NFL Betting Online: Losing Ndamukong Suh, the most dominant defensive lineman in the game, will hurt the Lions more than they realize.
2014 Season Record: 11-5 SU, 7-9 ATS, 5-11 O/U
2015 Regular Season Wins Total: 8.5, +120 O, -140 U
Odds to Win Super Bowl: +3911
Odds to Win NFC: +2070
Odds to Win Division: +521
We didn’t see the Lions coming last year when they went a surprising 11-5 and made the NFC playoffs. We don’t see them following up on that success story in 2015. The club hasn’t put together consecutive winning seasons and playoff trips since the mid-90s.
The big blow for the Lions is the loss of Ndamukong Suh. No matter how anyone spins it, losing the most dominant defensive lineman in the league hurts. Sure the Dolphins flashed a bunch of cash to lure Suh, but the Lions weren’t far behind in their bid to keep him. They made things worse by letting Nick Fairley walk.
Haloti Ngata replaces Suh on paper, but the on-field results will not be the same and with the Lions’ strength in the middle missing, it’s difficult to see Detroit’s run defense retaining its top ranking from a season ago.
The Lions had a hard time keeping quarterback Matthew Stafford upright last season and took guard Laken Tomlinson in the first round of the draft to address that. The kid is a talent and will be starting as will newcomer Manny Ramirez, who can play either center or guard.
Having those two on the line is good news for Stafford, who was sacked 45 times last season. Given more time, Stafford should improve the offensive numbers that were sorry for a team with receivers like Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate.
The Lions did lose Reggie Bush but gained Ameer Abdullah in the draft. Look for a running back by committee approach with Abdullah, Joique Bell and Theo Riddick vying for snaps. They each have different strengths which makes the approach more likely.
The Lions were all about defense last year and with Suh and Fairley gone there is a gaping hole in the middle of the line, one that can’t be filled by Ngata. The Lions did a nice job dealing with their issues on the offensive line and that will need to be a strength with the D entering the post-Suh era. With their talent on offense the Lions should be better, and will have to be, to compete with the Packers.
KEY ADDITIONS: DT Haloti Ngata, OG Manny Ramirez, DT Tyrunn Walker, WR Lance Moore.
KEY LOSSES: DT Ndamukong Suh, RB Reggie Bush, DT Nick Fairley, OT Garrett Reynolds, DE George Johnson, C Dominic Raiola.
Detroit won’t sneak up on anyone this year and duplicating their 11-win season from a year ago is a longshot. The Lions are the second-best team in the division, but that doesn’t get them much and the playoffs are out of the question.
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