The Detroit Lions enter the season with two confirmed new starters along their offensive line, and another who'll be in a new spot. Center Cade Mays' season-starting injury has things going a layer deeper in regard to newness, with offseason trade acquisition Juice Scruggs in line to start in his place.
One spot, left guard, is clearly subject to an ongoing competition. Christian Mahogany is ostensibly the starter, but head coach Dan Campbell has still declined to confirm anything heading into Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints.
On Tuesday, in light of his mentioning Mahogany and Ben Bartch as starting options at left guard against the Saints the day before, head coach Dan Campbell was asked if he's considering the possibility of both playing on Sunday.
"Yeah, we could. You know, I think really this week is going to be... today they’re going to split (practice reps). You know, I see them splitting on Thursday, I see them splitting on Friday, and then if nothing’s been decided by then, then maybe they both play.”
That collective scream you just heard was Lions' fans remembering a three-man guard rotation during the Matt Patricia era. The circumstance is different here, but it's ultimately no less concerning.
Lions' Week 1 left guard plan is begging for disaster
It's safe to say no starting unit on a football field has to work better together than the offensive line. If things are discombobulated, with missed assignments, players moving the wrong direction to leave unblocked defenders (see the Lions in Week 1 last season, albeit on the road), plays get short-circuited and the offense can't function at its highest possible level.
Someone being physical overpowered on a given play, or a bunch of plays, is one thing. Issues brought on by the offensive line not having enough time on-task together beforehand are issues that need to be avoided if at all possible.
READ MORE: Tom Kennedy is set to get promoted for Lions' Week 1 game against Saints
If Mahogany hasn't proven he should be the guy at left guard, which he apparently still hasn't, and Bartch is healthy, which he apparently is, then just name Bartch the starter and allow him to practice in full with the other starters all week.
With no known injury in the equation, there is no game plan advantage that comes with publicly inviting a question about who your starting left guard will be, in Week 1 or any week. Campbell doesn't usually play those kind of press conference games, so his comments confirm the prevailing uncertainty at left guard.
When the Lions' offensive line takes the field for the first time on Sunday, if one hasn't been named by then, "starter" may only be a token label at left guard in a playing time split that'd be akin to a running back by committee situation. If that sounds far less than ideal in a game that counts, that's because it is.
Add us as a preferred source on Google