Serious sam 4 gamepass11/1/2023 ![]() Hutchinson, the second-overall pick in the 2022 draft, already showed the depth of his potential when he racked up 9.5 sacks in his debut season and finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, but he's off to an even hotter start in 2023. Keeping Hutch in Check – Detroit's defense has improved significantly over the one that finished last in yards allowed and 30th in points allowed a year ago, and the play of second-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is a big reason why. Every win is as important as the last one, but in terms of national perception, a victory over the streaking Lions would announce that the Buccaneers are a true contender in the NFC playoff hunt. The Lions may have already done so when they opened the NFL season with a road win over the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs, but the Buccaneers' lone appearance in prime time so far this season ended in their only loss so far against the aforementioned Eagles. ![]() Sunday's matchup at Raymond James Stadium is an opportunity for either team to strengthen its bona fides within the conference hierarchy. ![]() The Buccaneers, conversely, did not engender high expectations for 2023 outside of their own headquarters and are thus considered on the early surprise teams in the NFC. At 4-1, the Lions have the third-best record in the conference and are delivering on the rather substantial preseason hype that their hot finish to 2022 generated. However, it's fair to say that the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers and the 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles – last year's NFC Championship Game opponents – are perceived as the powerhouses of the conference through five weeks. NFC Upstarts Vie for Conference Positioning – As noted above, the Buccaneers and Lions are the only two one or zero-loss teams playing each other in Week Six and both have taken early control of their respective divisions. The Lions, who won eight of their final 10 games last season, have maintained that momentum to start the 2023 season and present a very serious challenge to the Bucs' own efforts to stay on their early-season roll. Yet another 2023 draft pick, tight end Sam LaPorta is second on the team with 25 catches and has already scored three times. Another standout rookie, safety Brian Branch, has shined in the slot and has four passes defensed an interception. Detroit's defense ranks third against the run and sixth against the pass and is led by emerging-star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson and his 4.5 sacks. Through five games, those two have combined to rush for 550 yards, catch 19 passes and score six touchdowns. Jared Goff has put up numbers very similar to Mayfield's, including a 104.5 rating and a 9-3 TD-INT ratio, and his efforts have been supported by the new backfield duo of former Bear David Montgomery and first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. Both of those units will be tested against a Lions team that ranks sixth in the NFL in both yards gained and yards allowed and has scored 29.6 points per game, good for fourth in the league.
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