Lions' Season Ends with Disappointment
Last season, with three games left, the Lions were at the top of the North Division; however, they closed with three losses and threw away the possibility of winning their division for the first time since 1993. They made it to the playoffs, but their hopes ended when they lost to Seattle in the wild card round. Mixed feelings in the first season without Calvin Johnson.
Lions' Offensive Power
The felines will once again have an aerial attack, led by Matthew Stafford, as their main weapon. The quarterback had a great season, accompanied by his tandem of receivers, formed by players who have found a new opportunity in this team, like Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, who will be joined by the rookie taken in the third round of the Draft, Kenny Golladay, who will cover the gap left by the retired Anquan Boldin.
Tight Ends and Running Game
Among the tight ends, the presence of Eric Ebron stands out, who will alternate with Darren Fells, coming from Arizona. Another important weapon is Theo Riddick, who despite being a running back, is dangerous in third downs and screen passes; he caught 53 passes last season. The headache comes when it comes to running the ball. The previous year, Detroit ranked 30th in this area, averaging less than 82 yards per game and celebrating only nine touchdowns that way. Riddick, Ameer Abdullah, Zach Zenner, and Dwayne Washington took turns, but none of them reached 400 yards; we will have to see if the game plan involves them more.
Offensive Line and Defense
In the offensive line, one of the elements that shone the most was Taylor Decker; however, he will be out until the first week of November due to injury, which is worrisome, as players like Larry Warford and Riley Reiff left. Defensively, Detroit still doesn't seem to have recovered from the departure of Ndamukong Suh, despite the arrival of Haloti Ngata.
Other Defensive Players
Another option is A'Shawn Robinson, who showed interesting things in his rookie year; meanwhile, this unit has also suffered from the decline in Ezekiel Ansah's performance, who only recorded two sacks last season. In the linebacker position, the Lions lost Kerry Hyder to injury, the team's leader in sacks with eight. His job will be taken over by rookie Jarrad Davis, selected in the first round of the Draft, from Florida, and Paul Worrilow, an experienced player who showed a good level with the Falcons.
Deficiency in the Secondary Area
The secondary had several deficiencies in 2016, allowing 33 aerial touchdowns, the second highest amount in the entire NFL last season. Darius Slay and Nevin Lawson will remain as cornerbacks, with the goal of raising their level. To reinforce this area, they can count on rookie Teez Tabor and D.J. Hayden, a former Raider, while Glover Quin and Tavon Wilson will act as safeties.
In a division that seems to be reserved for Green Bay, Detroit aspires to fight with Minnesota for second place and the possibility of reaching the playoffs as a wild card, but for that, the Lions must overcome their deficiencies in the running game and in the secondary.
THE KEY PLAYER
Matthew Stafford | Quarterback
He no longer has the spectacular numbers he boasted in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, but the quarterback is the great leader of this offense, which was crucial for the Lions to make it to the playoffs last year. At 29 years old, he is now a more measured quarterback, not risking the ball as much, and as a result, his interceptions have dropped to just 10 in the last season.
JIM CALDWELL - NFL Record: 53-43 | Team Record: 27-21
Since his arrival in Detroit in 2014, Caldwell has imposed the seal that characterized him in his previous era in Indianapolis. Despite defensive shortcomings, he has managed to take the Lions to the postseason twice, although still without victories.
INTERESTING FACT
Eight of the Lions' nine wins in 2016 came despite being behind in the fourth quarter, setting an NFL record.
PREDICTION: 8-8
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