Gronkowski was a beast as a blocker and a pass catcher last week as he continues to lead the Patriots offense while dominating opponents. This is another week when he'll see a former Patriot at safety in the form of James Ihedigbo, part of a somewhat suspect secondary that will have to deal with the best offensive weapon in the game today.

Given the Lions impressive defensive front, this could be a week to spread out the opposing pass defense and get rid of the ball quickly with short, high-percentage passes. That should involve a lot of Edelman, although the Patriots leading receiver was limited in practice due to a thigh injury that also bears watching.

Much will be made about Darrelle Revis potentially matching up with Calvin Johnson in a battle of future Hall of Famers. But just as important could be how the rest of the Patriots secondary deals with the Golden Tate and the rest of the Lions weapons. Arrington is coming off a very impressive game and Browner might be in line for some action against Detroit's tight ends.

No. 12 struggled in the first half against the Colts but bounced back. He will face a formidable Detroit front intent on getting in Brady's backfield and head. If the Lions are to win they will need to rattle Brady. Good luck with that.

The veteran Wendell has solidified the right guard spot after two seasons as a starting center. He may be a bit undersized but he's gotten the job done. But this is a big test against Ndamukong Suh and Co. up front for the No. 1 Lions defense.

Johnson is the best receiver in the game when healthy. He missed practice time this week, but has returned to game action with a combined 27 targets and 12 receptions the last two weeks. Whether he's matched up with Revis or facing double-coverage, Johnson must be dealt with.

Many believe Suh trails only J.J. Watt among the most dominant defensive linemen in football. He's big, fast, athletic, mean and productive. The Patriots interior offensive line has to deal with all that - both in terms of communication and actually executing blocks.

The free agent addition from Seattle has had a great year, especially given the time Johnson has missed to injury. Tate is a playmaker who can turn short catches into big plays. A week after shutting down T.Y. Hilton the Patriots have another challenge to deal with.

Levy is far from a household name, but he's the most productive player on the NFL's No. 1 defense. He has more than twice as many tackles as any other Lions defender as well as a sack, interception and four passes defensed. Levy clearly likes cleaning up the scraps his impressive front leaves for him.

Stafford is one of the more physically-gifted passers in the game with a strong arm and capable athleticism. But he turns the ball over too much and can rely on that arm too often. But when he's on, and his weapons are healthy, Stafford can make a pass defense look bad.