Detroit Lions’ skilled positions summary and predictions
The Detroit Lions skilled positions are in the best position that they have ever been for John Matthew Stafford’s career. If the offensive line can provide some running room and pass protection for the offense, the Lions have both top-end talent and quality backups across the depth chart. The line is a bit of a work-in-progress with as many as three starter spots open for competition during training camp.
Left tackle Taylor Decker and center Frank Ragnow are the only two players sure to keep their jobs in 2020. Halapoulivati Vaitai is likely to hold off Tyrell Crosby for the right tackle spot but Joe Dahl and Kenny Wiggins face fierce competition starting with third-round draftee, guard-center Jonah Jackson.
For those who believe that Detroit Lions’ fans have made excuses for Stafford, this year represents a chance to shut slappies down; if Stafford can’t have a great year with these pieces, it is on him, they will say. In terms of the performance of the offense, we would largely agree.
There’s little reason for this offense to not rank in the top five in the NFL short of Stafford repeating 2019. Stafford has not missed multiple games in consecutive seasons since his first two years in the league, though. At 32, Stafford needs to play and play well while he is in his prime for the Detroit Lions to challenge in the most competitive division in the NFL.
Before the vultures circle, though, the much more important factor for winning games is not offensive production, where the Lions were 17th in the NFL last year, good for second in the division; the defense has to make good progress from giving up over 400 yards of offense to opponents, which was 31st among the NFL’s 32 teams. That is almost as bad as the 2008 team that didn’t win one game.
The offense generated 346 yards from scrimmage on average even with Stafford out for 8 games, all stats from the Pro Football Reference website. If Stafford puts up 4,500 yards passing, which seems like a low-ball figure with this cast, and the running game stays the same at 1,649 (103.1 yards-per-game) they should easily rank Top-5; that would have been good for fourth overall in 2019, for reference.
While there are question marks on offense at fourth receiver, the guards and right tackle spots, which running back will lead the unit, and “will Stafford earn another Comeback Player of the Year award?”, the stage is set for the Detroit Lions offense to be the best in the division. Most of all, Detroit Lions’ fans are ready for them to make good on the promise of the talent they possess on the field.