It wasn’t that long ago that the Detroit Lions were just a punchline — and the reason why could be summed up in two words.
Matt Millen
In the seven years that Millen ran the Lions’ front office, he had very little to show for all the players he drafted. Calvin Johnson is the only first-round draft pick from the Millen regime who is still with the Lions and has actually made an impact (three offensive linemen are still with the team, but none of them have distinguished themselves). His Lions’ teams posted a 31-81 record under his watch, and while he was fired three games into the 2008 season, many people put that 0-16 season that year on the shoulders of Millen.
After the disastrous 2008 season, the Lions started the path to revamping their image. They named Martin Mayhew the new general manager, hired then-Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be the new head coach, then set out to rebuild, starting with the selection of quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft, then the addition of tight end Brandon Pettigrew toward the end of the first round. They also acquired Julian Peterson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks and sent quarterback Jon Kitna to the Dallas Cowboys for cornerback Anthony Henry.
Stafford’s rookie season saw him throw for 2,267 yards with 13 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in 11 games (he missed five games because of injuries). Injuries also affected wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who missed two games and saw his numbers drop from 2008. Pettigrew also missed five games, thanks to a torn ACL.
The Lions finished 2-14 in 2009. Still, there remained cause for optimism — some might say that is simply because Millen is no longer part of the franchise, but Stafford and Johnson do have potential to be a formidable duo if they can stay healthy.
During the 2010 offseason, the Lions made moves that they hope will bring them closer to respectability. First came the signing of free agent wide receiver Nate Burleson and defensive end Kyle VandenBosch. Bronco fans also know about one move in particular, in which the Broncos sent tight end Tony Scheffler and a seventh-round pick to Detriot in a three-way trade with the Eagles, in which Lions linebacker Ernie Sims was sent to Philadelphia and the Broncos got a fifth-round pick from the Eagles.
Next came the draft, in which the Lions used the second overall pick on defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, considered by many to be the best player available in the 2010 draft. Detriot then traded back into the first round with NFC North division rival Minnesota to select running back Jahvid Best.
The Lions opened the preseason against Pittsburgh, losing 24-7. Detroit has already been dealt a blow as linebacker Jordon Dizon suffered a season-ending knee injury. His loss impacts a linebacking corps that is already thin. Peterson is the only proven linebacker on the roster.
Stafford has received praise from the coaching staff about his ability to lead the Lions offense. He was solid in the preseason opener, completing 8-of-11 passes for one touchdown and one interception. Backup quarterback Shaun Hill, acquired in an offseason trade with the 49ers, had a respectable outing as well, completing 8-of-10 passes.
But a big key to the Lions offense may very well be Jahvid Best. The rookie running back averaged 4.8 yards per carry on six attempts against Pittsburgh, his longest carry for 15 yards. And thus the Broncos run defense — the weak point of the Denver D in 2009 — will be tested again.
Against Cincinnati, the Broncos gave up 191 yards rushing. Although the Broncos first-string defense was solid, the run defense still must show improvement in order to take the Broncos closer to playoff contention. Denver’s first-string D did hold the Bengals to a field-goal attempt (which Cincinnati kicker Dave Raymer missed) and prevented a fourth-down conversion, but the Denver defense must show it can hold teams to three-and-outs more often.
Additionally, the Broncos defense will need to prove it can get the pass rush going. While it may be a bit much to expect the first-team defense to rack up the sacks on just two series of play, the absence of linebacker Elvis Dumervil means other players must show they can do more than just pressure the quarterback, but get results with a sack. All eyes will continue to be on second-year linebacker Robert Ayers, who must prove he is worthy of that first-round draft pick the Broncos used on him in 2009.
The first-team offense, on the other hand, provided plenty of cause for optimism. Quarterback Kyle Orton looked more comfortable running the offense, showed better mobility and, for the most part, made good decisions. On the three drives he played, he led the Broncos to touchdowns on two of them.
The flipside of the first-team offense is that the Broncos seldom ran the ball. While head coach Josh McDaniels wanted to see how the Broncos passing attack could fare against the Bengals defense, the Broncos must show they have a running game that can complement that attack. While Knowshon Moreno won’t play Saturday and it’s highly unlikely Correll Buckhalter will see action, it’s possible the Broncos could work veterans Justin Fargas or LenDale White into the game. Still, Saturday’s game will be a good time to put the running attack into action, as the Lions have struggled against the run in recent seasons and the presence of Suh isn’t enough by itself to help.
On special teams, Britton Colquitt looked comfortable as the punter and Perrish Cox did a fine job in the return game, aside from one misplayed punt. A hidden gem might be cornerback Cassius Vaughn, who stepped in as the kickoff returner after Cox left the game with an injury and played well. The key area for the Broncos to improve is the special teams coverage as the unit allowed too many big gains from the Bengals return men.
As far as the rookies went, much of the attention was focused on Tim Tebow, who was solid but has plenty of room for improvement. Perrish Cox and Jamie Kirlew both showed their potential, but the best rookies of the night may very well have been offensive linemen J.D. Walton and Zane Beadles, who both played the entire game and played very well, particularly with the first-team offense. It sure looks like the Broncos found two quality offensive linemen in this year’s draft. Who Bronco fans are still waiting to see in action are wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, who did not play against Cincinnati.
MY PREDICTION: The Lions were the worst team against the pass in 2009, but expect the Broncos to run the ball more as Detroit also struggled in that department last season. The Broncos D, though, will need to rise to the occasion as Jahvid Best looks like he will be an impact player, so it will be important to contain him to keep Detroit’s offense in check. Predicted final score: Broncos 24, Lions 13.
This article was written by ratsportrm, one of our forum members. We have put together a little contest to help keep the content on the homepage updated this season. Each week you will see a preview of the upcoming game from one of our forum members. If you would like to take part, and have a chance to win a Broncos Jersey, sign up!