5 Lions not named Aidan Hutchinson the Jaguars must monitor in Week 13

No. 2 Lion the Jaguars must account for in Week 13:

Quick, mention the best running back Detroit has had since Barry Sanders retired. Nobody will blame you if you can’t come up with one. After all, the Lions aren’t a running back factory, sure Kevin Jones had a fine rookie season in the 2000s but didn’t do much of note thereafter. Reggie Bush had one fine year back in 2013 that was it.

That’s why Jamaal Williams has been a pleasant surprise since his arrival in 2021, racking up 601 yards on 153 carries with three touchdowns in 13 games last year. He’s followed that up with an even more productive season in 2022, toting the rock 177 times for 734 yards with a career-high 13 touchdowns.

The Jags have had a hard time stopping the run in recent weeks, so they should expect heavy doses of Williams early in the game.

No. 1 Lion the Jaguars must account for in Week 13: Jared Goff

Back in the 2016 draft, the No. 1 came to Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. The Los Angeles Rams chose the former and made the Super Bowl with him leading the way in 2018. But the former California Golden Bear peaked and was traded to the Lions last year.

Since then, Goff has enjoyed a bit of a career revival in Detroit. You will be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks he’s a top-10 quarterback but he’s been good enough to lead their offense.

Goff hasn’t lit up the scoreboard but he’s avoided making costly mistakes this season, completing 63.7 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Jaguars will need to keep up with him if they want to beat the Lions and remain in the thick of the playoff race.