5 Players Lions Need More Production From to Rebound from 0-3 Start
Being 0-3 is like trying to climb an icy hill. Gaining traction is difficult, and getting to the top is even harder. However, it is not impossible.
The 1981 Jets, 1982 Buccaneers, 1992 Chargers, 1995 Lions, 1998 Bills and 2018 Texans have all done it.
That's not a mistype. Even a past Lions team did it.
All things are possible. The word impossible is a limiting mindset. The word impossible only exists in the dictionary.
With that being said, Detroit needs more production out of the following five players.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
Somebody has got to step up at wide receiver. Kenny Golladay departed for greener pastures (greener as in more money), and the best receiver in the building last weekend was Calvin Johnson during his halftime ceremony. The Lions need to move on and find someone who can consistently grab a hold of the top receiver spot. It is hard enough to win in the NFL.
When your top receivers are a tight end and a running back, you know anything more than three wins is a pipe dream. For all the culture change talk, I still can not believe adding a stud receiver was not part of that banter. Instead, St. Brown, who normally would be a No. 3 receiver (of the slot variety) on a good roster, is now being asked to basically play the role Megatron played. Good luck.
Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn has been pleased with the performance of the rookie receiver through the first three games of the season.
"There's only one football," Lynn said. "He's (St. Brown is) doing a heck of a job, but some of the ways he's helping the team doesn't show up in the stat column. His route running, his blocking is unbelievable. He's doing some really good things. I'm very pleased with him."
MARK HOFFMAN, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, Imagn Content Services, LLC
Six catches for 43 yards and zero touchdowns on 10 targets through the first three games isn’t getting it done. An average of 7.2 yards per grab is also a pedestrian-esque number. St. Brown needs to step it up before the clock strikes 0-4.
TE T.J. Hockenson
If not, that shifts the burden back to Hockenson. This is also reflected in the team’s stats. Already targeted 22 times in the young season, Hockenson has hauled in 18 catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns. His 9.6 yards-per-catch average is right up there with receivers Quintez Cephus (10.4 YPC average) and Trinity Benson (10.8 YPC avg.), which shows the mindset of the offensive gameplan. Detroit needs a monstrous game from Hockenson if it wants to pull off an upset against the "Monsters of the Midway."
RB D’Andre Swift
As a running back, Swift leads the team in the number of times targeted (23). Goff is showing he has the most confidence and trust in Hockenson -- as stated above -- and Swift, who quickly has developed into the most versatile player on this offense. He has the most yards on the team on the ground (123) and the second most through the air (166).
Perhaps the most frustrating part of watching the offense is watching offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn try to get too cute and get away from what is working. Handing the ball off to Swift and throwing it to him is what is working. Lynn needs to stop trying to prove to the football world how smart he is, with all these undrafted free agent and late-round receivers.
DE Levi Onwuzurike
At 0-3, it is time to turn the page from starting right defensive end Nick Williams and insert the 2021 second-rounder in Onwuzurike and see what he can do.
His snap count has steadily been increasing the past three weeks, from zero percent to 24 percent in Week 3. Detroit is still on the books for nearly $3 million this season with Williams, but this game is supposed to be about winning, not politics. It’s not like Williams is setting the world on fire with his four tackles and half a sack on the season. The Lions need an infusion of energy on defense, and the new regime needs to get its guy into the game.
LB Derrick Barnes
Detroit is starving for leadership at inside linebacker, and has been for some time. Enter Barnes, who plays with aggression and acts like he actually cares when he's on the field. He played in 48 percent of the snaps last week, and now, he is penciled in as a starter.
Barnes is coming off a three-tackle performance against Baltimore, which was just as many tackles as Romeo Okwara logged. It will not be long before we start seeing No. 55 jerseys popping up at Ford Field, as the cream always rises to the top.
These five young players to watch are five individuals who have been thrust into being the present and the future of this team.
There just comes a time when every young "Lion" has to grow up. It is true in the jungle, and it is certainly true with the Lions in Detroit.
