The battle for supremacy in the NFC may be settled Monday night, as the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers represent a clash of two conference heavyweights. The Buccaneers boast the conference’s best record at 5-1 while the Lions sit at 4-2, as both need a win to solidify their conference position.
Tampa Bay leads the NFC North by two games in the loss column over the Carolina Panthers, but a win keeps the Buccaneers as the No. 1 seed in the NFC through seven weeks. The Buccaneers will have Mike Evans (hamstring) back for the Monday night showdown, along with Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) as both were not on the inactive report.
The Lions need a win to keep pace with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, as Green Bay (4-1-1) leads the division by one game in the loss column. A loss would put Detroit in a tie for first place in the division, as the Chicago Bears won on Sunday.
Detroit will be without all four starters in the secondary in this one, as Brian Branch is serving a one-game suspension while Terrion Arnold (shoulder) and Kerby Joseph (knee) were ruled out for this game. D.J. Reed is also on injured reserve. Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin are expected to start at cornerback, while Thomas Harper, Loren Strickland and Erick Hallett are expected to rotate at safety. If Evans and Egbuka are both able to play, the Buccaneers have a mismatch to exploit in the matchup of these NFC powers.
Will the Lions overcome their secondary issues and get a win at home? Can the Buccaneers hold onto the No. 1 seed in the NFC? All the analysis can be found in the live blog below!
Where to watch Lions vs. Buccaneers liveDate: Monday, Oct. 20 | Time: 7 p.m. ETLocation: Ford Field — Detroit, MichiganTV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (try for free)Follow: CBS Sports AppOdds: Lions -6; O/U 54.5 (via DraftKings)
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