With less than a week to go until the games count, I figured it's a good time to preview the Detroit team that's got me - and most fans in the 313, for that matter - the most excited. The Detroit football Lions have injected their fanbase with an optimism I personally haven't experienced in my lifetime. Sure, there was the tremendous cocktease of the Mariucci era, but that all crumbled to bits the minute Joey Harrington, Kevin Jones and the gang broke the huddle(with Kevin Jones always breaking something along the way). And remember that time they started 6-2 under the original coach Hardballs, Rod Marinelli, shitkicking the Denver Broncos by like 80 points and sending us all into a midseason championship frenzy? Those were good times. Reality set in harshly year after year after year, of course, once the true anatomy of Matt Millen's roster fleshed itself out over a 16 game schedule . All that needs to be said is this: after a decade's worth of draft picks(often at the top of the order), only 8 rose up from amongst the ashes of Millen's inferno. Eight. Funny thing is the majority of them came from either Matt Millen's first year at the helm(Backus, Raiola) or his last(Gherilous, Avril, Felton, Fluellen, Stanton). God bless him for picking Calvin Johnson, though.
But anyways, Millen went bye bye and enter the holy triumvirate of Tom Lewand, Martin Mayhew and Head Coach Jim Schwartz. Mayhew, in particular, has been quite savvy in his short time as Detroit's general manager. While the Millen era was highlighted by overpriced signings of overrated talent(Hi, Dre Bly. I'll have a latte, Az Hakim), Mayhew and co. have stuck to their guns, built through the draft, and have injected the nucleaus of this team with veteran talent that isn't destroying our cap space. Guys like Rob Sims, Cory Williams, Kyle Vanden Bosch, Shaun Hill and Nate Burleson have all been acquired via trade or FA and all have served the Lions well. With the exception of Vanden Bosch and Burleson, both of whom dealt with injuries last season, nobody is underperforming relative to the number of zeros in their salary. And that's the key thing: While the Lions under the new regime have added scrubs like CC Brown or Eric King with no return on their investment - it was an investment that's almost too minimal to even mention in this blog space.
The Lions brass have done their jobs well thus far, taking the most moribund roster in NFL history in 2008 and bringing the fanbase back into the fold with the hope of a playoff run in 2011. Even if these guys fall short, it's a near certainty that these guys will be back and better next year. And the year after that. With all that said, let's jump into the roster breakdown and see how the Lions are shaping up for this upcoming season.
Quarterback
You may have heard this a few times already this summer, but the hopes of the Lions reaching their full potential rests on the shoulders of 2009's #1 pick Matt Stafford. He's one of the leagues most physically gifted passers, but he's had his first two seasons in the league cut short by injuries. With Scott Linehan as OC, the Lions had one of the NFL's most unbalanced offenses in the league last year, attempting more passes than all but two teams. So yeah, Stafford stepping up matters big to the success of this team. However, it is worth noting the Lions have perhaps the best #2 AND #3 QB depth chart in the league. Shaun Hill could probably start for about 10 teams in the league right now, and he displayed a tremendous amount of poise and ability to run Linehan's offense efficiently. Using profootballfocus(my bible) as a barometer, Hill never graded out negatively in any game he played in. Being a QB known more his game management than his rocket arm, he had a lot of success completing short- to mid-range passes and making plays with his feet when all else failed. Hill himself also dealt with injuries last year, leading to former 2nd round pick Drew Stanton taking the helm and forcing all Lions fans to brace for the worst. It didn't quite turn out that way - Stanton led the Lions to two consecutive wins against winning teams(one of which was against the eventual champion Packers), and he showed that he has come a long way from the stunted development he showed in previous seasons. He's a tremendous asset as a scrambling QB, but the hope is he or any 3rd string QB never sees the field. If the doomsday scenario does befell Detroit again, they can take solace in knowing they have best 3rd stringer on the lot. Yay.
Running Back
Personally, I'm a huge fan of Jahvid Best. Schwartz and co. have shown a keen eye at recognizing NFL-caliber players(especially in the draft), and they thought highly enough of him to move up into the first round and grab him last year. He started off last year with a bang, scoring 5 touchdowns in his first two games and sending Fantasy Football owners into a tizzy. Then he got hurt, hurt some more, and hurt so bad it hurt to watch him play. He clearly wasn't himself at the end of the season, but credit to him for trying to contribute and doing some good things as a receiver when he clearly just couldn't get it done on the ground. With a slight build and a ton of speed, Detroit went out of its way to compliment the smallish Best by moving up to draft Mikel Leshoure in this years draft. A 6' 220 lb bruiser with speed to boot and good hands, the Lions had high expectations for him as a change of pace to Best this season. Sadly, Leshoure tore his ACL in camp and the Lions are now left sifting through the corpses of Jerome Harrison and Maurice Morris for backup duty(and perhaps a surprise waiver claim). The Lions are in trouble if Best misses a significant amount of time again.
Wide Receiver
You know about Calvin Johnson. He's big, strong, fast and generally awesome. The Lions signed Burleson last year with the intention of making opponents respect the other side of the field across from Johnson and give Detroit a speedster to create yards after the catch. Burleson did that well, but he too dealt with injuries. Beyond those two, the Lions had zero reliable wideouts when things got messy with injuries. They went out and drafted Titus Young out of Boise St, who figures to play a huge role in the offense right away with his ability to stretch the field. The Lions also signed special teams maven Rashied Davis to hopefully contribute reliable hands as a 4th receiver, and WR/RB/Return Specialist Badass Stefan Logan returns, mostly as a Return Specialist Badass and gimmick RB. The depth at the position isn't up to snuff, but it's getting there. The big news of the preseason was Maurice Stovall becoming a viable option, so here's to hoping he will be the one other viable, tall receiver the Lions have other than Megatron.
Tight End
For Detroit, the TE position has spelled the end for fullbacks on our roster. H-back Will Heller is the closest thing Detroit will have for a lead blocker, which isn't a bad thing. Heller has been one of most improved players for the Lions in recent years, working his way to a regular spot in many offensive formations. The Lions also deploy a major mismatch for cornerbacks and safeties in the form of Tony Scheffler, who does his best work in the slot. When he run blocks, though, say a prayer Jahvid Best. The star of the position is Brandon Pettigrew, who would lead you think he was on the cusp of the Pro Bowl with his 71 catch, 722 yard campaign. However, drops continue to be an issue for him. We did begin to see the promise he held as a blocker in 2010, though, and with the Lions improvements at wideout he may be called upon less in the passing game. That should be a win for both Pettigrew and the Lions.
Offensive Line
The Lions offensive line is a mixed bag, with perennial enigmas Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola returning for what seems like their 20th year starting for the Lions. Backus, in particular, doesn't deserve half the flack he catches from some fans - he's a steady, reliable LT who doesn't get the QB killed. Raiola's play took a step back last season, but he had a great 2009 and here's to hoping he regains that form. LG Rob Sims was the big pickup of the offseason last year, and he has proceeded to underachieve so far in a big way. The right side of the line has been the teams biggest weakness, with RG Stephen Peterman seeing a major decline in his play and Gosder Cherilous struggling to stay healthy. The depth on the line has improved with the development of Corey Hillard and Jason Fox, but the Lions can ill afford to see another effort like the 2010 version of this group.
Defensive Line
You may have heard this already, but Detroit's defensive front is pretty good. In one of the few instances where perception meets reality in sports, the Lions defensive rotation appears set to put on a clinic against anyone enough sorry enough to line up across from them. You know about Ndamakung Suh - what you don't know is that he was actually Corey Williams caddy for much of the season. Williams had a superior season in both run defense and rushing the passer, but the stats didn't open anyones eyes like Suh's 10 sacks did. The biggest problem for Williams was staying on side, as he was penalized more than any defensive player in the league with 15 penalties last season. It's a small tradeoff for the explosion he gets off the snap. What you also may not have realized is that Sammie Lee Hill is well on his way to becoming a viable starter as a three-technique tackle too, slowly tapping into the vast potential he had as a 4th round pick out of tiny Stillman college 2 years ago. Throw in 1st round pick Nick Fairley, who really shouldn't have been available when the Lions picked him, and the Lions should have the best rotation of DTs in the league. At the end spots, the Lions more than hold their own as well with Cliff Avril evolving into a potential Pro Bowl-player. When Kyle Vanden Bosch is the worst starter the Lions have on their line, you know things are good. The Lions also have a rejuvenated Lawrence Jackson and 7th round gem Willie Young to rotate in at defensive end, giving the Lions an endless supply of efficient pass-rushers. This is the unit Jim Schwartz paid the most attention to when he took over, and this should be the year they really take off.
Linebacker
No unit on the Lions benefited more than the linebacking corps this offseason. Their biggest addition was by subtraction, parting ways with Julian Peterson and his rapidly declining skillset. DeAndre Levy is the only returning starter. The former 3rd round pick from Wisconsin has great athleticism and did well as the man in the middle when healthy. He will have to slide over and make way for the Lions big catch of the offseason, former Titan stalwart Stepehen Tulloch. At just 5'11", many in NFL circles overlooked Tulloch a few years ago, but former Titans assistant Jim Schwartz gave him a chance and all he did was turn in an All-Pro performance last season for the Titans, both as a tackler and in coverage. He gives the Lions the consummate 3-down linebacker very few teams have, and he allows Levy to do what he does best on the weakside - taking advantage of his athleticism in space. Another key signing for Detroit was bringing in former Jaguar Justin Durant, who should be a huge upgrade over whatever the hell they had at strongside LB in recent years. An in-the-box monster, as long as Durant isn't asked to cover much the Lions got themselves an extremely sure tackler who sheds blocks well. For depth, the Lions retained Bobby Carpenter, Isaiah Ekejiuba and Ashlee Palmer - all of whom contribute a great deal on special teams. The Lions also went out and drafted Syracuse linebacker Doug Hogue in round 5, who has impressed so far in camp.
Secondary
The most maligned unit on the depth chart is obviously cornerback, where most would agree is lacking with true starting-caliber talent. Chris Houston returns as one starter, and he didn't have a noteworthy season last year - good or bad. He does have the ability to catch up to a receiver when they do beat him, though, which I guess is a nice thing to have. The Lions last notable pick-up in free agency was former Browns cornerback Eric Wright, an intriguing prospect who started for the Browns for a long time. Still just 26, he had a down year last season and the Lions are hoping he can regain his previous form. If not, well, the Lions still have Alphonso Smith on the roster - which will ensure they will get burned repeatedly for at least one more season. One quick note is that Aaron Berry returns again to tantalize Lions fans with the thought that he could be the next great Miami cornerback - he'll get his chance this year after dealing with injury last year. The situation is more settled for the Lions at safety, with the dreaded(ha) Louis Delmas returning to hold down the strong safety spot. The big story, to me at least, was the play of Amari Spievey at free safety through the preseason. The coaches talked about how improved he would be all offseason long, and they weren't lying. He displayed sure tackling skills and an ability to make plays in space. If he and Delmas both improve their coverage skills, perhaps the Lions wont be victimized quite as much through the air.
Special Teams
Stefan Logan is back and he's proven to be a Pro-Bowl level returnman. I love the little bastard. The Lions have numerous special teams standouts like Palmer, Ekejiuba and John Wendling returning for a unit that ranked near the top of the league in special teams coverage. Jason Hanson is back to kick balls through the uprights, which is awesome. We also have a new punter, which is cool I guess.
Summary/Prediction
Things are definitely on the upswing for Detroit, and this is based on tangible evidence as opposed to the helpless hope that fueled the fanbase for so long under Millen and co. The Lions have playmakers at key positions on both sides of the ball, but they still have their fair share of warts on the Oline and in the secondary. The downfall of this team will be if there's any signifcant injuries along the Oline, at running back, at linebacker or in the secondary, because the drop-off from first- to second-string is still pretty vast at those spots.
Worst case scenario? Injuries belittle the Lions at several key positions. The secondary gets predictably torched. We see a repeat of 6-10.
Best case scenario? Everything clicks. Stafford stays healthy, Linehan continues to make the most of the playmakers that he has, and the defensive front 7 makes life hell for everyone on the schedule. The Lions are good enough to embarrass some teams if they execute well enough. Let's say 12-4.
Final prediction? I'll admit it - it's tough for me to contain my excitement about this team. The guys in charge are smart, the coordinators are savvy, and they have several key positions locked down. A few things that bother me? We're penalized way too ofen on defense, for one. That lack of discipline can cost you a game. Also, I think the Lions are going to suffer an improbable loss or two when teams just insist on dinking and dunking and negating our pass rush. The offensive line will have its good and bad days, and the bad days will result in some ugly, single-digit performances for Jahvid Best when the run is abandoned altogether. The great news for the Lions is they have the special teams, the pass rush, and the passing game to hang with anybody. With all that's been said, I'm predicting 10-6 and a wildcard berth. Pass the Kool-Aid.
