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Players to watch this weekend in Detroit

PLAYERS-TO-WATCH-WEEK-12

The Giants (2-9) will look to snap their losing streak on Sunday when they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions (6-4).

This week's game against the Lions will wrap up a three-game stretch against the NFC North, with a Week 16 matchup against the Vikings still on tap.

The Lions are coming off a tough loss in Philadelphia as they fell to the Eagles, 16-9. It was Detroit's lowest point total of the season as they were held to single digit points for the first time since Week 7 of the 2023 campaign. Heading into Week 12, the Lions currently sit outside the NFC playoff picture.

Here are players to watch in Sunday's game in Detroit.

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Tracy is coming off his best outing of the season. Going up against a stout Packers run defense, the second-year back took 19 rush attempts for 88 yards, good for an average of 4.6 yards per carry. He also played a big role in the passing game, catching all four of his targets for 51 yards. He finished the game with a season-high 139 yards from scrimmage, the second-highest total of his career.

This was the second straight strong performance from Tracy. In the Week 10 loss to the Bears, the 25-year-old averaged 5.1 yards per carry after he took 14 rush attempts for 71 yards, although he caught just one pass for zero yards. In nine games (five starts) this season, Tracy is averaging 4.0 yards per carry with 336 total yards on the ground, in addition to 18 receptions for another 138 yards.

The Lions are tough against the run, coming in at No. 8 in rushing yards allowed and No. 11 in yards per attempt. Only four of their 10 opponents this season have totaled more than 100 yards on the ground against them, although three of those outings have come in their last five games. Tracy might have a hard time contributing much in the passing game, as the Lions' 204 receiving yards to running backs is the lowest of any team this season.

See the top photos from practice as the Giants prepare for their Week 12 matchup against the Lions.

WR Isaiah Hodgins

Hodgins was signed to the active roster off the Steelers' practice squad last Thursday. Just three days later, he found himself in the starting lineup against the Packers, filling in for the injured Darius Slayton. Hodgins did not miss a beat as he finished as the Giants' leading receiver with five receptions (on six targets) for 57 yards.

Sunday's game was Hodgins' first of the season. He appeared in three games for the Giants last season after playing in every game during the 2023 campaign. But it was after he joined the Giants midway through the 2022 season where he really made an impact. After being claimed off waivers from the Bills in early November, Hodgins went on to catch 33 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns in the final eight games of the season. He then had the best game of his career in the Wild Card game against the Vikings, where he pulled in eight passes for a career-high 105 yards and a touchdown.

The Lions' defense has not performed as well against the pass as it has against the run. While the unit ranks eighth in passing yards allowed, their 18 passing touchdowns are tied for 24th in the NFL. Of those 18 touchdowns, 13 have been to wide receivers, which is tied for the fourth-most of any team. Detroit is dealing with some injuries in the secondary, as well, with cornerback Terrion Arnold (concussion) and safety Kerby Joseph (knee) missing Wednesday's practice after being sidelined for last week's game. Starting corner D.J. Reed is still on injured reserve, although he was a limited participant in the first practice of the week.

LT Andrew Thomas/RT Jermaine Eluemunor

Thomas and Eluemunor were faced with a tough challenge last week trying to slow down Packers edge rushers Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary. It wasn't a perfect performance, as Pro Football Focus credited each of them with one sack allowed. But the two tackles combined for four total pressures allowed on the day, which marked just the second time all season that they allowed that many pressures combined.

The two veterans have combined to form the best tackle duo the Giants have had in a long time. Thomas enters Week 12 as PFF's fifth-highest ranked tackle in pass protection, while Eluemunor comes in at No. 16. Both tackles have had only two games each where they have surrendered more than one total pressure. But the duo is facing another difficult matchup this week in Detroit. According to Next Gen Stats, Thomas has allowed the longest average time to pressure among left tackles this season at 4.03 seconds.

When discussing the Lions' defense, the conversation begins with Aidan Hutchinson. The talented defensive end was making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, picking up 7.5 sacks in the first five games, before a broken leg cut his season short. Hutchinson made it back on the field for the start of this season and has picked up right where he left off. The 25-year-old is tied for a league-leading four forced fumbles, while his 57 total pressures are the most in the NFL, according to PFF. Hutchinson flips sides throughout the game, so both Thomas and Eluemunor should get some matchups against the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. When they're not matched up against Hutchinson, the two tackles will try to slow down Al-Quadin Muhammad, who ranks second on the Lions with six sacks and 12 quarterback hits.

DL Dexter Lawrence

When looking at the final box score from last week's game, it may not look like Lawrence made a big impact. But the underlying metrics show that Lawrence had one of his best performances of the season as a pass rusher. Lawrence finished the game with two quarterback hits and four total pressures, both of which match his season-high marks.

While the Lions still boast a strong offensive line, the interior of the unit has taken a bit of a hit from previous seasons. Tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker combine to form one of the league's top tackle pairs, but on the inside, left guard Kayode Awosika, center Graham Glasgow, and right guard Tate Ratledge have not had as much success. One week after taking advantage of a strong matchup against Green Bay's backup center, Lawrence is looking at another positive matchup this weekend. The three interior linemen combined to allow seven total pressures in last week's loss to the Eagles.

CB Cor'Dale Flott

After missing the Week 9 contest against the 49ers due to a concussion, Flott has returned to mixed results over the last two weeks. Going up against the Bears two weeks ago, he allowed just two receptions for six yards on four targets. But this past weekend, he was credited with four receptions (on eight targets) for 72 yards allowed, although he earned a passer rating against of 81.3.

Overall this season, Flott has put together the best performance of his four-year career. His 365 coverage snaps have already set a new career-high, while his 64.5 passer rating against is by far the lowest since joining the Giants in the 2022 NFL Draft. Flott has also taken on more responsibility in recent weeks with Paulson Adebo sidelined due to a knee injury, which he will have to do again this weekend if Adebo doesn't make it back on the field.

The Lions have been one of the league's most run-heavy teams ever since they acquired Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery during the 2023 offseason. But when Jared Goff does drop back to pass, he has one of the top wide receivers in the NFL to throw the ball to in Amon-Ra St. Brown. The veteran receiver leads the Lions in every receiving category by a wide margin, including targets (94), receptions (66), receiving yards (735) and receiving touchdowns (eight). Detroit has a talented No. 2 receiver, as well, in Jameson Williams, who has at least 66 yards and a touchdown in four of his last five outings.

View photos from the all-time series between the New York Giants and Detroit Lions.

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