Detroit Lions: Offseason Panic Mode 2021 Edition
The Detroit Lions are in a familiar place after the 2020 season. Finishing another season losing more than half of their games and still stumbling to field a competitive team. Hard to put a team in panic mode who is in constant free fall, but if the 2021 offseason doesn’t go their way, they very well could be panicking.
The QB Dilemma
The Lions traded away long-time quarterback Matthew Stafford this year in favor of Jared Goff. Both Goff and Stafford should benefit from new surroundings but Lions fans still have to worry. If the team couldn’t win consistently with Stafford, who’s to say Goff will be much better? Even when Stafford was burning up the stat sheet, the Lions were going nowhere.
New Coach, Who Dis?
Another year, another new coach for the Lions. Nothing seems to be sticking with these young coaches and even the old wise coaches of the NFL can’t find their footing in Detroit. It’s not for a lack of talent on the field or on the sidelines. Producing players like Stafford, Calvin Johnson, and Ndamukong Suh. Dan Campbell will take over for Matt Patricia who’s toxic handling of the team rubbed his players the wrong way. Campbell will have to take over and bring his aggressive style in a way that doesn’t let previous failures linger. Getting the guys on his side the way he did as an interim head coach in Miami is task number 1.
More NFL: Minnesota Vikings – Offseason Panic Mode
Topped Out?
There’s not a lot of room for error this offseason with the Lions’ current cap situation. Like many teams, they’ll need a lot of creativity and bargain players to fill out their roster. The problem with that is, it won’t look good when it comes to actual wins on the field. Bargain veterans will be a focus this offseason despite the number of cash teams have to throw around this offseason. Plenty of teams will be looking for team-friendly deals until the salary cap rebounds and Detroit can’t afford bidding wars.
Fix the Run Game
Have there been many years that the Lions haven’t finished in the bottom 10% in rushing lately? There have been many “curses” throughout sports and maybe the Lions have the curse of Barry Sanders. Sanders wanted to win, the Lions only wanted to cash in on his popularity forcing him to retire in his prime. Ever since then it doesn’t seem like their run game has ever been the same. No quarterback is going to effectively pass the ball and consistently win without an active run game.
Fix the Front Office
Speaking of running players out of town, the same can be said for Calvin Johnson. Megatron wanted to win or wanted out. Detroit again told him, no, and he too retired in his prime. Whoever is running the Lions clearly only cares about one thing, selling jerseys. I wouldn’t be surprised to walk into an office at Ford Field and find a book Running an NFL Franchise for Dummies. You ran two of history’s most dynamic players out of football because they got tired of losing. Instead of investing in the team and keeping your guys happy, the hardball game seemed a better option. Until the current decision-makers in Detroit are gone, they’ll never field a championship-caliber team.
The Detroit Lions have been one of the most shameful teams in the NFL. It’s gotta be heartbreaking to be a fan and see so much talent go to waste. Hold on to your seat Lions fans, 2021 will be a bumpy ride.
Rick ODonnell aka Caveman Rick has many years covering the Miami Dolphins, Sports, and all sorts of movies and television.
