Lions Look: A Preview of the 2019 Detroit Lions
Say what you want about Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn, you can't say he's not trying.
But as earnest as Quinn's efforts have been, he is undoubtedly feeling the heat of a disappointing 2018 as his hand picked head coach and constructed roster turned in a 6-10 campaign. The complicating factor to this was the reasoning behind the dismissal of previous head coach Jim Caldwell, where Quinn proclaimed that a winning season alone will no longer suffice within the Detroit Lions organization. The goal was to qualify for the playoffs and beyond. Now, in fairness to Quinn and current head coach Matt Patricia, 2019 was going to be a transition year. The Lions were going to change their base defensive alignment from 4-3 to 3-4, a form the team hasn't employed in 25 years. And the offense was going to be better balanced, even with the gunslinger Matthew Stafford as the triggerman. For many years, the Lions were unabashedly one dimensional with Stafford as the quarterback, and it placed a ceiling on the team's potential as a result. Contain Stafford, Detroit becomes easier to beat. After that bad season, a few faces changed. Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter was dismissed and defensive end Ziggy Ansah was permitted to walk in free agency. There were are couple of positives to be found, though. Running back Kerryon Johnson has the size, the speed, and the burst to be the Lions' primary ball carrier. For a team that has sorely missed a complementary rusher for Stafford, this is welcome news. And secondly, Detroit's defense radically improved in the second half of the season, finishing tenth overall in yardage allowed. Credit the acquisition of defensive tackle Damon Harrison in shoring up the middle of that defensive line, as his presence would make the Lions run defense far more stout. In the nine games he started, no opponent ran for over 150 yards and were stifled to less than 75 team rushing yards five times. With all that, Quinn went to work in the offseason.
The Lions were lauded for having the best free agency haul this spring, although proponents of the Green Bay Packers may beg to differ. Yes, some had some lazy takes, but looking a little deeper would be far more beneficial. First, defensive end Trey Flowers was signed to a 5 year, $90 million contract to improve a pedestrian pass rush (43 team sacks; tied for 11th in the league). At first glance, cynics thought this was an example of former Patriot employees in Quinn and Patricia trying to make New England West. What is conveniently omitted is that Flowers was considered by many as the top free agent in this year's entire class. Edge rushers who are effective are rarely unrestricted free agents, and the Lions capitalized on that. If Flowers can improve in pressuring the quarterback in any comparable measure that Harrison's presence stuffed the run, this could turn into an elite unit. Second was the signing of nickelback Justin Coleman to a 4 year, $36 million deal to play that position. On the surface, that seems to an exorbitant price for a situational defensive back, and it could bear out to be. But when one considers that the divisional schedule of six games features passers like Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, and Mitch Trubisky (while not a refined veteran QB yet, he plays in a pass reliant system with Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy), playing in defensive packages that use 5,6, or even 7 defensive backs could become more prevalent. So would it be prudent to prepare to have the best personnel on the field when the Lions feel it necessary to go to one of these more exotic coverages? The next two pickups were geared toward the offense, as TE Jesse James and WR Danny Amendola were signed away from Pittsburgh and Miami, respectively. Each of them, speaking speculatively, were brought in to work as security blankets for Stafford, who lost his when WR Golden Tate was traded to the Giants at the trade deadline. Also, each of them have experience with winning franchises (Amendola was previously a Patriot), which can manifest itself as veteran leadership in the locker room. Then, in April, when the Lions struck out in trying to get restricted free agent RB Malcolm Brown from the Los Angeles Rams, they still pulled an ex-Ram rusher in CJ Anderson. In today's NFL, one rusher can't do the job alone. Defenses are too complex and the wear & tear on a lone ball carrier make the days of workhorse backs obsolete. Change of pace and situational backs are also a necessity, and Anderson fits the bill perfectly. One only need to take stock of his postseason last year to attest to his effectiveness. And the training camp acquisition of DE Mike Daniels further bolsters that line. Daniels brings not only experience of a 3-4 D lineman with him, he also has knowledge from his previous team, the Green Bay Packers. Anytime one can use a former division rival's players against them, that can be a tapable resource.
With Cooter fired, the Lions needed a new offensive coordinator. Quinn and Patricia opted to go with a proven track record as opposed to hiring an unknown commodity. That is how Darrell Bevell was named the new OC. Bevell's stops in Minnesota (2006-10) & Seattle (2011-17) make him an experienced coach to some and a tired retread for others. But people forget that Bevell was the playcaller for the likes of Brett Favre and Russell Wilson. Bevell has the ability to maximize the talent & skill of the entire unit, a quality lacking in other coordinators during Stafford's career. If there is untapped potential in the Lions signal caller, Bevell should be able to find it. There was no question that the offense under Cooter's watch got stale. Bevell, at the very least, will be a shot in the arm for an offense that has seemingly underperformed for an inordinate amount of time. If he is able to be as successful as he was in Seattle, those who viewed Bevell negatively will eat their words as the Lions exceed many expectations.
The draft was considered average at best, but it's a fool's errand to assess the class until 3 years have elapsed. That said, two of those picks look to make an immediate impact. TE TJ Hockenson from Iowa becomes the Lions' third tight end drafted in the first round in the Stafford era, joining Brandon Pettigrew (2009) and Eric Ebron (2014) in that class. Hockenson promises to be a large target for Stafford toward the center of the field with athleticism to stretch the field by exploiting coverage mismatches; too fast for linebackers, too big for defensive backs. The curiosity, however, lies in LB Jahlani Tavai from Hawaii. The organization is buying all the stock in this 6' 2", 250 pound defender as they can. Due to a high ankle sprain suffered by starting weak side LB Jarrad Davis, Tavai looks to be on the field come Week 1. We'll see if the powers that be in Allen Park are on the money on this one.
Your humble scribe have slotted the Lions to finish second in the NFC North behind the Chicago Bears. There was honest deliberation on putting Detroit as the division champion, going from worst in 2018 to first in 2019. Your author hedged, because while the Motor City Cats have the talent to win their first division title in 26 years with the Lions' divisional rivals ripe for the picking (The Bears are sure to regress defensively; the Packers are introducing a new coach and subsequently a new offensive scheme; and the Vikings are standing pat on a team that went 8-7-1 a year ago), the schedule promises to be tough. After opening in Arizona against the Cardinals, the Lions face three playoff qualifiers from last year (LA Chargers, at Philadelphia, Kansas City). If Detroit is not up to snuff, they can head into their bye week 1-3. After that are two divisional games (at Green Bay on Monday Night & Minnesota). November looks to be the most critical month, where the Lions play three road games and play their series set against the Bears in that stretch; in Chicago on the 10th & in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. The Lions could go 11-5 and win the division, but they could crash and burn to 4-12 with the Pride gathering around the offices in Allen Park with torches and pitchforks demanding satisfaction.
2019, as with any NFL season, offers the hope of a new day. Quinn has made an exemplary effort in improving the Lions roster for Patricia, who looks to use the lessons he learned last year to serve him in his sophomore campaign. Both free agency and the draft brought in needed talent to help turn around a team that looked to be stuck in neutral. But this is all on paper, as they say. What matters is the result on the field. They could reach for heights rarely seen... Or sink to depths that both the organization and fan base deems intolerable. Only the coming season will determine the Detroit Lions destiny.
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