Lions ready for redemption
By SBGGlobal.com
The 2009 Detroit Lions have nowhere to go but up after becoming the first team in NFL betting history to go 0-16. The Lions made a number of changes in the off-season and they will win some games in 2009.
Detroit has a new head coach in Jim Schwartz who seems to have what it takes. He worked under Bill Belichick and spent the last eight years as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator under Jeff Fisher. The Lions have a new defensive coordinator in Gunther Cunningham and he loves pressuring opposing offenses. The offensive coordinator is now Scott Linehan who bombed as a head coach but was very good as an offensive coordinator with Minnesota.
The Lions drafted Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall and he will be competing with Daunte Culpepper for the starting job this season. The Lions would be better off not rushing Stafford so it is up to Culpepper to be ready. The Lions have Kevin Smith at running back and they signed Maurice Morris away from Seattle. The Lions have a great offensive weapon in wide receiver Calvin Johnson. He can instantly impact the NFL odds with his ability. The Lions signed free agent Bryant Johnson to be their No. 2 receiver and they added Dennis Northcutt and Ronald Curry. The Lions also stole Brandon Pettigrew with the 20th overall pick in the draft. He could make a huge impact in his rookie season.
The problems for the Lions are upfront. They have a weak offensive line and the defensive line isn’t much better. The Lions are hoping that Grady Jackson still has something left. The linebackers should be improved this season with the addition of Larry Foote and Julian Peterson. The secondary last year was simply a disaster. The Lions have started over and added three cornerbacks to go along with Keith Smith. They signed free agents Phillip Buchanon and Eric King and got Anthony Henry in a trade. They also got Louis Delmas in the draft. The kicking game for Detroit is solid with Jason Hanson and punter Nick Harris.
The Lions are the longest shot on the board to win the Super Bowl in NFL odds and for good reason but there is hope for Detroit. They made a lot of great off-season moves starting with getting rid of Matt Millen. The coaching staff has been seriously upgraded and Detroit finally made a lot of wise choices in the off-season. The Lions could be a lot better in 2009 than people think although a winning record might be a stretch.