6: vs Dolphins, 17 scoredWeek 7: vs 49ers, 0 points scoredWee

Debate about the best way to handle the exhibition season has increased along with the number of teams that choose to keep key players out of preseason games altogether.The argument in favor of keeping starters on the bench got some support in Detroit on Friday night. Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis and center Frank Ragnow both suffered leg injuries that left them unable to walk on their own and they required carts to take them to the locker room.Both players will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injuries Quandre Diggs Jersey , but neither looked good and it led to questions for head coach Matt Patricia about having those players in the game after the Lions rested many of their top players through the first two weeks of the preseason.“I think we can argue either side of the coin on all this,” Patricia said, via the . “Hindsight is 20-20. So for us, we try to stick to the plan. We’re looking at reps, we’re looking at numbers, we’re looking at possibilities of when we can get guys out there, when we think they’ve had enough during the course of the week to take a look at it. Guys can get injured during practice, guys can get injured during the game. I mean Theo Riddick Jersey , it’s football, to some aspects of it. Injuries are part of the game and that’s something that we all have to deal with.”The Lions lost wide receiver Jermaine Kearse for the year when he broke his leg in the first preseason game. They’ll be hoping for better news on Davis and Ragnow. For the second week in the row, the Detroit Lions will take on a team from the NFC East. Last week, I mentioned how the Cowboys were actually far better than their record showed. Well, Washington is the complete opposite. They are exactly what their record states:A bad, one-win team.Now, the Lions aren’t all that much better, but they’ve proven the ability to beat out the NFL’s weaker teams so far this season. As Jeremy Reisman pointed out in his scouting report this week Tavon Wilson Jersey , if the Lions can’t stop this offense...they’re in trouble. On paper, this is a Washington team that the Lions should beat. On Sunday, we’ll see if they can pull it off. Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty ImagesOpponent snapshotWashington is 1-9. They fired their head coach mid-season. They’ve rotated through several quarterbacks before landing on rookie Dwayne Haskins. Management destroyed their relationship with All Pro left tackle Trent Williams. And now their fans have been openly chanting for the owner Dan Snyder to sell the team. In short, this team is the most dysfunctional team in the NFL.Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty ImagesWashington’s biggest threat Terry McLaurinMcLaurin wasn’t a highly touted receiver coming out of Ohio State, but he’s proven to be one of the top receivers in last year’s class. He’s only 6-foot and 208 pounds, but he runs excellent routes and has by far been the brightest spot for Washington this season.He hasn’t racked up a ton yards so far this season (566 yards), but he’s 12th in the NFL in yards per reception at 16.2.My guess is the Lions will lock Darius Slay on McLaurin and force the other weapons to beat them.Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty ImagesWashington’s weak linkScoring pointsWhen your team can’t score points, you’re going to have a hard time winning. And that’s been the case for Washington all year:Week 1: vs Eagles Matt Prater Jersey , 27 points scoredWeek 2: vs Cowboys, 21 points scoredWeek 3: vs Bears, 15 points scoredWeek 4: vs Giants, 3 points scoredWeek 5: vs Patriots, 7 points scoredWeek 6: vs Dolphins, 17 scoredWeek 7: vs 49ers, 0 points scoredWeek 8: vs Vikings, 9 points scoredWeek 9: vs Bills Sam Martin Jersey , 9 points scoredWeek 11: vs Jets, 17 points scoredThey’ve only scored more than three touchdowns in one game this season. That was a Week 1 loss to the Eagles. They’ve only scored 35 points total in their last four games.Even with Jeff Driskel making his third start, the Lions should be able to outpace Washington on the scoreboard. Bottom lineLast week I tried to keep it simple and not overthink it. I’ll keep that trend going this week as the Lions wrap up their fourth win of the season on the road over Washington.PredictionLions 27 Washington 13