'08 Preview: New-look Lions, same results
With at least six new starters on defense and a completely different offensive philosophy, the Lions continue to be a team in transition – for the eighth straight season.
Coach Rod Marinelli, in his third year on the job, still found it necessary to make sweeping changes in the offseason because he still hadn't rid the locker room of mediocre performers and negative influences. Marinelli has been successful in tearing the team down completely and building a corps of disciplined players with the right attitudes.
2008 TEAM PREVIEWS
AFC EAST: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ
AFC NORTH: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT
AFC SOUTH: HOU | IND | JAC | TEN
AFC WEST: DEN | KC | OAK | SD
NFC EAST: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS
NFC NORTH: CHI | DET | GB | MIN
NFC SOUTH: ATL | CAR | NO | TB
NFC WEST: ARI | SEA | SF | STL
After changing coordinators in each of the last two years, Marinelli has also found a coaching staff that is in line with his philosophy and teaching techniques. Overall, the foundation has been set, but because it's all still relatively new on both sides of the ball, a legitimate playoff run probably is too much to expect.
Offense
Former offensive line coach Jim Colletto replaces the departed Mike Martz as coordinator, and the changes will be drastic. Colletto will keep Martz's three-digit passing attack and all the terminology, but he'll cut the playbook to a fraction of its original size.
Colletto will stress two big changes in philosophy: he'll put more emphasis on the running game and, when throwing the ball, he will make sure it gets into the hands of gifted wide receivers Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson.
Defense
This is the third season of the Tampa 2 scheme in Detroit (the second under coordinator Joe Barry), and the Lions are coming off a season in which they were the worst in the league in yards and points allowed.
The problem in the past hasn't been the system, but the ineffective players running it; that's why more than half the starters will be new. Several of those players, including tackle Chuck Darby, cornerback Brian Kelly and safety Dwight Smith, played the defense under Marinelli in Tampa Bay.
Breakout candidate
Wide receiver Calvin Johnson: The second-year receiver was largely ignored in the offense last season, but should be a big-time target this year.
The Detroit quarterbacks will have much more freedom this year to throw to Johnson if they like the matchup, even if it's in bracket coverage.
Bottom line
Lost in the team's 6-2 start and eventual 7-9 finish last season was the fact that the Lions got blown out in four of their losses. How bad was it? The Chargers and Vikings both scored on each of their first-half possessions, while the Eagles scored six first-half touchdowns.
The Lions had success early because they were getting a slew of turnovers (they led the league for most of the first half of the season), but they were terrible on third down and couldn't keep their defense off the field. With changes throughout the roster, especially defensively, the Lions will be better.
They've got so far to go, however, that reaching the .500 mark would have to be deemed a successful season.
SN prediction: 3-13, fourth in NFC North.
Tom Kowalski covers the Lions for Booth Newspapers and Sporting News.
