The Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons both came into the 2014 season with high expectations from the outside, but only one is living up to the hype. Detroit sits at 5-2 in a tie for the NFC North lead with the Green Bay Packers, while Atlanta is 2-5 and third in the horrible NFC South. This week, the two teams travel across the Atlantic Ocean to play in London, England, with the Falcons technically playing host.
Detroit has plenty of momentum, coming off a stirring 24-23 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The Lions trailed by 13 points with under five minutes to play but rallied behind the arm of Matthew Stafford, who is fifth in the NFL with 1,891 yards. Stafford might have Calvin Johnson back this week after playing without him the past two games. Even without Johnson, Detroit will have ample opportunity to score against Atlanta, who is next-to-last in the NFL with 199 points allowed.
Offensively, the Falcons rank fifth in passing behind the potent combination of Matt Ryan, Roddy White and Julio Jones. Ryan has been prolific, second in the league with 2,078 passing yards. However, Ryan has been sacked 15 times behind a makeshift offensive line and a 91.7 quarterback rating, ranking behind Austin Davis and Charlie Whitehurst among others. Jones has been spectacular, amassing 676 receiving yards to rank fourth in the NFL.
How to Watch
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, England
When: 9:30 a.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Charissa Thompson
Radio: Lions Radio Network, Falcons Radio Network
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NFL Sunday Ticket
Odds
Detroit is a 4-point favorite in London, with the over/under set at 46.5, according to OddsShark.
Further Reading
For more on the Lions, check out Pride of Detroit.
To keep up on the Falcons, head over to The Falcoholic.