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   Number 1: The Lions Have 4 Defensive Players Nobody Is Talking About...

   The Detroit Lions' defense has taken plenty of criticism through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, but Mike Payton believes there are four defensive players who aren't getting nearly enough attention for how well they've played. Tyleik Williams is the first name on the list. Through two games, Williams has played 82 defensive snaps and owns an 81.3 Pro Football Focus grade, according to Mike. He's been strong against the run while also generating pressure as a pass rusher. Mike then breaks down sixth-round pick Skyler Gill-Howard, who has already played 71 snaps and has been thrown into a much larger role than expected. Gill-Howard has four pressures and a quarterback hit, and Mike expects the rookie to start producing more as a pass rusher. Derrick Barnes may be the biggest surprise of the group. Barnes currently has an 83.6 coverage grade, an interception, a pass breakup, five pressures and two sacks through the first two games. Mike explains why Barnes is playing like the linebacker Lions fans hoped he would become. The final player is D.J. Reed, who Mike knows will be a controversial inclusion. After a difficult Week 1, Reed was targeted just once against Buffalo. Mike explains why he believes the Bills intentionally stayed away from Reed and why the Week 3 matchup against Reed's former team, the New York Jets, will be an important test. Mike also explains the bigger picture for Detroit's defense: he believes the defensive line and linebackers are in a good place, but the secondary still needs more help. Which Lions defensive player deserves more attention? Let Mike know in the comments. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Detroit for Detroit Lions news, analysis, roster updates, game reactions, film breakdowns and daily coverage throughout the 2026 season. #DetroitLions #OnePride #Lions #NFL Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: For more LIONS coverage: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter/X: TikTok: 0:00 The Lions Have Defensive Bright Spots 1:35 Tyleik Williams Is Flying Under The Radar 2:15 Williams' PFF Grade & Pass Rush 3:07 The Play That Won The Saints Game 4:25 Williams Needs More Pass-Rush Opportunities 5:06 Skyler Gill-Howard Is Being Thrown Into The Fire 6:18 Gill-Howard's Biggest Area To Improve 7:32 Derrick Barnes Is BALLING 8:00 Barnes' Incredible Coverage Numbers 9:28 D.J. Reed Is Better Than Lions Fans Think 10:03 Why Buffalo Avoided D.J. Reed 10:57 Reed Gets His Former Team Next 11:36 The Lions Still Need Secondary Help #detroitlions #lionsnation #lionsfootball #detroitlionsnews

   September 22, 2026·13min
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   Number 2: The Lions Have A PERFECT Opportunity To Trade For Joey Porter Jr...

   The Detroit Lions may have a perfect opportunity to make a blockbuster move. Mike Payton explains why he believes the Lions should seriously consider trading for Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Normally, Mike is the first person to push back on Lions fans wanting a massive trade for a star player. But this situation feels different. The Lions recently created additional salary cap flexibility, and Mike believes Detroit is positioned to make a move that could improve their roster immediately. The biggest question is whether the Lions should be willing to send a first-round pick to Pittsburgh for Porter. Mike breaks down why the move makes sense: Why the Lions' salary cap situation could allow this trade Why cornerback is the biggest remaining need Why Joey Porter Jr. could be better than a rookie first-round pick Why Detroit's future extension situation makes this possible Whether Brad Holmes should make the aggressive move Would you trade a first-round pick for Joey Porter Jr.? Let us know in the comments. ***** Subscribe to A to Z Sports Detroit for Detroit Lions news, analysis, film breakdowns and daily coverage. Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: For more LIONS coverage: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter/X: TikTok: ****** 0:00 The Lions Should Trade For Joey Porter Jr. 1:00 Why This Trade Actually Makes Sense 2:16 The Lions Cap Situation 4:46 Can The Lions Pay Everyone? 5:45 What Would Pittsburgh Want? 6:39 Why A 1st Round Pick Makes Sense 8:15 Why The Lions Need Joey Porter Jr. 9:23 Brad Holmes Should Make This Move #detroitlions #lionsnation #lionsfootball #detroitlionsnews

   September 14, 2026·11min
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   Number 3: The Lions Have Some BIG Winners And Losers After Week 1 OT Thriller...

   The Detroit Lions opened the 2026 season with a win over the New Orleans Saints, but it wasn't exactly the cleanest performance from Dan Campbell's team. Mike Payton breaks down the biggest winners and losers from Detroit's Week 1 victory, including some players who made huge statements and others who left the Lions with questions heading into Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. Jahmyr Gibbs was one of the biggest winners after taking on a massive workload and rushing for 156 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions leaned heavily on Gibbs, who also contributed in the passing game, and his performance showed just how important he could be to Detroit's offense this season. Derrick Barnes also had a huge game, recording an interception, a sack and a pass breakup. Aidan Hutchinson continued to make his presence felt with two sacks and constant pressure. Tay Martin was another major winner, making an impact on special teams with multiple big plays and a tackle for loss on a punt return. But there were also some major concerns. Jameson Williams struggled badly with drops despite making a huge catch in overtime that helped set up Detroit's game-winning touchdown. Christian Mahogany suffered an injury after finally winning the Lions' starting left guard job, while Isaac TeSlaa struggled to make an impact with opportunities to get the ball his way. Mike also examines Kelvin Sheppard and the Lions defense. Detroit forced three turnovers and recorded five sacks, but the defense struggled when it needed to close the game out late, including allowing a fourth-and-12 conversion that could have completely changed the outcome. So who were the biggest winners and losers from the Lions' Week 1 win? And should Lions fans actually be concerned about some of these problems? Mike breaks it all down before Detroit heads to Buffalo for Week 2. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Detroit for Detroit Lions news, analysis, film breakdowns, predictions and daily coverage throughout the 2026 season. Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: For more LIONS coverage: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter/X: TikTok: 0:00 Lions Week 1 Winners & Losers 0:42 Derrick Barnes 1:26 Jahmyr Gibbs 3:07 Tay Martin 4:52 Aidan Hutchinson & Rock Ya-Sin 5:47 Jameson Williams 7:54 Christian Mahogany 8:55 Isaac TeSlaa 9:56 Kelvin Sheppard & the Lions Defense 11:21 Don't Overreact to Week 1 #detroitlions #lionsnation #lionsfootball #detroitlionsnews

   September 13, 2026·13min
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   Number 4: The Lions Have A HUGE Advantage Against The Saints...

   Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: For more LIONS coverage: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter/X: TikTok: The Detroit Lions open the 2026 NFL season against the New Orleans Saints, and Mike Payton sees one HUGE matchup advantage that could determine this game. New Orleans allowed 49 sacks last season, and that could be a major problem against a Lions defensive line that is deeper and more dangerous than it was a year ago. Aidan Hutchinson is going to command plenty of attention, but Mike believes Detroit has multiple other players who can take advantage of one-on-one opportunities, including D.J. Reader, Derrick Moore, Alim McNeill and others. But that's not the only thing that will decide Lions vs. Saints. New Orleans also has a defense capable of making Detroit uncomfortable. The Saints were fourth against the pass and third on third downs last season, and they are capable of disguising coverages and forcing quarterbacks into mistakes. That means Jared Goff and the Lions offense cannot afford to get impatient. If Detroit can't hit the explosive plays it wants, Mike believes the Lions need to be willing to take the underneath throws, get the ball to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs, stay ahead of the sticks and avoid turnovers. The biggest key to the game could be early-down efficiency. Detroit cannot afford to repeatedly find itself in third-and-long against the Saints defense. The Lions need to get the running game going, stay in manageable situations and avoid the self-inflicted penalties and negative plays that can derail drives. Mike also gives his official Lions vs. Saints prediction, including his score and his biggest individual player predictions. His final prediction: Detroit Lions 31, New Orleans Saints 20. Mike is also predicting at least two sacks for Aidan Hutchinson, 100+ receiving yards and a touchdown for Amon-Ra St. Brown, and a big rushing performance from Jahmyr Gibbs. Who wins Lions vs. Saints? Let us know your prediction in the comments. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Detroit for Detroit Lions news, analysis, predictions, game breakdowns and everything you need throughout the 2026 season. 0:00 Lions vs Saints Prediction Lab 1:22 Where can the Lions beat the Saints? 4:08 What can get the Lions beat? 7:00 What decides Lions vs Saints? 10:29 Mike Payton's official prediction 10:50 Mike's player predictions #DetroitLions #OnePride #Lions #NFL #LionsVsSaints

   September 11, 2026·12min
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   Number 5: The Lions' Season Could Come Down To These 3 Stats

   HOW TO ENTER: 1. Visit and make sure A to Z Sports is checked 2. Comment GO LIONS below! If selected, you must be able to verify that A to Z Sports was selected as a preferred source. A to Z Sports Giveaway Terms & Conditions: ***** The Detroit Lions have a lot of talent heading into the 2026 NFL season, but three under-the-radar statistical trends could have a huge impact on how good this team actually is. Mike Payton breaks down three numbers that the Lions need to improve if they want to get back to being one of the NFL's toughest teams to stop. First is third-down conversion rate. The Lions converted just 38.8% of their third downs last season, a major drop from the 47.6% they posted in 2024. Mike explains why that decline quietly damaged Detroit's offense and why getting back into the 40% range could make a major difference. Next is red-zone efficiency. Detroit converted 62.5% of its red-zone opportunities last season, down significantly from 69.4% in 2024. The Lions were still one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, but too many potential touchdowns turned into field goals instead. Finally, Mike looks at the number that could be most important for the defense: rushing yards allowed. The Lions went from allowing just 91.1 rushing yards per game in 2023 to 103 in 2024 and 114.5 in 2025. Mike explains why Detroit needs to get back into the top five in run defense and why stopping the run is more important than simply adding more sacks. If Detroit can improve its third-down offense, become more efficient in the red zone and get back to stopping the run, Mike believes the Lions could be extremely difficult to stop in 2026. Which of these three numbers do you think matters most? Let us know in the comments. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Detroit for Detroit Lions news, analysis, game breakdowns, roster updates and everything you need throughout the 2026 season. 0:00 3 stats that could change the Lions' season 1:11 Why aren't we talking about this? 1:51 The Lions' third-down problem 3:26 Detroit's red-zone problem 5:05 The defensive stat nobody is talking about 6:16 The Lions MUST stop the run 7:44 What the Lions' run defense looked like in camp 9:06 Why these 3 stats matter Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: For more LIONS coverage: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter/X: TikTok: #detroitlions #lionsnation #lionsfootball #detroitlionsnews

   September 09, 2026·10min
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