3 Advantages the Detroit Lions Have over Each Division Foe in 2012

The Detroit Lions hold trump cards in every 2012 NFC North matchup—from position talent where their opponents are weak to more stability on the coaching staff. The Lions are a team to contend with in 2012, and the talent they are putting on the field has them in a better situation than some of the other teams in their division.

There is enormous talent on the 2012 Detroit Lions' roster, as they have used several extremely high draft picks to get players like quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Calvin Johnson and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

The Lions drafted Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick, and they selected Johnson and Suh with the No. 2 overall pick. The Lions have done a terrific job of not missing on these players at the top of the draft, but that is not all they have done. It would be a mistake to call them a team solely built on No. 1 overall picks.

They have also drafted players late that are producing for them, and they have used free agency to bring in difference-makers on offense and defense. General manager Martin Mayhew has done a fantastic job of bringing in playmakers at every point of the draft, and in free agency.

The Lions also have stability with their coaching staff, as head coach Jim Schwartz, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham have been together in Detroit since the 2009 NFL season. It helps a team when the entire staff returns as the players know what the coaches want from them, and they can prepare well for what the expectations are.

This all comes into play when we compare them against the other teams they will face in their division. Let’s take a look at the advantages they have over the other teams in the NFC North.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a team that has a lot of challenges before them. They have a new offense, a new offensive coordinator and an entire new group of starting wide receivers for quarterback Jay Cutler. Rarely do teams perform consistently well with so many new things happening around them, and so much to learn.

Some NFL experts are predicting that the Bears will be playoff contenders in 2012, but the reality is that no one knows what the offense is going to look like. Mad scientist Mike Martz is out as offensive coordinator and Mike Tice replaces him. This is an offense that needs more balance, and there will be more of an effort to protect the quarterback.

It will take some time for the Bears to get their offense clicking. It is fair to make the argument that they will have moments where they look extremely potent, but the reality is that on offense, the Bears are going to struggle. The passing game will most likely be inconsistent for long stretches.

Newly acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall gets reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler, as the pair played in Denver from 2006-2008. In Denver, they had great success, but it will not be as easy as just picking up where they left off. It has been more than three seasons since Cutler and Marshall played together, and it is going to take a little time.

The Bears added wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in Round 2 of the 2012 NFL draft. Jeffery has enormous potential, but he needs to develop, as it is difficult for rookie wide receivers to make a significant impact in their first year. Jeffery is a player that has incredible talent, and NFC North teams should fear this passing game in the future, just not in 2012.

The offense is going to need some time to work out the kinks. More importantly, Cutler and the wide receivers need to develop some chemistry on the field. It will be surprising if the Bears are able to throw the ball consistently in 2012.

The Bears have had issues with their offensive line, and they have struggled to protect the quarterback. These issues remain, and it leads to a monumental question; who is starting at left tackle for the Bears? The Bears have to solve this problem, or they are going to have significant problems staying competitive with the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.

The Lions will not be struggling with a new offense, or a new offensive coordinator. The Lions essentially have the same personnel they had in 2011. With that comes a tremendous amount of familiarity for quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Lions’ offensive line did an extremely solid job in 2012.

These are the areas that the Lions have significant advantages over the Bears. The Bears will struggle to understand their new offense, and they need to develop chemistry in the passing game. In the meantime, the Lions will be clicking on all cylinders.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have done a masterful job of building their team through the draft. It is not a stretch to look at their roster and consider it the deepest and most talented roster in the NFL. There is one exception, and it could turn into a gigantic problem if an injury were to hit their starting quarterback.

The backup quarterback position is a tremendous weakness for the Packers. If Aaron Rodgers gets injured and misses any time at all, the Packers would be in a sticky situation. The Packers have a lot of veteran leadership, and they wouldn’t go belly-up, but they would not dominate opponents the way they do with Rodgers either.

Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL.

He is a devastating player that NFL defenses have not been able to stop. The drop-off in play from an elite Rodgers to an unproven Graham Harrell would be something that would significantly damage the Packers. Harrell is untested at the NFL level, and the Packers reluctance to add an experienced backup is realistically the only knock that can be made on the entire makeup of their team.

The Packers were solid with Matt Flynn backing up Rodgers over the past few years, but the Seattle Seahawks signed him in free agency. As excellent as general manager Ted Thompson has been, it seems that the Packers have overlooked what an inexperienced backup quarterback would do to their team.

The Detroit Lions have a proven NFL player in place to back up starting quarterback Matthew Stafford. Shaun Hill has started games in the NFL, and he can make the throws that the Lions would need him to make if Stafford misses any time. There would certainly be a drop-off, but it would not be nearly as drastic as what the Packers would face.

The Lions would continue to do what they do on offense with Hill, but they would not be nearly as explosive as they are with Stafford. With Harrell taking snaps under center, the Packers would have a gigantic hole at the position, and that hole could take a team that is elite and make it average.

The Packers do not have an elite player like Calvin Johnson in their group of wide receivers. They have exceptional depth and a remarkably solid stable of playmakers for Rodgers, but the Packers do not have a Calvin Johnson on their roster. The Lions hold an advantage in this area, as they have one of the best playmakers in the NFL on their roster.

The Packers struggled to get any pressure on the quarterback in 2012, and the lack of pressure led to a poor showing from their secondary. Quarterback pressure and secondary play work together, as pressure on the quarterback leads to great secondary play.

The lack of pressure exposes the secondary and leads to poor play. According to NFL.com, the Packers finished last in the NFL in pass yards allowed in the 2011 season.

The Packers registered only 29 sacks in the 2011 season, and that is not where they want to be from a defensive perspective. They finished near the bottom of the NFL in this category, tied with four other teams at No. 27 in the NFL. The Lions hold an advantage in sacking the quarterback, as they tallied 41 sacks last year.

The Lions are ahead of the Packers in a few areas, and they could be difference makers during the 2012 season.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are a team rebuilding, and the talent level is not where it needs to be for the Vikings to be competitive in the NFC North. They have some fantastic players like running back Adrian Peterson, wide receiver Percy Harvin and defensive end Jared Allen, but a look at the rest of the roster makes the Vikings look less than impressive.

Quarterback Christian Ponder is entering year No. 2 as the Vikings starting quarterback. He showed some nice promise as a rookie, but the Vikings are way behind when it comes to the development of a franchise signal caller. The Detroit Lions have an enormous advantage over the Vikings in this area when comparing Matthew Stafford to Ponder.

The Vikings do not have much talent at the wide receiver position, and they struggle to make plays in this area of the game. Harvin is lethal from the slot and out of the backfield, but there isn’t much else to see on their roster at the position.

The other wide receivers on the roster are Devin Aromashodu, Jerome Simpson, Michael Jenkins and rookies Jarius Wright and Greg Childs. The Lions have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver, and it is another area that the Lions have a giant advantage over the Vikings.

The Vikings are incredibly thin at the defensive tackle position. Kevin Williams, Letroy Guyton and Fred Evans are the only players with NFL experience at the position for the Vikings. The Vikings have three rookies vying for time at defensive tackle in Tydreke Powell, Chase Baker and Trevor Guyton.

The Detroit Lions have an immense amount of talent at defensive tackle. They boast players like Ndamukong Suh, Corey Williams, Nick Fairley and Sammie Lee Hill. This might be one of the strengths of the Lions’ team, and there really is no real comparison, as the Lions are simply a much more talented group.

The Lions will ride the quarterback, wide receiver and defensive tackle positions during the 2012 season, as these positions are the driving force to their success. Coming into the 2012 season, they are much more talented at these positions than are the Vikings.