2011 Detroit Lions: Year of "Matt Stafford" or the Lions as a Team?

It has been a long, long time since anyone has had hope for the Detroit Lions. 

It isn't because we haven't had good or even great players (Barry Sanders) in the past, but because we have lacked a "team". 

We've had bursts of brilliant players but then not much in terms of team support.  This is not really the fault of the players.  The finger lays directly with the GMs and coaches who could never get the right mix of players on the field or the right culture to put together a solid season.

Things have changed since Martin and Schwartz entered Ford Field.

They have purposefully brought in "outside" veteran players to boost the morale and raise the expectations of the other players.  They knew that to help the Lions become truly competitive, it had to start with how they perceived themselves to be as a team.

Schwartz knows too that you can have a team full of star-quality players and not have a good season.  You can also have a team of some stars but mostly just very solid players and win the Super Bowl. 

The difference is in how they work together to bring out the best in everyone.

We all began to see the impact that a shift in perspective can bring to the Detroit Lions win column last season.  The Lions had it rough with their star QB going down and several key players injured.  So did many other teams. 

The light that seemed to finally go on in the final surge of the season was that it didn't ultimately matter who was out of the game, it matter that those in the game played their best as a team.

They showed their fans that they could win no matter who was on the field.  More importantly, they showed themselves.

So, it should go to show that it doesn't matter all that much how the draft or free-agency turns out.  We will still have our Detroit Lions.  They just need to keep the light on.

Several analysts have picked up on what is and has been happening in Detroit.

It started when Terry Bradshaw called the Lions the "best 6-10 team in the league".  But it hasn't stopped there.

As reported by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, NFL Network analyst Charlie Casserly, agrees that the Lions are legitimate.  He focused on our starting QB, Matthew Stafford.

“I think, if Stafford can give them 16 games a year, then this is a team that won’t be long before they’re contending for a playoff spot,” Cassely said. “He’s a terrific player. I think he’s better than Sanchez. I think he’s better than Flacco.”

That statement does not suggest to me that it is just about Stafford.  He is a key player, yes, but he is also part of Detroit's effort to solidify and become a championship team, together.

Another prop for the Lions came from Peter Schrager, writer for FoxSports.com, when he compiled his top three teams to watch for in 2011.  The Detroit Lions was one of the three.

  "The Lions? Really? You bet. After starting out the season 2-10, the Lions won their final four games in 2010 to finish 6-10. Perhaps more impressive than the four-game winning streak was the fact that the Lions beat playoff-contending teams on the road in back-to-back games in December."

Schrager attributes the success to players like Suh, who helped our defense become more formidable, but, he also rests their continued success on Stafford.

"In 2011, a lot will be riding on the arm (shoulder, really) of franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford.  If Stafford can stay healthy, I think 2011 could be his – and the Lions’ – breakthrough year."

Of course by now most are aware that Trent Green on NFL Total Access picked Stafford to be his "breakout quarterback of 2011."

In the end, though, Ndamokung Suh, got it right during his NFL live chat on March 7th.  He too thinks the "sky is the limit" with a healthy Stafford, but when asked if the Lions had a chance to win the NFC North in 2011, this was his reply –

"Without question. We just need to continue to work hard throughout the offseason and in camp. We finished better in the last four games, and i saw a continuous desire in our team to win games throughout the season. There was fight from the first day through the end of the season."

Suh could have focused on what he brought to the Lions, which we would all understand, but instead, he focused on the "team".

Doesn't it really comes down to the saying, "a team is only as good as it's weakest player"? 

In this case, I would submit that we look at "weakest" meaning who is the least invested in "bringing it" everyday, every down, as a member of this Detroit Lions team.  That would be our weakest player, even if they are our best athlete.  They have to believe in themselves and they have to believe in their team.

Mayhew and Schwartz know this to be true.  It is one of the reasons they cleaned house when they arrived and why they don't just focus on getting the "star" athletes in the draft. 

If you are a mid to late round player who has the desire to win and the drive to excel with your team, that's a better pick than a first rounder who just wants to be the main attraction.  All of this applies to free agency as well. 

My belief is that the Lions, as a team, will earn their way to the NFC North championship this season.

2011 will be the "Year of the Lions" because they understand that they have to function as a unit, as a team. Ever since the lights went on and they realized they were winners, they have fought to be just that.

This season may their lights be on and shining right into the eyes of every opponent they face.