2013 Season Preview

For the first time in 21 years, the Lions will see someone other than Jason Hanson kick (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

On September 8, the Detroit Lions will begin their march towards redemption – at least, that is what Lions fans are hoping.

Detroit was tabbed as an up-and-coming team in 2012, one year removed from a 10-6 season and a trip to the NFL Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Lions stumbled to a 4-12 record and the questions began to fly about whether or not head coach Jim Schwartz was the man for the job, even after Schwartz received a three-year contract extension in June of 2012.

Despite the 4-12 record, Schwartz was retained and presumably given just one more season to prove that he is in fact the coach that will return the Lions to relevancy.

Detroit saw quite a bit of roster turnover in the 2013 offseason. The Lions saw starting defensive end Cliff Avril, offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus, and linebacker Justin Durant leave while defensive end Kyle VandenBosch, guard Stephen Peterman, and wide receiver Titus Young were cut. Key backup defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill also left town.

The Lions attempted to replaced their talent with the signings of defensive end Jason Jones and defensive tackle C.J. Mosley. Detroit was also able to retain a couple of key pieces by resigning free safety Louis Delmas and cornerback Chris Houston. With the Lions noted struggles against the pass and with the run, Detroit was able to sign safety Glover Quin from the Houston Texans and running back Reggie Bush from Miami.

And, after 21 years in the league, the Lions saw their beloved kicker Jason Hanson retire. To replace the 42-year-old Hanson, Detroit signed 38-year-old David Akers and Norwegian Youtube star Havard Rugland to battle for the kicking position. David Akers would finally win out, with Rugland released prior to the Lions final preseason game.

In the draft, Detroit addressed its glaring need on the defensive line by selecting BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah with the fifth-overall pick. Detroit continued to draft for need, picking Mississippi State cornerback Darius Slay in the second round and offensive guard Larry Warford in the third. Detroit continued its defensive focus in the fourth, picking defensive end Devin Taylor. The Lions added punter Sam Martin in the fifth, wide receiver Corey Fuller and running back Theo Riddick in the sixth, and tight end Michael Williams and linebacker Brandon Hepburn in the seventh.

Fuller and Hepburn were both cut by Detroit, while Williams was moved to the injured reserve. The remainder of the 2013 draft class made the 53-man-roster and is expected to contribute right away, expecially Ansah, Slay, Warford, and Martin, who will start week one against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Lions also kept two undrafted free agents on their roster in tight end Joseph Fauria from UCLA, who will be the third tight end, and offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle from Texas Tech, who will provide depth in the trenches.

Along with Ansah, Slay, Warford, and Martin, Detroit will see a number of other new starters on both sides of the ball. On offense, Jason Fox will step into the right tackle position while 2012 first round pick Riley Reiff will start at left tackle.

On defense, Ashlee Palmer will step into the outside linebacker position left void by Justin Durant.

As can be seen by the amount of new starters in the unit, the offensive line is obviously a question mark heading into the season. Key to the Lions success will be their ability to keep Matthew Stafford on his feet and confident in their blocking. If Stafford is kept on his feet, Detroit's offense should be one of the most potent in the league.

Superstar Calvin Johnson leads a receiving corps that will include veteran Nate Burleson and second year player Ryan Broyles, as well as slot man Patrick Edwards. Burleson and Broyles are both coming off serious injuries from last season, and Edwards will see significant playing time for the first time in his career, so the Lions have a lot to prove on the outside.

Out of the backfield, Reggie Bush will provide a solid receiving threat and consistent running threat given ample blocking. Personally, I think Joique Bell will be Detroit's second running back as he has shown his ability to catch passes to be much better than that of Mikel LeShoure.

And, at tight end, the Lions will see Brandon Pettigrew start in his third year of looking to overcome his inability to catch balls that hit him directly in the hands. Tony Scheffler will be Detroit's second tight end, and will hopefully provide mismatches against slower linebackers up the middle of the field.

The biggest problem on the defensive side of the ball will again be the secondary. The front seven, anchored by tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, looked strong against the run all preseason. Stephen Tulloch leads a linebacking corps which includes DeAndre Levy and Ashlee Palmer. Levy and Tulloch are both stout run stoppers while being solid in the passing game, although Levy is known to misuse his speed by overrunning plays while Tulloch stands only 5'8”, which does give opposing tight ends a pretty good height advantage.

While Detroit's weakness is its secondary, safety Louis Delmas is really the heart and soul of the defensive unit, providing energy and enthusiasm. As long as Delmas can stay healthy, along with Glover Quin, the Lions should be good against the pass. The biggest question mark will be at the second cornerback position, where Detroit will start rookie Darius Slay.

Slay will get a rather kind welcoming to the NFL, however, as Detroit faces the Minnesota Vikings and quarterback Christian Ponder, by no means a gunslinger, in week one at home. The Lions travel to Arizona in week two and Washington D.C. In week three. Detroit faces a pair of NFC North foes in week four against Chicago and week five at Lambeau. The Lions will play the state of Ohio in weeks six and seven, traveling to Cleveland then playing host to Cincinnati. In week eight, Detroit plays at home against Dallas before taking their bye week in week nine. The Lions play Chicago for the second time in week 10 before traveling to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in week 11. Week 12 sees the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay come to town before the Packers travel to Detroit to face the Lions in week 13. The Lions then play at Philadelphia, against Baltimore on Monday night at home, against New York at home, and at Minnesota to wrap up the season in weeks 14-17.

My estimated win total from this schedule is six. I see the Lions beating Minnesota at home, Chicago at home, the Browns in Cleveland, the Bengals at home, Dallas at home, and the Buccaneers at home.

While the Lions opponents are not terribly difficult, it is the locations of the games that hurt Detroit. The Lions have never played well in Arizona or Washington, while Chicago and Pittsburgh are just difficult stadiums to play in, plain and simple.

Detroit has an absolutely brutal schedule to finish the season, as I predict just one win, against the Bucs, after the bye week in week nine.

Best case scenario, I think the Lions could possibly squeak out a win at Arizona or Washington, at Philadelphia, and against New York at home. That leaves Detroit with nine wins, still not enough to make the playoffs, which would leave Jim Schwartz in limbo as to whether or not general manager Martin Mayhew would keep him as head coach.

While I tend to be an optimist, it is difficult to justify a winning season with the Lions schedule. Either way, my final prediction for the Detroit Lions in 2013 is 6-10 with yet another rebuilding year on the horizon.