I won’t make a prediction about how many games we’re going to win, but I will say this: We will definitely make the playoffs this season.

Believe it or not we weren’t far off last year. Almost every game we could have won, we were one play or one player short. Except for Tennessee on Thanksgiving, they just came out and beat us to sleep. They manhandled us, but nobody else did.

We’re going through OTAs right now, doing the off-season thing. Everybody is working hard to prove themselves to the new coaches and the coaches are doing all they can to prove themselves to the players. I’m just working, getting in a rhythm, very anxious to see what the new draft picks will have for us when they report to camp.

I followed the draft through our first three picks. Stafford of course, Pettigrew the tight end and Delmas. Me and Louis go way back and it will be great to have another guy from Miami with us. Also, he’s a heck of a player. We both graduated from high schools in Miami in 2005. We never played against each other but I knew of him.

Having a tight end in here who can stretch the field can change the game, open it up for the running game and I think we were missing that last season. 

As a rookie last year my head was going 100 miles per hour. This year its definitely slowed down for me but I still have a lot to learn. We have a brand new offensive coordinator and a brand new playbook. Every day I’m studying the book so I’ll be able to take it in and execute on the field.

They’re basically installing the playbook right now. Every day we get 5 or 6 new plays and we go out on the field and walk them through. The rookies will be a tad bit behind when they come in here but they will be expected to step right in. Hopefully they’ll be able to learn fast and execute.

Right now it’s all football for me. Every three weeks or so I take a break, go down to Miami to get on a jet ski, hang with my family and play with the dogs. In 3 or 4 weeks there will be a change of pace and a sense of urgency will set in. 

I don’t by any means think they will hand me the starting job. There are four other running backs here and they drafted a guy out of TCU. Maurice Morris is here, Aveion Cason. Even if I was the No. 1 pick in the draft I wouldn’t think I had anything locked up. Even if you’re a household name, if you let down just a little bit someone else will step in and take your position and try to make themselves a household name.

Everybody is replaceable in this league.

But this is definitely my year. I’ve been thinking about how it’s been kind of similar to my experience in college, which would make this a breakout year for me. I’m working toward a Pro Bowl, working toward a championship.

Last year we didn’t play a lot of football. We gave games away as soon as we went to practice. This year everybody wants to win, we have new players and new coaches and a new attitude.

It’s going to be a long ride, and there are lots of sleepless nights and lonely days, but if this team can all work toward a common goal, we can make it happen.

 

Kevin Smith is a starting running back with the Detroit Lions. His blog forwww.playerpress.com runs at www.smith34.com