Two teams with expectations beyond regular-season statements square off Sunday night when the Detroit Lions visit the Houston Texans.
The Lions (7-1) own the best record in the NFC and stand second overall in the NFL behind only the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs. Houston (6-3) shares the fourth-best mark in the AFC with the Ravens entering Baltimore’s Thursday night matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Detroit has ripped off six straight victories and views the Sunday primetime contest as a significant midseason test in the spotlight.
“This is one we’re looking forward to,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “You respect the brand of football they play with. So this will be a good matchup.”
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans used a different message in Houston, telling his charges that one game isn’t more important than any other.
But only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 have figured out how to slay the Lions.
“This game isn’t more important just because of the Lions and what they’ve done,” Ryans said. “They’ve played good football, of course, credit to those guys. They’re playing well, they’re coached well, but that doesn’t change our mindset, how we approach every week.
“It’s still the same every week. Every week — big game. And we’re trying to go out and win this one.”
Houston opened the season with five wins in six games but has slumped by losing two of its past three games.
The last contest was a clunker as the Texans fell 21-13 to the New York Jets on Halloween. Star quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked a season-high eight times and completed a campaign-worst 36.7 percent of his throws (11 of 30).
Stroud has passed for fewer than 200 yards in three of the past four games after exceeding that mark in each of Houston’s first five contests.
“There are things I can get better at, fundamentally wise, for sure,” Stroud said. “Just getting the ball out of my hand and things like that but ultimately, I believe it is just having fun and being joyful while doing it.”
Lions quarterback Jared Goff is coming off his lowest passing-yardage outputs of the season — 85 against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 27 and 145 versus the Green Bay Packers last week. Still, he has completed at least 80 percent of his passes in three straight games and four times overall.
Goff feels the Texans will be a challenging foe but he’s not the least bit interested in Detroit being mentioned among the NFL’s top teams.
“Who cares who thinks we’re any good right now in Week (10)? It doesn’t matter,” Goff said. “You’re just trying to find a way to stack Ws. I think you get caught up sometimes, not just the bad stuff, but with the good stuff at times. It can be dangerous.”
The Lions shored up a defensive hole on Tuesday by acquiring three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns. Smith joined Detroit to begin preparations for the Texans.
The Lions lost star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken fibula and tibia in his left leg on Oct. 13.
“I thought that was important,” Campbell said of landing Smith. “I mean, he’s been in this league a while and they were actually just going on their bye week when he got the call from us and everything got done, so let him do what he needs to do, refresh, get back here Friday.”
Houston standout defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) missed practice Wednesday. Joining him on the sidelines were defensive ends Derek Barnett (calf/shoulder) and Dylan Horton (illness), defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi, guard Kenyon Green (shoulder) and running back Dameon Pierce (groin).
Detroit conducted a walkthrough Wednesday and two players missed it due to injuries — linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin (neck) and Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle).
