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Week 5 Preview: Bills at Lions
Buffalo Bills (2-2) at Detroit Lions (3-1)
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, at Ford Field, Detroit – TV: FOX
*TV announcers: Sam Rosen, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale
*Keys to the game: Kyle Orton comes out of the mothballs to start for the Bills, and a rude welcome is assured by the Lions’ feisty front seven headlined by DT Ndamukong Suh. With double-teams mandatory to keep Suh at bay, the Lions are hiking up their edge rush. Orton’s best friend is the handoff to set up play-action tosses to WRs Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Mike Williams. Injuries assure Detroit is still susceptible on the back end if Orton gets a clean launch point.
Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (ankle) didn’t practice midweek but is expected to go again this week after posting 12 yards in a game — lowest total since 2009 — last Sunday. Johnson and WR Golden Tate get plenty of cushion and QB Matt Stafford has been much improved in showing patience with shorter tosses to the flanks, where RB Reggie Bush can do damage on chunk plays. He’s the primary ballcarrier this week with between-the-tackles option Joique Bell (concussion; out) replaced by George Winn, just elevated from the practice squad.
*Matchup to watch – Lions OL vs. Bills DL: Stafford has been sacked 11 times this season while the Bills have 10 sacks. The scariest matchups for Detroit might be up the gut with NT Marcell Dareus leading the Bills with two sacks, although DT Kyle Williams (knee) appears a long shot to play.
*Player spotlight – Lions TE Eric Ebron: Buffalo’s soft spot is the second level and particularly up the middle, where injuries and offseason defections have the Bills mixing and matching to find the right fits. Ebron caught his first career touchdown last week and is being flexed to the slot more to give Stafford wider windows to work with.
*Fast facts: Orton is the 14th starting quarterback for the Bills since Jim Kelly retired in 1997. … Detroit is No. 1 in the NFL in total defense (267.3 yards per game allowed).
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Quarterbacks are the focus, but running backs are likely to determine the outcome if the teams play to the existing metrics. That gives the Bills a shot with C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson aiding Orton in his re-acclimation to a starting job against the NFL’s top defense.
*Our pick: Lions 27-20
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