The Detroit Lions have averaged just 1.2 yards per rushing attempt in preseason, but Reggie Bush believes that part of the offense will get going.

"We're getting there," Bush said. "It's a work in progress, but I definitely feel like we're making steps in the right direction. The offensive line has done a great job of blocking. They're getting better, and we're getting better too.

"We just have to continue to work at it and obviously the more games you can play the better you'll get and the chemistry we'll get. It's taken a little time, no doubt, but we'll figure it out."

The Buffalo Bills have acquired Thaddeus Lewis from the Detroit Lions.

The Bills have quarterback depth due to the concussion to Kevin Kolb.

The Lions have acquired linebacker Chris White in return.

C.J. Manuel is the presumptive starter.

The Detroit Lions attempted to trade Mike Thomas before releasing him on Monday.

The Lions acquired Thomas in a mid-season trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2014. 

Thomas was never a good fit for the Lions' offense.

Thomas went on to sign with the Arizona Cardinals.

Calvin Johnson will sit out the Detroit Lions' preseason game on Thursday with a knee contusion.

The Lions aren't concerned about Johnson's injury and simply are taking a cautious approach.

Ezekiel Anash had a pick-six interception against Mark Sanchez in his NFL debut with the Detroit Lions. The touchdown came on Anash's fourth snap.

Anash also had two tackles before exiting the game in the second quarter.

Anash was the fifth overall pick in April's draft out of BYU. Anash is a highly impressive athlete, but is still relatively new to football.

"I know a lot of people were looking at us sideways when we drafted a guy that didn't have a whole lot of experience, and that was sort of the buzz around him," Jim Schwartz said. "But you need to watch the tape. He made plays like that in college.

"He's very good on draws and screens, reverses -- things that inexperienced players would generally struggle with."

Calvin Johnson spent a lot of time this offseason working on the mental parts of his game after finishing 2012 with 1,964 yards.

Johnson has watched a lot of film and attempted to have a better understanding of what Matthew Stafford is thinking and planning.

"I'm just trying to see things as he sees them," Johnson said. "I'm running my route, I'm trying to be able to see spaces as he sees 'em so I can put myself in the right position.

"You can really get a lot from watching film and seeing the spaces. It's tough to see the spaces while you're running, compared to seeing 'em on the field. From that experience, you're able to develop (chemistry)."

Johnson and Stafford have worked together on figuring out how to beat defenses designed specifically for him.

"Defenses definitely have made it tough, especially when I'm on the outside," he said. "They can double me, they can bring the safety on top and just kind of take you out of the quarterback's read all together."

One of the most intriguing match-ups in the first round of our "Be The GM" series is between the two most dominant non-quarterback skill position players in the NFL in Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson. Both were in the 2007 NFL Draft class and will play the majority of the season at the age of 28.

As a running back, Peterson's impact was instantaneous, rushing for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie. With opposing defenses focused on containing Peterson, his yards per carry dropped below 5.0 for the next four seasons, even with a rejuvenated Brett Favre at quarterback for two of those.

When Peterson tore his ACL toward the end of the 2011 season, many expected to see a limited version of his previous self, but he came back stronger and more dominant than ever. Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns on 348 carries, good for a remarkable 6.0 yards per attempt and 131.1 yards per game.

The concern with running backs is always longevity, but Peterson's return and comments on the condition of his knee by Dr. James Andrews suggests he can sustain 100 percent production for another three seasons and possibly 80 percent of that for another two or three years. Running backs typically fall off a cliff once they accumulate too much wear and tear, but Peterson is as likely as anyone to become the exception.

Johnson posted good numbers for bad teams early in his career before breaking out in 2011 with 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns to lead the Detroit Lions to playoffs and establish himself as the NFL's most dominant receiver. Johnson doesn't have as strong of a route tree as other receivers, but he is able to use his length and physical superiority to overmatch opposing secondaries downfield. 

Like Peterson, Johnson was historically excellent in 2012 with 122 catches for 1,964 yards. Johnson only caught five touchdowns and the Lions missed the playoffs, but both the touchdowns and wins figures to increase this season.

Johnson almost certainly has more elite seasons remaining than Peterson as wide receivers can remain in their prime into their mid-thirties.

CLICK HERE to vote for Adrian Peterson or Calvin Johnson.

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