Winning starts for the Detroit Lions with victory in the trenches

In the line of fire

The most thankless job in any sport is playing on the offensive line. Conversely playing on the defensive line is a high profile position. It didn’t use to be the case so much, but dynamic defensive linemen have brought defensive line play to prominence. However, on offense, how can linemen compete with the glamour boys at quarterback, running back or receiver?

Yet the whole game of football, in a nutshell, is based on control of that small strip of land called the line of scrimmage. If the offense controls it, then it will wear down the defensive front seven and squeeze the will to win out of them.

If the defense controls it, then the opposing offense will have a long day at the office with little points to show for their efforts.

The Detroit Lions have to take control of the trenches on both sides of the ball.

The inability to run the ball at will and grind the life out of the Packers defense while running the clock, cost them last Monday. And unless they start just scoring touchdowns at a higher frequency while passing the ball, it will cost them more games as the season goes on.

Running the ball is how the game of football was born. It was the way teams moved the ball. The advent of the passing game brought more excitement to the sport, but when all is said and done, the best offenses are the ones where the passing attack and the ground game work together in harmony.

So far the Lions haven’t been able to do so. The question is; who’s to blame? Is it the coaching? The offensive line? Or even the ball-carriers?

I suggest that there is probably some blame to go all around. Yet one way or another these Lions need to figure out what is wrong and get it fixed soon, because the season may be on the line.

Meanwhile, the defensive line hasn’t performed to the level of the second half of last season when they were one of the best run-stuffing units in the NFL.

Damon ‘Snacks’ Harrison hasn’t quite played to the level of last season, but he still needs help from those around him. I believe the absence of Da’Shawn Hand up to this point has been a bigger loss than expected. His play last season was outstanding and the Lions need more of that defensively.