Dec 28, 2008; Green Bay, WI, USA; The 2008 edition of the Detroit Lions were the preseason champs. That really indicated how well they did that year. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

I love Detroit Lions football as much as the next guy, but preseason football is the worst.  Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple things worth keeping an eye on (i.e. Bill Bentley in action), I’m not going to spend my Friday night watching the Browns and Lions duke it out for the coveted Edmund Fitzergald Trophy.  However, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to check back here to see what happened and who performed well.  Below, are the three biggest reasons why I can’t stand preseason football.

1.  It proves absolutely nothing.

Sometimes I think people put way too much stock in preseason football games.  Yes, they are a little important, but don’t go suicidal if the Lions get smoked on Friday.  I know some people are going to overreact if player X has a terrible game and call for him to be replaced.  Please, save the judgement until after Week 1.  Whether the Lions win every game by over 30 points or go 0-4 in the preseason, it doesn’t matter a bit.  We as Lions fans should know this the most as the infamous 2008 team was perfect in the preseason.

2.  Injuries suck.  Seriously.

The main thing I want to see after these four games is a healthy depth chart.  Is there anything worse than watching a meaningless game and then seeing a player go down with an injury?  Imagine Calvin Johnson tearing an ACL or Matthew Stafford re-injuring his shoulder.  I, for one, do not want to see that happen live on my television.  I’d rather stick a fork in a toaster than witness that.  Way more harm than good comes from preseason games.

3.  The stars ride the bench.

I can’t watch a game where the first-teamers are out of the game after about ten minutes.  I agree with the moves and if I was Jim Schwartz, I would rest the stars after a single possession.  However, it is still really boring after they are out of the game.  While it is extremely important for the players fighting for a roster, almost anything is better to watch than the 4th quarter of a NFL preseason game.

Honorable mention: AL Central Pennant Race

The lead between my White Sox and your Tigers is a half game.  Who doesn’t want to watch how this unfolds?

So who are Justin Miller and Drew Coleman and what will their roles be in 2012?  While neither of them are expected to make a large impact, below is a little report for both players.

Justin Miller

What should Lions fan expect from Miller this year?  Not much, if anything.

Miller played his college ball at Clemson before being drafted in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft.  Miller made the biggest impact early in his career with the Jets as a kick returner.  2006 was the best year of his career as he was named to the Pro Bowl and was selected to the All-Pro team as a returner.  Since then he hasn’t done much except get charged for punching a woman in a night club.  He last played in 2009, where he only appeared in two games with two different teams (Raiders and Jets).

I don’t really understand this signing.  For a guy who hasn’t played in the past two years and only two games in 2009, it seems like a wasted roster spot.  Maybe to compete for the kick return spot but it seems like either Stefan Logan or Titus Young has that job.  Miller will be fighting for a roster spot throughout camp.  Oh well, In Mayhew We Trust.

Drew Coleman

October 24, 2011; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Drew Coleman (30) celebrates after intercepting a pass thrown by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) (back left) in the fourth quarter of their game at EverBank Field. The Jaguars won 12-7. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

Now Lions fans should expect more from Coleman.  He likely will be in the mix for a starting cornerback spot.

Coleman was picked in the 6th round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing at TCU.  In his rookie season, Coleman played all 17 games for the playoff Jets, playing nickelback and helping out on special teams.  2010 was his best year statistically.  That year he compiled 4 sacks, 41 overall tackles, an interception, and forced 5 fumbles.  Coleman’s specialty seems to be forcing fumbles as he has eight in his career.  Before being released, he played in all 16 games for the Jaguars last year.

As this article from Jacksonville.com talks about, the Jags kept Drew Coleman only at the nickelback position.  This seems strange especially as the article points out, that there were a lot of injuries at the cornerback position for Jacksonville.  Coleman also expresses that he wished he would have gotten a lot more playing time on the outside.

Personally, I like this pickup.  Coleman seems like he has decent talent along with a good amount of experience in the recent years.  Also, I’m sure that Coleman is motivated to prove people wrong that he can play on the outside.  Whether or not Coleman gets a starting job or not is unsure, but expect him to be a contender for Aaron Berry’s old position.

June 12, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best (44) during mini camp at Detroit Lions training facility. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

Some fans have probably already given up on Best’s career in Detroit (including me at some points).  How can you really blame them?  His short time in Detroit has been mediocre due to injury after injury.  Last year he only played in 6 games and in his rookie year he didn’t have a single game in which he rushed for over 80 yards.

I can’t promise that Best will stay healthy throughout this upcoming year, but if he does, I think he will surprise a lot of people.  Why do I think this?  Look at the games in his career when he is used frequently.  Even though the Lions lost 10 games in 2010, when Best carries the ball 10 or more times in his career, the Lions are 9-7.  He has also showed a little bit of promise like the Monday Night Football game against Chicago.  In that game he rushed for 163 yards on 12 carries and had a touchdown.  A part of his game that can be overlooked is his ability to catch passes out of the backfield.  Last year he averaged 10.6 yards per reception

The potent passing offense that Detroit has should open up the running game a little bit more next year.  The addition of Riley should be a positive if he ends up starting this year.  The Iowa Hawkeyes are known for their running game and Riley Reiff was a large part of their success.

If Jahvid Best can stay healthy next year, he may be able to take the Lions to the next level.  How much am I expecting from Best if he is healthy?  I think 1,200 rushing yards is reasonable.