As Lions fans, I think we can all say thank goodness the 2012 season is finally over. A season where the Lions were expected to perform well, they finished a very disapointing 4-12.
This post is merely a prerequisite for a future post for me to break down the keys to this offseason. I will break down each unit on the team as I did before the season started and find out what the weaknesses and the strengths are to find improvements.
Quarterbacks: B-/C+: Stuck here for a grade because Matthew Stafford did end up 33 yards short of his second straight 5000 yard season. Stafford has much to improve on. This is not a mechanical problem, he just needs to stop being lazy with his throws. Needs to get on page with the receivers not named Calvin Johnson. In fact, he wasn't exactly on page with Johnson for much of the season. Simple improvements that do need to be made for the Lions to get back to being successful.
Running Backs: B: Not fair to judge the running backs when they don't have a good offensive line in front of them. Mikel Leshoure could, however, cut out some of the fumbles he had this season, as he had three lost fumbles at crucial times when the Lions were trying to score. Leshoure was able to cut very well after coming off an Achilles Tendon tear. Joique Bell was a nice little find by GM Martin Mayhew. Bell played with determination, which helped him be successful this season, and he will only get better.
Receivers: C: Should be graded lower because of all the drops and sometimes lazy route running, but when one of the receivers breaks an NFL record, the grade should be a little more lenient. As I said, drops really plagued this unit for the most part. It is not just on Stafford to get on the same page, the receivers must do their part as well.
Offensive line: C-: Nothing changed from a season ago, which means they were still not that great. Run blocking remains to be a problem. Center Dominic Raiola and guards Stephen Peterman and Rob Sims struggled to get a push on the interior line. Left tackle Jeff Backus' age appears to be catching up with him, although he still did have a solid season. Rookie Riley Reiff started one game at left tackle, but was only brought in as an extra blocker for much of the season. Reiff should be exciting to see when he takes over the full time job at left tackle.
Defensive Line: D+: Only a D+ because of the great season from defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. The duo combined for 13.5 sacks and made it tough for opponents to run the ball up the middle. Sammie Hill and Corey Williams also had solid seasons on the interior. The rest of the defensive line, however, this was a terrible effort from them. Defensive end Cliff Avril proved that he was overpaid this last offseason, as he was dominated consistently by opposing tackles. Kyle Vanden Bosch should be set to retire, because his craft has diminished. Willie Young and Lawrence Jackson didn't meet expectations as well coming off the bench. All four of the ends struggled against the run and never got a consistent pass rush even with the one-on-one situations thanks to Suh and Fairley. The Lions must find a defensive end that can set the edge and can consistently get to the quarterback.
Linebackers: F: By far the worst unit this season. Statistically, the three starters of DeAndre Levy, Stephen Tulloch and Justin Durant did alright. But, if you put on the game film, you will see that the linebackers weren't very good this season. None of the linebackers could blitz, fill gaps or make any explosive plays. Levy probably did the best of the three, but took bad angles in some situations and lacks explosiveness. Tulloch would leave the middle of the field wide open on some plays, and opposing quarterbacks of course took advantage. That leaves Durant. Durant had a very poor season and really does not deserve to return after how he played. Missed tackles, poor angles, terrible blitzing, never filled gaps well, and, like Tulloch, left the middle of the field open for offenses. Put in the film in the game against the Indianapolis Colts. The final play of the game, Durant left the field wide open for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to find receiver Donnie Avery to run into the endzone from ten yards out to cap the 35-33 win for Indy. That area Avery ran threw was Durant's area, and to top it off, he didn't even come close to making a game saving tackle. That play is just an example of how poorly the linebacking corps played and how they affected the season.
Secondary: B-: A surprise to many, but the secondary did very well considering the injuries and youth in the back-end. That and of course the lack of a pass rush to help them out. Chris Houston had an outstanding season. Veteran Drayton Florence gave some help at cornerback as well. Rookie 3rd round pick Dwight Bentley only played in four games, so it is not fair to judge him based on that. Rookie 6th round pick Jonte Green, however, played very well and was perhaps the Lions team rookie-of-the-year. Safety was hit by the injury bug hard, as Louis Delmas struggled to stay healthy as he has his entire career. Amari Spievey didn't play much this season. Ricardo Silva did play very well when he played but ultimately also fell victim to injury. Safety did affect the team's performance, but it didn't help when the team is looking to the streets to fill the spot on the field. The corps group could use more grooming, but should be a solid one in the future.
Specialists: D+: The Lions became the first team in NFL history to allow a kick and punt return for a touchdown in the same game in back-to-back weeks. Even though the coverage units did improve over the course of the season, it didn't prevent a bad grade to the unit. Returns continue to be a problem for the team. Returner Stefon Logan's season can be described as having a one or two good returns early in the season, but was just plain awful for the rest of it. Fumbles, especially on fair catches somehow, bad decisions and lack of vision costed the Lions any chance of impact from the special teams. The Lions must find a kick returner for the special teams to get better.
No comments:
Post a Comment