Ranking the 10 Most Important Players for the Detroit Lions This Season

It was a disappointing start to a season with a ton of promise.

It's just one game, but the Detroit Lions' 33-28 loss to the San Diego Chargers is a tough pill to swallow.

The Lions jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the second quarter, but the offense went silent and the Chargers scored 30 unanswered points to finish off the comeback win.

If the team hopes to make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in more than 20 years, the Lions will need these 10 players to step up.

No. 10: Rashean Mathis

Rashean Mathis has served as a mentor to the stable of young cornerbacks on Detroit's roster.

In the video above, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin lauds Mathis' veteran leadership and calls his value "off the charts."

There is no doubt that Mathis is a valuable player to have in the locker room, but it's time to question whether he's lost a step.

Against the Chargers, Mathis gave up nine catches on 11 targets, according to Pride of Detroit.

Mathis told Justin Rogers of MLive Media Group that Keenan Allen, who Mathis covered most of the game, was getting open on simple routes.

"Just running inside routes and we've got to make plays when our number is called," Mathis said. "I had a few of them, just basic routes that we see every day. It wasn't anything special."

With no other real options on the outside, the 34-year-old has to be better going forward, or it's going to be a long season for Mathis.

No. 9: Stephen Tulloch

Stephen Tulloch is another veteran leader on this team.

He suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 of the 2014 season. Like Mathis, the middle linebacker looked slow against the Chargers. He missed three tackles and wasn't sharp in pass coverage.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press wrote that Tulloch's performance against the Chargers was abysmal. 

"According to Pro Football Focus, Tulloch allowed nine catches on nine pass attempts against the Chargers. He got beat in coverage on Stevie Johnson's third-quarter touchdown and allowed a 147.7 passer rating for the game," Birkett writes.

With Ndamukong Suh gone, the Lions need Tulloch to be a leader of the defense both on and off the field.

No. 8: Golden Tate

Some viewed the Golden Tate signing as an overpay prior to the 2014 season.

The wide receiver is proving his contract to be a real bargain.

Tate recorded career highs in catches and yards last season and finished with 99 for 1,331. His ability to keep defenses honest is supposed to give Calvin Johnson more open looks, but Megatron only had four targets against the Chargers.

Still, Tate is a dynamic player, and his ability to shred defenses is valuable to a Lions offense that has the spotlight on them this season.

His ability to take a 15-yard grab to the house, like the video shows, can help turn momentum around in a hurry.

No. 7: Ezekiel Ansah

With Suh gone, the team needs Ansah to live up to the superstar potential the organization saw in him when they drafted him No. 5 overall in 2013.

He's improved every year he's been in the NFL and is one of the better pass-rushing defensive ends in the league.

Despite that, he hasn't racked up many sacks in his career. He recorded one against the Chargers, but Ansah needs to continue turning pressure into sacks moving forward.

No. 6: Darius Slay

In 2014, Slay cemented his status as one of the bright young corners in the league.

For the Lions to be successful, Slay needs to emerge as a star of the defense. He has the makings of a shutdown corner and gives the team athleticism and speed.

If he makes the same type of jump that he did from his rookie to sophomore season, then the sky is the limit for Slay.

As the video shows, Slay's biggest improvement came from the mental aspect of the game. 

No. 5: Calvin Johnson

The team has to find a way to get Calvin Johnson the football.

The Lions held the veteran out of preseason in order to keep him healthy. Yet he was only targeted four times against the Chargers. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has to find a better way to utilize one of the most dominant receivers in NFL history.

Even if teams are throwing multiple defenders at him, Johnson has proven the ability to come down with the catch. In the video, Johnson makes a spectacular catch in triple coverage.

No. 4: Ameer Abdullah

The Lions are hoping Ameer Abdullah can provide the team something it hasn't had in a long time: an electric playmaker out of the backfield.

Fans are hoping that the rookie running back can live up to the hype, which is something Jahvid Best and Reggie Bush failed to do.

Abdullah had an excellent debut and took his first carry of his professional career 24 yards for a touchdown.

He offers Detroit a versatile running back with sure hands and the ability to hit a home run.

No. 3: Haloti Ngata

Some were worried when the veteran defensive tackle sat out the preseason with a lingering injury.

It didn't seem wise to hold out a player that is learning a new scheme and trying to build chemistry with new teammates. Yet Haloti Ngata looked pretty good in his Detroit debut and drew double teams most of the afternoon.

As mentioned in the above video, Ngata has only missed nine games in his career, which is good for a line that doesn't have much experience behind the All-Pro.

The 31-year-old replaces Suh in the middle of Detroit's defensive line, but expecting him to fill those shoes is a tall task. For the Lions to be successful, Ngata has to do what he does best: stop the run and draw double teams to allow teammates to get to the quarterback.

No. 2: DeAndre Levy

The Lions had a choice to make following the 2012 season. Either re-sign DeAndre Levy or Justin Durant to fill an outside linebacker spot.

The team chose Levy.

It turned out to be the right choice, as Levy continues to emerge into a star at linebacker and is proving to be the heart and soul of the Lions defense.

He's a versatile, three-down linebacker with the ability to stop the run and defend the pass. In the video, he shows off his ability to blitz the quarterback and lay down a huge hit.

He missed the team's first game with an injury, and the team lists him as doubtful for Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. After giving up over 400 yards of total offense to the Chargers, the Lions need Levy to return in a hurry to anchor their defense.

No. 1: Matthew Stafford

The Lions will go as far as their quarterback takes them.

Matthew Stafford has a big arm but hasn't lived up to his No. 1 draft pick status yet.

He suffered an elbow injury against the Chargers that led to him feeling numbness in his fingers. He remained in the game, but his throws were clearly affected by the issue. 

Stafford has shown toughness throughout his career, but not reporting the seriousness of his injury to the coaching staff wasn't smart.

As the MLive Media Group reporters discuss in the video, all Stafford did was hurt his team by trying to make throws he clearly couldn't make with the injury.

Getting him healthy is essential because if he misses any time, the team's playoff hopes will essentially be squashed.