[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he NFL preseason usually serves as nothing more than a chance for a team to set its depth chart, give fantasy owners a chance to preview potential picks and unnecessary fodder for ESPN to harp on the same story lines.
However the Detroit Lions preseason opener provided ample insight into the new look Lions, led by first year head coach Jim Caldwell.
So let’s go four downs in the Lions Den and digest last Saturday’s contest against the Cleveland Browns.
In and Out
Matthew Stafford looks to fit into the new system for the Detroit Lions. Photos/Wikimedia Commons
In his first game action in Caldwell’s new system, Matthew Stafford wasn’t on the field long, playing only one series going 2-4, 18 yards minus Calvin Johnson.
However, he did find his newest weapon Golden Tate on a 14-yard slant for a first down. His footwork and Timing on the play was great, but it was a three-step drop on the slant pattern, which is a basic play.
He completed one other pass, a four-yard play in the flat, had a high pass to Reggie Bush on a check down that Bush dropped and overthrew Kris Durham on a toss in the endzone.
In the second preseason game Friday against the Oakland Raiders, Stafford is expected to play the entire first half, so hopefully there should be a better assessment on his comfort level in this new offense.
Bell Takes The Lead?
Joique Bell continues to shine and be the diamond in the rough for this team. Bell had several impressive runs during his time in the first half and could perhaps unseat Reggie Bush as the lead tailback.
Bell is a more decisive runner with enough speed to hit the edges and is hard to tackle when hitting a hole, which could cause opposing defenses to stack eight in the box against the run and create more opportunities down field.
Bush will play a big part in this offense, but perhaps he would be more beneficial to this offense in a do-it-all role. With Bell, Bush can lessen his workload and stay fresh deeper into the year. As last season drew to a close, Bush seemed to be worn down and unable to make as many big plays.
Help For Calvin
Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the offensive moves made this offseason will be Calvin Johnson. Although Megatron racked up 1,492 yards and 12 TD’s, he missed two games and towards the end of the year looked as if he struggled to make the field every time out.
Golden Tate caught just one pass, a 14-yard slant and the only ball thrown to him in the first preseason game. Expect him to get more looks against the Raiders. Serving as the number one receiver in Seattle the last four years, Tate will be a secondary option that Johnson hasn’t had the luxury to play with in his career.
Rookie Eric Ebron got plenty of field time against the Browns, playing in a variety of formations and displaying his athletic ability. He is a work in progress as a blocker, but proved to be better than expected. His ability to stretch the middle of the field though will be his strength.
What stood out though was how offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi used him, mixing up his role on several plays. There were plays where he would start out as a blocker, only to release his defender and jump into routes. Those type of looks puts a lot of pressure on a defense to drop into coverage, freeing up tailbacks underneath.
Bend, But Don’t Break
With a need for help in it’s secondary, the Lions drafted a tight end and hinging on the hope that depth with defensive backs will do the job. Darius Slay is expected to fill the void left behind with the release of Chris Houston.
Slay didn’t give up much during his time on the field against the Browns. He did however give up a 22-yard play to Josh Gordon on a slant and three plays later a first down on the same route to Miles Austin. He will need to do better on jamming off the line, but his size and length will prove to be huge against bigger receivers.
With he exception of Isa Abdul-Quddus recording six tackles, the rest of the secondary didn’t make much noise. They didn’t allow a touchdown though and Abdul-Quddus recorded the interception that sealed the game.
Ndamukong Suh still leads the defensive unit for the Lions.
The strength of this unit is still its defensive line, led by Ndamukong Suh, who only saw two series against Cleveland. But perhaps what stood out most with the unit was the play of Devin Taylor and Jason Jones. Depth along the line will be key.
The Extra-Point
Special Teams coordinator John Bonamego was one of seven coaches retained from the Jim Schwartz regime. His unit showed up and provided a spark immediately with a 49-yard return by Jeremy Ross. They were able to give the offense good field position on several drives. Will be something to watch moving forward.
Two-Point Conversion
Ryan Broyles made his return to the field against the Browns and provided more than anticipated. Only targeted three times, he caught all three passes thrown his way for 27 yards.
It was already proven that Broyles could haul it in as the all-time leading receiver in college football, but what proved to be most impressive was when he caught a pass, broke a tackle and took off for 12 yards.
If Broyles can step in, stay healthy and be that possession receiver behind Johnson and Tate i.e. Lance Moore, expect great things this year on offense.
Known as a red-zone pass catcher after reeling in eight touchdowns last year, tight end Joe Fauria is looking to expand on his game, adding the element of blocking to his repertoire.
Fauria lined up on several occasions along side Brandon Pettigrew in run formations and more than held his own, including springing Joique Bell for a 10-yard run on the third play of the game.
With a log-jam at tight end with Pettigrew and Ebron expected to see most of the playing time, look for Big Joe to make his presence in more ways than one.
