In The Heat of October

Lions and Dolphins faced off this week, both teams needing a win to stay relevant in the playoff race. The game took place in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium and the game time temperature was 105 degrees. Pregame I wasn't sure how Detroit would play. The Lions have a reputation of not playing very well in extreme conditions and I was worried that this wasn't going to be different, but luckily it was. Dolphins start with the ball and go 3 and out and punt to Detroit. On the first drive Lions march it in for a TD score. All game long Miami struggled to get the ball down the field and make plays. On the other hand, Detroit was hot. The rushing game was the best it had been in years and Stafford was also making the throws he needed to throw.

Lions rookie running back Kerryon Johnson had a crazy game. He had 21 reviving yards and a whopping 158 rushing yards. Before this season Detroit hadn't had a 100 yard rusher since 2013. This season alone Johnson has been able to give out 2, 100+ yard games in only 5 games. The run game will be key to the Lions as the season progresses. Mathew Stafford has already been able to prove himself as a worthy quarterback in the league and is seen as a threat. If the run game can continue to develop Detroit might be a serious contender. Next week the Lions will travel back home to Detroit to take on the Seahawks. Seattle, who is only a few years removed from a Superbowl, is struggling with a depleting team. They have lost many of there better players to trades, free agency, or injury. Despite all the lost players, they still have QB Russel Wilson, who keeps the team a playoff contender. Once again both teams are facing a must win situation this week as both teams will try to avoid going under .500 and will try to propel themselves into the playoff race. Wilson and Stafford are having similar seasons this year. Going into this week I predict the Lions will win the game 28- 17. It would be a different story if the game was played in Seattle. Seattle is known for its "12th man" which is what they call their crowd. Due to the shape of the stadium, it makes it one of the loudest crowds in the country. Home field advantage can have a huge key in a close game, which is why I'm choosing the Lions in Detroit.