Finally, a big faller in our NFL power rankings.
The Lions have looked sharp enough, offensively, this preseason to suggest they’ll be OK once Week 1 rolls around. Quarterback Matthew Stafford looks like he’s picking up where he left off last season, and the Lions have even managed to get something out of their ground game as of late.
That’s good.
The biggest problem, though, is Detroit hasn’t been able to put much of anything together, defensively. There are the preseason narratives, of course, but newly minted head coach Matt Patricia’s defense looked sluggish against the New York Giants earlier and completely overmatched by the Buccaneers in preseason Week 3.
Perhaps his players are still learning to jive in his system, but Patricia’s defensive woes won’t carry over well into a stacked NFC North squad boasting more than enough offensive talent to ensure the Lions stay below the .500 mark this season.