Detroit Lions: 5 Surprising Facts About the 2011 Season

The Detroit Lions are off to a 3-0 start to begin the 2011 NFL season. They have won games in seemingly every way possible.

From a close game against the Bucs, to a blowout of the Chiefs and an epic comeback against the Vikings. These wins are quickly making believers out of the masses.

This quick start is not entirely shocking, but it is somewhat surprising. In the preseason the Lions were still generally considered the third best team in the division behind the Packers and Bears.

Let's look at the five most surprising aspects of the Lions 2011 campaign so far.

5. Jason Hanson Has Been Perfect

Hanson has been one of the most consistent kickers in this league for the better part of two decades.

After an MCL injury that cost him half of last season, questions began to arise about his career and whether Dave Rayner would win the starting job in this preseason.

Hanson proved the doubters wrong. He won back his job and is now a perfect 8 for 8 to start the season. That includes two kicks from 50+ yards, an area where he had only made four kicks during the last two seasons combined.

4. The Secondary Has Played Great

The Lions secondary is not considered to be exceptionally talented, but the unit has played well beyond expectations during the first three weeks of the regular season.

Detroit is currently giving up an average of 188 passing yards a game, which is good for fourth best in the NFL.

The hope was that the pass rush generated by Suh and the defensive line would make it easier for the defensive backs and so far this plan appears to be working. The team has eight sacks, four interceptions and five forced fumbles in just three games.

3. Jahvid Best Is Second on the Team in Receiving Yards

Everyone knows Calvin Johnson is the No. 1 weapon and favorite target for quarterback Matthew Stafford. He has 225 receiving yards and six touchdowns so far this season.

What is surprising is that the player on the team with the second most receptions and yards is Jahvid Best.

Best has 15 catches for 182 yards. Granted, a third of those yards came on one reception, but the fact that he has more yards than Nate Burleson, Titus Young or Brandon Pettigrew is unexpected to say the least.

2. Detroit Has Absolutely No Running Game

The Lions have struggled to run the ball in recent years, but this year the rushing attack was supposed to at least marginally improve.

The loss of rookie Mikel LeShoure in the preseason was an obvious setback, but with the additions of Jerome Harrison and Keiland Williams, Detroit thought they had sufficient complements to Jahvid Best.

As it stands now, none of them have produced out of the backfield. It was noted earlier that Best is second on the team in receiving yards with 182. That is a full 39 yards better than his 143 rushing yards.

None of the three aforementioned backs are averaging better than 2.9 yards a carry and none of them have a rush greater than 14 yards.

Detroit currently ranks 26th in the league with 78 rushing yards per game.

1. The Lions Are 3-0!

The most surprising aspect of the Lions start may also be the most obvious: the team is 3-0.

Detroit has beaten two playoff caliber teams from a season ago (Buccaneers, Chiefs) and one team in which they had to overcome a 20-point deficit (Vikings.)

The Lions are not perfect and it was hard to imagine that they would be undefeated at this point.

The passing attack has been particularly brilliant with Stafford throwing for 977 yards and nine touchdowns.

Calvin Johnson is already breaking records, becoming the first receiver in NFL history to record two touchdown receptions in each of the first three games of an NFL season.

Detroit now must prepare for a tough part of their schedule. First, a road game against the Dallas Cowboys and then a Monday Night Football game at home against the Chicago Bears.