MANUFACTURED JOY - DETROIT LIONS

by Zac, Throwing Into Traffic

1. Less Jon Kitna! Jon Kitna throwing for over 4000 yards was fun, but it was also exactly what didn’t need to happen last year. Managing only 18 touchdowns to 20 interceptions, Kitna showed that he can’t be leaned on to the extent that he was last year. The good news is that they won’t have to this year, at least, not if things go according to plan (Matt Millen: “Do I look like a guy with a plan?”). Picking up both a competent offensive tackle in Gosder Cherilus and a between the tackles back in RB Kevin Smith seems to be an excellent first step toward establishing some normalcy in an offense that has been little more than a flashy spectacle. Smith, a third round pickup out of UCF, is of particular interest, as he put up gaudy numbers in college, but did so on a smaller stage than many of his peers. Still, if he pans out, he’s a low to the ground, bruising back who fits much more nicely with a traditional running game than Tatum Bell’s dancing and prancing in the backfield. Or he could just be a small program wonder. Hey, it wouldn’t be a Matt Millen draft without SOME risk, would it?

2. More pass defense!

The bad news for Detroit’s defense was that it lost one of its best players this past offseason. DT Shaun Rogers was an important piece in any sort of run stopping scheme, and you can’t expect rookie DT Andre Fluellen, no matter how good he may be (and he may be VERY good, if you look at his physicality), to fill that gap in year one. That said, trading Rogers for CB Leigh Bodden was the right move for a defense that too often found itself getting beat deep (flashback to what Donovan McNabb did to this team in their meeting last season and you’ll understand how they wound up giving up more points than any other defense). Bodden, who has the athleticism to hang with any receiver and the intelligence to make quarterbacks uncomfortable with their favorite targets, could buy some time for a defensive front that is starting to take shape as a solid pass rushing unit (LB Jordan Dizon and LB Ernie Sims should be a fun tandem to watch on Sundays).

3. Competent offensive line play!

Possibly the most boring header yet in Manufactured Joy, but it’s true. The Lions specifically traded out of picking up OG Branden Albert because they didn’t feel like taking a chance on a project, instead opting for the more fully formed Cherilus. As a result, they have a player who can step in to at least one of the starting offensive tackle positions immediately, and who could develop into a very good left tackle down the road. For now, having two solid tackles on the offensive line seems to be a great cure for an offense that allowed Jon Kitna to be sacked more than any other QB, and should give rookie back Kevin Smith the freedom to find his style on the pro level. Seriously, did Matt Millen actually make this pick?

4. Megatron assembles!

Say it with me: Picking WR Calvin Johnson was not a bad draft pick. Yes, the Lions already had a star WR in Roy Williams. Yes, the team had blown 3 of its last 4 picks on receivers. None of that matters when you’re dealing with a 6’5”, 235 pound athlete who can run a 4.35 40 yard dash. I love offensive tackle Joe Thomas, but there really are offensive tackles in pretty much every draft class; they’ll get another crack at one as early as next year. Physical phenomena like Megatron are rare enough to justify moves that make no sense on paper in order to acquire them. The numbers proved it out last year too, you just didn’t hear about it. Remember that skid where the team lost six games in a row? Johnson averaged 55 yards a game, including an 83 yard, 7 reception bonanza against Green Bay and a 102 yard game against San Diego in which he averaged 20 yards a catch. While the Lions were crumbling around him, Megatron was figuring out the holes in NFL schemes and how to use his physical gifts to exploit them. Oh, and he did it all with a bad back. The fact that the passing offense is going to lean on its top two receivers more consistently should pay dividends for both Johnson’s stats and the team, as this monster only figures to be scarier with a year under his belt.

5. Brutal non-conference games!

That’s a positive thing, even if it doesn’t look like it on paper. The Lions run into the AFC South and a much improved NFC South this year, promising no favors to a team that is going to be finding its footing. Then again, so does the rest of the NFC North, and that could make all the difference to a team as streaky as the Lions were last year. An injury here, a misstep there, and the rest of the division could get blanked by the AFC South and at least half of the NFC North (seriously, this schedule could include at least five playoff teams, maybe six if the Panthers have the juice with Delhomme back). If everyone is having a hard time, is it really that crazy to think that the Lions, a team with a QB who can still pop off crazy games against good competition and a more physically talented 1-2 punch at receiver than any other team in the league, could win games that they’re supposed to lose and wind up on top of a messy division? Risk, prayers, and the lack of any sort of positive certainty…smells like another season in Detroit to me.