Detroit Lions vs. Tennessee Titans

Nolan Bianchi, John Niyo, Richard Silva and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News make predictions for Sunday's Lions-Titans game at Ford Field in Detroit (1 p.m., Fox/97.1)..

▶Nolan Bianchi: The Lions are on a six-game losing streak against two teams (Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys) this season. Why not another one? Detroit has never beaten the Titans since moving to Tennessee in 1999, but they are heavy favorites for their first home game in nearly a month. On paper, it shouldn't be anywhere near that. But even on paper: Tennessee's defense has been fantastic this year. The Lions might have a little more trouble offensively than initially thought, but in the end they should have enough firepower to overcome this with ease. Pick: Lions, 27-10

▶ Richard Silva: Tennessee launched its fire sale this week, sending receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Ernest Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks. Players and coaches aren't backing down, but nothing is stopping front offices from looking at the writing on the wall and waving the white flag on the season. The Titans are one of the worst teams in the NFL and the Lions are among the best. Anything can happen, but the talent gap is too big to predict anything other than a Detroit win. Pick: Lions, 35-24

▶ John Niyo: The Lions have never lost to a team with Mason Rudolph starting at quarterback. You've never hit anyone either. But this isn't the same Lions team that tied Rudolph and the Steelers, ending an eight-game losing streak in 2021. And these Titans just aren't capable of scoring more than about 17 points right now, no matter who's playing quarterback. Meanwhile, the Lions' offense is humming along and appears incapable of scoring fewer than 28 points in a game unless they commit multiple turnovers. This one shouldn't be around, and it won't be. Pick: Lions, 30-17

▶ Bob Wojnowski: If it looks and smells like a puncture, then it's a puncture, right? Ah, not necessarily, not in the NFL. The 5-1 Lions are double-digit favorites over the 1-5 Titans for obvious reasons. With or without a shoulder injury, Tennessee QB Will Levis has been largely ineffective, and journeyman Mason Rudolph will likely be the starter. They also just traded receiver DeAndre Hopkins. But the Titans have the No. 1 defense in the league in terms of total yards. (Yes, I thought so too.) Their front is strong, it's anchored by Jeffery Simmons, and they don't blitz or throw much, but they hit often. Jared Goff has seen it all and is a master at relying on what works. With Jahmyr Gibbs now, you can expect him to rush for nearly 100 yards every week, although the Lions might need a minute or a quarter to test Tennessee's defense. There's also a glimpse of Green Bay next. In a low-scoring game, take the superior team to win and the lively, weaker team to cover. Pick: Lions, 23-13

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