The Detroit Lions were a surprising playoff team during the 2016 NFL season, and will be looking to take the next step forward in 2017.
Heading into last season, the Detroit Lions were at a crossroad. They had lost their star wide receiver to retirement unexpectedly, leaving a big hole on the offensive side of the ball. However, nobody on the Lions roster hung their heads, and by the end of the regular season, they found themselves as one of the Wildcard teams in the NFC.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford had arguably his best season as a pro, taking a huge step forward in his development. Though his favorite target in Calvin Johnson was gone, he was able to still put up big numbers, and had his team in the driver’s seat in the NFC North for most of the season. A late season slide saw the Green Bay Packers leapfrog them to win the division, though surprisingly, they still made it to the NFC Playoffs.
In their Wildcard Round matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, the Lions were beaten pretty soundly, ending their playoff run with a 26-6 loss on the road. In 2017, they are not going to be able to sneak up on teams, as they look to make it the playoffs for the second straight year. They have the talent to do just that, but there are plenty of question marks heading into the season.
In Stafford, you know you are going to get production, and he found two nice targets in Golden Tate and Marvin Jones last season. Tight end Eric Ebron played well over his 13 games last season, and is going to need a big year if the Lions are going to get back to the playoffs. Racking up passing yards is not going to be an issue for this offense, but they cannot afford to have Stafford slinging it 40-plus times a game.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter wants to get back to running the ball, which means the combination of Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick will need to be more consistent in 2017. Riddick led the team in rushing with only 357 yards last season, followed by fullback Zach Zenner with 344.
Up front, the Lions went out and got some reinforcements for the offensive line, plucking T.J. Lang from the Packers to play right guard. Lang was one of the more sought-after guards on the free agent market, and will definitely improve the unit. Overall, this offense is going to move the ball, but it will be up to the defense to get the stops they need in order to play more consistent football this season.
The defensive line for the Lions is stacked, as long as Ziggy Ansah is ready for the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. In the middle of the line, Haloti Ngata and A’Shawn Robinson should be able to get good push, and Robinson is outstanding at batting down passes. As a group, the defensive line is going to be good, but it will be up to the secondary to be better as a unit if they want to seriously contend.
Aside from playing against Aaron Rodgers twice this season, the Lions will do battle against the NFC South, which is a division that may have the best quarterback play in the entire NFL.
With the No. 21 overall pick in this past April’s NFL Draft, the Lions selected University of Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis. Davis was a bit of a controversial pick, as he had some missteps during his time with the Gators, but he has proven to be a leader thus far. Drawing comparisons to Ray Lewis, Davis has the potential to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017, and should bring tenacity to the Lions linebacking group.
The secondary is a trouble spot, though Darius Slay is one of the better corners in the NFC. Detroit did go out and draft Teez Tabor from the University of Florida, and he should be able to push for a starting corner spot as well. If there is one true weak link on this team, it is the defensive backfield, so keep an eye on how that plays out during the regular season.
Detroit has its work cut out for them if they hope to return to the playoffs, as their schedule is a beast this season. The Minnesota Vikings and Packers should be tough in their divisional play, and having to play the NFC South is always tough. Outside of those four teams, the Lions also have to play the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, two teams that also could find themselves in the playoffs this season.
There are certainly bright spots on this roster, and the team as a whole got better this offseason. Focusing on defense in the draft was definitely the right play, and addressing issues on the offensive line is going to make Stafford’s job a lot easier this season. They are going to put up points, but the real question is will they be able to hold their opposition from doing the same.
X-Factor
Normally, an X-Factor would reside on the offensive side of the ball, but I am going to go a different route when it comes to the Lions. Rookie linebacker Jarrad Davis is an incredibly talented player, who could bring stability to the second level of the Lions defense. He has been the best player on the defense this Summer, and has adjusted perfectly to the NFL game thus far.
Seeing him play at the University of Florida, you could see he had all the intangibles to be a great player. His game actually equates better to the pro game, and the Lions are likely to have him be the leader of the defense, even as a rookie. He is the kind of player that will take your head off if you come over the middle, and is good at defending both the run, and the pass.
If he has 100-plus tackles this season, it will give an entirely new look to the Lions defense, which needs to step up and match the offense in 2017.
Best Case
The best case scenario for the Lions is a return trip to the playoffs, though it would be a one-game exit just like they had last season. The offense has the firepower needed to put up points with anybody, but they are not in that upper echelon of NFC teams just yet.
In their own division, the Green Bay Packers should be the cream of the crop, and the Minnesota Vikings have one of the best defenses in the conference. The Lions did improve their defensive unit via the draft this offseason, but they do not have enough horses to win the division. Expect them to be very competitive, possibly even winning ten games, but the Packers look to be an 11-win team this season.
Looking at this roster, I see a team that will win nine or ten games, and battle for a Wildcard. That is the best this collective group will do if everything falls in their favor.
Worst Case
Last season, the Lions looked like they were going to cruise to the division crown, only to lose the title in a Week 17 loss to the Packers. The worst case scenario for this team is the Vikings take a major step forward, and they finish below both them, and the Packers in the NFC North. A third-place finish in the division will mean they fail to make the playoffs.
In addition, the NFC South is stacked, so this Lions team may wind up being a seven-win season in 2017. There are not many games they can circle and say that it is a definite win, outside of maybe the two games against the Chicago Bears, and when the Cleveland Browns come to town on Nov. 12.
The schedule is a hard one, so it is very well possible that this Lions team falls out of the playoff race before December hits.
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Final Word
Matthew Stafford proved that he can put up points with or without Calvin Johnson, and that was a welcome sign for the franchise. Lions fans saw the emergence of the wideout combination of Golden Tate and Marvin Jones last season, as well as getting over 700 receiving yards from their tight end in only 13 games.
Detroit got off to a hot start last season, only to falter late to lose their grip on the division. With a harder schedule in 2017, I do not see enough talent on the defense to hang in with the competition they will be playing each week. The Lions will fail to return to the playoffs this season, though another big season from Stafford is to be expected.