Detroit Lions: 9 Reasons for the Lions Success in 2011

The 2011 version of the Detroit Lions is without question the best we’ve seen in many years.  Gone are the days of fans anxiously awaiting the ticket sales announcement on Thursday afternoons, declaring the Lions are only “a few thousand” short.  Hoping Art Van or some other altruistic group buys up the remaining seats so the fiscally challenged fans of Metro Detroit can gather around the TV for another Lions debacle.

Most of the time, the rabid lemmings (myself included) were disappointed and left with Mark Champion referencing blessed fish (Holy Mackerel!) and Jim Brandstatter breathing despondently into his microphone down in the locker room after another defeat.

Sidenote:  I think Dan Miller and Brandstatter do a very nice job on the call now.

Oh how the times have changed.  Fans now have to WAIT IN LINE to get tickets.  Scalpers are actually profiting from the early success and the corporate seats that used to go empty because you couldn’t even GIVE them away, now are fought for as though they are backstage passes to a Victoria’s Secret Christmas Special.

How has this Lions team got off to the perfect 4-0 start?  Were the Mayans right?  Is the Apocalypse coming?  For the sake of all our children, let’s hope not.  I can attribute the perfect quarter pole mark to nine factors.  Here they are…

Front Office

Remember the movie where the nerdy girl replaces her glasses with contacts, gets the makeover and poof…Playmate?!  That’s exactly what happened at Allen Park headquarters.  When The Mustache was finally, and I do mean finally, shown the door and left for Pennsylvania to push a lathe on his latest woodworking masterpiece, the players started rolling in. 

In the past three drafts, the Lions have had 13 draft picks in the first four rounds.  Of those 13, nine are contributing every Sunday and seven are starters.  If you allow me a bit of levity and assume Nick Fairley and Mikel Leshoure will help this team in the future, that’s 11 of 13 picks contributing.

Go ahead and toss in last year's seventh round pick Willie Young who ended the Cowboys last-minute comeback with a sack of Tony Romo.  That’s how franchises are built, solid picks early and a couple unpolished diamonds late.

Martin Mayhew is working with his scouting department and taking the advice of the men they pay to study film for a living.  Gone are the days of wasting high draft choices on difference-makers like Brian Calhoun and Mike “you gonna eat that?” Williams.

Head Coach

Damn it, I like this guy.

Jim Schwartz is a young energetic head coach, but at the same time, old-school and accountable.  He can drop an off-key version of Guns N' Roses' Night Train and then explain how the B-gap stunt caused the quarterback to throw the ball into the wrong passing window.

Being an Economics major myself, I appreciate his analytical work that goes beyond the singularly dimensional rah-rah coach or intimidator Detroit has suffered through in the past.  Here's a taste of what Schwartz is doing behind the scenes from Slate.com:

When reviewing game film, Schwartz uses a simple grading system: He gives a plus (positive impact), a minus (negative impact), or a zero (no impact) to each player on each play. "You take those and then you can push them into an equation," he says. "You basically have an 11-variable equation and the result is yards gained. Over the season, over 1,000 plays, you can isolate a variable." Schwartz hopes to use his data to make personnel decisions: If a minus play by a defensive lineman costs the team on average more yards than a minus play by a linebacker, then perhaps linemen should be more of a priority in the draft or free agency.

Guess that explains why Schwartz was in Kyle Vanden Bosch's driveway minutes after free agency began.  This does not sound like a guy who will have his team less prepared than the opponent. 

I've discussed Schwartz in the past and feel he is the absolute perfect fit for this team and town.  He is the front-runner for Coach of the Year and his former boss, Bill Belichick loves him.  That's enough for me.

Matthew Stafford

The biggest difference between last year and this is No. 9.

The third year quarterback from Georgia is making anyone who thought Mark Sanchez or Josh Freeman were better prospects look more foolish than Snooki after a few cocktails.

Matthew Stafford has been everything the Lions hoped for when he signed his $78 million dollar contract. He is seventh or better in virtually all passing statistics and third in touchdowns thrown, trailing only Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers; not bad company.

What was his worst game so far?  Stafford had a rough start to his homecoming at Cowboys Stadium, finishing the game 21-of-43 for 240 yards, two TDs and one INT.  Those types of numbers will get him a plaque at Cobo Hall in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame; this guy is much better than that and should have his sights set on a bust in Canton.

A hideous yellow blazer in his closet is still VERY debatable, but he is the unquestioned leader of Scott Linehan’s offense and more importantly the leader of this team.  Find me a Super Bowl Champion without a leader at quarterback.  Go ahead I’ll wait...yeah, never.  I’m not saying they must be the MVP, just have that “it” that makes others follow.

With all the physical tools you could ask for in a quarterback and Jim Schwartz recognizing him as “the smartest” player he has ever coached; there should be no limitations on how good Stafford can be.

Calvin Johnson

This guy will be the new measuring stick for all wide receivers that follow.  Bold statement?  Yes.  As Tom Cruise said, holding Flipper the goldfish in Jerry Maguire, “who’s coming with me?” 

Houston Texans WR Andre Johnson is.  Check out his compliments of Calvin on Dan Lebatard’s radio show on 790 The Ticket in Miami:

LeBatard: Are you the best wide receiver in football? 
Johnson: “No. I’m not the best [laughs]. 
LeBatard: “Come on who is better?” 
Johnson: “There’s a lot of great guys out there man. I’m a fan of the game. You look at ... I’m a big fan of Calvin. Calvin Johnson. Right now I would probably say he is the best.” 
Dan LeBatard: “He's taller than you?” 
Johnson: “He’s a pretty big guy. He’s a very talented guy. He’s my favorite guy from a fan perspective from the outside looking in.” 

This interview was done prior to Week 2.  What do you think he'd say now?

As Johnson re-writes the record books with the same frequency as the Duggar’s procreate, defensive coordinators are wringing their hands and slamming 5 Hour Energy as they scrutinize the daunting task of minimizing the damage caused by Megatron.

Make no mistake, without his red-zone dominance; the Lions are 2-2 or possibly 1-3 and the Super Bowl chatter is replaced with “same old Lions.”

The best part is, he’s getting better.  His routes are more precise, he’s winning the game within the game with cornerbacks.  My favorite improvement?  He’s playing with a ferocious attitude that we have not seen in years prior where he was playing out the string and longingly eyeing his free-agency window.  He knows his time is now.

Ndamukong Suh

My name is Suh! How do you do?  Now you’re gonna die!

Ok, maybe Johnny Cash didn’t have Ndamukong in mind when he wrote his famous song “A Boy Named Sue.”  Hell, he wasn't even born; but it certainly does fit.

The second-year defensive tackle is a tick behind his torrid statistical rookie season of 66 tackles and 10 sacks, but he is still public enemy No. 1 for all opposing offensive coordinators and doomed quarterbacks.

The double-teams comes early and often for Suh and thanklessly he takes on the assignment.  He is the focal point of the Lions’ front-four that the defense is built around.

He has brought back a swagger to a defense that could have been mistaken for a pinball machine over the past few years.  Ranking last in scoring and yards the year prior to Suh’s arrival, the 2010 defense shot to 19^th in point scored and 21^st in yards. 

Through four games this year they’re even better at eighth in points and 11^th in yards.  Add in the league’s third best interception total of seven and it’s tangible the results No. 90 has created.  

Linebackers

The starting linebackers for the first contest of 2010 were DeAndre Levy, Julian Peterson and Zack Follett.  A second-year outside backer, playing in the middle, an over-the-hill paycheck-cashing former 49er and a seventh round pick who’s heart is infinitely greater than his talent were the best the Lions had to offer.

Flash forward 12 months and the linebacking corps of Justin Durant, Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy have offenses worrying not only about the front-four, but the front-seven as a whole.

Jim Schwartz agrees.

"Bringing in Durant, Stephen Tulloch and having a healthy DeAndre Levy, we know we have good linebackers," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "I think our front seven is much improved, mainly because the linebackers are much improved." 

The three have combined for more than 35 percent of the total team tackles (including special teams) for the year.  This trio not only has a nose for the ball, they cover the field side-to-side better than previous groupings.

Beyond the starters, the depth is improved as well.  With Durant suffering from a concussion the previous week, Bobby Carpenter stepped in against his former team and sparked the comeback at Dallas with a pick-six in the third quarter.  Reserve Ashlee Palmer got into the act as well stuffing Felix Jones on a 4th-and-1 on the goaline keeping the game close. 

Carpenter and Palmer have shown the level of play does not have to fall off when injuries happen.  The second level of the defense is vastly improved.

Jason Hanson

I have an ancient lawnmower that I never give a second thought to.  No winter prep.  I check the oil every few years, but when I roll it out of the garage to cut the lawn; I give it one pull and it starts up without hesitation every time.  Jason Hanson is the Lions’ lawnmower.

Entering his 20^th season, Hanson is the model of consistency.  Through his first 18 years, he missed ONE game.  Last year’s knee injury to his kicking leg cost him an eight game hiatus and gave Dave Rayner an opportunity to get back into the NFL.  Rayner made the most of it, converting 13-of-16 with a bomb of 55 yards. 

Hanson came into this season with his first true training camp battle and withstood the competition.  He’s currently perfect this season going 10-10 and 15 PATs. If I had to bet on another Kardashian mugging for the camera tonight or Hanson’s next kick being good, I’d think about putting my money on Hanson’s right leg.

But can he make the clutch kick?  The caveat many hang on him as the Lions have had very few nailbiters that meant anything more than a slight drop in the following year's draft position.  He’s kicked two 50-plus yard field goals in the final five minutes of regulation in each of the last two games to help keep the perfect record in tact.

This week’s Monday Night Football tilt will mark Hanson’s NFL record 300^th career game with the same team.  The sun will rise and Jason Hanson will split the uprights.

Offensive Line

Would you believe me if I told you the Lions offensive line is the second most experienced unit in the NFL?  It’s true, behind only the Baltimore Ravens, the Lions have the longest tenured hogs in football.

We have seen early on they are having difficulty drive blocking for the run game with an average of only 3.0 yards per carry, down an entire yard from their 2010 average.  What’s encouraging is they have continued their successful protection of the quarterback.  Last year they gave up 27 sacks, sixth best in the league.  This year they have given up five sacks total, all coming against the Vikings.

Three NFL games with no sacks is a great stat, regardless of the opposition.  Remember quarterback sacks are the Modus Operandi (M.O.) for Ware, Spencer and the rest of Rob Ryan's Cowboys defense.  I realize Stafford has helped the O-line out tremendously by getting rid of the ball when things break down, but isn’t every quarterback taught that as well?

Jeff Backus continues to be the whipping boy and Lord help him if Stafford get’s blindsided and doesn’t get up.  Schwartz though, continues to back the 11 year veteran.

“He gets a lot of attention because he is a left tackle and things like that," coach Jim Schwartz said. "Your objective is you are an offensive lineman — you never want to get the quarterback hit. Jeff's been through an awful lot of, you know, playing experience and he takes a lot of pride in his play, but just like in general terms from the whole offensive line, Jeff can play better and he will play better." (kansascitystar.com)

This group is going into its second season together.  If they continue to gel and keep Stafford upright, that’s a massive improvement from last year.

Karma

Detroit never seems to have any major athletic success without some sort of tragedy.  Whether it’s the Lions 1992 season where Eric Andolsek was killed in his front yard and Mike Utley was paralyzed in the “Thumbs Up” game, or the limousine accident following the Red Wings victory in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.  Detroit sports never seems to escape Yin and Yang.

Longtime Lions beat writer Tom “Killer” Kowalski passed away suddenly at 51 years young days after the Lions third preseason game.  On what appears to be the cusp of a vastly improved football team; it seems unfair that a man, who had dedicated the better part of three decades authoring the foibles of the Detroit Lions, be denied the opportunity to cover the resurgence of the Lions.

In some sick way, I almost feel this team is destined to do something special this season.  Look at the Detroit Tigers, Sparky passes and their back in the playoffs.  I have no explanation for it, Karma is a bitch.

So go ahead, have another glass of Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid.  Butter up another loaf of Lions Cornbread.  The perfect start is not a mirage, it's chock full of valid reasons; I just gave you the most important nine.