense should be able to harass Seattle's defense enough to take a deep shot or two with Johnson on the outside.

Detroit won't need a bevy of points to get a win here. So a little execution—as Farrar was discussing above—on these short to intermediate passes will go a long way.

Detroit's Outside Contain vs. QB Russell Wilson

Seattle understands Detroit's offensive line woes all too well. Its line has struggled mightily, giving up four sacks to the formerly sackless Chicago Bears last week.

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Beginning to think the Seattle offensive line might be an issue. Bears with four sacks after having zero the first two games.

— SI NFL (@si_nfl) September 27, 2015"

The Seahawks are still a team devoted to the run, having rushed for the fifth-most yards in the league. But Detroit's defense has been finding its footing after failing to set the edge against Minnesota and giving up 199 yards.

Detroit must stay vigilant about that duty against Seattle. This time, however, it's the passing game that warrants the concern.

Russell Wilson is arguably the league's best quarterback on the move. Aaron Rodgers probably takes the crown (like every other award when it comes to quarterbacking), but Wilson has a higher accuracy percentage when under pressure (81.5 to 79.2, per Pro Football Focus).

Most of those passes are the result of Wilson bailing on the pocket and getting outside. He knows his running ability puts stress on a defense and will draw linebackers and shallower defensive backs to the line of scrimmage. That's when he fires.

It's impossible for a secondary to cover forever. The Lions must keep Wilson contained while also protecting their own edges and getting a couple playmakers involved often. That's how this team wins in Seattle.

All advanced statistics, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

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.