The Detroit Lions come into Week 8 as a heavy favorite over the Tennessee Titans. Per the latest odds from FanDuel, the Lions are favored now by 11.5 points, which is rare for this franchise.
But despite the favorable Vegas line, the Lions are going to be without some serious contributors this week. Jameson Williams is officially away from the team to serve the first of his two-game suspension, leaving a significant role vacant on offense. Defensively, the Lions will be missing Josh Paschal, leaving the team perilously thin at the edge defender position.
Coach Dan Campbell has mentioned several players who could see increased roles this week, including—but not limited to—Kalif Raymond, Allen Robinson, Isaiah Williams, Isaiah Thomas, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Pat O’Connor, and James Houston.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions reserve/injury replacement are you most excited to see vs. the Titans?
My answer: I want to say Isaiah Williams, but even if the undrafted rookie is active this week, I’d be surprised to see him in any significant role. It’ll be pretty neat to see Allen Robinson out there playing for his hometown team, too.
But I’m going with Thomas. A couple weeks ago, I wrote about what Thomas can bring to Detroit’s defensive line, and I came away feeling he was a pretty darn good fit for what the Lions like to do defensively. Is he as talented as the guys he is replacing? Probably not. But he hasn’t gotten on the field since his rookie season, so there could be some development that we’ve yet to see. And just look at the way Campbell talked about him this week.
“He’s in a good place and we’re excited to see him play,” Campbell said. “(DL Coach) Terrell (Williams) and I were talking about it this morning because he’s got length, he’s got size, strength, he’s smart and plays hard. So, it’ll be exciting to see how he does.”
If Campbell is excited about a player, I’m excited about a player. What about you? Scroll down to the comment section and offer your thoughts!
