Best Twitter Buzz Surrounding the Detroit Lions Ahead of Season Opener

Can the Detroit Lions survive without DeAndre Levy?

It’s a question that the organization hopes it doesn’t have to answer, but just five days before the season opener, it’s looking like a challenge the team will have to tackle.

The star linebacker has missed over two weeks of practice with an undisclosed injury. The Lions spent Monday’s session prepping for their upcoming game against the San Diego Chargers and Levy continues to sit out of practice, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

The whispers are growing louder as fans and analysts question whether the 28-year-old will be healthy enough to play Sunday.

Losing Levy for any period of time would be disastrous for a defense that ranked No. 2 overall last year and relies heavily on the playmaking linebacker.

Leader of the defense

When the Lions lost Ndamukong Suh in free agency to the Miami Dolphins, Levy became arguably the team’s best defender.

The loss of Suh weighed heavily on the minds of some fans, but Levy told the Detroit News (via NFL.com) the defense would be all right moving forward.

"Suh didn't make the defense," Levy said. "We had a lot of guys last year playing their best football. Obviously, Suh is a very great player. He brought a lot to the table, but it's up to the guys up front to kind of embrace that challenge."

The front office recognized Levy’s importance to the defense and rewarded him with a four-year, $33.7 million extension in early August.

Guys like Suh, Darius Slay and Glover Quin played integral roles in making Detroit’s defense one of the most feared in the National Football League. Suh was a huge reason why the team ranked No. 1 overall in rushing defense.

The Lions held opponents to just 69.3 rushing yards per game, which led the No. 2 Denver Broncos by over 10 yards. Suh receives a ton of credit for stopping the run, but Levy is excellent in that department as well. According to Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus, Levy is an elite run-stopper:

"

In 2014, Levy took his game to another level, this time as a dominant presence against the run. His run-stop percentage of 14.1 percent dwarfed his previous season numbers and led the league among all outside linebackers. He heads into 2015 with the highest run-stop rating among linebackers at 90.1.

"

Suh and Quin received Pro Bowl invitations while voters snubbed Levy.

Despite the lack of recognition, Levy has played at an elite level for two consecutive seasons and ranks among the best linebackers in the NFL. He’s also a huge reason the Lions were able to go 11-5 and reach the playoffs in 2014. 

After a breakout campaign in 2013, Levy has developed into a three-down linebacker with the ability to blitz, stop the run and cover in the passing game.

Advanced Football Analytics ranked Levy as the 10th-best linebacker in the NFL last season. Among linebackers, Levy led the league with 122 tackles and was tied for second with 17 tackles for loss.

Without Suh, Levy’s availability is crucial for the Lions.

Lions are tight-lipped

Levy’s status should become clearer Wednesday when the team releases its first injury report.

Coach Jim Caldwell wouldn’t provide much detail on the potential seriousness of the injury, according to Nate Williams of Side Lion Report.

“We’re not going to talk about injuries,” Caldwell said. “We’re at that stage now that we’ll we have some sort of medical report here shortly on Wednesday I think it’s due. So at that time, we’ll indicate.”

When asked about Levy’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Chargers, Caldwell remained mum on the situation.

“Not certain,” Caldwell said. “He’s not out there today, there’s no guarantee.”

After reaching the playoffs as a wild-card team in 2014, the organization has aspirations of capturing the NFC North championship and winning its first playoff game since 1991.

The Lions have a difficult schedule to start the season, which includes a matchup against the Denver Broncos and a road game against the Seattle Seahawks. If Levy is out for a considerable amount of time, the Lions could end up taking a step back.

Stepping up

When the Lions lost Stephen Tulloch and Nick Fairley to injury last year, some felt the team wouldn’t be able to compensate for those absences.

Instead, players like Tahir Whitehead and C.J. Mosley filled in admirably and helped the team reach 11 wins.

After winning the starting outside linebacker job in training camp, Whitehead assumed Tulloch’s spot in the middle after the latter went down with a knee injury. He recorded 86 tackles and two interceptions after combining for just 20 tackles in 2012 and 2013.

Currently, the team is carrying an extra linebacker on the roster, and finding someone to step up is important if Levy misses time.

The uncertainty surrounding Levy’s status should be concerning for a fanbase hungry for continued on-field success.

Is the organization taking a cautious approach with its star linebacker? Would the potential absence of Levy derail a top-notch defense? Can Austin’s scheme ease that possible loss?

Can the Lions survive without Levy?