2010 NFL Predictions: Detroit Lions

July 21, 2010

The Detroit Lions have a long way to go to be Playoff contenders, but nobody is rushing them. They have been one of the worst teams in the NFL for so long that no one has any real expectations in regards to being relevant. The reality of this team is that they are loaded with young talent, and with the proper coaching could be a team on the rise for years to come.

Defensively they were absolutely horrific in 2009! They ranked dead last in total defense, and allowed almost 60 more points then the 2nd worst team in the league. The pass defense was especially bad as they gave up over 265 yards per game through the air. It’s not fair to put all the blame on the cornerbacks and safety’s as they can only cover their man for so long before protection breaks down. As most NFL experts know, it all starts up front. The one shining light for the Lions is their number 2 selection in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Ndamukong Suh is a beast! He dominated at Nebraska, and showed all of the scouts at the NFL combine how awesome he is. His agility for a man that’s 6’4” 307 lbs is absolutely frightening. Suh wowed the scouts with speed and quickness as well as strength. If all goes to plan and Suh remains healthy for the majority of his professional career, he will be the pillar of this offense for over a decade. His size and speed should translate into pressure on the quarterback. This is precisely what the Detroit defense has been lacking for a while. Along with Suh on defense, the Lions have second year linebacker DeAndre Levy and safety Louis Delmas whom had breakthrough years in 2009. Linebacker Larry Foote is no longer with the team after leading the Lions in tackles last season, but Detroit’s coaching staff feels that Levy will fill the void nicely.

The quarterback position is set in Detroit. Mathew Stafford is the real deal, and showed it several time during the course of his rookie season. His historic comeback win against the Browns with a separated throwing shoulder is the thing that legends are made of. Stafford still has a long way to go in becoming a solid quarterback in this league, but he has the intelligence and arm strength to eventually get there. It’s rare that a rookie QB has a great first season, especially when starting straight out of college. This is why you have to give him a pass on the 20 interceptions he threw in 2009, and the 53% completion rate. Outside of Calvin Johnson he didn’t have many other options down field. This is not a good thing when head coach Jim Schwartz has made the decision to be a throw first offense. Expect Stafford to avoid the sophomore jinx and have a solid second year despite the deficiencies on the offensive line.

Calvin Johnson is one of the top receivers in the league, but doesn’t have the opportunity to show it as his offensive line doesn’t allow him enough time to get open down field. His size and strength is amazing as well as his ability to pull in catches that very few receivers could make. He may have more opportunities this season to make big plays as the Lions have brought in Nate Burleson to fill the roll of the number 2 receiver on the team. Burleson gives them a legitimate threat at receiver, and will allow Johnson to get open more frequently.

Everyone has been so caught up in Ndamukong Suh that they failed to realize that Detroit got a steal at running back for their second pick in the draft. Jahvid Best was clearly the most explosive runner in this years draft. He slid all the way down to the 30th pick in the draft due to concerns about the concussions he received in his last season at Cal. He had phenomenal times in the 40 and the shuttle, and will be a huge factor for this year’s team. Kevin Smith led the Lions last season with just under 750 yards rushing. However, his 3.4 yards per carry is far below acceptable at this level. Expect the Lions to split time between Best and Smith for the first half of the season until they realize that Best is the best choice for their system.

Overall we can’t expect much out of this inexperience Lions team as they still have plenty of growing pains to endure before they become consistently competitive. Expect them to at least double their win output of 2 last season as the defense matures, and the offense gets in sync.

Written by Glenn Andrew · Filed Under NFL

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