Detroit Lions 2009 Season Preview: It Can Only Get Better

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews." We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Without playing a game, the Detroit Lions have matched their 2008 regular season win total. Naturally, this is an embarrassing fact, and one that Lions fans are probably sick of hearing. However, it also serves to show how easy it will be for head coach Jim Schwartz to be hailed as a genius this season. The Lions will win a game (or more!) in 2009, and Schwartz has done some things in the offseason to point this franchise in a positive direction. It's time now for the players to see the benefits of their hard work during the spring and summer.

Offense -- Since we still don't know who will lead the Lions on the field Sept. 13 at New Orleans, it's hard to get into a ton of detail about the play they'll get from the quarterback position. However, it's clear the play will be improved from last year. Veteran Daunte Culpepper might never dazzle the way he did in Minnesota earlier this decade. He's older, not as fast, and doesn't have Randy Moss to throw to. However, the starting quarterback will have Calvin Johnson. He's no Moss, but he's still a special player. Johnson caught 78 passes for 1,331 yards last year, despite being the only proven NFL receiver on the team. Culpepper is still competing with rookie Matthew Stafford for the starting job. Stafford, the first overall pick in April's NFL Draft, has been impressive in camp, but has not done enough to overcome a strong offseason from Culpepper, who lost notable weight and appears to have at least some of his quickness back. The Lions gave up sacks left and right last year, and they're counting on veteran left tackle Jeff Backus and right tackle Gosder Cherilus to hold off opposing rushers this year. The running game should be improved with a healthy Kevin Smith in the backfield. Outside of Johnson, the Lions have rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew and receivers like Bryant Johnson and John Standeford to use in the passing game. It isn't a lot, but it's better than it was. Heat Index: 5


Defense -- The Lions were terrible at forcing turnovers, stopping the run, stopping the pass, and keeping opponents off the scoreboard last year. Only marginal improvement is expected in all areas. Hulking tackle Grady Jackson should help defend the run, while ends Jason Hunter and Dewayne White will be expected to make noise in opposing backfields. The addition of outside linebacker Julian Peterson should be a great help, and former Steeler Larry Foote is back in his hometown to man the middle. Despite the presence of some veteran help in the secondary, the headliner is likely to be rookie Louis Delmas, a second-round pick out of Western Michigan. He had some issues staying healthy in college, but Delmas is a tough, hard-nosed player who will stick his head into the backfield. The job of Schwartz and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham won't be easy, because the talent doesn't appear to be much better than the unit that gave up an eye-popping 517 points last year. Heat Index: 4

Special Teams -- Longtime Lion Jason Hanson returns to handle the kicking duties. Last year, Hanson missed just one of 22 field goal attempts. Nick Harris was a busy guy punting the ball in 2008, but he had a strong season, and is very good at pinning opponents inside their 20. The return game was expected to get a boost when the Lions drafted Derrick Williams out of Penn State. Instead, however, it appears veterans Phillip Buchanon and Aveion Cason will handle most of the runbacks. Heat Index: 7

Coaching -- Schwartz doesn't step into an impossible situation. Work done last year in Atlanta and Miami shows clearly that even the most down-and-out franchises can return to prominence very quickly in the NFL. That both teams did it without any game-breaking gimmicks on either side of the ball (no offense, Wildcat supporters, but that isn't what put Miami in the playoffs) shows Schwartz that a no-nonsense style can work. Schwartz has scouting background, and he understands how to relate to players. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is reunited with Culpepper. Even if Stafford is the quarterback in Week 1, Linehan should make a positive impact on this team. Heat Index: 5

Intangibles -- The Lions were 0-16 last year. Confidence isn't exactly high, and their home-field advantage won't be noticeable until they start winning ... whenever that is. For years, the Lions have been viewed as a laughingstock, and they didn't arrive at that point in just one year. It's likely going to take them more than a year to dig out of this. Players and fans are keenly aware. Heat Index: 2

Total Heat Index: 23/50 -- It looks like Schwartz and the front office are going to do their best to build from within. That means the team is likely a draft or two away from making serious noise in the NFC North. The Packers and Bears are clearly better than they were last year, while the Vikings are at least on par, if not a little better. There simply aren't many arguments in favor of Detroit winning more than three or four games, but success on the field will be measured more in the incremental improvement at positions where the Lions were simply embarrassing in 2008, along with the development of promising young talent.