Preseason Preview: Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are one of the most fascinating teams to follow in the NFL this season for many different reasons, the most glaring being how open the NFC North is. The Lions had a breakout year in 2022 going 9-8 and being 2nd in the division, but this year I think they are primed for a takeover.
The Lions have a strong core of players with the ascending superstar Amon-Ra St. Brown, the revival of Jared Goff and a strong RB core. Last season, the Lions placed 4th in total yards per game with 380, only behind the Chiefs, Bills and Eagles. These three teams ahead of them were all double digit win teams and all three won their division. The Lions offense will continue to improve with the addition of Jahmyr Gibbs and the continuous improvement of their young players. Namely, Penei Sewell has proved himself to be near the top of the league at his position, which is crucial in protecting Jared Goff and continuing an effective run game. This offseason, the Lions traded away D'Andre Swift to the Eagles for draft capital, and I personally loved this move by the front office. Last season, D'Andre Swift was sidelined due to injury for multiple games, and when he was active his snaps were few and far between. The Lions used Jamaal Williams (signed with the Saints in the offseason) as their bell-cow as he had a phenomenal season behind the Lions strong offensive line. The signing of David Montgomery made perfect sense for the Lions style of offense. They love to use two RB's, one as a primary rusher and the other as a receiving back. We watched Gibbs be a phenomenal receiving back for Alabama and we know David Montgomery as a seasoned rusher having over 800 yard in his last 4 seasons, one of which being over 1,000 yards. In addition to the running game, the Lions have a solid receiving core led by a star in Amon-Ra St. Brown and some great pieces behind him. St. Brown had 1,161 receiving yards and 6 TD's in 2022 which are elite numbers for a receiver in his sophomore campaign. Behind him, the Lions have Marvin Jones providing a deep threat and amazing balance to this Lions receiving core that can run on all levels of the defense. The wildcard for this season will be Jameson Williams, the Lions first round pick in the 2022 draft. Williams missed a lot of the season due to recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in college, but he showed sparks of lightning when he was on the field. Having a full offseason to recover will definitely help, and he has the potential to be an elite receiver. Potential breakouts from Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs this season could lead to the Lions repeating as one of the NFL's most potent offenses.
On the defensive side, the Lions made a huge acquisition in the offseason with the signing of CJ Gardner- Johnson. In two years, Gardner-Johnson has 9 interceptions and allowed an opposing passer rating of only 67.7 and 78.4 (league average passer rating hovers between 90-93). The Lions defense absolutely needed a player like Gardner-Johnson after placing 28th in allowed PPG (points per game) in 2022.
The NFC North is primed for a takeover and I think the Lions are the perfect candidate to do so. The Vikings lost three key players in Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen and Eric Kendricks, all guys who helped them be successful in previous years. The Packers lost their veteran superstar Aaron Rodgers, and I think Jordan Love will need a season to become acclimated. The only other team, The Bears, have improved but I don't think they are on the same level as the Lions. The Lions clearly made a leap to improve their defense with the acquisition of Gardner-Johnson. Their offense is clearly elite and it is only going to get better. If the defense improves to even a middle of the league defense, I can see them easily making the playoffs and potentially being a dark horse to cause some trouble.
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