Detroit Lions: The top 5 things to look for during the MNF opener

Offensive line production

When former Lions head coach Jim Caldwell was fired earlier this year, only one other coach was fired along with him and it was offensive line coach Ron Prince.

Since the firings, there have been reports that Ron Prince’s job performance left a bit more to be desired. Just take a look at this quote from Jeff Risdon, Lions Insider:

"”The firing of Ron Prince as the offensive line coach will be the single biggest reason why the Detroit Lions offensive line and run game gets a lot better. He was–I’ll be nice–he was not well regarded in the rooms, either the locker rooms or opposing locker rooms. The players weren’t all that high on him either. No player is ever going to be like, ‘I’m going to go where Ron Prince goes.'”"

Ouch. It looks like this could be a classic case of addition by subtraction.

Lions head coach Matt Patricia hired Jeff Davidson to take over the reins as offensive line coach and one can only hope that his experience from playing the position can help to revamp the entire scheme for run protection.

One of the reasons Detroit’s run game has been so scant over the past few years is the lack of holes being opened up by their line.

If the Lions’ offensive line health can hold up and if the new run blocking schemes are implemented successfully, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter will really be able to show what he’s capable of at the helm of a fully loaded offense.

Week 1 will be our first opportunity to see the progress that Detroit has made this offseason.