Why the Buccaneers must watch these 3 Detroit Lions players
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to defy expectations — at least the expectations that exist outside of the building. Inside the locker room, the Buccaneers have truly embraced the 'next man up' mentality, and they are reaping the rewards of buying into that train of thought.
That being said, the Detroit Lions possess one of the NFL's most potent rosters from top to bottom. And even though they are dealing with their own injury issues, they remain one of the league's most dangerous teams because of the wide assortment of talent their GM, Brad Holmes, has assembled on both sides of the ball over the course of his tenure.
In order for the Buccaneers to continue their winning ways, there are many players on the Detroit Lions roster whom they will need to prepare for. That said, we have identified three players in particular who we expect to provide the greatest challenge to the Buccaneers as they try and win a crucial NFC showdown in Detroit for the second season in a row.
EDGE Aidan Hutchinson
The last time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the Lions at Ford Field was Week 2 of last season. Although the Bucs secured a hard-fought victory in the end, winning by a score of 20-16, star Lions pass rusher Aiden Hutchinson was dominant for Detroit.
The Buccaneers were without their starting RT Luke Goedeke in that contest (and will be again this time, too), and the former No. 2 overall pick out of Michigan took full advantage of his matchup with backup Justin Skule. Hutchinson finished the game with an outrageous 4.5 sacks, asserting his dominance over Skule from start to finish.
Although Hutchinson suffered a season-ending injury a few weeks after that early-season matchup, he has returned to full health with a vengeance in 2025. Through six weeks of the season, Hutch is 4th in the NFL with 6 sacks and his 95.2 pass rushing grade is the best in the NFL. Hutchinson is a ferocious defender with speed, power, and a relentless style of play that makes him a one-man wrecking crew.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Lions GM Brad Holmes has done a tremendous job building the Lions roster since he was hired in 2021. When Holmes made the decision to draft Jahmyr Gibbs 12th overall out of Alabama in 2023, a lot of people questioned his logic in selecting a running back not named Bijan Robinson so high. However, GIbbs has made Holmes look like a genius, as he’s proven to be one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers since entering the league.
Gibbs’ speed, elusiveness, and versatility as both an elite rusher and sure-handed receiver have added an entirely new dynamic to the Lions’ offense since he was brought into the fold. 2024 was Gibbs’ breakout season, where he erupted for 1,412 rushing yards and 16 TDs to go along with 517 receiving yards and another 4 TDs through the air.
When evaluating Gibbs’ production, what’s even more impressive is the fact that he’s managed to produce such gaudy numbers despite sharing a backfield with David Montgomery, who had 12 rushing TDs of his own last year.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
Although Brad Holmes deserves credit for going against the grain with his selection of Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round, his first-ever draft class was even more impressive, and it set the foundation for how the Detroit Lions have become one of the NFL’s best all-around football teams.
Holmes stole St. Brown from the rest of the league when he selected him in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Overlooked because of his size, St. Brown’s pristine route-running, sure hands, and gritty style of play have allowed him to blossom into one of the NFL’s truly elite wide receivers.
St. Brown, who is coming off a 1,263 yard, 12 TD season in 2024, currently leads the NFL in 2025 with 6 receiving TDs already. His ability to work all areas of the field against man or zone coverages, combined with his red zone prowess, makes him an extremely difficult player to defend.
St. Brown’s toughness and blocking ability are also a huge factor in the running game, which is a rare trait for any wide receiver to possess.
The $72 million veteran’s absence is a blow to the Texans’ offense, which ranks 21st in passing entering the contest
DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans will officially be shorthanded for their Week 7 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on “Monday Night Football,” officially ruling veteran wide receiver and 2025 offseason trade acquisition Christian Kirk out.
Kirk battled a hamstring issue during the offseason, missed the first two games of the regular season, and reaggravated the injury in practice this week, appearing on Friday’s injury report.
It is a continuation of a troubling pattern for the veteran wide receiver.
Texans WR Christian Kirk Continues Ominous Trend
The Texans traded a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Kirk this past offseason. Originally a second-round pick (No. 47 overall) of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, Kirk is on an expiring four-year, $72 million contract with $63.6 million in career earnings.
However, injuries have been a constant challenge.
He missed multiple games in five of his seven previous seasons in the NFL. The last time he played a full regular-season slate, which is no longer possible this season, was in 2022.
“The more than two weeks of separation from their last game has the Houston Texans remarkably healthy heading into their matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. However, a development this week has them without a top pass catcher for the pivotal game,” the Houston Chronicle’s Sam Warren wrote on October 18.
“Kirk returned from the team’s week off seemingly refreshed and healthy, as he practiced in full Thursday. But he appeared to injure the hamstring Friday after being limited in practice. The injury then kept him out of Saturday’s final session before leaving for the Pacific Northwest.”
Warren noted that no other active Texans players have an injury designation.
Still, Kirk’s absence looms large for the Texans, who rank 22nd in scoring offense and 20th overall on the season.
