Detroit Lions Season Outlook - Offense

Calvin Johnson is on pace to break Jerry Rice's all-time record for receiving yards

     Jerry Rice is the greatest receiver of all time and there are no if's, and's or but's about it...period. But last season, Calvin Johnson broke Rice's record of receiving yards in a single season with 1,964. Ladies and gentlemen, Calvin Johnson wants to retire as the best NFL receiver to play the game. If you haven't taken this fact serious then it might be time for you to jump on the train. I first got a glimpse of Johnson in person when his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets came to Memorial Stadium to play my Clemson Tigers in 2004. He dominated the game as a true freshman and looked far superior than any other athlete on the field. In the 4th quarter, Reggie Ball tossed a jump-ball to Johnson on a fade route in the end-zone and connected with ease. Defending on the play was Justin Miller, who would go on to be drafted by the New York Jets the following spring in the 2nd round. I had a lot of respect for Justin because I felt that he was our all around best player, but Calvin Johnson made him look like an average college corner back. He has been dominating NFL corner backs the same way he torched college corners ever since he entered the league as the 2nd pick in the 2007, so expect another 1,500 yard season from the beast known as Megatron this year.

Ryan Broyles needs a healthy 2013 season for the Lions to be successful

     Despite the presence of Megatron on the Lions receiving core, the position's depth looks a little on the worrisome side from an outsider's perspective.  The team HAD to get rid of Titus Young in the offseason (who had the 2nd most talent on the roster last year - HUGE BLOW), Ryan Broyles is coming off an ACL tear, Nate Burleson is coming off a broken leg (and he will be 32 years old once the season starts), Corey Fuller is a rookie who hasn't played much football, Mike Thomas only had 108 receiving yard last year, Kris Durham only has 11 career catches in 2 years, Devin Thomas probably won't make the roster, etc. Unless Ryan Broyles and Nate Burleson can stay healthy, teams will double Calvin Johnson all day because of the lack of a legitimate #2 receiver. Reggie Bush can fulfill that role on some downs as a RB but we have to count on him being a running back first.  The wide receiver position needs to have a great training camp in order for me to be convinced Martin Mayhew knows what he is doing.

Reggie Bush is a perfect fit for the Lion's offense

     Ahh...the running backs. Reggie Bush was picked up in the off-season to fill the role that Jahvid Best was supposed to bring back in 2012. Best looks like he will never play another down in the NFL and the Lions have added their new versatile speed-back. Bush can catch the ball out of the backfield, run in between the tackles and honestly be a 3-down back in Detroit. The position also has 2011 2nd round pick Mikel Leshoure out of Illinois, who was brought in to be a complimentary power/speed back. He wasn't himself last year after suffering an achilles injury his rookie year, and should be more explosive this Fall. I want to say that he will split carries with Reggie Bush but there are indications that might say otherwise. Joique Bell is listed as the team's 3rd running back but he averages 5 yards per carry, can pass block better than Bush or Leshoure, and is a bit more durable as far as injury history is concerned. In the NFL, you can't realistically expect all three of these running backs to stay healthy. So when one goes down the next man will should step in with ease.
    

Matthew Stafford is a top 10 QB in the NFL

     Matthew Stafford just became one of the top 10 highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL, and he hasn't even won a playoff game. Should this matter when handing out such an extension? In this case, the answer is no. If you throw Shaun Hill in the game, he is not going to make the same throws on the run, or on deep routes as Matthew Stafford can. Stafford has also shaken off his injury label and passed for the 3rd most yard in the last two seasons behind only Drew Brees and Tom Brady. People somehow don't believe that Stafford has earned his new contract, but he has more than earned it. If you threw him on a team like the Minnesota Vikings with Adrian Peterson's running game, you would have a deadly offense. His offensive line looks to be better than last year with Riley Rieff manning the Left Tackle spot. Jeff Backus retired in the offseason and Reiff has added 10 pounds of muscle to his frame as a precautionary measure. Riley hasn't played the left tackle position for a full season since he was in Iowa 3 years ago, so he will be tested early and often by opponents. Dominic Raola is still holding down the center position and seems to have gained 20 pounds himself, trying to make himself more durable for the season. Corey Hilliard is stepping in for the "wanted to be overpaid" Gosder Cherrilus at the right tackle position and 8-year veteran Rob Sims is penciled in as the starter at left guard. Rookie Larry Warford will be expected to step in a start at right guard and should be pro bowler in a few years.
 

     Overall, the Detroit Lions offense is capable of putting up major points on the board this year. They are tougher up front on the offensive line, Matthew Stafford is more experienced going into his 5th year, Calvin Johnson will give you another 1,500 yard season and Reggie Bush adds a lot of excitement to a deep group of running backs. With that said, Nate Burleson and Reggie Bush staying healthy will make or break the Lions this year. They don't have any receiver other than the oft-injured Ryan Broyles to rely on for consistency, and no other running back on the roster brings the home-run play like Reggie Bush. At the midway point of the season, we should have a much better idea of what the Lions record should look like at the end of the season.