It is hard to know what to expect when the Detroit Lions take on the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday morning at London's Wembley Stadium. Kansas City is 2-5, but ended a five-game losing streak last weekend with an upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Lions dropped to 1-6 with a bad performance against the Minnesota Vikings.
Lions vs. Chiefs 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The 2-5 Chiefs will try to win a second straight game by beating Detroit at Wembley.
So there are two bad teams, which makes for an unpredictable game, and the Lions also picked the most hectic week of the season to fire offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and two offensive line coaches. The move made perfect sense on paper -- Detroit ranks 30th or worse in numerous offensive categories -- but Jim Bob Cooter’s first week after being promoted from quarterbacks coach involves a transatlantic flight, serious jet lag and a game that will start at 9:30 a.m. Detroit time. That’s not the ideal situation to try to revamp the offense.
Cooter is expected to change the offense to work more smoothly with the talents of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, and he can certainly start with a different mix of play calls -- something that has worked for former Lion Dan Campbell in Miami. That should make the Lions less predictable. Opposing defenses have said all year that they were able to figure out what Detroit was going to do. But they are still stuck with a blocking scheme that is asking the offensive linemen, tight ends and running backs to do things they aren't able to do.
Against a defensive front that features Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and Allen Bailey, that should be a major problem. However, the Chiefs have only managed 15 sacks in seven games. Where Kansas City will have an advantage is that it has forced six turnovers in the last three weeks, including three against Pittsburgh, while the Lions have turned the ball over a league-high 18 times this season.
The Chiefs are also 11th in the league against the run, which should help them shut down Detroit's 31st-ranked running game and force Stafford into more passes. Kansas City has only forced three fumbles this season, but will be looking to knock the ball away from Lions rookie Ameer Abdullah, who has been benched twice this month after fumbles.
When Kansas City has the ball, it is going to need production from Charcandrick West, who has taken over for the injured Jamaal Charles. West has been okay, averaging 4.4 yards a carry, but if he can bust some big plays against Detroit, it will take a lot of pressure off Alex Smith. Smith isn't likely to win the game on his own, but he doesn't make big mistakes, and he'll find open targets against a defense that hasn't recovered from losing Ndamukong Suh and DeAndre Levy.
Jeremy Maclin's return from a concussion would be huge for the Chiefs, as he would present a serious matchup problem for Detroit's secondary. Without him, Wilson will need big games from tight end Travis Kelce, as well as receivers Chris Conley, Jason Avant and Albert Wilson.
How to watch
When: 9:30 a.m. ET
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Network: FOX
Announcers: Sam Rosen, John Lynch, Pam Oliver
Online: NFL Game Pass
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