Lions at Broncos
THE STORY: What will Tim Tebow do for an encore? The Detroit Lions will find out when they visit the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Tebow threw two touchdown passes in the final 2:44 last week in his first start of the season to lead Denver to an 18-15 overtime victory at Miami. The Lions have lost two straight since their Cinderella 5-0 start and are a bit banged up. Running back Jahvid Best suffered a concussion against San Francisco on Oct. 16 and missed last week’s 23-16 loss to Atlanta, and quarterback Matthew Stafford sprained his right ankle against the Falcons. The Broncos are relatively healthy except for running back Willis McGahee, who will miss Sunday’s game with a broken bone in his hand.
TV: FOX, 4:05 p.m. ET. LINE: Lions -3, O/U 42
ABOUT THE BRONCOS (2-4): Prior to the jaw-dropping finish last week, Tebow completed 4 of his first 14 passes for 40 yards, and did not look like an NFL quarterback. He was 9 for his final 13, though, for 121 yards to complete the first 15-point comeback in the final three minutes since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Knowshon Moreno will replace McGahee (304 yards in his last three games) and return to his old job as the featured running back. Moreno has a history of hamstring injuries and had been used primarily on third down. Denver rookie linebacker Von Miller has a sack in five straight games and leads NFL rookies with six. The Broncos haven't won two straight since 2009.
ABOUT THE LIONS (5-2): Stafford, who was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, is questionable to play. If he cannot go, Shaun Hill will start. Hill, who took most of the reps in practice Wednesday, was 3-7 in 10 starts last season when Stafford when down with a right shoulder injury. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson leads the NFL with 10 touchdown catches, four ahead of the next player – New England’s Wes Walker. He is first player in team history to catch 10 or more touchdowns in three seasons. Johnson, though, has only two in the last three games. Best hasn’t practiced and is not expected to play. The Lions have a sack in 26 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. A matchup worth watching Sunday will be Johnson against cornerback Champ Bailey, a nine-time Pro Bower who at 33 is still capable of shutting down a top receiver.
2. The Lions lead the NFL with a plus-10 turnover differential while the Broncos are 26th at minus-five.
3. Denver’s Matt Prater has kicked off 22 times at home – including preseason – and all have resulted in touchbacks.