NFC North: Lions Still ‘Nasty’ Despite Coaching Change

Aug 22, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Bill Bentley (28) defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (94) defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) defensive end Jason Jones (91) defensive tackle Nick Fairley (98) and defensive tackle C.J. Mosley (99) pose for a picture during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Ford Field. Detroit won 13-12. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Though the head coach has changed, the characters — or as Chicago Bears fans might say, the usual suspects — remain the same for the Detroit Lions this season. Former head coach Jim Schwartz has a new home in Buffalo, while Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Stephen Tulloch and several others remain staples on the Detroit defense. That means good news for the Lions and potentially terrible news for the rest of the NFC.

Now it will be head coach Jim Caldwell’s turn to take the reigns of a Lions team that features a former first-round draft choice at quarterback in Matthew Stafford, a bonafide superstar wide receiver in Calvin Johnson and perhaps the most disruptive — and controversial — defensive tackle in the league in Suh. Much like Schwartz did, Caldwell will look to get as much “nasty” out of his team as possible. But unlike Schwartz, Caldwell will need to harness the team’s attitude and ensure that it does not create the issues for the team that it did in the past.

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Luckily for the Lions, Stafford and Johnson are no longer alone on offense. Detroit added running back Reggie Bush before the 2013 season and struck gold with draft pick Joique Bell as a complementary back. They’ve since added free agent receiver Golden Tate to create a potent 1-2 punch with “Megatron” and also drafted top tight end prospect Eric Ebron out of North Carolina. There will be no excuses for this Detroit offense heading into 2014.

As for the defense, Suh will anchor a line that now features emerging star Ezekiel Ansah, who may soon become one of the elite pass rushers in the league. Detroit will need its front four linemen, Suh and Ansah especially, to set the tone for a defense that has major question marks at cornerback and safety. Veterans James Ihedigbo and Rashean Mathis will be heavily relied upon to create turnovers in the secondary and improve a Lions’ passing defense that allowed the 23rd most total yards in the league last year.

Detroit Lions 2014 Outlook: Unfortunately for the Lions, the NFC is absolutely jam-packed this season, as is the NFC North. The Packers are the clear-cut favorites in the division, leaving the Lions and Bears to battle it out for a potential Wild Card position. Detroit’s offense can be, at times, one of the most effective in the entire league. However, inconsistency will plague Detroit in 2014 and force them into missing the playoffs yet again. They will still present a massive challenge for most opponents this season with their physical style of play.