Detroit Lions: 5 Keys for Lions to Win the NFC North

Although we are only mere days into the 2011 season, optimism is at record levels in Detroit with the Lions’ Week 1 road kill against the Bucs. Although they broke their 26-game road losing streak last year with an overtime victory against these same Buccaneers, September road wins have not been seen in the Motor City since 2007.

All signs point to continued improvement for the Lions this year, but how far could this team go?  With the Super Bowl champion Packers and defending NFC North Champion Bears winning handily in Week 1, is it possible the Lions have a chance to capture the division this year? Let’s allow ourselves some Honolulu Blue & Silver levity and imagine the possibility.

Here are five keys that must come to fruition…..

Win Early and Often

With the Week 1 win and Kansas City coming to town, the Lions could easily be off to a 2-0 start.  If they can split road contests in Weeks 3 and 4 with Minnesota and Dallas, they would then come home 3-1 with three straight home games against Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta.

The Bears game will mark the first Monday Night Football game since their 2001 matchup with the St. Louis Rams. “The Greatest Show on Turf” humiliated the Lions 35-0, and all of Detroit should be eager to erase the images of Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk; Ford Field will be electric.  Follow that up with the rebuilding 49ers, a Falcons team that appeared quite mortal on Sunday and a road trip to Mile High where the quarterback position is in flux; could this team be 6-2 heading into the bye?

They’ll have to be because the back end of the schedule is brutal, with games against New Orleans and San Diego and a West Coast trip to the Black Hole in Oakland bookended by the Thanksgiving Day game against the Packers and a trip to Lambeau Field in January, where the Lions have not won since 1991. Winning breeds winning, and they’ll need to start fast to ensure meaningful games in December and January.

Keep Stafford Clean

I don’t think I’m the first to emphasize the importance of Matthew Stafford to the Lions, but it needs to be said. He is the trigger man for Scott Linehan’s offense and was terrific on Sunday, going 24-of-33 for 305 yards and three TDs. His QB rating of 118.9 was fifth best in Week 1 and further validates his phenomenal preseason stats. With a knee and two throwing shoulder injuries over the past two years, his No. 1 overall selection in the 2009 NFL draft has been difficult to justify.  When healthy, his potential is boundless, showing both big-armed and touch passes, while forcing defensive coordinators to account for the aerial attack first, which opens up running lanes for Jahvid Best.

 Beyond his physical attributes, he has welcomed the role of team leader. Quarterbacks of the recent past, Scott Mitchell and Joey Harrington, appeared as natural in the leadership role as Pauly D’s lettuce. Stafford presents himself as self-assured and secure in his role. He appears comfortable in the offense, and his chemistry with All-Pro Calvin Johnson is captivating.  For the Lions to have a big year, the franchise quarterback from the same high school as Bobby Layne must be effective.

Drive Safe, Jeff Backus

Did I mention how important Stafford is to this Lions team? Keeping Stafford’s jersey in pristine condition will not happen without a healthy Jeff Backus. Coming into this season, Backus’ partially torn pectoral muscle was the concern for the offense and not the throwing shoulder of Stafford.  Unheralded throughout most of his career and unjustly criticized the remainder, Backus has been with the team for some of the worst seasons on record. Besides his whiff on Julius Peppers last year that put Stafford’s throwing shoulder deep into the Soldier Field turf, Backus has been solid.  According to a poll of NFC North general managers, Backus was rated the No. 1 left tackle in the division and he’ll need to be for the entire 2011 campaign.

The backup tackles are thin, with Jason Fox still not practicing and Corey Hilliard filling in admirably last year, but at right tackle, both have little NFL experience.  As much as fans bemoan Backus, he must stay healthy for the Lions to have success this year.

Pressure the Opposing Quarterback

Not sure if anybody’s been watching, but the NFL has transformed into what Don Coryell had always envisioned; a pass first league. The “Pro Set” is as en vogue today as Don Johnson’s Miami Vice wardrobe. An NFL record 7,842 passing yards were gained, with 14 of the 32 starting quarterbacks throwing for over 300 yards in Week 1.  These stats were punctuated with an NFL record 906 total passing yards in the Monday Night Patriots vs. Dolphins airshow by former Michigan Wolverines Tom Brady and Chad Henne. 

With the secondary being the weakest part of the Lions defense, the front seven must create havoc for opposing quarterbacks. The Lions defense will be led by second year man-child Ndamukong Suh, who finished the 2010 season with the sixth highest sack total of 44. 

With last year’s front four intact, the drafting of Mini-Suh (Nick Fairley) and signings of linebackers Stephen Tulloch and Justin Durant, the Lions are more than capable of rattling division foes Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler and the aging Donovan McNabb. 

Avoid the Stupid Penalties

The Lions got away with some real boneheaded plays on Sunday. Stephen Peterman’s unnecessary roughness penalty in the second quarter could have been a drive killer if not for the terrific 36-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Johnson on 4th and 2.  Again in the fourth quarter as the Lions were trying to run out the clock, Gosder Cherilus had a brain fart of epic proportions, as he took an unnecessary roughness penalty with only 1:16 remaining and Tampa Bay having no timeouts remaining. This caused the clock to stop and forced the Lions to play defense for far longer than needed.

These are the types of mental errors Lions fans are all too familiar with. Penalties that take away scoring opportunities or create gifts for the opposition. Infractions like these will surely cost the Lions a game or two at some point in the season. They are not good enough to run away with the division, and if the Lions have any aspirations for a division title, these types of penalties must be a thing of the past.

If the Lions can accomplish these five requirements, I’m confident they will not only compete for the NFC North, but flirt with a potential first round bye.