Washington Redskins Vs Detroit Lions: Lions FC Tackles Pregame Qs for Redskins

Since beginning these pregame interviews a few weeks ago with Packers FC Zach Kruse I have been able to get some great answers and reactions from other featured columnists wanting to take part in this little project.

This week it was even easier.

Lions FC Dean Holden was approached by Kruse as well. When I emailed him, asking if he'd like to take part he was all over it and was actually in the process of contacting me as well.

The Redskins fans look over the Lions a lot of times and I am not one of those people. On any given Sunday, anything can happen. The Lions are a team that can get on a streak and surprise any team in the NFL.

FC Holden was nice enough to answer five questions that Redskins fans should be thinking about before Sunday.

Brandon Keener: Jahvid Best started off the season very strong. I was seeing his highlights on ESPN all the time. Was this simply a rookie running back having his way with defenses because they did not know how he’d react to the NFL or did his production fall off? Is he still having the kind of season the Lions expected from him?

Dean Holden: Jahvid Best, along with most of the Lions offense, has been difficult to gauge because of injury. He started the season with a mild turf toe injury, then suffered a more severe case of the same injury on his other foot against Minnesota.

In other words, Best has been running on two bad feet. He’s playing through the pain (turf toe is generally more of a painful injury than a damaging one, but it does linger), but you can tell his cuts haven’t been as sharp, and he’s having some trouble when he’s not given space to maneuver.

Still, Best has done enough to show Lions fans that the talent and ability are there, he just needs to get healthy, and the offensive line has to do a better job of run blocking. Given the bye week to rest, which is the best treatment for his kind of injury, his performance against the Redskins will need to be one of his stronger ones this season. The Lions are already relying on him as a primary offensive weapon.

BK: Is Matthew Stafford really healthy and ready to go or are they pushing him to get back on the field quickly?

DH: Jim Schwartz, an apple from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, believes in never telling anyone anything, especially about injuries. Because of that, it’s frankly impossible to say for sure where Stafford’s health is.

That being said, there are two signs pointing to him being truly ready to go. First, he was in pads in Week 6 against the Giants. When it looked like Drew Stanton, the Lions No .3 quarterback, was injured and might not be able to continue, Stafford took the field. Stanton was cleared to come back in, and Stafford didn’t take any snaps, but the fact that he could have means he was at least 70-80 percent at that point.

Secondly, Stafford threw a 70-yard pass in practice last week (and completed it), for no other purpose than just to do it. For a guy with an injury to his throwing shoulder, that kind of throw seems to indicate that he’s doing okay.

BK: Obviously Calvin Johnson is a big problem for a our secondary. Which other Lions receiver or tight end should we be worried about?

DH: It’s difficult to say who the targets will be against the Redskins, because we haven’t really had a chance to see which of his new targets Stafford prefers in game action.

That being said, Nate Burleson has come on fairly strong after returning from a high ankle sprain, and seems to have made himself a legitimate threat alongside Calvin Johnson. He can be a big-play threat, and he has touchdown catches in both games since returning from injury.

However, Brandon Pettigrew might be a bigger threat than even Calvin Johnson himself. Through six weeks, Pettigrew leads the team in receptions and is second in receiving yards. He has developed a bit of a hands issue (he also leads the team in drops), but when he hauls it in, he’s a strong possession threat, and can rumble for some yards after the catch.

BK: Did the Ernie Sims trade create some uncertainty at the linebacker position? Or are the three linebackers starting well enough to handle the job in his absence?

DH: Ultimately, most Lions fans understand that Ernie Sims did not fit the Lions defense as Jim Schwartz envisioned it. Sims was an ideal Tampa Two linebacker, and was drafted for that purpose. As the Tampa Two went, so went Sims.

That being said, the Lions current linebacker situation can only be described as utter turmoil. Julian Peterson has been steadily average at the strong side, but the middle and weakside spots have been revolving doors.

DeAndre Levy, the Lions standout and supposed starter at middle linebacker this year, has been battling a groin injury since the preseason, and has played in only one game in the regular season. His backup, Jordon Dizon, tore his ACL in the preseason.

Meanwhile, Zack Follett, Sims’ heir apparent, has already suffered a concussion this season, and suffered another scary head/neck injury against the Giants. And HIS backup, Landon Johnson, has also suffered a concussion this season.

The result has been the Lions running defensive sets with guys like Vinny Ciurciu, Isaiah Ekejiuba and Ashlee Palmer. The Lions also signed Dolphins castoff Bobby Carpenter, who may see some time this week.

In short, the Lions need help and health at the linebacker position…but you’ll still be hard-pressed to find someone who thinks keeping Sims was the right answer.

BK: Ndamukong Suh was a big name in this year's draft. Give me the top three things he bring to the Lions team and if he is living up to the hype.

DH: Three things Ndamukong Suh brings to the Lions?

Respect, leadership and pocket pressure.

Even those who don’t recognize the progress Detroit is making this year can recognize that Suh is a force not to be taken lightly. He sees more double-teams than any other member of the defense, and yet he leads all NFL interior linemen (not just rookies) in sacks with 4.5. The closest one to him is Giants DT Barry Cofield with three.

And that’s not even including one he had against Minnesota that was wiped out by a defensive penalty.

Suh works harder than any rookie I’ve seen in a long time (assisted by high-motor teammate Kyle Vanden Bosch), and he’s still learning the position, having only played six NFL games.

Yet it’s not unreasonable to put him already on the top tier of dominant defensive tackles. As part of his Pro Bowl-level statistical clip, Suh is on pace for 12 sacks in his rookie year, which is 3.5 more than Albert Haynesworth’s career high.

In terms of whether he’s living up to the hype?

Well, I projected that for a rookie defensive tackle in a still-shaky defensive system, three to five sacks would be a reasonably strong rookie year for him, no matter how good he is. Through six games, he has four-and-a-half sacks and an interception.

With years of losing seasons, the Lions have plenty of young talent that can put together a great play. Matthew Stafford is back and he brings his overly confident strong-arm throws. Calvin "Megatron" Johnson is literally a huge target. Jahvid Best is a running back that has blazing speed that can hardly be matched.

What does all this mean?

Sunday will be interesting.