Lions vs. Bears: 5 Answers to the Detroit Lions Running Game Questions

Meet the new back. Same as the old back.

It's no secret to anyone that one of the only things holding the Detroit Lions back from greatness this year is the lack of a consistent running game.

It's making it hard for the Lions to close out games, it's making them lose the time of possession battle, it's putting them in second and third-and-long situations, and it's allowing defenses to cheat on the pass.

In other words, it's doing a number on the Lions' ability to maintain control of games.

To that end, the Lions likely devoted a good portion of their bye week to correcting these issues. Whether any of them actually work remains to be seen, and none of them will be anything more than Band-Aid fixes, since the real change that needs to be made is some major changes on the offensive line in the offseason.

But that's months from now. In the meantime, what changes are going to help fix this problem to the extent that they can between now and the end of the season?

Signing Leonard Davis

I don't know if this is a big deal or a non-issue.

I mean, Leonard Davis went to his third straight Pro Bowl two years ago, and was really only cut by the Dallas Cowboys for salary cap reasons.

Davis started to decline in 2010, but his "declining" might still be better than Stephen Peterman's best day.

To be fair to Peterman, he has been solidly average in pass protection this year, which has been nice. But he is supposed to be the Lions' best run blocker, and none of that is happening at the moment.

Davis is a road-grading run blocker at his best, but you have to wonder if he's kept himself in shape between the lockout and the last two months without a team.

I'm excited to see what Davis can do if the plug him in at right guard, but I'm not convinced they will. Not straight away, anyhow. It's just too bad Davis has never played center...

Re-Signing Kevin Smith

Is this the answer to the Lions' running game woes? Calling back a Matt Millen draft bust?

In a word, no. In two words, hell no.

But does this make the Lions' running game worse? The answer to that is also no.

It's easy to forget that amidst a terrible 2008 season, Kevin Smith actually played quite well. He became a non-factor in the next couple years because of injuries, but he was solid when healthy. Presumably he's healthy now, but I'm not convinced he sits any further up than dead last on the depth chart.

But even though nobody decided to give Smith a flyer, it's entirely possible that the man still has something left to give. Will he be a 1,000 yard rusher this year or any other? Not likely. But he's a grinder with decent vision who can fight for four yards per carry, and he's younger than Maurice Morris.

At worst, he's depth. The Lions went into their game against Denver with only Keiland Williams and Morris in their backfield. Smith at least provides some insurance.

Jahvid Best Doesn't Belong Between the Tackles

Someday, Jahvid Best might be a great between-the-tackle running back.

Someday, the Detroit Lions might have an offensive line that can control the line of scrimmage and open running back-sized holes for Best to run through.

Right now, neither of those are the case, and against every team not named the Chicago Bears, trying to run Best between the tackles has resulted in the Lions participating in the Donate-a-Down program.

For a while, we all blamed the offensive line, and they're still at fault. But Maurice Morris has shown the vision to slip through smaller holes for solid yardage, and Keiland Williams has the power to move a pile. Those are the elements required to run up the middle behind a sub-par offensive line.

Best is an explosive player in space, but he gets stacked up at the line far, far too often. When he gets healthy, the Lions should consider altering their game plan to use their him where he's most effective: on the outside.

Continuing to run Best up the middle on a consistent basis isn't so much trying to plug a square peg into a round hole as it is trying to shove a square peg into a crack in the wall. Instead, the Lions should consider slipping something through the crack (Morris) or taking a hammer to it to make a hole (Williams).

Screens Are Just as Good as Runs, as Long as You Disguise Them

It's a safe assumption that if the average fan knows something about a team, opposing coaches knew it three weeks earlier.

By that logic, every coach in the NFL knows that the Detroit Lions have a hard time with the hard-nosed running game, and that they supplement it with screens and the short passing game.

Now, so we're clear, I think that's an admirable strategy, and a good way to make sure the offensive line isn't the determining factor in gaining yardage.

The problem is, if the defense expects it, it won't work. Period. And everybody knows to expect it.

This isn't a reason to abandon the short pass and screen, but it is a reason to draw up some new plays. Opposing defenses have plenty of film to watch on the Lions, and they know what to look for when the Lions try to draw the defense in on a screen.

In other words, mask it. Use it as a way to keep the defense off-balance, not as a primary attack method.

They might call a couple of plays that look like screens but turn into deep passes. Anything to keep the defense guessing. Since the Lions aren't going to be able to out-muscle their opponents, they're going to have to try outsmarting them.

Keiland Williams Isn't Just for Short Yardage

Maurice Morris has played admirably this year, and I can't help but feel bad for the guy who always steps in and plays solid football (usually when somebody else gets injured), but never actually gets any credit for it.

But that being said, I'm going to do the exact same thing here and say that Keiland Williams really ought to get some more carries. Not only is he a better bruiser at running back than anyone else on the team, but he has shown he can break into the second level for some good chunks of yardage, as well.

Williams hasn't seen the ball very much when the Lions have more than about two yards to go, but when he has, he has punished defenders, broken tackles, and punched through for five or six yards on a fairly consistent basis. I'd like to see him get more looks on first down.