Jackson Free Press

The Detroit Lions face a near-Herculean task this Saturday when the NFL Playoffs start. The Lions must find some way to beat the Seahawks in Seattle this Saturday, Jan. 7.

How hard is it to beat the Seahawks in a home game? Over the last five seasons, the Seahawks have achieved a record of 34-6 when playing at home. To compare, during the same span, the Seahawks were 22-17-1 when playing away from Seattle.

Even an average-to-mediocre Seahawks team is tough to beat at home. In 2010, the Seahawks reached the playoffs with a 7-9 record and faced the 11-5 New Orleans Saints in Seattle. The game ended in a 41-36 Seahawks win. During that win, running back Marshawn Lynch scored a touchdown that fans cheered for so loudly that it registered as seismic activity in and around Seattle (no joke). That just gives a glimpse of what Detroit faces this weekend.

If the Lions are going to have any chance of pulling off the upset, the team will need all its stars on the field. On defense, that means cornerback Darius Slay must play like the star he has become in his fourth season in the league.

The Lions drafted Slay out of Mississippi State University with the 36th-overall pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. While at MSU, the cornerback formed a dynamic duo with teammate Johnthan Banks, who is currently a cornerback for the Chicago Bears.

In Slay's rookie pro season in 2013, he saw action in 13 games with four starts, made 34 total tackles and 27 solo tackles, and defended five passes.

The 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback started to come into his own during his second season in the league. He played and started in all 16 games, made 61 total tackles and 48 solo tackles, defended 17 passes and made two interceptions.

Slay continued to impress in his third season in 2015, as he once again played and started all 16 of the team's games. He recorded 59 total tackles, 48 solo tackles, 13 passes defended and two interceptions.

Now in his fourth season, Slay is normally matched up against the opposing team's best wide receiver in pass coverage. He played in 13 games and made 13 starts, missing three games due to injuries. He recorded 44 total tackles, 43 solo tackles, 13 passes defended, two interceptions and one forced fumble.

The Brunswick, Ga., native is an outstanding athlete, and it showed during his time at Brunswick High School, where he was named All-State at running back and defensive back. In his senior season of 2008, he rushed for more than 1,300 yards with 15 touchdowns as a running back and recorded six interceptions, returning two of those for touchdowns.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution selected the cornerback for All-State at defensive back. He earned a selection to the Georgia North-South All-Star Game as a senior. While in high school, he was also competed in basketball and track.

Before joining MSU, Slay first played two seasons in 2009 and 2010 at Itawamba Community College. In his final season there, he recorded 27 tackles and a forced fumble, and earned All-Region 23 and All-State honors for the second straight season.

Slay played in all 13 games in his first season with the Bulldogs in 2011. He collected 23 total tackles, 16 solo tackles, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception.

In his second season in Starkville, the corner achieved a breakout season. He started all 13 games, racking up 40 total tackles, 24 solo tackles, six passes defended and five interceptions.

He finished his college career with 63 total tackles, 40 solo tackles, 10 passes defended, six interceptions and one forced fumble. He returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns during his time at MSU.

If Detroit is going to win in the playoffs, its star cornerback must make some big plays for the team. Slay and the Lions will try to pull off their monumental upset Saturday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. on NBC.