The Detroit Lions kick of the 2012 campaign with a game against the Rams. St. Louis is in a rebuild mode currently, but still has some weapons on offense that could scare some teams. Detroit will be breaking in 4 new starters in the secondary, and likely will be leaning on a strong pass rush to account for any defensive stops. St. Louis is also breaking in some new members of their secondary that will be tested over and over again by Stafford and company. I am not sure how much the Lions did in the offseason to improve for this year, but I guess it is time to stop talking about it and just find out.
St. Louis Run Offense vs Detroit Run Defense
Detroit has built its defense to rush the passer. The defensive line has a lot of athletic monsters in the rotation that are very good at getting upfield to the quarterback. This gets offset when they tend to overpursue and the running game can really hurt them. Last year the Lions really struggled to stop the run on a consistent basis, which made it harder to defend pass. I think the defensive front has improved in slowing the run down, which should help the linebackers out. Even if Detroit improves a lot, Sunday will be a challenge to stop Steven Jackson. I have a feeling the Lions defense will continue to struggle this year, so the advantage will be with the Rams.
St. Louis Pass Offense vs Detroit Pass Defense
This comes down to how much pressure can the front 4 get on Sam Bradford. The Lion's back 7 were terrible in coverage last year, and I doubt much has changed. Teams used the intermediate passing attack to shred through the Lions defense last year, and by using this strategy it allows the QB to get rid of the ball before a rush can get there. I don't know why teams still wouldnt do this to try to offset the defensive line. The Lions only hope in pass coverage is being aggressive to try and force a few turnovers. Of course by being more aggressive, the Rams will likely have 2-3 plays over 20 yards on the game. Advantage St. Louis.
Detroit Run Offense vs St. Louis Run Defense
The Lions haven't had a running game in quite some time, and I dont think there is any reason that will change this year. Yes, Leshore is supposed to help in the running back department, but the offensive line is so bad at run blocking that it doesn't matter if Arian Foster was in our backfield. The Detroit run offense has turned into some short passes to running backs or reverses to the receivers. The Ram defense is not one of the best in the league, but they still should have little trouble stopping the run attack from Detroit. Advantage St. Louis.
Detroit Pass Offense vs St. Louis Pass Defense
So far during this preview it looks like St. Louis is going to pull off the upset at Ford Field on Sunday, but we are saving the biggest advantage gap for last. The Detroit passing attack is one of the best in the entire league. Matthew Stafford is primed to turn into the most recent star and Calvin already is the best receiver on the planet. The Lions have so many weapons in the area of the game that most teams cannot even begin to slow them down. The only hope St. Louis has is to get pressure on Stafford and hit him or to force some interceptions. If Stafford is allowed to stay in the pocket and not feel pressure he will put up huge numbers. Advantage Detroit.
I am not going to do special teams because in the NFL there are not many teams that have big advantages in this area, especially with the new kickoff rules.
Almost every "expert" is picking the Lions to win this game, and while I think they will start the season 1-0, the game will likely be closer than many expect. The line is 9 points, which is one of the biggest of the opening weekend. The Lions could cover that, but they are going to need a lot of offense to do so. I think the Stafford-Johnson connection is in full effect from the beginning and both players have a big game. I doubt either team will be able to stop the other, so this is looking to be an exciting shootout. Good thing the Lions have so many offensive playmakers. I think Detroit wins 38-28.
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