NFL Predictions Week 7: Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 7 of the 2011 NFL season finds the Detroit Lions matching up against the Atlanta Falcons in the friendly confines of Ford Field.

Detroit is coming off their first loss of the year to San Francisco, and the Lions did not look their best in any facet of the game. The loss was a hard pill to swallow for the team and fans. 

Detroit was at home and heavily favored against the 49ers.

There is a silver lining to the loss, though. We will no longer be forced to listen to delusional fans talk about the Detroit Lions going undefeated.

On the flip side, the Atlanta Falcons are coming off their most decisive win of the season—a 31-17 drubbing of the Carolina Panthers.

Even with the win, Matt Ryan and company have not lived up to preseason expectations. They have alternated wins and losses all year, and have a 3-3 record to show for it.

However, they are flying under the radar and should not be taken lightly. They are essentially the same team that went 13-3 in 2010.

If the Detroit Lions want to get back into the win column they will need to improve on their performance from last week. They brought in Ronnie Brown to bolster the running game, should Jahvid Best be unavailable.

But the Atlanta Falcons are no easy win. They are a better team then their record implies.

Here are five things the Lions need to address to give them the best chance to win.

5. This Time, Take Advantage of Home Field

Ford Field was every bit as loud, at times, against San Francisco as it was against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, evidenced by numerous 49ers offside penalties. 

However, the Lions failed to keep up the pressure and momentum, which would have kept the crowd going.

If the Detroit Lions would have been able to keep up consistent drives on offense, or get stops on defense, the home-field crowd would have continued it's deafening support.

Instead, apart from the first quarter, the Lions faltered. 

They failed to make big plays on either side of the ball. They failed to capitalize on what success they did have. And they let San Francisco sustain long scoring drives.

This is not the way to keep the home crowd effectively crazed. 

The Ford Field faithful were still in the game, don't get me wrong. But if the Lions expect them to really effect the game as they did against the Bears, they will need to give them something more to cheer about.

4. The Defense Has to Improve Against the Run and Get More Pressure on the QB

Detroit's defensive line got good pressure on the quarterback against San Francisco, primarily in the first quarter. This resulted in a Kyle Vanden Bosch fumble recovery.

However, there were other times when the pressure was lacking, and San Francisco sustained long scoring drives. Alex Smith had plenty of time in the pocket to find his receivers and pick apart the Detroit defense. 

I know, unbelievable. But it happened.

In addition, Frank Gore broke off long runs right in the face of Detroit's defensive line. They have repeatedly struggled to stop the run all season. 

They also underestimated the 49ers offensive line and quarterback. They cannot make that mistake against the Atlanta Falcons.

Detroit needs to get consistent pressure up the middle against Matt Ryan. They can't let him get comfortable in the pocket. Atlanta has more dangerous offensive weapons then the 49ers. 

The Lions cannot fall asleep for multiple drives and expect to win the football game. 

Detroit's defensive unit is capable of domination, and have shown it at times. They have to work on their consistency if they hope to win this game

3. Matthew Stafford Needs to Get His Groove Back

Matthew Stafford is a franchise quarterback. I fully believe he is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL today. He is a gunslinger with an unparalleled arm, and the Lions cannot win without him.

That being said, the Matthew Stafford we have seen the last few weeks, is not the same one we saw to start the season.

Stafford has been a slow starter all year, but he has always gotten stronger as the game went on.

There have been periods of time each week when Stafford's performance suffers, resulting in the offense stalling for a drive here and there.

I do not expect the Lions to score every drive. I don't expect Stafford to be perfect. I know there will be mistakes. But I do expect him to be better. 

Against the 49ers he only completed 28-of-50 passes for an 86.5 quarterback rating. He was inaccurate, and failed to make throws we've seen him make on a regular basis. Worst of all, he seemed to be out of sync with his receivers at times. 

You would expect this in Week 1 or 2, not Week 6.

He needs to be better.

2. Without Best, the Running Game Has to Have an Impact

Will Jahvid Best play or won't he? That is the question.

The Lions, to their credit, are preparing for the worse. They traded Jerome Harrison to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Ronnie Brown. 

This is an upgrade in my opinion. Harrison failed to make an impact in his short time with the Lions. Ronnie Brown has big-play potential, and is only 1-2 years removed from being an elite NFL running back.

Brown does have an extensive injury history, but the Lions are not planning on leaning on him alone. 

I hope.

It is also hard to predict how much they will be able to use Brown with only 2-3 days of practice.

Detroit also will have a healthy Maurice Morris waiting in the wings. 

Morris is not a home-run threat, but he rarely gets negative yardage, and rarely makes mistakes. He has responded with two 100-yard games in two years of limited use with the Lions.

The Lions are neither confirming nor denying whether Jahvid Best will play. My vote would be to hold him out regardless of the concussion tests. He is part of the Lions future plans, and this situation needs to be handled with care.

The Lions have excelled all year using their running game as a secondary weapon. A combination of Maurice Morris and Ronnie Brown could provide the Lions with that at least.

Maybe even more.

1. Stay Focused on the Task at Hand

The Lions have been the center of controversy and national media attention all week. 

Well, their coach Jim Schwartz has anyway. But I'm sure the players have been questioned by reporters about the incident repeatedly.

The status of Jahvid Best's condition has also likely been on the players' minds. 

And now Ronnie Brown will be added to the mix and another player, Jerome Harrison, will no longer be around. How will this impact the offensive performance and team dynamic?

All these things are distractions which have the potential to derail the Lions' preparations for the Atlanta Falcons.

I do have confidence in Jim Schwartz and the Lions coaching staff to keep the players focused. The players, to their credit, have shown incredible focus during the five week win streak. 

However, this is a big game. This is a different situation. This is the first game the Lions have played following a loss. This, along with the distractions, could easily impact the focus of a team.

The Lions need to prepare for this game like any other. They need to treat last week like a loss, not the end of a win streak. This week is another opportunity for a win. There is no greater meaning than that. 

If they are able to stay focused on the Atlanta Falcons this week, and on Sunday, the Lions have a great chance to improve to 6-1.