The Sports Xchange

Denver Broncos (2-0) at Detroit Lions (0-2)

Sunday, 8:25 p.m. ET, at Ford Field, Detroit – TV: NBC

*TV announcers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya

*Keys to the game: Giving up 29.5 points per game is a recipe for disaster or worse in Detroit, where the forced pass-happy approach has QB Matt Stafford weighing sitting out or facing a veracious pass rush with cracked ribs. The Lions are losing too many matchups up front and Stafford won’t have any more time Sunday against LBs Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. The matchups beg for more of Joique Bell and rookie Ameer Abdullah, but the Lions might need to copy the Chiefs’ use of jumbo sets to create decent lanes and wall off Stafford.

The Broncos face a similar quandary, if not identical, only Peyton Manning isn’t hurt – yet. He was battered in the first half at Kansas City last week and virtually every blitz was a good one for the opposition in two games. The Lions know they have to attack Manning because their secondary isn’t equipped to single-cover his stud receivers, Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. Better traction in the running game would be a boon, but the Broncos must take what Detroit gives.

*Matchup to watch – Broncos LT Ty Sambrailo vs. Lions DE Ezekiel Ansah: Sambrailo might not be the greatest of concerns for Manning – C Matt Paradis being steamrolled again rates up there – but in a loud environment, much like Arrowhead Stadium last week, no margin for error exists facing Ansah.

*Player spotlight – Lions CB Rashean Mathis: Manning has been an arch-nemesis of Mathis’ for years since their time as AFC South rivals when Mathis was in Jacksonville and Manning’s Colts owned the Jaguars. Mathis, 35, has looked his age this season and Manning hammered individual mismatches in the first two games this season.

*Fast facts: Last week, Manning joined Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks with 70,000 passing career yards. He’s 23 completions away from hitting 6,000 in his career, something only Favre has done (6,300). … Detroit has won the past two meetings (2007, ’11) by a combined 72 points.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY

The Lions are dangerous as a wounded team with high expectations. Detroit gets it done by sparking the running game critical to getting Matthew Stafford a reasonable chance in the pocket and coming to the aid of a defense already on the ropes.

*Our pick: Lions 30-27.