Detroit Lions: Fans continue to be baffled by Darrell Bevell hiring

Now that Jim Bob Cooter is gone, Matthew Stafford is completely in the cross-hairs of any criticism regarding the Lions offense. The concerns about whether he can lead them to playoff success is the big question.

This will be one of the big tasks that Darrell Bevell will have to tackle. Staying true to Matt Patricia’s desire to build a formidable ground game, which has been Bevell’s strength as an offensive coordinator, but also getting the most out of Stafford.

Bevell is considered to be very quarterback friendly and after this last season, it certainly seems like Stafford could use a friend.

One of the constants that have been a part of Bevell’s offenses, besides running the ball well, has been utilizing his quarterbacks strengths and valuing their input. What that should mean is that when the Lions offense does take flight, it should often do so in a way that Stafford is comfortable with.

Does that mean the Lions will make us forget about the Chiefs and Rams aerial acrobatics? Most likely not, but it should mean that if Matthew still believes in his arm and slinging the ball down the field, that he will get the opportunity to do so occasionally.

The choice to hire Darrell Bevell is considered a safe choice by some. For others it is a boring choice. However, the only thing that matters is whether it is the winning choice.

I would expect the Lions defense to continue to improve and if the offense can find the voice that Matt Patricia is searching for and be able to run the ball, control the clock and tempo of games as well as opening it up and stretching the field occasionally, then next season could be a much different story.

When all is said and done, Lions fans all want the same thing; for Detroit to have a legitimate chance to win it all. If they can do it by playing good defense and running the ball, which we happen to have seen quite a bit of this postseason, then isn’t that what matters?

General manager Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia still have plenty of work to do as they dive into free agency and the draft like every other team in the NFL with the idea of improving their roster, but the direction Patricia is steering this team is becoming much more clear.

While Darrell Bevell may not bring some of the high flying aerial pyrotechnics that some other young and up-coming names provide, he brings experience and stability to an offense that badly needs it.

Or as one friend of mine put it, ‘if winning is boring, I’ll take it’. I’m not sold on the idea they will be as boring as he expects, but I think all Lions’ fans are definitely ready for a winning team, regardless of how they do it.