Lions vs. Rams Preview

     The NFL season is finally here.  Many story lines have led up to this moment: replacement officials, Luck and RGIII, and Tim Tebow to the Jets.  But for Detroit fans there is only one story we want, getting back to Lions football.  The Lions enter the 2012 campaign coming off a 10-6 record and the first trip to the playoffs since 1999.  The road to the playoffs this year begin with a home game against the St. Louis Rams.  The Rams are coming off a season in which they ended 2-14, but this a team in a new direction that the Lions should not overlook.

Lions vs. Rams. Sunday at 1:00 eastern in Detroit.

     The Lions open at home to start the season for the first time since 2006.  This is also the first meeting between these two teams since 2010 when the Lions won 44-6 without Matthew Stafford.
     Both team are different from that meeting.  The Lions obviously have Stafford back with much talent around him on offense along with better pieces on defense.  The Rams have a new system with new head coach Jeff Fisher arriving and bringing in new talent to the team this offseason.  With all the changes going on with the Rams, they are on the upswing, but the Lions cannot afford a loss to a weaker team.  The Lions have the pieces to win on Sunday, and possibly win big.
     On offense, the Lions boast one of the best passing offenses in the NFL with weapons such as Calvin Johnson, Titus Young, Brandon Pettigrew and Nate Burleson, and they should have a good game even though the Rams invested very much into the secondary this season.
     The running game will be without Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure this week, but the running game might be absent this year anyways.  However, expect Kevin Smith to have a good game this week against a new look Rams defense that will probably play without first-round pick defensive tackle Micheal Brockers.  St. Louis does boast two good book ends in Chris Long and Robert Quinn that can rush the passer, so that will be key for the Lions on offense to protect Stafford.
     Defensively, the point of emphasis should be on what it has been when defending the Rams and that is to stop Steven Jackson.  Even though the Rams have begun building around Sam Bradford by drafting wide receiver Brian Quick and running back Isaiah Pead in the draft, but Jackson remains the Rams most powerful offensive weapon.

Matthew Stafford looks to lead the Lions to the playoffs
for the second straight year.

     Bradford is a good quarterback, but he had been hurt many times last season and was forced to miss six games.  Now, I am not saying hurt Bradford, but with the recent injury history and a suspect offensive line, the defensive line needs to do what they do best and get to the quarterback.  The front line must get Bradford gun shy and make him fear throwing the football over his own safety and make the Rams running game beat them.
     Overall, the Lions should win this game because they have more pieces in place to win.  The keys are protecting Matthew Stafford and stopping Steven Jackson.  If all those pieces come together, the Lions should win handily and Jim Schwartz should beat his former mentor Jeff Fisher.


     Prediction:  Lions 38-Rams 14