Detroit Lions 2010 Season Preview, Predictions Picks & Odds
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Detroit Lions 2009 NFL Record: 2-14 Home: 2-6 Away: 0-8
Detroit Lions 2010 Preview
Players are supposed to make their biggest strides from Year 1 to Year 2. The Lions are hoping that’s true of an entire organization as well. In 2009, new general manager Martin Mayhew and rookie coach Jim Schwartz took a chainsaw to the wreckage left behind from the 0-16 debacle, jettisoning half the roster, drafting their franchise quarterback and beginning to lay the foundation. The rebuilding continued with another flurry of offseason activity in which another cornerstone piece – maybe two – arrived via the draft. You can say this about Mayhew: He’s not one to sit still. Of course, for a team that’s a decade removed from its last winning season (9-7 in 2000), expectations corne with a healthy dose of speculation. And growth could be stunted by one of the NELS toughest divisions, the NFC North. But for a welcome change, there appears to be a plan in place – and a solid one at that.
2010 Detroit Lions Quarterbacks
It’s probably not fair to boil down Stafford’s rookie season into one highlight. But it works. Stafford’s miracle finish in a last-second win over Cleveland cemented his status as the Lions’ could-be savior. That he did it with a separated shoulder – and wearing a microphone for NFL Films, as luck would have it – only added to the drama. That game won over a fan base that hasn’t cheered a Pro Bowl quarterback since 1971. Stafford, 22, won the starting job with his savvy, smarts and quick-trigger arm. But a dislocated kneecap in Week 4 hampered him all season, and the shoulder injury finally shelved him after 10 starts. He showed flashes of his talent, though, and his leadership was evident. Stafford should make huge strides if he can cut down on his mistakes (20 interceptions in ’09) and stay healthy. The backup role likely falls to Shaun Hill, a part-time starter the last three years in San Francisco. Hill began his career under Linehan in Minnesota and provides a more game-ready replacement than fourthyear backup Drew Stanton. In 16 games as a starter, Hill has a 10-6 record, and he has 23 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions in his career.
2010 Detroit Lions Running Backs
One of the Lions’ primary goals this offseason was to add a big-play element in the backfield. They accomplished that by drafting Cal’s speedy Jahvid Best, trading back into the first round to snare him 30th overall. The Lions had only five rushes for 20 yards or more last season (second-worst in the NFL), and two of those were by quarterbacks. Best, who runs a 4.35 40, is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. Kevin Smith averaged just 3.4 yards per carry in his second season as a starter, but he played through painful shoulder injuries and then tore his ACL in Week 14. How quickly he’ll be ready to play again isn’t clear, but with Best in the fold, Smith’s skill set (41 catches in ’09) could make him an ideal third down back. Maurice Morris might return ~s a veteran backup, but last year’s rookie change-of-pace back, Aaron Brown from TCD, could have a hard time making the roster.
2010 Detroit Lions Receivers
Linehan began talking last December about the need to find “an eraser” to take some of the attention away from No. 1 wideout Calvin Johnson, who was slowed by injuries but still managed 984 receiving yards last season. The hope is that Nate Burleson, who signed a five-year, $25 million deal on the first day of free agency, will do just that. Burleson will line up opposite Johnson and in the slot to give Stafford another reliable option. Bryant Johnson is another big target, though he was inconsistent last year after signing as a free agent. Dennis Northcutt, who served as the slot receiver, could be the odd man out, provided last year’s rookie bust, Derrick Williams, shows signs of improvement this offseason. Detroit traded for tight end Tony Scheffler, who caughr 89 passes for Denver in 2007-08, to replace Casey FitzSimmons, who retired due to concussion problems. Scheffler will be used in a lot of two-tight end sets with 2009 first-round pick Brandon Pettigrew and veteran Will Heller. Pettigrew also is recovering from ACL surgery last December, but he should be ready for the regular season.
2010 Detroit Lions Offensive Line
A unit that showed signs of improvement last year faded badly as the season dragged on. The revolving door continued at left guard, where neither Daniel Loper nor Manny Ramirez was able to hold down the starting job. The Lions addressed that with a trade for Rob Sims, a three-year starter for Seattle who didn’t fit the Seahawks’ new zone-blocking scheme. He’ll be the 15th different left guard since 2001 to start between mainstays Dominic Raiola and Jeff Backus, a consistent run-blocker who rebounded with a solid year at left tackle in 2009. Stephen Peterman provides punch at right guard, and it showed late last season after he went down with an ankle injury. But right tackle Gosder Cherilus, a 2008 first-round pick, faces a make-or-break year. He, too, was slowed by injuries, but persistent problems with his technique got him benched late last season. Ran1irez and Dylan Gandy will fight for backup jobs at guard, while rookie Jason Fox can back up both tackle spots.
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2010 Detroit Lions Defense
No unit got a bigger makeover this offseason than the defensive line. Schwartz hand-delivered veteran end Kyle Vanden Bosch to Detroit, showing up on his doorstep at the start of free agency. Though Vanden Bosch, a tireless worker and consummate pro, saw his sack totals dip last season, that was partly due to the absence ofAlbert Haynesworth. In Detroit, he’ll line up next to a pair of new tackles in Ndamukong Suh, the No.2 overall draft pick out of Nebraska, and Corey Williams, acquired from Cleveland in another of Mayhew’s trades. Cunningham gave Suh, who is an athletic 6’4″, 307 pounds, the highest draft grade he’s ever given a player in 30 years in the NFL, and most scouts agree he’s a rare specimen. Detroit could use him at two or three different positions up front. Williams returns to a 4-3 scheme like he played in Green Bay, where he had 14 sacks in 2006-07. And Sammie Hill, last year’s rookie starter, will stay in the rotation as a stout run defender. Third-year pro CliffAvril and veteran Jared DeVries should fight for playing time at the end position opposite Vanden Bosch.
DeAndre Levy was a rookie surprise as a third-round pick out of Wisconsin, starting 10 gan1es in 2009. Levy, a smart, versatile Cunningham favorite, takes over at middle linebacker, replacing Larry Foote, who returned to Pittsburgh as a free agent. Barring a trade, five-time Pro Bowler Julian Peterson remains as the strong-side linebacker, but the other starting job is up for grabs following the trade of Ernie Sims. Second-year pro Zack Follett, a special teams standout as a rookie, will get a chance to win the job. Jordon Dizon and Landon Johnson, a former starter in Cincinnati, also are competing for playing time.
For the second straight year, the Lions cleaned house in the secondary. Last year’s starting cornerbacks all are gone. The team traded for Chris Houston, a three-year starter in Atlanta who should be a starter in Detroit as well. His counterpart will either be rookie Amari Spievey, a third-round pick out of Iowa; free agent signee Jonathan Wade, who brings limited starting experience fron1 St. Louis; or Eric King, who was slated for nickelback duty last year before going down with a shoulder injury. At safety, Louis Delmas looks like a star in the making after starting from Day 1 as a rookie in ’09. Finding a steady complement next to Delmas was a problem, though. Ko Simpson, who is recovering from knee surgery, is the frontrunner to win the job, but he will compete with Daniel Bullocks, who spent all of last year on injured reserve, and Marquand Manuel, among others.
Detroit Lions 2010 Season Prediction
The Lions now have some blue-chip talent in place, especially at the most important position in Stafford. Now it’s time to see if the coaching staff can turn a perennial doormat into a competitive team. The Lions have won two games in two years, but a 6-10 mark in 2010 isn’t asking for too much.
We predict that the Detroit Lions will finish 4th in the NFC North, with a record of 5-11.
Detroit Lions Betting
NFC North Odds: +1500 NFC Conference Odds: 50-1 Super Bowl Odds: 90-1
Detroit Lions Five-Year Win Betting Trends
2005: 5 2006: 3 2007: 7 2008: 0 2009: 2
Bet on the Detroit Lions
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