It’s a new year, but a familiar matchup to kick off the 2024 NFL season on Sunday night. The Detroit Lions once again host the Los Angeles Rams, a rematch of their Wild Card playoff game from last season, which the Lions won 24-23. This time, however, there have been some dramatic changes to both teams’ rosters, and now the Lions’ defense looks to be a much better unit. The biggest change for both teams is on the defensive line.

Although the Lions made some helpful additions in the offseason, signing defensive end Marcus Davenport and defensive tackle DJ Reader, it wasn’t as bad as what happened with the Rams in the offseason. The Rams lost their superstar defensive lineman Aaron Donald when he retired from the NFL. It’s tough when you lose a talent that’s only been on your team for a generation. The Lions know this well, having lost guys like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, and their head coach Dan Campbell is thankful the team doesn’t have to worry about Donald now.

“You had to know where he was every down,” Campbell said. “It was a constant game — you were just moving and making gestures for him, and that happened almost every play. It’s nice not to have to worry about (Donald) necessarily, but the guys they have over there are young and hungry and have a lot of energy.”

However, it’s not just the additions to the Lions’ defensive line that are the X-factor in this matchup, but also the health of the Rams’ offensive line. The Lions’ improved defensive line will have to play against at least one replacement offensive tackle, as the Rams’ starting left tackle, Alaric Jackson, is suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. But that’s not all.

Former Lion, now Rams left guard Jonah Jackson was injured and out for six weeks in July with a bruised shoulder blade. He’ll be just under six weeks out by Sunday’s game, and since he returned to practice last week, it sounds like he should be good to go for the season opener. Will he be back to 100 percent or still battling the injury? Hard to say, but even then, the Lions can benefit from him just coming off an injury.

To make matters worse, Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein injured his ankle the day after the team ruled Jackson out for six weeks. While Rams head coach Sean McVay said Havenstein would not go on the injured list, he also said he could miss opening week. On Monday of this week, however, McVay gave a positive update on Havenstein.

“We have contingency plans for both,” McVay said. “I think I’ll have a much better idea on Wednesday. We’re going to take advantage of every day, and that’s the truth, especially as it relates to him.”

So the Rams could end up losing up to three offensive linemen, two of them at the tackle position. If Jackson and Havenstein play, they may not be at their best, which is not something you want early in the season. To make things even more difficult for the offensive line, Jackson could play center instead of left guard, which would throw the offensive line chemistry a bit off.

Enter the Lions defensive line.

Even if the Lions face the Rams offensive line with just one backup tackle, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson could get a start in the 2024 season. In last season’s game, Hutchinson was the only player to record a sack for the Lions, two against Rams quarterback Matt Stafford. Facing one or possibly two backup tackles makes that a lot easier.

If the Rams opt to help their tackles with Hutchinson, that means defensive tackle Alim McNeill can start attacking the interior and applying pressure up the middle. He won’t be alone, as defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike is coming off an impressive training camp and could cause havoc as well. Then Reader could even get some playing time with his new team if he’s healthy enough to return.

Don’t forget about the other edge rushers like Josh Paschal, Davenport and James Houston. The Lions will have several players who can at least put pressure on Stafford and slow down the Rams’ ground attack. If the Lions’ defensive line can dominate the line of scrimmage on the defensive side of the ball, it changes the game completely. Stafford won’t have as much time to find his star wide receivers Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua, and his running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum won’t have many gaps to jump through.

The Lions had a strong run defense last year and allowed the second fewest rushing yards, so the group’s goal will continue to be to stop the run. But if Detroit’s defense is going to get better this year, getting to the passer is a must. The Lions have a new and improved secondary, but they won’t be perfect to start the year as they need to improve their chemistry. However, having Stafford under constant pressure will ease the burden on the defense and could lead to a Lions win on Sunday night.