Lions expert points out 3 things the Jets can exploit in Week 3

The Detroit Lions are up next for the New York Jets, as they travel to the Motor City for this contest. It won't be easy and will be a big test for Aaron Glenn's club. Both teams are 1-1, but the overwhelming majority of analysts are picking the Lions to win.

Regardless of Detroit being the favorite, the Jets can still find a way to come away with a victory on Sunday.

Before this contest, we reached out to SideLion Report's lead editor, Candace Pedraza, and asked what three things the Jets can take advantage of.

3 areas the New York Jets can get an edge over the Lions

1. Detroit’s secondary is vulnerable

Pedraza first pointed to a Lions secondary that has been hit hard by injuries and lacks much proven depth outside former Jets cornerback D.J. Reed. She described the group as being held together by “Elmer’s glue and Scotch tape,” with several players being asked to handle larger roles than Detroit would ideally want.

That could create opportunities for Garrett Wilson and the Jets’ passing attack, especially if Detroit continues to struggle generating pressure up front.

2. The Lions’ offensive line has issues too

The Lions' offensive line was Pedraza’s second area of concern. Rookie right tackle Blake Miller and left guard Christian Mahogany returned to practice this week, but the unit has dealt with injuries and shuffling throughout the early part of the season.

Pedraza believes the Jets’ defensive front should have a real opportunity to take advantage, saying, "They struggled to contain Buffalo’s defensive line in Week 2, and I’d argue New York’s is slightly stronger.”

That puts even more pressure on David Bailey, Will McDonald, and the rest of the Jets’ pass rush to make an impact.

3. The Lions' emotions could become a factor

The final area Pedraza highlighted was the emotional element surrounding Aaron Glenn’s return to Detroit. Glenn remains close with several Lions defenders, and Pedraza believes that familiarity could actually work against Detroit if players become overly aggressive trying to make a statement against their former coach.

Aidan Hutchinson has already made his feelings pretty clear, telling reporters earlier this week, "I got a lot of respect for [Glenn], a ton. Definitely still trying to kick his ass on Sunday.”

Jets have several areas to attack the Lions

This is a great breakdown of some flaws the Lions are dealing with, and the Jets have to see these same things when they cut on the tape. After two games, Detroit's defense is one of the worst units in the league. They enter this game ranked 31st in the NFL in total defense (457.5), pass defense (310.5), and scoring defense (35.5).

After giving up 469 yards of total offense to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, they followed up by giving up 446 yards of offense to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Teams have been able to generate big chunk plays through the air, which should create some favorable opportunities for the passing game.

As Pedraza called out, Detroit has players on the field who wouldn't start elsewhere. New York needs to take full advantage of that, and that should feature plenty of Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Geno Smith, to name a few.

Meanwhile, getting after Jared Goff should be very attainable. In the loss to Buffalo, Detroit gave up 20 pressures, led by right tackle Larry Borom. If Blake Miller is back, he will take Borom's spot. That would be an improvement, but cracks remain in that offensive line.

This is a game New York needs to win upfront. Especially if they can create pressure from the interior and then have guys like David Bailey, Will McDonald, and Kingsley Enagbare off the edge. This Lions offensive line isn't as good as it was in the past, and New York shouldn't struggle to get into the backfield.

Last but certainly not least, there will be extra juice for this one. Since Glenn used to coach from that defense, former players will be pumped to show up for their former coach. Hutchinson's comments prove that, yet if the Jets can use that to their advantage, they must do it.

Whether that translates to some penalties from Detroit remains to be seen, but both teams have had trouble with flags thus far. The Jets are second in the NFL with 21 penalties, and the Lions are fifth with 18 flags. If New York can find a way to play clean and force Detroit into mistakes by being overly aggressive, it'll be another thing that will benefit the Jets.

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