Detroit Lions: 10 Things Lions Must Fix on Their Bye Week

Entering the bye week, the Detroit Lions are 6-2. The last time the Lions were 6-2 was in 2007, after ironically pummeling the Denver Broncos 44-3. If history repeats itself, the Lions will finish out the season with only one more win.

History, in this case, is most likely not to repeat itself with this group of players and coaches. They are a unique and strong team facing a tough second-half schedule. In the first game after the bye, the Lions will fly down to Soldier Field to play the Chicago Bears, who are no doubt looking for revenge on Monday Night. If they beat the Bears, it will help break the tiebreaker if the Bears and Lions end the season competing for the wild-card spot.

On Thanksgiving, the Lions face the (most likely) undefeated Green Bay Packers. If the Lions do not want a second-half collapse, they need to work on a few things and strengthen what is already working for them.

What are the ten things the Detroit Lions need to work on during their bye?

Running Game

One thing that has been stressed for the Lions to find before the season opener was a running game. They had a few games where they got a lucky break (Chicago Bears game) and exploded up the running yards. Other times, it was lacking.

To have a strong offensive line, it's best to find a balance between the rushing and passing, especially when playing against a strong defense. With Jahvid Best out with a concussion and no timetable on his return, Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams must step up to the plate.

Morris didn't do too bad in the Denver game, rushing for 58 yards and one touchdown. Williams helped shoulder the run game with Morris and rushed for 25 yards. 

The Lions need to find a running game. They have strong rushing players; they just need to find those strong rushing plays.

Rushing Defense

Thanks to Ndamukong Suh and the rest of the defensive front four, the Lions are the best in the league at stopping short-yardage rushing plays.

But they rank 28th in the NFL against the run overall. In their eight games combined, they've allowed 1,101 rushing yards. In a few games this season, the opponent's rushing has gained them yardage to the opposite end of the field by these gash plays. These plays led to scoring drives for the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. They've allowed an average of five yards per carry.

The Lions need to fix this weakness in their defense. It's what they have struggled with all season, and against the tough teams coming up, it could be their downfall.

Third-Down Conversions

The offense needs to find a way to break through the pressure and aggressiveness of the defense, especially against the Green Bay defense later this season.

They have only converted 30 of their 106 third downs. In most of these games, the lack of third-down conversions happened in the first half. The Lions need to have a consistent offense-gaining yardage. Converting the critical third down leads to winning. It can help spark the momentum and keep the drive alive. 

Special Teams

The Lions special teams really need to work on their cover units. In some games, they gave up too many return yards on punts and kickoffs. In the game against the Falcons, the special team allowed a 104-yard touchdown on a kick-off return that was nullified by an Atlanta penalty.

While they have been improving slightly as the season progressed, they really need to play their "A" game in the second half of the season. If they play like they did Monday Night against the Bears the rest of the season, they will have an outstanding second half.

Confidence

The first five games of the season, it was the Lions' confidence in their team and in themselves that kept them going. It was their confidence that held Tampa Bay from making a comeback. It was their confidence that mauled the Kansas City Chiefs. It was their confidence that allowed them to perform back-to-back 20-point deficit comeback wins against the Cowboys and Vikings.

They need to hold on to that confidence or, if anything, strengthen it. Their confidence tanked in the losses against the Falcons and 49ers, especially Matthew Stafford in the game against Atlanta. Confidence is what kept these Lions from giving up and fighting with each minute on the play clock. 

The win against the Broncos heading into the bye helped gain back their confidence, but the Lions need to hold on to the strong resolve in their team if they want to make the playoffs this season.

Their confidence will give them momentum as they battle through the tough road ahead.

Offensive Line

The offensive line has had ups and downs this season. With an offense that relies mostly on passing, these guys have the hardest job in trying to give the quarterback time to throw and make plays.

Against San Francisco and Atlanta, the Lions gave up a total of eight sacks, and Stafford was constantly on the run behind them, struggling to throw the ball without any pressure. So far this season, they've allowed 44 hits on the quarterback and 16 sacks. Luckily, the OL found their control and consistent blocking against the Broncos. 

The OL needs that consistency in their upcoming matches. They need to find what makes them work together and help the offense make plays. They need to keep a positive and aggressive energy.

If they do their job, the offense will be able to continue their amazing plays the remaining of the season.

Ill-Timed Physical Errors

The Lions, in the first five games, only missed 25 tackles. Against Atlanta and the 49ers, they had 20 missed tackles. These missed tackles are what accounted for the high rushing yards.

It doesn't take but a few ill-timed physical errors to lose a game, sometimes it takes just one. These errors were the main reason for the Lions' two losses. There was a critical play in the Falcons game where an Atlanta running back managed to break four tackles in order to gain five yards on a third and four. Because of that, the offense missed the chance with the ball to come back and tie/win the game.

The Lions need to improve here. These ill-timed errors cannot happen in the second half. They cannot give up big plays like that. 

Ill-Timed Penalties

These were the Lions of last year, committing ill-timed penalties that often cost them the game. There were too many to count last year.

This year, they've gotten better. However, ill-timed and bad penalties were committed in the games where they lost. It's safe to say that if it weren't for the ill-timed penalties against the Falcons, the Lions would have had a chance to win that game. They have committed a double-digit number of penalties in three of the last four games.

The Lions responded last week against the Broncos by playing discipline football and didn't commit their first penalty until the fourth quarter. If they play like this the rest of the season, their discipline will aid in their wins.

Consistency

This has been stressed all season by Lions fans and coaches alike. The Lions are a strong team, in most games, that side of them comes out in spurts. Against the 49ers and Falcons, the Lions had no consistency in the game and kept hitting the dry wall on their offensive plays. Some weeks, they played better in the first half; other weeks, they played better in the second.

Jim Schwartz admitted on Tuesday that he is not going to allow the Detroit Lions to rest on 6-2. They need to find consistency after the bye. At least the Lions have been consistent in winning in the first half. They need to keep up that consistency if they want to be tough playoff contenders.

Red Zone

In the two losses this season, the Lions were two-of-six in the red zone. If those field goals had been touchdowns, there is no doubt that the Lions would have won those games. While a field goal is great at putting some points on the board, a touchdown almost guarantees the lead. 

The Lions need to get the ball to Calvin Johnson more in the red zone. He complained that even though he is guarded, he likes to be given the chance to catch it. He believes that strongly in his skills. Matthew Stafford needs to be able to connect with his receivers better in the red zone.

If the Lions improve in the red zone, they will be a strong contender for a playoff spot at the end of this year. The Lions had a great first-half start; if they fix these things they will be able to improve and win strong in the second half.