Few teams have started the NFL season as good as the Detroit Lions in 2017.
Following a dominant win on Monday against the New York Giants, the Lions are beginning to turn heads with their play. And they are one of only three NFC teams that started the season with a 2-0, alongside the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers.
Atlanta seems to be the top dog in the Conference. And teams like the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys will certainly improve as the weeks advance. But it would be wrong to sleep on Detroit. No one should count them out because they have enough weapons to probably make a deep playoff run this season.
Detroit Has One Of The Best QB In The League
First of all, they have the quarterback. More than ever, you CAN’T WIN WITHOUT A QUARTERBACK IN TODAY’S NFL, and the Lions have one of the best in the business in Matthew Stafford.
Sure, he is not Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. But he gets the job done, and has improved constantly on a yearly basis. I mean, the Lions must have seen something to give him a $135 million contract extension last month. And while some fans do not like him, he can perform. And that’s everything you need to succeed in today’s NFL.
Lots Of Weapons To Go Around
Stafford is the key piece of the puzzle, but he is not alone. Detroit has enough protection and weapons for him to play around as well. The offensive line was excellent against the Giants, and the right-side duo of T.J. Lang and Rick Wagner can be considered one of the best pairings in the entire league. Greg Robinson hasn’t exactly impressed as a left tackle early on, but he should improve as the weeks advance as well. Detroit’s offensive line might never be as good as Dallas’ one, but they have looked quite solid thus far.
And as we mentioned above, Stafford has plenty of weapons to play around as well. Ameer Abdullah is the featured back and could be a very productive tailback if he can stay on the field, while Theo Riddick offers a decent change of pace and a passing threat from the backfield. Stafford is one of the most accurate passers in the league, and he is at his best when given lots of options to spray the ball around.
Detroit also has a star receiver in Golden Tate, a deep-ball threat in Marvin Jones Jr., and a surprising rookie in Kenny Golladay. The first-year player impressed in the season debut against the Arizona Cardinals scoring two touchdowns, while Tate and Jones are proven talents in the league. And if that wasn’t enough, Eric Ebron – one of the most promising tight ends in the league – acts as a security blanket when needed.
Ebron is not on the same level as Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen or Travis Kelce. But he can certainly come close to them if given enough playing time.
What About The Defense?
The defense could be considered Detroit’s weakest link. However, they have some interesting pieces such as cornerback Darius Slay, as well as Ezekiel Ansah and Haloti Ngata on the right side of their front four. But let’s be realistic here. Detroit is not Baltimore, and they are not going to beat teams with their defense. They simply need to outscore their opponents. That’s not easy at all.
The season is quite young and there are 14 games left on the schedule. However, Detroit is already showing signs of being a top team in the NFC. And who knows? Maybe this is the year for them. They certainly have enough pieces to contend against any team in the league.