The Detroit Lions will face the New York Giants in their season opener on Monday Night Football’s 2014 opener, and both teams are looking to become playoff contenders.
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The Detroit Lions will open Monday Night Football in their season opener at home against the New York Giants, and they are looking to make a fresh start after an epic collapse that made them finish 7-9 and miss the playoffs.
Head coach Jim Caldwell will make his debut in taking over for the fired Jim Schwartz. After success as an offensive coordinator, he will look to get the most out of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who had a disappointing second half to his 2013 season.
The quarterback will look to take advantage of new weapons in wide receiver Golden Tate and tight end Eric Ebron.
The Giants are also hoping to put a losing season behind them, but they finished strongly after an 0-6 start with a 7-9 record. They also went 5-0 in the preseason, but the offense still showed signs from last season that they may still be struggling.
Quarterback Eli Manning will seek to prove he still has juice left in the tank while running back Rashad Jennings hopes to find a way through the Lions’ tough defensive line.
A key matchup in this game will be the Giants’ cornerbacks against the Lions’ wide receivers. The Giants signed Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to start across from Prince Amukamara, and Walter Thurmond was signed as their nickel cornerback.
Their job will be to stop Golden Tate and Calvin Johnson, who is widely viewed as the best receiver in the NFL.
The Lions’ defensive line will also be a unit to watch since the Giants’ offensive line is looking to improve from last year’s disaster.
Prediction: Lions 24, Giants 17
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