Most experts don’t think the Lions will be able to pick up their second win at Wembley.
Wembley Stadium will host its third and final NFL game of the season Sunday morning. Although the venue is nothing new for the Detroit Lions, who picked up a win over Atlanta in London last season, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking for an international victory of their own.
The last time the Lions were in London, they pulled off a stunning last-minute victory after trailing by 21 at halftime. But the defense hunkered down and the offense staged a comeback that culminated with Matt Prater‘s game-winning field goal as time expired. Detroit hasn’t had the same kind of luck in 2015, starting the season 0-5, and only have one win ahead of Week 8.
After Detroit’s loss last Sunday to Minnesota, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive line coaches Jeremiah Washburn and Terry Heffernan were fired. Jim Bob Cooter will serve as the new OC for the remainder of the year, a promotion from his position as the quarterbacks coach. With a new play caller, the Lions’ offensive identity will change too — which should be a good thing.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked seven times against the Vikings, which probably had something to do with OL coaches getting canned the following day. The line has allowed 16 sacks this season for a loss of 107 yards. Despite a lack of protection, three receivers have more than 300 yards on the season. Stafford hurt his hand last week, so the offense needs to establish a more efficient running game, a unit that ranks dead last in the NFL. Rookie Ameer Abdullah has rushed for 222 yards and has added 113 receiving yards so far this season, but he’s also struggled to hold on to the ball.
The Chiefs haven’t made coaching changes, but they have changed up their depth chart. The offensive line was overhauled last week when Andy Reid benched Donald Stevenson and Zach Fulton and moved Eric Fisher and Jeff Allen to the tackle spots. The new group played well against the sack-happy Pittsburgh Steelers, only allowing quarterback Alex Smith to get sacked twice.
Protecting Smith will go a long way in helping shore up the passing game and create lanes for the running backs. Kansas City suffered a big loss earlier in the season when Jamaal Charles tore his ACL, but Charcandrick West is emerging as the new featured back.
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