WR Charles Rogers vs. S Dexter Jackson
This is the matchup every Lions fan wants to see. The number two overall pick in
the draft has been brought into Detroit to be the number one reciever. Everyone
is expecting big things from him with his combination of speed and size,
especially when going up against a defense like Arizona. But Dexter Jackson will
not make things easy. Sherm Lewis and Steve Mariucci need to work hard at trying
to hide Rogers from the Arizona defense, most notably Jackson. If they can use
Rogers at different spots they will see results.
LB Boss Bailey vs. TE Freddie Jones
Being the only legitimate receiving threat Arizona has, Freddie Jones is likely
going to be looked at as a safety valve for QB Jeff Blake. If they can get a
running game going with RB Emmitt Smith, it's likely they open it up with
playaction to Jones. Boss Bailey has the speed to keep up with most receivers in
the league, but has struggled in the preseason. His main assignment will be to
cover Jones, and it will be interesting to see the match-up, not only in
coverage but in situations where Jones has to block on blitz assignments.
Detroit Defensive Line vs. Arizona Offensive Line
With the addition of DT Dan Wilkinson and DE Kalimba Edwards adding muscle in
the off-season, Detroit enters the season with a bolstered front four. Shaun
Rogers also looks like he will return to rookie form, where he put up Pro
Bowl-like numbers. Former Arizona QB Jake Plummer was sacked 36 times last year
behind Arizona's line, and OL Leonard Davis may not even play this contest. If
Detroit can get some heat on Jeff Blake, it would help a secondary that is
hurting with the loss of Chris Cash. The advantage is definately in Detroit's
favor.