Detroit Lions: A Healthy Jahvid Best Will Make Team NFC North Favorites in 2012

Running back Jahvid Best will be the missing link in the Detroit Lions' 2012 NFL season title run.

Heading into his third year, Best will look to continue where he left off following a short-lived sophomore campaign in 2011. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Calvin Johnson and defensive end Ndamukong Suh are household names and instantly identifiable by the average NFL fan.

The aforementioned trio are the faces of the franchise, but Best's statistics prove that there is more to him than meets the eye.  

Best of the Best

Let's state the obvious—Jahvid Best is fast. Really fast. Fans-use-his-treadmarks-to-grill-while-Zeus-bottles-his-lightning fast. But just how quick is he?

In the 2010 NFL Combine, Detroit's tailback burned speedsters Jacoby Ford and C.J. Spiller with the fastest 40-yard dash time, recording a 4.35.

Need more proof?

Take a look at his track record—literally. As a high school senior, Jahvid's personal best (no pun intended) 100-yard dash time was better than Tyson Gay's and identical to Justin Gatlin's.

Figuratively or literally, from Mount Olympus to the Olympics, the 24 year old has wheels—and they're only for stopping him once he finishes flying.

Party Like It's 1999

If not harnessed properly, talent often evolves into unfulfilled potential in the NFL. After all, even Olympians have had difficulty cracking a 53-man roster (see Jeremy Bloom). However, Jahvid Best has silenced the naysayers doubting that he could make the transition to a Sunday starter. 

The Lions were America's darlings in 2011, and for good reason.

The Motor City had not produced a playoff team since the eve of a new century in 1999. Back then, fans were still flooding into the Silverdome and boasting a hopeful outlook following the first anniversary of the post-Barry Sanders era. However, a decade of disappointment would ensue.

That changed with 2011's team.

Heading into Week 6, Detroit was undefeated at 5-0 and playoff aspirations—which seemed like a long-lost friend from the distant past—dominated discussions at the water cooler. No. 44 jerseys were becoming more prevalent in Motown as Jahvid Best decimated the Chicago Bears defense, churning out 163 yards on 12 carries (13.6 YPC). Critics were finally starting to see the light, until durability issues reemerged and eclipsed it.

Detroit hosted San Francisco in Week 6. The Lions were defeated 25-19, but the biggest loss was that of their running back. Best, whose biggest drawback is his health, sustained his second concussion of the season (the first occurred in a preseason matchup against Cleveland).

His brief six-game season concluded with 84 rushing attempts for 390 yards (4.6 YPC). He also averaged an impressive 10.6 yards per reception.

With Jahvid Best on the sidelines, the Detroit Lions finished the season 5-6 (10-6 overall). Although they earned a playoff berth, Detroit didn't have enough ammunition against New Orleans in its Wild Card shootout. The Lions' road to the Super Bowl hit a roadblock on Bourbon Street as they fell 45-28 to the Saints.

North Goes South

The NFC North should prove to be more competitive this year.

Green Bay was chasing history until it was tripped up in Kansas City by a mediocre and injury-plagued Chiefs team. The Packers' weaknesses were exposed in its second-round playoff loss to the New York Giants. It would be foolish to expect Green Bay to finish in the vicinity of 15-1 again with an average defense and lackluster ground attack.

Chicago has made key acquisitions in the offseason by signing a game-breaker in wide receiver Brandon Marshall and creating an intimidating tandem with Michael Bush now accompanying Matt Forte in the backfield.

However, Forte appears to have approximately one more "woosah" left in him before he implodes from frustration due to his ongoing contract disputes with management; an impending holdout appears to be in the Bears' future. Cutler will have this team contending again, but a premium is placed on his durability.

Minnesota fans will endure another transitional season as questions still loom at the quarterback position. Christian Ponder showed flashes in a once-dim aerial attack under Donovan McNabb, but the second-year quarterback is throwing to a receiving corps less feared than Richard Simmons in a room full of kittens. A winning season should be a short-term goal for the Vikings, but even that appears to be a long-shot as the roster currently sits.

As always, predictions are purely hypothetical, but the numbers are not. With No. 44 behind Matthew Stafford, Detroit clawed its way to an undefeated 5-0 record. Due to Best's season-ending concussion, defenses were no longer required to respect Detroit's backfield and were allowed to reallocate more attention on Calvin Johnson. The latter of the scenarios resulted in five wins shadowed by six losses in an uphill struggle into the playoffs.

Is Jahvid Best on the same level as Matthew Stafford or Calvin Johnson? No, clearly not.

But without him, the Motor City's well-oiled machine runs dry.