The pre-season games have come and gone, and that means it’s time for real football. College Football opened up this weekend, but as an NFL guy myself that’s just the appetizer for what lies ahead in five days and that’s Detroit Lions football. These are three thoughts on the Detroit Lions regular season.
Besides an early Ebron scare, the Lions have made it through August without any of their key players suffering serious injuries. The core pieces will now begin their preparation for the opener in Indianapolis.
Man, this season feels like it’s breaking right for the Lions!
The Lions will play one of last year’s worst divisions in the NFC East in the 2016 regular season as well as a blooming but yet still unproven lot of teams in the AFC South. They draw New Orleans and LA as their two opposing 3rd place finishers and even though they play at Chicago and at Green Bay back to back, it’s in weeks three and four, so the weather will at least be warm.
The only threat for cold weather is week 15 against the Giants in New York. In fact, that will be the only game after week five not played in a dome. Also, Teddy Bridgewater is out. You obviously never root for a guy to get injured (except for maybe Aaron Rodgers). Anything that gives the Lions a better chance to win is appreciated.
Bridgewater was not a big part of the Vikings’ success last year, but a jump in performance from him would have put the them in the top tier of NFL teams. Now that train could be permanently derailed. With all this being said, this makes it a no excuses year for Detroit. If at least a playoff game isn’t in the cards, heads should roll.
Man, the Lions regular season is set up perfectly to break our hearts!
Be careful if you’re reading this at night, because this sounds more like a horror story than true analysis. After playing at home to Chicago in week 14, it’s extremely plausible for the Lions to be 9-4 at that point. Then begins the @NYG/@DAL/VS. GB gauntlet. It’s very possible that Detroit drops all three of those games and ends up 9-7. Out of the playoffs with the 18th pick in the draft aimlessly drifting around the NFL ocean like a lifeboat without paddles – no real land in sight.
Man, what is going on at tight end?
The Lions will keep three tight ends on their roster and will also start the season with Brandon Pettigrew on the PUP. Currently in the tight end room is Cole Wick, Andrew Quarless, Eric Ebron, Orson Charles, and Adam Fuehne. My personal favorites to make it to Lions regular season football would be Wick, Quarless, and Ebron, but that gets interesting if the Lions don’t think Ebron can play week one. Since Quarless is suspended two games, that would make Wick literally the only tight end for that game, and that’s not going to happen. The tight end situation is one to watch for when final cuts come Saturday at 4 pm.
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