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DETROIT (4-1) at TAMPA BAY (3-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, FOX
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Lions by 3.
SERIES RECORD: Lions lead 31-29, including postseason.
LAST MEETING: Buccaneers beat Lions 47-7 on Dec. 26, 2020, in Detroit.
LAST WEEK: Lions beat Panthers 42-24 in Detroit, Buccaneers bye.
LIONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (7), PASS (9), SCORING (4).
LIONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (3), PASS (17), SCORING (15).
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (22), RUSH (25), PASS (14), SCORING (T20).
BUCCANEERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (11), RUSH (10), PASS (16), SCORING (8).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Lions plus 1; Buccaneers plus-7.
LIONS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB David Montgomery. The former Bears standout set a Detroit record with six touchdowns in his first four games with the franchise. If he runs for a score Sunday, he will be the first non-rookie in league history to have seven rushing touchdowns in his first five games with a new team. Montgomery is averaging 93 yards rushing per game, ranking fourth in the league.
BUCCANEERS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Baker Mayfield rebounded from Tampa Bay’s first loss of the season to throw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a double-digit win over New Orleans. He’s been particularly good on third down, leading the NFL in completion rate (79.5 percent) passer rating (140.7) in those situations.
KEY MATCHUP: Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson against Tampa Bay’s retooled offensive line. The Bucs have allowed the fewest quarterback hits (11) in the league and are tied for allowing the fewest sacks with four. Mayfield’s mobility has helped, and the QB has completed a league-best 68.6 percent of passes when pressured.
KEY INJURIES: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen) may play after missing a game. … S Brian Branch (ankle), rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring), G Jonah Jackson (ankle) and RB Zonovan Knight (shoulder) were held out of practice Wednesday. … Veteran DB Emmanuel Moseley had a season-ending knee injury last week, making his season debut after coming back from knee surgery. … The status of Bucs WR Mike Evans (hamstring strain) could linger until game day. … Rookie DL Calijah Kancey (calf) returned to practice this week after missing three games. … LB Devin White (foot), CB Jamel Dean (neck/shoulder) and S Ryan Neal (concussion) were full participants in practice when the team reconvened from its bye week.
SERIES NOTES: The Bucs have won two straight between the one-time NFC Central rivals. Tampa Bay also won the only postseason meeting between the clubs, a NFC wild-card game in 1997.
STATS AND STUFF: The Lions are off to their best start since winning their first five games in 2011, a season that ended with 10 victories and a loss at New Orleans in an NFC wild-card game. … Detroit’s offense has 350-plus yards in each of its five games for the first time since 1954, and second time in team history. … The Lions have won three straight games by at least 14 points for the first time since 1997. … Detroit has scored 20-plus points in a team-record 14 straight games, going back to last November, in a run that is at least three games longer than any other active streak in the league. … QB Jared Goff has an NFL-high 23 passes of 20-plus yards. … Hutchinson is the first NFL DL to have four interceptions in his first two seasons. … LB Alex Anzalone, who tied a career high with 11 tackles last week, has made at least five stops in a team-record 22 straight games. … Anzalone’s parents have safely arrived home from Israel, where they were among about 50 people affiliated with a Naples, Florida-based church who were in the country as Israel vowed an unprecedented offensive against Hamas after the Islamic militant group’s fighters broke through the border fence and stormed into the country’s south last week. … The Bucs look to improve to 4-1 for the second time in three years and only the sixth time in franchise history. They won four of five to start the season in 2021, 2005, 2002, 1997, 1979. … With Evans sidelined by a hamstring strain for much of Tampa Bay’s victory over New Orleans two weeks ago, the Bucs got TD catches from young WRs Trey Palmer and Deven Thompkins, as well as TE Cade Otton. … The Bucs are fifth in the NFL with 11 takeaways. Buffalo leads the league with 13, followed by Dallas, Pittsburgh and New Orleans with 11 each.
FANTASY TIP: Evans had 10 receptions for 181 yards and two TDs the previous time he faced the Lions in 2020. Bucs WR Chris Godwin has 15 catches for 273 yards and one TD in three games vs. Detroit.
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