| Jeffrey Risdon. 16th May, 2005 - 2:52 pm
 With the surprise drafting of Mike Williams and the return of a healthy Charles Rogers, the conventional wisdom for most Lions' fans puts the burden of the 2005 season squarely on the shoulders of Joey Harrington. Put those two potential gamebreakers alongside outstanding rookie WR Roy Williams and RB Kevin Jones, add in a strong receiving TE in Marcus Pollard and a veteran possession receiver in Kevin Johnson, and the playmakers are certainly in place around Harrington. And thus far in his young career, Harrington has shown only occasional glimpses of being a franchise QB. Still, the 2005 Lions have some other questions that will likely prove equally, if not more, important than the play of Joey Harrington.
Last season's Lions featured a very strong defensive line, and 2nd round pick Shaun Cody will only help bolster one of the league's premeire front fours. And Dre Bly proved himself a capable shutdown #1 CB. Beyond those strengths was the true demise of many games and areas that GM Matt Millen failed to address. The Lions linebackers missed far too many tackles and struggled badly to cover TEs and backfield receivers. While Teddy Lehman and Wali Rainier show some promise as young backers, Earl Holmes is on the downside and Boss Bailey missed the entire season with an injury. The Lions linebackers combined for one interception, one forced fumble, 6 passes defended, and zero fumble recoveries. That indicates a severe lack of playmaking ability in the middle of the defense, which puts additional pressure on the secondary to make tackles and force turnovers. And that is another problem likely to hinder the Lions this coming season.
Dre Bly earned his Pro Bowl berth at CB, routinely covering the #1 wideout every possible play. His 4 INTs and 19 passes defended both ranked among the league leaders, and his closing burst and quick hands make him a standout and the only dependable cover man on the team. The other corners, while not terrible, suffer from the same malaise as the linebacking corps. There's not a playmaker among Fernando Bryant, Chris Cash, Keith Smith, or Andre Goodman and the stats bear witness: 3 INTs, 2 forced fumbles, 17 passes defended. The unit ranked in the bottom 10 in receiving yards per game (235.4), receiving TDs (29) and turnovers (9 by the current DBs). While the young players, particularly Smith, will undoubtedly improve, the lack of impact plays and poor tackling on the corner are a big hole in a division with Brett Favre, Daunte Culpepper and young gunslinger Rex Grossman.
The safety position is another area of concern. Certainly the signing of Kenoy Kennedy will help the porous tackling that plagued the SS position, moving Bracy Wright into a more suited pass-situation specialty. Kennedy is an experienced hard hitting ballhawk, though Broncos fans often maligned his lack of finishing his tackles. He's also not a turnover factor either, with just 4 INTs and 3 forced fumbles in his 5 NFL seasons. Veteran Brock Marion was let go in place of 3rd year pro Terrance Holt at free safety. While Marion was clearly nearing the end of his impressive career, Holt has lots of growing from his baby steps into the big shoes of a solid veteran. Holt struggles in open field tackling and is one of those guys who can make average runners look very good. He did show some coverage aptitude as a rookie, and the Lions desperately need him to equal Marion's 3 INTs and 9 passes defended and come close to his 88 tackles.
The lack of back 7 playmakers puts lots of pressure on Shaun Rogers, Cory Redding, Big Daddy Wilkinson and Co. up front. Last year that unit was always game and at times dominant. A repeat performance is mandatory if the Lions are to have any success. If you figure the Lions equal the NFL average of losing 27 man-games to defensive starters, that makes an iffy back 7 look even scarier and a injury to Rogers or Wilkinson devastating.
So how does all of this translate for Joey Harrington? Simple. Unless there's radical improvement in the secondary and linebacking, the Lions are likely going to need at least 3 touchdowns from the offense to win most games. And while the skill position weapons look fully loaded, none but Pollard have more than 16 games of NFL battle-testing. Throw in the loss of Stockar McDougal, by far the team's best drive blocker, at right tackle, and the offensive line is manned on the corners by Jeff Backus and Kelly Butler. Backus is a solid pass blocker and a good cutback seal man, but not exceptional, and Butler is 2nd year man who rarely played as a rookie 6th round draft pick. The middle of the line is very solid, but can the ends step up? With Jeff Garcia waiting in the wings, antsy management, and skeptical fans hungry for success, Joey Harrington had better hope these questions all get positively answered. But it's also possible for Harrington to have a very good season and the Lions still outside the playoff window, longingly looking at yet another lost season. |
