Kevin Smith's 2009 Lions Predictions: Good, but Wrong

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

A weak defensive middle (lazy when Shaun Rogers played in 2007, undersized after he was traded to the Browns) getting no push allowed running backs to get to the second level on almost every play. A weak rush off the edge meant quarterbacks could pick the secondary apart.

Fourth-round draft pick Sammie Lee Hill has size and strength, but needs a great deal of polish before he is ready to contribute consistently. That means Grady Jackson and Chuck Darby will fill the middle, with some combination of Cliff Avril, Jared DeVries and DeWayne White on the ends.

On offense, the Lions have allowed 106 sacks over the past two seasons, second in that span only to the San Francisco 49ers (110). Aside from a few late free agent signings and seventh-round draft pick Lydon Murtha, the offensive line has seen no changes.

Pettigrew will serve as a good release valve when the pressure gets too high, and will help in blocking, as well. Culpepper with training camp under his belt will be better equipped to handle that pressure than anyone the Lions trotted out under center last season.

But there is still going to be pressure, and lots of it. Every defensive coordinator in the NFL knows that Lions quarterbacks are vulnerable to lots of sacks. Any success the Lions see this season will be dashed if opponents continue to dominate them in the trenches, even with all the improvements in other areas.

There is some truth in what Smith says on his blog. The Lions really were not as bad last year as 0-16 suggests. But playoffs are at least a year away, and Smith is not rushing for 20 touchdowns anytime soon.

The 2009 season will be one of minor improvements, with an overall goal of instilling a winning attitude long missing from Detroit. No amount of football genius can transform an 0-16 team to a playoff team in a few short months.

The Lions are on the right track to return to respectability, but the road is too long to be travelled in a single season.

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