The Detroit Lions and The Great Wide Receiver Conundrum
By Mike Payton
2013
| Player | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns |
| Kris Durham | 38 | 490 | 2 |
| Kevin Ogletree | 13 | 199 | 1 |
| Nate Burleson | 39 | 461 | 1 |
| Patrick Edwards | 5 | 46 | 0 |
| Ryan Broyles | 8 | 85 | 0 |
| Total | 103 | 1,281 | 4 |
| Denver Broncos, minus Deymarius Thomas | |||
| 176 | 2,266 | 24 |
The 2013 Detroit Lions were a special breed. The excitement surrounding this season was palpable. The Lions started out 5-3 and looked in control of the NFC North. Then I took a quick nap, woke up and the Lions were 7-9.
Nate Burleson went on a late night pizza run and all of a sudden the Lions offense can’t move the ball anymore. I’ll be the first guy to tell you that I was excited about Kevin Ogletree. I’ll also be the first guy to tell you that I was very wrong about Kevin Ogletree. Ryan Broyles healed up and immediately got injured again, Patrick Edwards didn’t live up to the hype, and the Lions were once again stuck relying on Kris Durham.
The Lions collapse somehow felt worse than the previous season. 2013 was a great example of how the Lions have had a hard time developing young wide receivers. 2014 was an even better example of that.
Next: 2014