ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- It's a new season in Detroit, but the rushing issues the Lions have seem to have carried over from one season to the next.
Yes, it's only one week and yes, the Lions can still have a productive running game this season. But through one week, if there's one area that needs massive improvement, it's Detroit's run game.
"It needs work," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "It needs work. We just got to keep working at it and [it's] not where we want it yet."
This is despite the Lions putting a lot of resources into improving the run game -- and the offensive line -- over the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2015 season, Detroit has four new starters on the offensive line, everyone except center Travis Swanson, who had his first starting season with the club that year.
Detroit has also brought in new running backs: Ameer Abdullah, Zach Zenner, Dwayne Washington and Tion Green have all been signed or drafted by the Lions since 2015. Only Theo Riddick, the pass-catching specialist at running back, remains from the last strong rushing season Detroit had -- in 2013. That year, Riddick barely saw the field behind Reggie Bush and Joique Bell, both of whom are now out of the NFL.
The Lions have been searching for a consistent run game since. Some of it has been hampered by injury, particularly last season with Abdullah and Riddick ending the season on injured reserve. Some of it has been poor offensive line play.
But in theory, those two things are solved. And while Caldwell said the run game needs work, the numbers compared to the rest of the league aren't awful. Detroit's 82 yards against Arizona is No. 16 in the league and its 3.04 yards per carry is No. 19. That's better than most Caldwell-led rushing attacks in his career.
The issue, though, shows up when quarterback Matthew Stafford's scrambles and punter Kasey Redfern's scramble that ended his season are removed from the numbers. When only running back stats are used, the Lions drop to No. 27 in the league, with 2.32 yards per carry. That's well below Caldwell's long-stated goal of 4.0 yards per rush.
That's a problem for the Lions, who have always spoken about striving for balance -- although with Caldwell as head coach, true balance is likely never to be reached based on his history. No Caldwell-run team has ever had a top 20 rushing attack in the NFL, but the Lions know to achieve consistent play they need more than what they're getting from their run game.
Facing the Giants, a team that historically does well against the run, isn't likely to help that too much. But there should be a shred of hope for Detroit this week. First would be the health of Abdullah. He's a good back and as he works into the season, should be able to find holes. Then there's the Giants' run defense.
It’s only one game, but the Giants allowed 105 rushing yards against Dallas and allowed 3.75 yards per carry. And after Monday, Detroit faces Atlanta in Week 3 (125 yards allowed in Week 1, 6.58 yards per carry) and New Orleans in Week 6 (138 yards, 5.11 ypc). So opportunities are there for breakout games.
But right now? No, the Lions run game is not anywhere near ready yet.
