3 Detroit Lions Players Under Most Pressure Against Patriots

The Detroit Lions will have several players looking to make their presence known when they square off with the New England Patriots Sunday morning in Munich, Germany. With the regular season entering a critical stretch, the Lions need consistent productivity across both sides of the ball to sustain the momentum.

With that said, here are the three Lions players under pressure the most to deliver strong performances against New England.

CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. 

With D.J. Reed out again (hip), the Lions need Rakestraw to look like the capable cover corner they thought he was upon drafting him in the second round in 2024. Unfortunately, the Missouri product hasn't looked like that guy throughout the majority of his career.

He started for the first time in Week 7 against the Packers, allowed three receptions on four targets his way and a passer rating of 106.3. Plus, he earned a Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 64.9 and an overall mark of 65.2 for his efforts. 

He's produced a mixed bag of results since, and certainly needs to deliver a strong effort against Drake Maye and the Patriots’ passing game Sunday.

C Juice Scruggs 

Scruggs will get another start in place of Cade Mays in Week 10 against New England. The fourth-year interior lineman has performed admirably in place of the banged-up Mays thus far this season, earning a 75.3 overall mark from PFF. It ranks as the second-best grade among all qualified centers (36 players). 

He'll face a big test on Sunday, going up against New England defensive tackles Christian Barmore and Milton Williams. Based on his play so far in 2026, though, I believe that Scruggs will be up for the challenge.