Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Will the Detroit Lions finish in the top half of the NFL in rushing?
The Detroit Lions used to dominate on the ground when Barry Sanders was their star running back. But since Sanders hung up the spikes prematurely after the 1998 NFL season, the Lions have yet to finish in the top half of the NFL in rushing. The best they’ve done in the 21 years since is a 17th-place finish back in 2013. Do the Lions have what it takes to buck the trend in 2020?
The Fantasy Footballers believe it is possible the Lions will get into the top half this year but do have some overall roster concerns about their ability to do so. Jason Moore is the most optimistic about the Lions getting into the top half, as he has them finishing exactly at No. 16 in rushing this year. He believes adding D’Andre Swift in the draft will help get them over the top.
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Andy Holloway is not as high on the Lions as his colleague, as he doesn’t think the Lions will be good enough to close out a bunch of games by pounding the rock. Whether they use the rookie Swift or the veteran Kerryon Johnson to do it as the primary ball carrier remains to be seen. Mike Wright has questions about the Lions defense more than anything. So will the Lions get it done?
Can Swift, Johnson give the Lions a top-16 rushing offense?
The guys say eventually the Lions will get over the top-half threshold and no longer be a below-average rushing team. All it really takes in one dynamic runner have a good year and a decent line in front of him to give him more opportunities at carries. Of course, the Lions have become increasingly passing-centric during the Matthew Stafford era, and for good reason. He can sling it.
For head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn to keep their jobs beyond 2020, the Lions will need to push towards a .500 record. Frankly, there were on pace for it a season ago before Stafford suffered a season-ending injury. If the Lions go somewhere in the 6-10 to 7-9 range, they will have done enough to keep Patricia and Quinn around for another season.
Ultimately, this really comes down to how you feel about Swift as a running back. He was dynamic at Georgia, just like Johnson was before him at Auburn. Both former SEC stars are in the early 20s, so they’ve got plenty of tread left on the tires. It’ll surely be a running back by committee approach, but the Lions have a backfield talented enough to get into the top-half this season.