The Detroit Lions (6-4) have a golden opportunity on Thanksgiving Day when they host the Minnesota Vikings (8-2) at Ford Field. With a win, the Lions will only be one game back of the Vikings in the NFC North, while a loss would all but put a dagger in their playoff chances.
Sure the Lions have six wins, with one of those wins coming on the road against the Vikings in Week 4, but other than that, they have lost to each and every solid team they have played.
When watching the Lions play, it is clear that they have plenty of holes, including on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, the defensive line is in shambles, partly because of injury but also because general manager Bob Quinn failed to address it in the offseason. Instead, he thought the best move was to draft cornerback Teez Tabor and we all know how that has worked out so far.
This Lions team, as it stands, is another first-round playoff loss waiting to happen. But, there are a couple of players who recently became available that could immediately improve the Lions defense. Here are two players the Detroit Lions MUST sign now to improve their chances of winning a playoff game this season.
Dwight Freeney (DE)
http://gty.im/873075122
Yes, we know that Dwight Freeney is 37-years-old and was just placed on waivers by the Seattle Seahawks. That being said, he had three sacks in four games for Seattle before unexpectedly being told to pack his bags on Tuesday. Those three sacks happen to be just 0.5 behind what Lions backups Cornelius Washington and Jeremiah Valoaga have combined for in 2017.
Freeney is one of the greatest pass rushers of all-time and though he would not dominate games like he used to for the Lions, he would certainly help out on a defensive line that has left much to be desired in recent weeks.
Pick…Up…The…Phone…Bob!!!
Jalen Collins (CB)
http://gty.im/633952092
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Atlanta Falcons placed cornerback Jalen Collins on waivers. Collins was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2017 season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. It was the second time in as many seasons that he was suspended for performance-enhancing substances.
That being said, after struggling during his rookie campaign in 2015, Collins emerged as one of the top young cornerbacks in the league in 2016. In fact, Pro Football Focus ranked him No. 2 on their “10 Most Improved Second-Year Players” list following last season.
Now, if Collins were to test positive for performance-enhancing substances for the third time, he would be suspended for at least two years according to the NFL’s policy.
For the Lions, who can use another good cornerback to play with Darius Slay, the reward heavily outweighs the risk.
