Detroit Lions vs. San Diego Chargers: 5 Lions You Must Watch Christmas Eve

There are five Lions you must watch as the Detroit Lions look to punch their ticket for the playoffs with a night-before-Christmas victory over the San Diego Chargers.

Not unlike the boy from Grand Rapids who finds his ticket for The Polar Express, along with new-found faith in the spirit of Christmas; Lions fans are in a candy cane swirl of disbelief and euphoria as they are on the cusp of seeing their hometown heroes head back to the NFL playoffs.

The Chargers are also looking for a gift under the tree and are accustomed to receiving victories throughout the month of December.

Phillip Rivers is the best quarterback in the NFL for the holiday season with a remarkable 22-2 record in December.

Not to be outdone, Matthew Stafford continues to impress and is rewriting not only the Detroit Lions record books, but NFL records as well.

With the 28-27 comeback victory, Stafford became the only NFL quarterback in history to lead his team back from 13+ point deficits four different times in the same season.

That’s right, “Nine” has done what Montana, Unitas, Elway or any other NFL great gunslinger you would like to reference, failed to accomplish. Not bad for a guy who just months ago was thought, by some, to be the second-best quarterback of the 2009 NFL draft behind Mark Sanchez.

Speaking of the man who is allegedly scoring at an MVP pace in New York and said to be dating the au naturel Kate Upton; where are all the carolers singing his praises and scoffing those who fall subject to the middle-of-the-road statistics put up by “The Sanchise?”

The comparison between Matt and Mark is similar to the divergent joy in a young boy’s eyes as he opens a gift of socks and underwear and then a new remote control car.

Like an unwrapped bicycle parked next to the tree; a victory Saturday afternoon could be The First Gift of Christmas for Lions fans everywhere.

It’s all there for the taking, like a plate of cookies for St. Nick. A sold-out Ford Field bursting with Santa hats, a franchise quarterback beginning his ascent to greatness and a head coach who leads with a calculating mind and a piss-and-vinegar attitude; the Lions have everything they need, if you just believe. Do you believe? 

Here are the Van Etten V…

Brandon Pettigrew

Brandon Pettigrew should be playing with a chip on his shoulder on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions tight end is a top ten pass catcher for the position with 67 receptions, but falls to the middle of the pack, somewhere behind Comet and Cupid on Santa’s reindeer team, in yards and touchdowns.

Although he still has bouts with the "dropsies," trading Roy Williams to Dallas for the draft pick used on Pettigrew will still go down as one of Martin Mayhew's best moments in my book.

The most dominant tight end of the past decade, Antonio Gates, returns to his hometown of Detroit looking to show everybody he’s still the best in the business.

When the best come calling, it has a tendency to bring out the finest in the player who plays the same position. I would expect Pettigrew to play well this weekend and make amends for the drop in Oakland that forced the Lions to make the improbable comeback necessary.

The Lions should again be putting the ball in the air often as the short passing game continues to replace the Lions running game, and Pettigrew should be the beneficiary.

Amari Spievey

Staying with the Antonio Gates theme, Amari Spievey could be in for a long day.

The last time the Lions faced a top-tier TE, Jimmy Graham had his second highest reception total of the season with eight catches for 89 yards and Spievey was in coverage on many of them.

Antonio Gates is not any faster, but he is also on his quarterback’s "nice list," as he is second only to Vincent Jackson by one catch in receptions with 55.

Jackson is expected to play Saturday, but he has not practiced all week. Expect Gates to get increased looks against the Lions, and Spievey will be in coverage with No. 85 often.

Spievey quietly has been around the ball frequently with 67 tackles this season, fourth best on the squad.

His cover skills and support against the running backs will probably be highlighted, as the Bolts like to use both Ryan Matthews and Mike Tolbert out of the backfield; both have 47 receptions each.

Cliff Avril

Could this season get much better for Cliff Avril?

The Lions leading sack artiste is top ten in the league with 11 and leads the league in forced fumbles with six. It should have been seven; I don’t know how Carson Palmer held onto that ball at the end of the game.

The Chargers don’t give up very many free shots on Phillip Rivers as the Chargers are third-best in the league, allowing only 50 QB hits.

But Rivers’ unorthodox throwing motion and low release point could be perfect for Cliff’s speed rush, as Phil has put the ball on the carpet nine times this season.

Cliff is playing at a Pro Bowl level this year, and it couldn’t come at a better time with his contract expiring at the end of the season.

Titus Young

Call me crazy, but I don’t think the Chargers will play much Cover 1 on Christmas Eve.

By covering Calvin Johnson man-to-man, the Raiders tried to show everyone that “he’s not a machine, he’s a man.”

That may have worked in Rocky IV, but last weekend, Megatron blew that theory out of the water with a career best 9-catch, 214-yard outburst.

This week, expect much more bracket coverage on Calvin, allowing more opportunities for Titus Young.

Young is having a nice rookie campaign with 40 receptions on the year and has scored in both of the last two games.

Look for Titus to sneak open downfield on Saturday as the entire Chargers secondary will want to ensure Calvin does not embarrass them like he did their Californian counterparts.

Jason Hanson

Congratulations to Jason Hanson.

Last week, Hanson became the first NFL player in history to score 2,000 points with one team. Twenty years and 2,000 points are some pretty nice stats to tell your grandkids about.

This week, Hanson has been proactive, reminding his teammates they are not in the playoffs just yet and to stay focused on finishing the job.

Well Jason, you may have to put your money where your foot is, because a victory on Saturday may come down to you.

Both teams are scoring at a torrid pace with both the Lions and Chargers in the top five in scoring with 28 and 25 points per game, respectively.

A missed 50-yarder may be the difference in the game as it just may come down to the last team with the ball wins.

Jason Hanson could play the role of Kris Kringle and kick the playoff door open.

Those are my five to watch prior to hanging your stocking, lighting your fifth candle on the Menorah or whatever time-honored traditions your family shares.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!