Detroit Lions Fans: Throw Caution to the Wind

I just finished reading Dean Holden's fine article "Detroit Lions Fans Should Temper Their Expectations Before Getting Ahead of Themselves."

Nope, I'm not ticked off at Dean because he does present some good points:

1. The possibility the Lions beat two teams that were good last year.
2. The offensive line still is questionable
3. No consistent run production
4. The defensive line, while effective, isn't the dominate force we were expecting

But I am in the camp to throw caution to the wind.  I heard too many good things about the Lions that has me whistling the Allman Brother's "Revival" and singing "Lions Fans can you feel it, winning is in the air!

Statistically, where are the Lions after two games?

Ranked eighth in the NFL in total offense, sixth in passing and second in scoring.  To Dean's point, the Lions aren't ranked as high in rushing statistics but they are ranked 12th in the league, tied with a team that is know for it's running game, the Baltimore Ravens.

As for the defense?  They rank seventh in the league, giving up 291 yards per game, 13th against the run, allowing 103.5 yards per game, a surprising seventh against the pass with teams throwing 187.5 yards per game against them. 

The best stat?  They are second in the NFL giving up only 11.5 points in two games.

All right, I will admit statistics being skewed as only two games have been played.  But there is no denying that over those two games, they were games the Lions should be expected to win.

Improvement, marked improvement began last year in the very first regular season game against the Bears.  Despite the loss of Matthew Stafford, the Lions showed the rest of the league they were still a team to contend with.

In a season where it could have spiraled downward and quick, the Lions rallied at the end of the year and got some really big monkeys of their backs.  They won on the road and they ended the season with four straight wins.

Forward to this year (forgetting about the NFL strike) and naturally, there were some questions:

Will Matthew Stafford stay healthy this year?  As Dean says, Stafford has proven to be the primary difference between this year and last but again, only two games have been played.  And while Stafford has yet to be sacked, he has taken some hits. 

But Stafford is one tough hombre and has a killer instinct that the Detroit Lions haven't seen since Bobby Layne. An example is when the Lions came back at halftime against Kansas City, Stafford let his team know it was his intention to keep attacking.

And thus, the leadership emerges, keeping the pedal to the metal until the final gun sounds.

Defensive coordinators have seen the kinds of throws Stafford has made, into windows that few quarterbacks can make which puts Stafford is some pretty elite company.  Brady, Peyton, Rodgers...Stafford?

Because of the throws he has proven he can make, he running game will come around eventually.  Coordinators will be drawing up plays to blitz Stafford, stop Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson and want them to run the ball.

This is where the offensive line must pick it up.  Jahvid Best has shown he can run, he just needs the smallest of opening to be able to pop 10 and 15 yard runs to move the chains and the clock.

When LeShoure comes back next year, that portion of the Lions offense will only get better.  And I predict the Lions will be looking mainly at offensive line players in the 2012 Draft.

As for the defense, while the defensive line may not be living up to our high expectations, as a unit, they have played very well.  Chris Houston already has two interceptions and Eric Wright is out to show the rest of the NFL that they were wrong about him.

Linebackers Stephen Tulloch and Justin Durant have added some much needed run support and have been effective in pass defense as well.

As for that defensive line, I believe they will rise to the occasion when needed.  Watch for them get after Donavon McNabb this Sunday against the Vikings.

Super Bowl this year?  I don't think so.  But I do see the Lions contending for the NFC North division title and making some noise in the playoffs.

I understand that Dean doesn't want his city to set themselves up for major disappointment.  Tells me that he cares deeply for his city and the Lions.

And while it may seem easy for me to say throw caution to the wind since I'm 3,000 miles away, I still feel the same disappointment as any Lion fan would.

Me, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and I'm gonna cheer until my lungs give out, disappointment be damned.

Go get em Lions!