ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions (12-1) and Buffalo Bills (10-3) will lock horns this weekend in a matchup between NFC and AFC powerhouses, not to mention the two highest-scoring offenses in the league.
Detroit and Buffalo are the only teams to average more than 30 points per game 14 weeks into the season. The Lions are tops in the league (32.1), while the Bills aren’t too far behind (30.5), fresh off a 42-point outing in a tough loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“So look, this is a top-tier opponent,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “We’re looking forward to it. There’s no place you’d rather be than playing this type of football, this type of team, in December. So, we’re looking forward to it.
“Yeah, I mean, look, I think for us it’s really -- we talked about really sharpening the sword, more or less. There’s things that, even last week, the last couple of weeks, that, we come out of these games and we just -- we can do better, we can be better in all areas. And it’s really about the fundamentals, the details of what we do, and I think that’s really the focus.”
It’s also a matchup featuring two quarterbacks playing some of the best football around Jared Goff and Josh Allen. There were plenty of MVP questions in Allen Park on Wednesday, with Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Buffalo’s Josh Allen heavily in the mix.
Campbell said he knows that’s not Goff’s thinking and that “if you just focus on the win ... the individual accolades will follow.”
“So, I’m not worried about it, he’s not worried about it, we’ve just got to find a way to win,” Campbell said.
Related:‘Good is the enemy:’ Getting rushing attack back on track key focus for Lions
Related:Cornerbacks hitting their stride at perfect time for Detroit Lions
Goff has been an efficient machine, leading one of, if not the NFL’s most dangerous offense this season. He’s hit 72.4% of his passes for 3,265 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Five of those 10 picks came against the Houston Texans. Since then, Goff has thrown nine touchdowns and only one interception in the four games removed from that wacky showing. And Campbell was on the money about his quarterback’s mentality heading into this big AFC vs. NFC showdown with Allen on the other side.
“To be honest, not much,” Goff said when asked about the individual recognition. “Sure, I’ve been playing well, but a lot of guys have been playing well, though. If you’re a quarterback on a good team, you’re probably going to be in that conversation, and it’s a credit to all the guys on the squad. We’ve had a really good year up to this point. We’ve got to finish it off.
“Sure, it’s cool to be recognized in some ways, but it doesn’t really mean anything. I want to be holding that trophy at the end of the year, and I know that’s what matters.”
Goff and the Lions know that they can put a ton of pressure on not just Buffalo’s defense, but also its offense by making them keep up, if needed.
Detroit’s defense could be getting key pieces back. Defensive linemen Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike were working back in practice to start the week, and veteran DJ Reader was dressed despite not fully participating.
It’s still a defense with the most players on injured reserve in the NFL, so protecting the ball, managing the clock and doing anything they can to stay ahead of Allen is vital.
“Certainly, as much as you can possess the ball, that’s going to help,” Campbell said. “I mean -- because, like we say, this guy (Allen) is -- he makes everything go and, certainly, if you can keep him off the field, that’s always going to help, and then you don’t need to worry about anything.
“But look, our defense is looking forward to this, and this is one of those matchups you really look forward to playing. I love the fact that I know we can cover, the guys that we’ve got, pretty disciplined group upfront, and we’ll see how these injuries go for us, we may have some guys back, we may not. But the guys we do have will do what we ask them to do, and they’ll go all out, and if we can limit this run game, then that gives us a pretty good chance.”
BETTING: Check out our guide to thebest Michigan sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.