The NFL is back, and Sportsnet is breaking down everything you need to know about each of the 32 teams—including why you should or shouldn’t be rooting for them this season—in the month leading up to kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 8. Today, the Detroit Lions.
Last year’s record: 7-9
Head Coach: Jim Caldwell
Core players: Matt Stafford (QB), Golden Tate (WR), Eric Ebron (TE), Haloti Ngata (DT)
2016 is about… Better balance. Justifiably, the Lions were a pass-happy team during the Calvin Johnson era—and they remained so right up until the sudden end. The unintended consequence was Detroit had the second-fewest rush attempts in 2015 and averaged 83.4 rushing yards per game, which was last in the league. Matthew Stafford will need to develop a quick comfort level with a new group of receivers, and the team will need to rely more on the likes of Ameer Abdullah and Theo Reddick in order to succeed this season.
They lost… Calvin Johnson. Megatron is gone! It’s never good when you lose not only your best player, but the best player of an entire generation at his position. Which is why Detroit tried to talk Johnson out of retiring to no avail. The plus side is Stafford is 3-3 in his career without him. (Yes, that is a small plus side.)
And though they’re not household names like their fellow departee, corner Rashean Mathis retired and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus also left the team in free agency, leaving the secondary a bit bare. Abdul-Quddus started just eight games last year—all in the second half—but played well enough to earn a three-year deal with the Dolphins.
But they got… Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin. Not surprisingly, the Lions hit the free-agent market hard to try to fill the Megatron-sized hole in the receiving corps. These two veteran pass-catchers—who are assignment correct and are great blockers down field—won’t make up for Johnson’s loss, but will contribute to the culture Caldwell is trying to build.
They also grabbed big tackle Taylor Decker in the first round of the draft to shore up a leaky offensive line and added Canadian defensive tackle Stefan Charles from the Buffalo Bills. While Charles’s snaps may be limited by an over-abundance of interior linemen on the roster (the Lions’ second-round pick, A’Shawn Robinson, is also a DT), the 28-year-old is considered a run stopper with upside as a pass rusher.
Growing from within: Theo Reddick had 80 receptions out of the backfield last year but was otherwise an afterthought in the offence, and Ameer Abdullah averaged 4.2 yards per carry. They’ll both be more of a focus now as Detroit shifts to offence-by-committee, particularly after the thinning out of the backfield herd with Joique Bell’s departure. Corner Darius Slay could make a Josh Norman–type leap from well-respected player to all-pro.
Why this team? Remember when the Patriots’ offence remained great after Randy Moss left town? Lions GM Bob Quinn does—especially as he’s a Patriots coaching alum. Like the Patriots before them, the Lions are banking on strength in numbers to make up for the loss of one transcendent talent.
Why not? Teryl Austin’s defence ranked 23rd in the NFL while giving up 25 points per game last season, and they didn’t move to rectify any of their biggest issues. The Lions’ defensive coordinator was a hot coaching prospect—now, with another bad season, he could be out of a job.
How much hope? 6/10. Ultimately, they are still the Lions. Nobody has unlocked the secret to make them elite. With a suspect D and an identity crisis on offence, a .500 record would be a smashing success.