Why 2015 May Be Detroit Lions' Best Chance to Put All the Pieces Together

A confluence of events isn't conspiring to make the Detroit Lions champions. But there are a set of circumstances that have arisen to makes 2015 Detroit's best chance to win a Super Bowl as opposed to any following year.

Obviously, it doesn't mean that they will. A few teams have similar situations, and a few more don't need many things to break right to be contenders. Last year's New England Patriots would have been good without Darrelle Revis, but he made 2014 the year to strike.

Detroit doesn't have Revis, but it does have a few aces to play in what could be the top of the bell curve for this franchise.

Seasoned Signal-Caller

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Matthew Stafford has become as polarizing as his hopeful backup and his tight end.

Some see him taking a step forward this season as the offense becomes more familiar and opens up. Others wonder why there would be any difference after six years and 77 starts.

To the latter point, an improved running game drastically helped out another strong-armed slinger's numbers. Joe Flacco's quarterback rating improved nearly 18 points with the arrival of Gary Kubiak's run-first offense, per Bill Barnwell of Grantland, giving hope that Detroit's renewed dedication to the ground game will pay similar dividends.

While wins are often thrown around in bar arguments, they are not the ultimate statistic to determine a quarterback's worth. Nobody is going to convince me that Brad Johnson is a better quarterback than Dan Marino, but wins are the only stat that's usually discussed:

"

Listening to Detroit radio, and hearing that Cam Newton is a better QB than Stafford (he may be) because Cam has won a playoff game. (1/2)

— Scott Bischoff (@Bischoff_Scott) June 3, 2015"

Stafford has played well enough to win a playoff game in the past. The three interceptions in two games are outweighed by a 66-percent combined completion percentage with 703 yards and 4 touchdowns. Now he needs to stay consistent while keeping those interceptions down and trust the rest of his team to do its job.

Austin Will Keep It Weird

Lions fans felt like they won the lottery when news leaked that the Atlanta Falcons had passed on Teryl Austin, keeping the defensive coordinator cooped up in Detroit.

And that's exactly why this is the season to strike. If Austin's defense ranks close to last year's despite the well-documented losses, the probability of him getting a chance to spread his coaching wings and soar will rise dramatically:

"

#Lions DC Teryl Austin at No. 8, but No. 1 head coaching candidate --> Ranking the top 20 coordinators across the NFL http://t.co/8hbZIQ3GId

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) June 24, 2015"

Every starter except for Haloti Ngata and his eventual trench mate is back, allowing Austin the ability to build on the schemes of last year and create wrinkles.

His attacking philosophy still has some firepower up front, a solid but aging secondary and smart, tough linebackers. Plus, he's presumably spent the past few months figuring out ways to deploy Kyle Van Noy to offset the loss of interior penetration.

Austin has proven to be a capable coordinator. Nailing this challenge will qualify him for a higher pay level and more responsibility, wherever he may find it.

One Last Charge

Tyrunn Walker came to Detroit because of Austin's aggressive scheme. He also only inked a one-year deal with the aim of locking in a multi-year, big money deal after showing off his explosiveness in a defense well suited to exploit it.

He's not the only Lion playing for a new contract.

Player	Age	Avg. Salary
Haloti Ngata	31	$12.1M
Tyrunn Walker	25	$1.75M
DeAndre Levy	28	$3.25M
LaAdrian Waddle	24	$498K
James Ihedigbo	31	$1.575M
Jason Jones	29	$3.1M
Tahir Whitehead	25	$578K

Stephen Tulloch could also be on the chopping block. He'll be 31 after next season and could represent $6 million in cap savings should Detroit need it, per Spotrac.

And Calvin Johnson is entering potentially unfriendly territory. Larry Fitzgerald's output dropped significantly when he turned 29 and stayed down. Andre Johnson's career arc has been considerably more forgiving, churning out 1,200-plus yards three times after his 30th birthday.

Every one of these guys is fighting a different battle for a different cause. They all, however, have extra motivation to make 2015 special, especially a defense that's heard all offseason how far it'll fall without Ndamukong Suh.

None of the above means this could be the last chance for the Lions to win a title soon. But 2015 could represent their best shot because things have a way of changing, and there likely won't be many future chances without serious progress this year.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.