On June 29th, 2007, Jon Kitna, the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions, made a “10-win guarantee” for the upcoming 2007-2008 NFL season. And with weapons on both sides of the ball, his claim may not prove to be as outlandish as some may have first considered.

I am as excited as ever about a strong backfield that has come to Detroit by way of the off season. The Lions have struck gold in running back Tatum Bell from Denver. Though he has split time with Mike Bell, Ron Dayne, and Clinton Portis in the past, Tatum moved the ball with precision and decisiveness for over 1,000 yards on the ground in 2006 and two scores. This is something that the Lions need, a back that can pick his hole and follow through with confidence. Another solid addition is T.J. Duckett, a mountain of a man, who at 6-0 254lbs. rivals the size of most linebackers. Duckett, a former Michigan State Spartan, will see carries on goal line stands and especially crucial 3rd-and-short situations. Not to mention providing a decent pair of hands for pass-blocking and catching out of the backfield. These new additions, coupled with a decent backfield feauturing a healthy Kevin Jones, should cause a some fireworks and a grid-iron grind-out on the ground come September.

The backfield looks promising, but have you seen the Lions' receiving core? There are weapons galore, like Pro-Bowler Roy Williams, who ranked 4th in the NFL with 1,310 receiving yards and seven scores. He is accompanied by chart topping Mike Furrey who finished with the second highest reception total in the league (98), as well as taking those catches for an astounding 1,086 yards and six scores. Not too bad for a guy who had zero receptions in 2005 (Good job moving the ball around Marc Bulger). This existing receiving squad is flanked by a skilled pair of hands (blocking and receiving) that come along with tight end Dan Campbell, a seasoned veteran that will prove time and time again to be a deadly threat in the red zone. These are the weapons that we currently possess. Add to that the man, hopefully the legend, that is Calvin Johnson out of Georgia Tech. He shows the poise, the speed with size, the hands and the off the field character to be a “rookie of the year” caliber player. He has enough size and talent to make any defensive back think twice about giving him a 5-yard bump. Two-time All-American, 2006 Biletnikoff Award Winner (given to the nation’s top wide receiver) and ACC Rookie of the year in 2004, just a few of his accolades, which lead me to the belief that he could be promising. But will he live up to the hype? (And there is much hype.) He has been called the “most exciting player in the 2007 draft” by ESPN analysts as well as the best thing the South has produced since Jerry Rice. (To those people I say, simmer down with the comparisons Billy-Bob). We all know only time can tell but this die-hard Lions fan has been let down by first round wide receivers in the past three years. One’s hopes and dreams of 10+ win seasons and post-season games (which are just about the only thing to look forward to in these Michigan winters) have been crushed by injury, off-the-field shenanigans, run-ins with the law, and dismal Sunday afternoon performances. If you are going to skip practice, smoke weed, and fight women, at least give me a reason to forgive you come Sunday when you haul in 10 catches for 100 yards and two scores. Yet, this one, Calvin Johnson, could bring us to the Promised Land without an Oakland County appeal in the process.

With the “hands” in place, we need a steady and sure-fire arm to get the ball into those talented mitts. Can we count on an aging Jon Kitna or the NFL-Europe Star J.T. O’Sullivan? Kitna is coming off one of the best passing seasons of his 11-year career (which is not saying much). Having thrown for over 4,000 yards and 23 total touchdowns (21 passing) does give a glimmer of hope to a past decade of nearly worthless quarterbacks. Yet one thing that has plagued Jon Kitna since his days with the Seahawks in the late 90’s, was turnovers, especially through the air. In 2006, as stated previously, Jon Kitna passed for 21 touchdowns but threw 22 interceptions. He also put the ball on the ground 11 times in 16 games, and 9 of those fumbles became turnovers. Kitna accumulated 31 turnovers in the 2006 season, an average of almost 2 turnovers per game. Cutting down on these mistakes will work wonders for a struggling Detroit offense. Even if Kitna could cut back to maybe one turnover a game, our defense could keep one, dare i say two scores off the board every week. One must look at why Kitna is giving up the ball so often. One theory is his lack of passing accuracy and timing- just the raw facts that he will never be more then a mediocre quarterback. Another would be the lack of protection. Every pro team that he has thrown for has lacked in an offensive line that can give him 4-6 seconds. The 2007 Lions line is no different…

Will Jon Kitna get his legs ripped off by the Bears again this season?

The one thing that is lacking is a reliable offensive line that can withstand a solid pass rush. Dominic Raiola has served as the center since 2002 and Jeff Backus has covered his wing at tackle for just as long but who else can we really count on for protection? The Lions line has some well-aged veterans, but injuries seem to be more likely than large holes for rushing and slide protection that could pick-up an outside blitz long enough for a decent three-step drop. One addition that excites me is Manuel Ramirez (guard) from Texas Tech. Texas Tech is a team that airs the ball out and this kid provided solid protection as a four-year starter. In his senior year (2006) only 19 sacks were allowed by his line, zero coming from Ramirez, and in the Big 12, mind you. Very, very exciting. These are the kind of players the line needs coming off a 60+ sack season. After that stat are you impressed Kitna fumbled only 11 times?

All in all the Detroit Lions are going to surprise some folks this year. Being in one of the least competitive conferences in the entire NFL and with a decent schedule, I think we are looking at a rebuilding year that will disguise itself as one of the best teams in the past 16 years. Go Lions!

 

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