How Detroit Lions' Offense, Defense Match Up with NFC North in 2015
The road to the postseason is paved with divisional victories. For the Detroit Lions, that entails navigating the rather treacherous NFC North waters.
The Lions are a stocked team. They have talent on every level of the defense with an offense that's looking to get out of neutral in 2015.
But how do they matchup with the foes they'll encounter for six of their 16 games? Click through to find out.
Chicago Bears Defense
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The Detroit offense was sputtering through two road games when the Chicago Bears provided a soft landing. After averaging 7.5 points against the Cardinals and Patriots, the Lions exploded for 34 points.
Chicago opted to change course rather than sail on with the same skipper after a disastrous season. The Bears brought in head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to head up the rebuilding project.
They were also able to add a couple of pieces this summer. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee was an undercover superstar for the Baltimore Ravens, racking up 24 quarterback hits and 40 hurries, per Pro Football Focus. And safety Antrel Rolle will bring some much-needed stability to the back end.
But it will take a couple of years before the rest of the unit catches up. The foundation may be laid, but if Detroit's revamped offensive line is slightly better than last season's unit, this matchup will continue to be a mismatch.
Chicago Bears Offense
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Maybe this is the year that Jay Cutler's mental game matches up with his physical talent. It's also possible that the American health care system will get sorted out and the national budget will be balanced this fall.
Possibly, but all of that is as likely as Charlie Batch leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Super Bowl.
Chicago has the playmakers on the outside (Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett) and in the backfield (Matt Forte) to hurt any defense, so the key for Detroit will be remaining stout up front. The Bears boast only two offensive linemen who finished without below-average to horrible grades and must replace longtime center Roberto Garza.
Cornerback Darius Slay had a particularly good game against Chicago last year, tackling well on short screens and being sticky down the field. If he and Rashean Mathis can keep Jeffery in check, the front seven should be able to bottle up the running game.
Minnesota Vikings Defense
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The Minnesota Vikings showed a lot of faith in Everson Griffen, rewarding him with a $42.5 million contract prior to last season, per Spotrac.com. At that point, he'd never had more than eight sacks or 27 tackles.
That faith was vindicated in a big way. Griffen finished the 2014 season with 12 sacks and 40 quarterback hurries. More importantly, he formed an effective bookend combo with Brian Robison, who added 37 hurries of his own.
Those two only make cornerback Xavier Rhodes better, which is a scary proposition. As Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus wrote recently, Rhodes had a four-game run where he "allowed only seven receptions for 54 yards, while notching seven pass breakups and one interception."
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson will have his hands full, as will the offensive line. Detroit must establish the run to keep Rhodes and safety Harrison Smith on their toes. Otherwise, it could be a long day for an offense that mustered just 33 points in two games against Minnesota last season.
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Minnesota Vikings Offense
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The Lions know running back Adrian Peterson well.
The 2012 NFL MVP has torched Detroit at times, though one of their more recent meetings was much closer. Aside from his game-opening 78-yard touchdown, he was held to 15 yards on his 17 other carries.
Peterson will need his offensive line to find itself again to come anywhere near that total again. Detroit's front seven is still stacked with run-stuffers, especially with the return of linebacker Stephen Tulloch.
It's likely the battle will come down to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's offensive tackles against defensive end Ezekiel Ansah and whomever Detroit uses to create pressure opposite him (Larry Webster?). Ansah turned offensive tackle Matt Kalil into a turnstile last year, lighting him up for three sacks and three quarterback hurries. That type of effort will be crucial to take down the division's preseason darling.
Green Bay Packers Defense
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The Green Bay Packers have last year's MVP, but he doesn't play defense.
Instead, they almost exclusively rely on linebacker Clay Matthews. Per fellow Bleacher Reporter Zach Kruse, no Packer besides Matthews has recorded 7.5 sacks or more since 2008 (Aaron Kampman).
Detroit can attack the Packers through the air and on the ground. The latter will be the focus in order to bring Green Bay's young defensive backs up so QB Matthew Stafford can throw over the top of them.
Well, so long as Matthews doesn't end up on top of him. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers moved him inside to help defend the run last season, and it's likely the Packers'll move him around on passing downs.
Green Bay Packers Offense
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Speaking of QB Aaron Rodgers, he still plays for Green Bay, and he'll be a problem for Detroit as long as that's the case.
Give him room, you're toast. Detroit will have to work out the kinks in its pass rush long before its first showdown in Week 10, or the streak that shall not be named will continue.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will have to get creative with his deployments to create confusion along the line. Green Bay has put up a strong wall around Rodgers, limiting his exposure to 28 sacks last season.
Unfortunately, the running game has become as dangerous as the passing attack. Running back Eddie Lacy will be tough to contain, but Detroit's stout front seven will provide a great test for him.
All advanced stats are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
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.
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