The season-opening

Giants

-Lions game will be looked at as a litmus test for each team. Monday night's contest at Ford Field in Detroit will serve as a rematch of last season's overtime contest in Week 16.

On Friday afternoon, NJ.com's Jordan Raanan and MLive's Kyle Meinke sat down to discuss the two teams heading into the game and how each has looked in this summer.

Based on our roundtable discussion on the Giants and Lions, here are five things we learned heading into the Giants-Lions game:

1. Expectations are sky high in Detroit.

After a disappointing 7-9 campaign in 2013, the Lions fired head coach Jim Schwartz and replaced him with former Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell. With new leadership and a quarterback guru tutoring Matthew Stafford, big things are expected in the Motor City.

2. Detroit's weakness is in the secondary.

If the Giants are going to attack the Lions defense at its weakest point, they may have to throw the ball more than anticipated. With a 34-year-old projected to start at cornerback and concerns at the safety position, the Lions are vulnerable if Eli Manning has time to throw.

3. Eli Manning doesn't trust the Giants new offense 100 percent quite yet.

Can you blame him? With a rotating offense line, Odell Beckham Jr.'s injury and a summer spent trying to learn a brand new language, the two-time Super Bowl champion is projecting more confidence than our beat writer is seeing on a daily basis.

4. Detroit is going to try to exploit New York's rookie offensive lineman.

Weston Richburg, New York's second-round pick in May, will be tested early and often. If blocking defensive tackles Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh wasn't hard enough, expect the Lions to send exotic blitzes through his gap.

5. Linebackers Tahir Whitehead and Jacquian Williams could be the unsung heroes for each defense on Monday night.

The young linebackers aren't household names, but both may represent the key to defensive success for the respective teams in this game. The rise of Whitehead from special team standout to possible star is fascinating.

What is the key to Monday night's game? Watch the videos above and sound off below to talk Giants-Lions.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.