Fans’ trust in the Lions’ (8-1) path has ranged from 96 to 99% during the previous seven weeks (all victories). Fans cast their ballots once more after the Lions’ thrilling victory over the Houston Texans on “Sunday Night Football,” and their confidence did not waver as 99% of them kept the team atop the league.
In order to answer our second question, we asked supporters what they thought of recently acquired edge rusher Za’Darius Smith’s Lions debut. Based on his statistical averages, voters were given three options.
The survey’s findings are also available and not very shocking:
Although Smith typically receives three pressures and a half-sack every game, I’m sure a lot of fans selected the largest choice since we all want Smith to quickly adjust to the Lions’ scheme and take the field by storm.
Nevertheless, it is important to remember that Smith previously played the Jaguars during Week 2 when playing for the Browns. He faced Jaguars right tackle Anton Harrison in the game, and Smith left with two pressures.
Would Smith be able to produce more the second time? It’s difficult to say for sure, but it’s important to note that Smith was playing well before to the Lions acquiring him; in the three games preceding the trade, he recorded 17 of his 27 pressures.
So, are fans rooting for anything to happen if they expect Smith to register three pressures and a sack? Based on his recent performance and his high level of energy, I believe those metrics are very appropriate to reach.
Here are some of the explanations from the original article’s comment area, which have been somewhat trimmed for length and clarity to provide a better understanding of what Lions supporters are thinking:
This week, SB Nation conducted two nationwide polls about the Lions in addition to our team-specific ones. The first one asked if the squad could cover the 13.5-point spread that the people at FanDuel Sportsbook had set. Even though it’s a big number, 78% of NFL fans think the Lions can surpass it. Whoa.
