Behind Enemy Lines: Q and A With SideLion Report

Aug 28, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; The Buffalo Bills offense lines up against the Detroit Lions defense during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Lions beat the Bills 23-0. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

This week the Buffalo Bills will face off against the 3-1 Detroit Lions.  The Bills are looking to break a two game losing streak with a win away at Ford Field.  They have shown that they can win on the road against the NFC North team, when they beat the Chicago Bears in overtime.22-20.  Here is a Q and A with one of the staff writers over at SideLion Report, the FanSided Detroit Lions blog.  Take a look at the answers that Braden Shackelford has when we asked what we might expect to see with the Detroit Lions this week.

"1. Jim Schwartz is making his homecoming in Detroit.  Will the Lions be set up to anticipate his defensive schemes? Did he have a hand in the pot much on the defensive play calling when he was the head coach?From what I understand, Schwartz is running a pretty conservative, little to no blitzing defensive scheme. That sounds like the exact model he ran in Detroit during his tenure. Calvin Johnson also made the comment that Jim Schwartz told him in the passed exactly how he would cover Johnson. To me, those things right there should give the Lions the edge in game planning, but then again Schwartz could play head games with the Lions and throw something totally different out there.I think Schwartz left most of the play calling to his defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, who is still a member within the Lions organization so it will be interesting to see what Schwartz dials up.2. Who has been the biggest performer, most surprising player so far this year for the Lions?The biggest performer for the Lions has to be cornerback Darius Slay. The Lions have needed help at corner for a long time and the second year pro has been nothing short of spectacular through for weeks. According to pro football focus, Slay is the second best cover corner, which is an astounding leap from what we saw during his rookie year where he was often times benched.3. Who has been the biggest disappointment through the first 4 weeks for the Lions?The biggest disappointment had to be kicker Nate Freese who was cut just two weeks ago and replaced by Alex Henery. The Lions drafted Freese in the seventh round to be their next Jason Hanson. Despite finishing his senior year at Boston College with a perfect field goal percentage, Freese was just 3-7 for for the Lions this season and didn’t make a kick longer than 35 yards.The Lions are hoping Henery can fill the void. If not, the Lions will be in a difficult situation late in ball games.4. With their start so far, do you think that the Lions are a playoff caliber team? Have they done enough during the offseason to make the playoffs.  Talent wise, the Lions were a playoff team last season. The problem has always been getting the talent to play well for four quarters while limiting mental mistakes. Through four games the Lions have the number one defense in the NFL, something the fans and media are shocked by, including myself. The Lions are also the least penalized team in the NFL.Despite the Lions representing an identical  3-1 record from last year, this team is different mentally and unlike previous years they can rely on their defense. This team is ready to win the NFC North and make the playoffs.5. What are your predictions for the game this weekend?I think the Bills are pretty close to being a really good team and will be competitive in just about every game this season. . With the AFC East apparently up for grabs thanks to the Patriots sub par play the Bills should come into Detroit with the right mentality, but I don’t think it will be enough.As long as the Lions don’t underestimate the Bills and play a clean football game they should win.Prediction: Lions win 27-20"