Lions Season Preview - kdutch98's Dynasty

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Lions Season Preview

Posted on August 15, 2022 at 08:46 PM.

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DETROIT LIONS 2022 SEASON PREVIEW

The 2022 NFL season is finally upon us. Even though the Lions are coming off of a 3-13-1 2021 season, there is a renewed sense of optimism in the Motor City. The Lions finished the 2021 season strong, winning 3 of their final 6 games, including upset victories over the playoff bound Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers. The Lions had an outstanding draft, grabbing Aiden Hutchinson with the 2nd overall pick, then trading up with the Minnesota Vikings to nab Wide Receiver Jameson Williams. They will also get Frank Ragnow back. Ragnow missed most of the 2021 season due to an injury.

The offense appears to be much improved. Kyle Dutcher was named the offensive coordinator. He had a lot of success in the college ranks. His goal is for the Lions offense to control the clock on the ground, while also stretching the field with the passing game.

QB Jared Goff played well down the stretch last season. Goff threw for 3245 yards and 19 touchdowns, with just 8 interceptions. But, this is a make or break year for him. Goff needs to show the Lions that he is the QB that can lead them back to contention.

D'Andre Swift is once again healthy, and will get the majority of the carries on the ground. Swift rushed for 617 yards on 151 carries, with 5 TDs last season. When healthy, he is a dynamic part of the offense, as he caught 62 passes for 452 yards as well. Jamaal Williams will also get a lot of carries. Williams is a hard nosed runner, not afraid to get physical. he had 601 yards on 153 carries last season. Free agent Justin Jackson was brought in from the Chargers to provide depth at the position. Craig Reynolds also returns.

The Lions brought in free agent wide receiver D.J. Chark, to help stretch the field. He joins the returning Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had 90 catches last season, and excelled in the second half, Josh Reynolds, (29 catches 396 yards) and Kalif Raymond (48 catches, 576 yards). Jameson Williams is still recovering from a torn ACL in the National Championship game in January, but he is on the roster to open the season. The Lions feel he will likely return before the 4th game of the season, so they kept him on the active roster. Tight end T.J. Hockenson might be the teams best player. If he can stay healthy, he should put up a huge year.

The strength of the offense should be the offensive line. Frank Ragnow is healthy again. When he is healthy, he has been one of the best centers in the NFL. Taylor Decker, Jonah Jackson, Penei Sewell, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai make up a solid line.

While the offense should be good, there are a lot of question marks on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions drafted Aiden Hutchinson with the second overall pick, and he appeared to be just as good as advertised in the preseason. They will also benefit from the return of Romeo Okwara. The Lions plan to employ more 4 linemen sets this season, so both should get the majority of their reps on the line, though both could also line up at an edge position as well. Michael Brockers, Alim McNeill, and Leo Onwuzurike will man the interior of the DL.

Linebacker is a huge question mark. Alex Anzalone returns in the middle. He is a steady, but not spectacular player. The Lions are very high on 6th round pick Malcolm Rodriguez, and he will get a lot of playing time in the middle. Derrick Barnes, who had 86 tackles as a rookie last year, will also see a lot of playing time. This group has the potential to be very good, but there will surely be some struggles along the way.

The Secondary is kind of a mess. Amani Oruwariye had 6 interceptions, and played extremely well last season, and could be on the verge of a breakout. But on the other side, is former 3rd overall pick Jeff Okudah. Okudah struggled mightily as a rookie, then went down early last season to an injury. Okudah the time is now for Okudah to show what it was that made him the 3rd overall pick. The Lions brought in DeShon Elliot from the Ravens, and he will surely help at the safety position. The other safety will be Tracy Walker. The secondary should be improved from last year, but will it be enough to keep the Lions in games enough that their offense can win them.

Players absolutely love playing for Dan Campbell. It is a marked difference from the previous regime. It remains to be seen if this is the year that the Lions can get back into the playoffs, but there is definitely momentum.

There hasn't been this much optimism in Detroit surrounding the Lions in a long long time.