Don’t forget the not-so-quiet guy on the Detroit Lions offensive line
By Robert Jones
The Detroit Lions offense has the fans excited, but the not-so-quiet guy on the line could make more of a difference than expected.
For the Detroit Lions 2020 season, the important story is the improvement of the defense. However, the big story that has the fans excited is the offense.
As it has been said for years, ‘offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships’. Something the NFL is trying to change by giving the offense almost every conceivable advantage possible.
For the Detroit Lions, their success in 2020 will most assuredly be decided by their defense. If they again are among the most pathetic not only in the league but in team history like last season, then it will be almost impossible to overcome that burden.
You must remember that until Matthew Stafford‘s season ended against the Oakland Raiders, he was one of the best players in the NFL. Regardless of position. Yet the Lions were only 3-4-1 under his guidance.
So while the offense has already captured the imagination of the fans, a winning record or even a possible postseason berth will be decided by the defense. But that doesn’t mean the offense isn’t worth noticing.
Last year the Lions introduced Darrell Bevell as their offensive coordinator. His system has traditionally allowed teams to run the ball well. When blessed with good quarterbacks, he has made the passing game shine too.
Stafford took to Bevell’s system like he had been running it all his life. He was outstanding despite the ground game being subpar, due to another injury to Kerryon Johnson and a mediocre offensive line.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn then proceeded to turn the 2020 draft into an opportunity to improve the overall offense. Drafting running back D’Andre Swift in the second round gives Detroit a complete back that has the talent to be very good, if not a star.
He also added a couple of pieces to the offensive line with the idea of creating more consistent holes for the Lions backs and better protection for Matthew due to the threat of being able to run the ball and more solid protection.
Moves that could turn last year’s good offense into one of this year’s dynamic offenses, provided the line can be cohesive and productive. For this to happen a few players will have to step up.