Lions Offensive Line vs. 49ers Defensive Line
The Niners’ defense is overall young and up-and-coming, but most of the talent lines along the front. DeForest Buckner is a bonafide star up the middle. The third-year defensive tackle tallied 2.5 sacks in the opener against Minnesota. He’ll be a handful for the Lions’ interior and if center Graham Glasgow and guards Frank Ragnow and T.J. Lang can hold down the fort, Stafford will have a chance to make plays against a raw secondary that’s led by veteran star Richard Sherman. Expect Buckner to spend most of the afternoon over the rookie, Ragnow.
When it comes to edge rushers, San Francisco’s duo of Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas make their money with size. Armstead is a 6-foot-7, 292-pound power rusher that left tackle Taylor Decker is tasked to slow down on Sunday. On the other side, Thomas is 280 pounds of strength with plenty of athleticism and quickness to go along with his size. The third-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft showed great promise while recording three sacks in his rookie season. His blend of size and speed can be difficult to manage. Ricky Wagner will need to be on his game to keep the 23-year-old away from Stafford.
The Lions offensive line needs to control the line of scrimmage and create holes for running backs LeGarrette Blount and Kerryon Johnson right out of the gate. The Vikings didn’t have much success in the run game as Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook combined for just 82 rushing yards on 27 attempts. The Lions offensive line is vastly better than Minnesota’s, but the group needs to be ready to play in San Francisco. With the size of the Niners defensive line, getting the running game moving early will be a key to victory for Detroit.
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