The Detroit Lions have a home tilt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. They are seeking to improve to 5-2 on the season but will have their hands full with this Bucs team.
What makes this game even more important outside of it being a conference game, is the other top teams in the NFC handled their business on Sunday. The Los Angeles Rams started the day off with a 35-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, and sit at 5-2.
The Chicago Bears notched their fourth straight win and own a 4-2 record. Meanwhile, the Eagles improved to 5-2 and the Green Bay Packers are 4-1-1. In addition, the San Francisco 49ers are 5-2 after they beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
It's still only Week 7 but the competition atop the NFC is tough and that only adds more pressure for Detroit to handle in its contest against Tampa Bay.
Lions Received No Favors From Other Teams in Week 7
The Eagles, 49ers, and Rams are all fighting for the top seed in the NFC but what's happening inside the NFC North is what should have the attention in the Motor City. All four teams have .500 or better records, and that leaves little margain for error.
Thus far, the Bears two losses have come to the Vikings and Lions. They are handling their business against the rest of the league and are seemingly improving week over week. Even though the Packers didn't play their best game against the Cardinals, they still came away with a 27-23 win.
Adding to the win column is the most important thing in the NFL and several teams around the NFC are took care of business on Sunday.
The Lions contest against the Buccaneers won't be an easy one. Detroit's defense will be without Kerby Joseph (knee), Brian Branch (suspension), Terrion Arnold (shoulder), and Avonte Maddox (hamstring). That's without mentioning D.J. Reed (hamstring), whose on IR.
That's a lot of injuries to deal with, especially when they are facing a potent Bucs offense. They enter this game as the 11th-ranked total offense (353.5) and sixth in scoring offense (27.5). That unit is expected to have Mike Evans return and Emeka Egbuka has a shot to play despite suffering a low-grade hamstring strain last week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Baker Mayfield is playing at an MVP level thus far in the season, as he's led four game-winning drives already in 2025.
Detroit knows they have their hands full but are ready for the challenge. And Sunday's slate of games only added more pressure to this bout.