 |
| Reggie Bush makes the Lions offense dynamic and could be a big reason why they return to contention this year. (Credits: Paul Sancya/AP Photo) |
When the Lions finally lifted themselves from the cellar in 2011, people expected them to stay in the contention for the foreseeable future. They'd found their franchise QB in Matthew Stafford, their game-changing once-in-a-lifetime wideout in Calvin Johnson and that immovable object on the defensive line in Ndamukong Suh. Those three, plus a cast of other solid characters would earn the Lions a permanent place on top for the next decade. Then 2012 happened.
All the off-season legal issues, plus clear locker room disconnect led to a miserable four-win season. The lack of balance on offense and pathetic team defense had the Lions back track to the yesteryears in the worst way. It was quite a surprise, seeing the talent on their roster and the fact that Calvin Johnson set the receiving yards record. Several people were calling for Jim Schwartz's head saying he didn't have control of the locker room, a completely unfair assessment in my eyes. The guy had just pulled the team out of the ever-lasting doldrums, he deserved this year.
The winter brought about a major acquisition, even though on the surface it looked more flashy than substantial. Reggie Bush has never really lived up to expectations, but he also hasn't been bad by any means. For the Lions, Bush transforms their offense giving them the most dynamic running back since Barry Sanders. Yeah, he's not Sanders, not even close, but he is much better than last year's tailback duo of Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell. A thousand times better at that. Bush frees up Stafford from having to continually throw against dime or nickel packages. While he might not be an alarming threat, he's still a threat and that alters the Lions offense enough to add another concern to defensive game plans. Plus, Bush is a great receiving back and is a phenomenal checkdown option for Stafford.
Sunday proved Bush's worth as he ended the day with 191 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. The 28-year-old fed off double coverage on Megatron, catching a ball over the middle and then going old school Reggie on his way to a 77-yard touchdown.
Most of the preseason hype involving the NFC North was directed towards Chicago and Green Bay and for good reason. However, the Lions seem to have fallen under the radar and that's probably not a bad thing for a team who was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons last year. This team isn't much different than the outfit of two years ago that earned the team's first playoff appearance since 1999. Sure, they're not going to tell stories about the 2013 Lions defense, but they'll be much better than their 27th ranking in scoring defense from last year. The D-line is still of a high quality and the presence of an actual running game will give the offense more time of possession and the defense more rest.
It won't be an easy task, but don't be surprised if the Lions are right there at the end of season contending for a playoff spot. Even if they don't return to contention, at least their offense will be that much more exhilarating to watch.
0 comments:
Post a Comment