Can the Jags get their first win in their black uniforms?  Source: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

Editor’s Note: Being a part of the Fansided Network, we have the opportunity to interact with the other NFL sites that can give us insight into their teams.  Before each game we will be providing you with a quick questionnaire that the opposition’s site editor has provided us.

This week we have the opportunity to talk with Side Lion Report editor Zac Snyder who took the time to answer five questions for us here at B&T.

We’ll see how the Jags do against the Lions tomorrow but for some insight now, let’s get to the questions!

1)  Mike Thomas is with the Lions now, what is the team expecting to use him for?

It sounds like the Lions will use him to add the speed dimension that they are missing without Jahvid Best. I imagine they will look to use Thomas in a variety of positions on the field and put the ball in his hands in space. Opposing defenses have given the Lions a lot of room over the middle while protecting against the deep ball but the Lions haven’t been able to exploit that consistently. Mike Thomas may be able to change that.

2)  Obviously the Lions haven’t lived up to expectations based on last year, how can they make sure the second half of 2012 is better than the first?

Offensive consistency has been a big problem for the Lions. Too often they have done very little in the first three quarters only to explode in the fourth. Unfortunately that means they always seem to be playing from behind (they have trailed at the half in every game this year) so they haven’t made life easy on themselves. Stafford needs to be sharp out of the gate and his targets can’t be dropping passes like they have so far this year.

3)  Matt Stafford has been less consistent than he was last year but still has the ability to break open games, which receivers do you see him utilizing to beat the Jaguars defense on Sunday?

Calvin Johnson is always a threat and while it would be nice to see him have a big game, he is still valuable as a decoy. The underrated cog of the Lions’ offensive machine is Titus Young. He has struggled through most of the season but had a game filled with career highs last week. If Titus is able to put together another solid effort, watch out.

4)  The Lions are a highly unbalanced offense (first in pass attempts, 25th in rush attempts), will the running game even be a factor on Sunday?

There have been times this year where the Lions have shown a much greater commitment to the run than they have in the past. They still don’t run very often, but at 4.0 yards per carry on the year they have shown that they have some ability to run when they want to.

5)  How will the Jags/Lions game turn out?  Who will the MVP be?

The Lions will leave Jacksonville winners, I’m thinking with a final score somewhere around 30-16. It finally feels like the Lions are ready to put together a complete football game in all three phases of the game and the Jaguars are just the type of opponent to do that against. Simply put, the Lions are the better football team and will show it on Sunday. As for game MVP, it’s hard to pick against Matthew Stafford.

We’ll have to see if Zac’s prediction comes true or if the prediction I had will.

Go Jags!

- Luke N. Sims

Oct 7, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) throws a pass against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Dolphins won 17-13. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-US PRESSWIRE

To help you win your matchup this weekend, here are my week 6 fantasy football players to start and sit:

Guys to Start:

QB Andy Dalton, CIN (@ CLE) – Dalton threw for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns in week 2 against the abysmal Browns’ secondary.

RB Vick Ballard, IND (@ NYJ) – Ballard is the new feature back in Indy with Donald Brown’s injury his knee last week.  Ballard faces a lazy Jets’ defense that is allowing over 170 yards a game, so if you are desperate take a shot on the former Ole Miss standout this weekend.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (@ BUF) – Fitz will have a monster game against a Bills defense that has allowed 6 touchdowns through the air in the last two weeks alone.

TE Owen Daniels, HOU (vs. GB) – Daniels has caught a touchdown in three straight games.

Guys to Sit:

QB Matthew Stafford, DET (@ PHI) – Stafford plays a tough Eagles secondary that has only allowed 3 passing touchdowns in the last ten quarters.  Stafford has not exactly been playing great, so it is safer to leave him on the bench this weekend.

RB Steven Jackson, STL (@ MIA) – Jackson has yet to score a touchdown in 2012, so keep him on your bench until you see some signs of life from the former Pro Bowl running back.

WR Brian Hartline, MIA (vs. STL) – Hartline was the free agent pickup of the century a couple weeks ago, but followed it up with a 58-yard performance last week.  He will again struggle against the physical Rams’ cornerbacks, so expect another less than stellar performance out of Hartline in week 6.

TE Martellus Bennett, NYG (@ SF) – Bennett has a tough matchup this weekend and has a bum knee, so it is best to look elsewhere for a tight end this week.

Last season was Mincey’s fourth in the NFL.  He is an emergent player from Mel Tucker and Gene Smith’s strategy of throwing as many players in rotation at defensive end until someone stuck.  The result was a strong 16 games from Mincey in 2011.  Recently extended, the Jaguars expect him to up his game from 2011 and to justify his spot as a cornerstone for the future defense.

So, how do we measure Mincey in 2012?  A lot of fans are excited to have him back for the next season and re-signing him was a priority for the team this off season.  But eight sacks really is not that much in comparison to the top pass rushers in the league.

The top rushers in the league (based on the top ten) averaged 15.2 sacks last season – almost double what Mincey put up during his 16 games starting.  The top player, the Vikings’ Jared Allen, had 22 sacks, almost three times as many as Mincey.

I do not expect Mincey to be competing for the NFL single season sack record like Allen, but making progress closer to the Von Miller/Connor Barwin level of 11.5 should be expected if he is going to stay with the team longer.  In the modern NFL, rushing the passer is the best way to disrupt the opposing offense.  While stopping the run is important for teams in the AFC South due to the prevalence of top rushing talents like Arian Foster, Ben Tate, and Chris Johnson it is also crucially important to be competitive against other teams in the league.

This year, Mincey will get plenty of opportunities to showcase his run stopping and pass rushing abilities.  Against teams like Houston and Tennessee twice this year Mincey will be able to show that he has the responsibility and skill to limit rushers throughout games.  Much like last year when the front four limited Cam Newton from being able to put up big rushing and passing numbers, Mincey will have to be patient and work well against running threats.

However, this year Mincey will also have to work hard to justify his pass rushing pay.  The NFC North is playing the AFC South this year and with their pass happy offensive attacks it will be difficult to be successful on defense without getting to Christian Ponder, Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, and Matt Stafford.  Three of those quarterbacks will abuse weak pass rushes for big chunks of yards.

I want to see this all game long against The Vikings! Source: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

While hurries, rushes, and hits are also important statistics for a defense to focus on, quarterbacks really get worried when they know they are going to the ground.  Stafford, Cutler, and Matt Schaub are all coming back or have a history of injuries and will be wary of strong rushers off the edge.  Similarly, Ponder was abused all season last year and is still learning the ropes at quarterback.  Andrew Luck will be in a similar situation.

With the passing focus of many teams the Jags play this season, Mincey’s role on defense takes on even bigger importance.  So, what should we expect?

Personally, I expect Mincey to get 10 sacks this season.  While it would be ideal for him to get 12+ this season, I do not think that Mincey’s skills are as up to par as the numerous first rounds and physical freaks in the top 10. Mincey has skills and is valuable for his pass rushing and run stopping abilities, but he needs to get better in order to really be in the big leagues.  Going into 2012 measuring Jeremy Mincey against the top ten players from 2011 will be invaluable when judging whether he is worth the money that was paid him this offseason.

- Luke N. Sims

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