DETROIT -- Less than 24 hours before their Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions announced their jersey combination for the division showdown.
And in a show of solidarity, Lions fans understood the assignment, as a sea of people donning Honolulu Blue filled the streets outside Ford Field on Sunday morning, waiting for the doors to open ahead of the 1 p.m. kickoff.
Among those fans was Miles Adams, a Florida resident celebrating his 15th birthday and hoping to catch a Lions victory in person.
Accompanied by his parents and brother, Adams told MLive he was expecting “belts” -- a playful nod to the popular phrase “belts to (expletive)” that he avoided saying in front of his parents -- with last season’s touchdown king, Jahmyr Gibbs, being a big reason why.
“Honestly, after last game -- he had a really strong game last game -- I think he’s going to do really well,” Adams told MLive.
To Adams’ point, Gibbs was a key reason the Lions pulled out a 24-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Week 7 Monday Night Football showdown. The third-year back finished with a career-high 218 yards from scrimmage along with two touchdowns.
Gibbs had 17 carries for 136 yards and two touchdowns -- one of which was a career-long 78-yard house call. He also turned in three receptions for 82 yards, proving to be a defender’s nightmare in the ground and passing game.
Andrew Wever, a 24-year-old resident of Grand Rapids, shared Adams’ sentiment that Gibbs being a catalyst for the Lions’ improvement to 6-2 was a key factor in their win over the Vikings.
“I just feel like every game he’s the highlight on offense, and I feel like he’s going to take over the game today,” Wever said.
Predicting a 27-17 Lions win, Wever also shared that he’s hoping to see the team overcome its’ offensive struggles through the first seven games under offensive coordinator John Morton.
“I feel like they’ve been kind of struggling to close it out in a few games,” Wever added. “They get in great field position, and then they can’t get in the end zone. I think they need to convert better in the red zone.”
Scoring in the red zone has been one of the Lions’ strong points, as they’re third in the league in that department. However, to Wever’s point, there have been some struggles within the Lions’ offense, as they’re 22nd in the league in third-down conversions.
While Adams and Wever both identified Gibbs as a key to Detroit overcoming Minnesota, inside Ford Field, 36-year-old Detroit resident Al Jones had a different player in mind, rolling with wide receiver Jameson Williams.
“I think Gibbs is the most consistent that has a shot, but after all that talk about Jamo, it’s his game,” Jones said. “I got him for 90 (yards) and a touchdown.”
When asked why he feels so strongly about Williams having a key performance, Jones alluded to it being time for the fourth-year receiver to make his presence known this season.
“I still think Gibby is gonna get one. And D-Mo (David Montgomery) is due, but I think this is Jamo’s game.”
Feeling the Lions will pick up a 34-10 victory, Jones also added another key for Detroit emerging with the win: making life uncomfortable for former Michigan standout and Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
“We need pressure,” Jones said. “McCarthy is young. This is his ninth quarter of NFL football. As long as we bring the heat, it should be a long football game for him.”
The Lions are currently fifth in the NFL in sacks, so generating pressure against opposing quarterbacks under the guidance of defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has not been an issue.
A win over the Vikings for the Lions would put them in a great spot heading into two challenging back-to-back road games against the Washington Commanders and the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. A victory would also put the Lions at 2-1 in the NFC North.
Time will tell who will be the catalyst to lift the Lions to a victory if they’re able to pick up win No. 6. However, the choices of Gibbs and Williams -- two of the team’s fastest and most dynamic athletes -- are never a bad choice.
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