6 Takeaways from Detroit Lions First Half of 2014 Season
The Detroit Lions hit their bye week at the halfway point of the season, taking a 6-2 record back to the den for some much-needed rest.
It's been an interesting 2014 season, to say the least. Somehow, some way these Lions sit atop the NFC North. In fact, if the season ended after Week 9, the Lions would be the NFC's No. 2 seed, trailing only Arizona.
The midway point is a good time for reflection. Head coach Jim Caldwell and his staff are self-scouting, trying to poise the team for a playoff push against a schedule that appears much tougher than the first-half slate.
Here are my top six takeaways from the first eight games.
Teryl Austin Was a Brilliant Hire
1 of 6
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is quickly proving he deserved the promotion from his positional coaching days in Baltimore and elsewhere.
In his first season running an NFL defense, Austin's troops are setting the league on fire. Detroit sits at or near the top in a bevy of statistical metrics:
- No. 1 in scoring defense
- No. 1 in yards per game
- No. 1 in yards per carry
- No. 2 in third-down conversion percentage
- No. 2 in QB Rating allowed
- No. 5 in sack percentage
His aggressive scheme has successfully invigorated a talented front that didn't consistently play up to expectations under head coach Jim Schwartz and Austin's predecessor Gunther Cunningham.
It's been a long time since Detroit fielded such a fearsome defense:
"The @Lions are #1 in total defense. The last time they finished a season #1 in total defense? 1965
— trey wingo (@wingoz) October 24, 2014"
There is always risk in turning over a unit to a relative naif, but Austin's experience at the college level and creative mind have proven the Lions made the right decision. If there was such an award, Austin would be the clubhouse leader for assistant coach of the year.
The Offensive Line Has Regressed
2 of 6
Amid several rather depressing developments on the offensive side of the ball, none is more disturbing than the decline in the play of the line.
The same five starters—left tackle Riley Reiff, left guard Rob Sims, center Dominic Raiola, right guard Larry Warford and right tackle LaAdrian Waddle—played so well in 2013. And the group was expected to pick right up where they left off, if not improve. After all, Warford and Waddle were rookies last year.
It has not happened.
Four of the five have experienced very real declines. Witness their Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grades from the two seasons:
| Player | 2014 | 2013 |
| Reiff | 1.5 | -1.3 |
| Sims | -3.3 | 0.2 |
| Raiola | -4.3 | 21.1 |
| Warford | 0.7 | 24.2 |
| Waddle | -1.5 | 5.5 |
The ones that really hurt are Raiola and Warford. While some slippage with the aging center was anticipated, his pass protection has gone over the cliff. Last year he allowed just one sack while playing every snap. He's already given up four in just half of 2014.
Warford's regression is even more baffling. He won PFF's Offensive Rookie of the Year, but the dominating War Daddy has often been missing in action this year. It's a good sign that the massive Kentucky product played his best against Atlanta, but that joy is tempered by the fact Reiff played his worst in London.
Some of the issues have been schematic; the complexity of the assignments has increased exponentially, and the players are still adjusting and learning. Waddle has missed half the season so far with a calf injury, and that hasn't helped either.
Still, this unit was supposed to be a lot better than it has been. If they get back to form in the second half, the Lions will be a much better team.
Golden Tate Saves the Offense
3 of 6
Free-agent wideout Golden Tate has been worth every penny of his five-year, $31 million contract he signed this offseason to join the Lions.
A year after the Lions offense came to a halt when Calvin Johnson missed even one play, Tate has proven he can carry the team to wins in games Megatron misses completely.
"Golden Tate is unbelievable. Seriously. I expected a lot out of him this season and he's so much better than that.
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) October 26, 2014"
His consistent production throughout the season has proven the one positive constant for Detroit's oft-sputtering offense.
| Number | NFL Rank | |
| Catches | 55 | 3rd |
| Yards | 800 | 3rd |
| YAC | 344 | 4th |
| First Downs | 32 | 5th |
His 59-yard touchdown catch and run helped spark the comeback in the Atlanta game, one week after his 73-yarder kickstarted the winning rally against New Orleans. Without Tate's heroics, the Lions surely would have lost both those games.
When Tate signed, Lions fans were hoping the former Seahawk could be a viable No. 2 to Johnson. He's proven he's a legit No. 1 receiver in his own right, and when Johnson returns the Lions offense will have two very scary weapons outside.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Kicking the Kickers
4 of 6
Last year, one of my biggest beefs with the Lions was in settling on David Akers as a stopgap replacement for legendary kicker Jason Hanson. Akers made just 19 of his 24 attempts, and the 39-year-old faded veteran was sent packing after just one year.
Oh, how I miss Akers!
Seventh-round pick Nate Freese got the first shot. He lasted three weeks, making just three of his seven attempts and appearing overwhelmed by the pressure.
Alex Henery got the next chance. Believe it or not, he was even worse than Freese. Henery missed four of his five attempts, including a potential game-winner against Buffalo. At this point it was already horrible:
"Here's how costly kicking has been in Detroit. @Lions have already missed 8 FGs this year. Only two teams missed more than 8 in all of 2013
— trey wingo (@wingoz) October 6, 2014"
Enter Matt Prater, who went to the Pro Bowl for Denver last year and set the NFL record for longest made field goal at 64 yards. He, too, got off to a rocky start:
"Prater misses wide left. Didn't look like a great snap/hold. Lions are now 4 of 13 kicking FGs. #DETvsMIN
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) October 12, 2014"
Prater has since made five of six, including the huge game-winner against Atlanta...after he initially missed it—a blunder wiped out by a fortuitous penalty.
It's hard to have confidence in Prater, though he does appear to have the job locked down for the rest of the season. Perhaps his big kick in London snaps the Lions' kicking snafu out of its funk. Lions fans can only hope and pray.
Jim Caldwell Was the Right Man
5 of 6
Caldwell wasn't the first name associated with the Lions coaching vacancy. As NFL.com noted back in January, Ken Whisenhunt was the "clear favorite" to succeed Jim Schwartz.
Whisenhunt opted instead to take the job in Tennessee. To quote the knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he chose poorly.
"Any #Lions fans still disappointed Ken Whisenhunt wasn't brought to Detroit? #Lions 6-2, #Titans 2-6.
— Paula Pasche (@paulapasche) October 26, 2014"
Detroit is quite happy with Caldwell. His calm demeanor and steady, reassuring presence has really struck the right chord with the players. He has earned their trust by trusting and believing in them, not berating or playing favorites like the prior regime.
His in-game tactical adjustments have keyed two comeback wins and allowed the Lions to put other close games away. It isn't always aesthetically pleasant, and his strange clock management draws questions, but the bottom line is the Lions are 6-2 and the arrow is pointing straight up for greater success.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press summed up Caldwell's first eight games nicely:
"Caldwell's impact on the locker room is impossible to deny. He earned the respect of players from Day 1 with his no-nonsense approach and has done his best to foster a locker-room bond. He's had some issues with game management, most notably late against the Falcons when he got too conservative. But so far those haven't cost the Lions.
"
His mettle will be tested coming out of the bye, as the next three opponents are all formidable:
- Miami (5-3)
- at Arizona (7-1)
- at New England (6-2)
This Time It's Different
6 of 6
Twice in recent years the Lions leapt out to strong starts, only to fizzle down the stretch.
The 2007 Lions fired out to 6-2, notching the sixth win with a 44-7 blowout over Denver. That group completely imploded, beating only a Kansas City team which finished 4-12 the rest of the way. Even worse, they lost all 16 games the next year.
In 2011, Detroit also hit the bye week at 6-2, by beating Denver 45-10. That group lost three of four coming out of the break, never really recovering from the loss of running back Jahvid Best to injury. Tight wins over Oakland and San Diego helped those Lions claw into the playoffs at 10-6, but it was no surprise when New Orleans whipped them in the Wild Card Round.
Why is this year different?
For starters, this group is going to get healthier once the games resume. Look at the list of players coming back who missed at least two games with various injuries:
- Calvin Johnson
- Reggie Bush
- Joseph Fauria
- Eric Ebron
- Brandon Pettigrew
- LaAdrian Waddle
In addition, second-round pick Kyle Van Noy will make his debut after missing the first half of the year with sports hernia surgery. While most teams are getting more banged up, the Lions are getting major reinforcements.
This group is making a habit of finding ways to win games, not lose them. Having a consistently solid defense facilitates that sort of thing, and Detroit's top-ranked defense is absolutely legit.
Beyond that, much of the core of this team is the same that went through the '11 demise. This time around, there are veterans with winning experience around to help them. Guys like James Ihedigbo, Tate and Bush have all won Super Bowls and bring wisdom and leadership to the table.
Also factoring in is that the NFC North is a lot easier, at least on paper. The Vikings are 4-5 but haven't beaten a team with more than three wins. Chicago sits at 3-5 after losing four of five and give up two full touchdowns per game more than the Lions, having lost every home game. Green Bay is dangerous at 5-3, but the Lions hold a head-to-head win and the conference tie-breaker with the Packers.
In short, these Lions are just getting started. In a year where the NFC appears wide open, why not Detroit?
All statistics and rankings are from NFL.com unless otherwise indicated. You can interact with Jeff on Twitter @JeffRisdon
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
