Patriots' Playoff Hopes Could Hinge on Critical Lions Matchup

For the Patriots, 10 is the magic number.

If they reach that win mark by season's end, they'll have a good chance of punching their ticket to the postseason.

Five more wins, and you're (likely) in.

But their remaining schedule is not forgiving; if anything, it got harder after the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

After facing the Lions and having their Week 11 bye, New England will play the lowly Los Angeles Chargers before a rematch with the AFC-leading Buffalo Bills.

From there, the Patriots will have a short week, hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football.

Minnesota boasts arguably the NFL's best defense, allowing the fewest points per game (14.5) and 280 yards per game, good for second-fewest in the league.

Their Achilles ' heel was their offense, as the QB rotation of Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer led to a passing game ranking 31st in yards per game (266.8). However, their deadline acquisition of Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins potentially makes this matchup far scarier for New England.

The Patriots will then face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who traded for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, on Monday Night Football before closing out the season against the New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins.

Realistically, New England has just three remaining games in which they will likely enter as the favorite: the Chargers, Jets and Dolphins.

Say the Patriots can take care of business in those three matchups, they'll still need two additional victories against the Lions, Vikings, Bills, Chiefs or Broncos to reach the 10-win mark.

Detroit is arguably one of New England's better remaining opportunities to pick up a quality win. Coming out of Munich with a win would put the Patriots in a much better position heading into their bye week, while a loss would leave them needing multiple upsets down the stretch.

Patriots Could Get Much-Needed Offensive Reinforcements

Injuries have consistently limited New England's offensive personnel this season, but the Patriots could be getting some important contributors back for their bout in Germany.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown returned to practice for the first time in two weeks as he continues dealing with ankle and knee injuries, the latter of which may be connected to a reported degenerative knee condition.

Brown has been limited throughout the season, missing six games through the first nine weeks while recording just nine catches for 101 yards. He was a limited participant Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup.

Despite ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting that running back Rhamondre Stevenson is dealing with a knee tendon issue that could sideline him for a short period, the veteran back has made encouraging progress.

After missing Wednesday's practice, he returned as a limited participant Thursday and again on Friday.

We've seen similar situations play out in New England this season. Offensive tackle Will Campbell was initially expected to miss time after suffering a reported knee sprain in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, while running back TreVeyon Henderson was reportedly dealing with a high ankle sprain the same week.

Both ultimately played the following game.

"I think that's just, speaks to, you know, first off, the media not really knowing 100 percent what they're talking about a lot of the time," Maye said when asked about Stevenson practicing.

Getting Stevenson back would be a significant boost for the Patriots; he's their leading rusher, and his work as a pass protector for Maye is invaluable.

Fullback Reggie Gilliam (knee) and guard Greg Van Roten (hamstring), after spending time on injured reserve, have had their 21-day practice windows opened. Gilliam returned to practice this week, and Van Roten's window opened last week. Neither has been activated yet, but both are questionable for Sunday.

With fellow guard Walter Rouse also questionable while working through concussion protocol, the Patriots could have some important decisions to make regarding their offensive line depth.

Getting even one or two of these players back would be a welcome development for an offense that has struggled to stay healthy. It could also come at an ideal time, as Detroit has been vulnerable defensively throughout the season.

The Lions are allowing an average of 355 yards per game, tied for 26th in the NFL, and have struggled to create turnovers. Detroit has forced just eight takeaways through its first nine games, the same number as New England.

The Lions have also ruled out safety Kerby Joseph and cornerback D.J. Reed for Sunday, potentially giving Maye and the Patriots' offense an opportunity to exploit a depleted secondary.

Patriots Defense Looks to Bounce Back Against Explosive Lions Offense

New England will have its hands full on the other side of the ball.

Detroit's offense is one of the most volatile in the league, headlined by wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, along with running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

With playmakers galore, Detroit's high-flying offense ranks 5th in yards per game (379.8).

The Patriots will need a much better defensive performance than what they delivered last week against the Green Bay Packers. New England surrendered 478 total yards of offense and allowed the most points scored in Gillette Stadium to date (45).

That change starts with Christian Gonzalez.

The Patriots' star cornerback, who recently became the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, is coming off one of the worst performances of his career. According to Pro Football Focus, Gonzalez allowed 11 catches on 12 targets for 192 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay.

"As confident as I always am," Gonzalez said when asked about his confidence in bouncing back. "It's a new week. It's the same confidence that I always have, the same confidence I'll always go in with."

New England cannot afford another performance like that against a Detroit offense with this much firepower. Gonzalez and the rest of the secondary will need to bounce back if the Patriots hope to leave Germany with a win.