Monday Night Grit: Lions Look to Bite Back Against the Bucs

Downtown Detroit is going to be nuts like a Thanksgiving Day parade traffic mixed with Summer Jam energy.

The streets are going to be loud, Ford Field will be packed, and you can feel that this isn’t just another Monday Night Football game.

This one means something.

The Lions are 4-2 and coming off a humbling 30-17 loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs last Sunday night.

The defense looked out of sync, the offense sputtered in the red zone, and the swagger we saw earlier this season looked ... muted. But that’s what makes tonight so big.

Because if there’s one thing about Dan Campbell’s squad, they don’t lose twice.

Literally.

Detroit hasn’t dropped back-to-back regular season games since October 2022, back when “grit” was still a buzzword and not a brand.

Since then, the Lions have gone from the “same old Lions” to the team nobody wants to see on the schedule.

But Tampa Bay is no slouch either. Baker Mayfield has quietly turned back the clock and is out here looking like the Oklahoma version of himself: confident, efficient, and clutch.

The dude’s tied with Jared Goff in touchdown passes (81) since 2023 and already has four game-winning drives this year.

This game is going to be a duel. Goff vs. Baker. The calm technician vs. the wild card gunslinger.

And while we’re at it, Amon-Ra St. Brown is on another level right now. The Sun God has 44 catches, 452 yards, and 6 touchdowns in just six games. Every time he lines up, he’s a problem.

And against Tampa? Let’s just say he’s been eating.

In his last three games versus the Bucs, St. Brown has been targeted 37 times with 31 receptions and 320 yards.

That’s not a stat; that’s ownership.

But let’s talk about the elephant in the secondary: Detroit’s defensive backs are held together with tape, prayers, and Motown memories right now.

Brian Branch is suspended after throwing hands with JuJu Smith-Schuster (and honestly, JuJu might’ve deserved it), and five other DBs are on injured reserve.

Detroit’s banged-up backfield looks like it just walked off the set of a Fast & Furious crash scene, but this is where you find out who really wants it.

Because that’s what this city does.

It fights through it.

It doesn’t care who’s out, who’s hurt, or what the odds are. The Lions are built to win ugly if they have to. And tonight, they might have to.

If the defense can contain Mike Evans — who’s nursing a hamstring but likely to play — and pressure Baker into making those “hero ball” throws he can’t resist, the Lions will be just fine. Especially with Alim McNeill returning from a torn ACL and ready to wreck shop in the trenches.

On offense, it’s simple: protect Goff. Tampa Bay blitzes like they get paid per attempt. 32.6 percent of their defensive snaps come with pressure.

But guess what? Goff is second in the NFL with a 129.9 passer rating against the blitz. He’s calm, calculated, and deadly when you try to rattle him.

So yeah, this one’s going to be loud. It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be Detroit football.

Because while the national media still can’t decide if the Lions are “for real,” the people in the D already know.

This team has turned belief into expectation. And Monday Night Football is just the latest stage to prove it.

Prediction: Lions 31, Bucs 27. Goff outduels Baker. Amon-Ra adds two more TDs. Ford Field goes full-blown mosh pit.

Detroit vs. Everybody.

Let’s eat.