Who will be the Detroit Lions biggest surprise of 2020?
By Robert Jones
The Detroit Lions will need a big season from several players to compete for the playoffs. But which player could be the biggest surprise?
For the Detroit Lions, the 2020 season holds expectations. General manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia have been told to compete this season or else. The fans have been saying the same for years.
Yet when new Lions principle owner Sheila Ford Hamp was asked about the edict to win she mentioned that it has been a strange year and we will have to see what happens. Let’s be honest, a strange year is the understatement of the decade.
Due to a worldwide pandemic the NFL held its first virtual offseason ever. A virtual draft followed by virtual offseason activities which consisted of nothing more than online classes for the players. Provided the NFL is able to carry through on their belief that they will play an entire season, some team will still win the Super Bowl despite this historic offseason.
Could that team be the Detroit Lions? The odds-makers believe that to be a farfetched idea. And while I agree with that point in principle, I do also believe that the Lions could not only play meaningful games in December but perhaps sniff a little postseason action too.
Will it be easy? Is it a lock? I think anyone who has followed this team for any period of time understands that nothing comes easy for the Detroit Lions. Yet while there is a need for more depth overall on the roster, the starters make an intriguing case for this franchise to be competitive.
On paper, the offense is very intriguing. It stacks up with just about any other offense in the NFL. However, the questions about the offensive line are real and need to be answered. Even on defense, there are certainly some positives that could make us believe they will be better. But like the offense, the true tale of the tape will be decided by the play of the defensive line.
For the competitive scenario to play out, there will need to be a few surprise performances this season. The question is; who will be the biggest surprise?