The 2022 season is right around the corner and there are some big questions the Detroit Lions will have to answer if they want to take a big step forward.
In an article recently published on CBS Sports, NFL Insider Jeff Kerr proposed three questions for each NFC North team must answer before the 2022 season.
3 Questions the Detroit Lions must answer before 2022 season
Here are the questions (Bold) the Detroit Lions must answer, along with my thoughts.
1. How good can this offense be? There’s a reason for Lions fans to be excited heading into 2022, given the young offensive core the team is putting together. All of the main skill position players are 27 or under and none of the starting offensive linemen are over 28. That’s a core Detroit has assembled for several seasons.
I truly believe the Detroit Lions offense in 2022 has a chance to surprise quite a few people during the upcoming season. Not only will they have one of the top offensive lines in the NFL but they will also have quite a few weapons with T.J. Hockenson, D’Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and D.J. Chark, not to mention rookie Jameson Williams when he gets healthy.
Do not be surprised if the Lions finish with a Top 10-12 offense in 2022.
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2. Will Jameson Williams be ready for the season? The Lions passing game reaches another level if a healthy Williams is on the field. Will Williams be ready in time for the start of training camp? Head coach Dan Campbell doesn’t see Williams being ready for that time, which is what the Lions have prepared for.
I think this is a question that Lions head coach Dan Campbell has pretty much answered already as he has already said he does not expect Jameson Williams to be ready for training camp. If Williams, who is a rookie, is not able to participate in training camp, he will be placed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.
As I have said previously, I think the Lions will take it slow with Williams and he will make his debut in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys. (The Lions have a bye week in Week 6)
3. Can the pass rush carry the defense? The Lions are banking on Aidan Hutchinson to transform a pass rush that immensely struggled in 2021, a major reason why they drafted him No. 2 overall. Hutchinson had the second-highest pressure rate (14.2%) in the FBS since 2019, second only to Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. To measure Hutchinson’s value, Michigan had a 35% pressure rate when Hutchinson was on the field (fifth in NCAA), but just 28% when he was off the field (62nd in NCAA) in 2021.
A great NFL defense is able to get to opposing quarterbacks at a high rate and a bad NFL defense is not able to get to opposing quarterbacks at a high rate. In my opinion, that is the name of the game and if Aidan Hutchinson is able to have an instant impact then the Lions’ defense will be better for it.
Now, when I say “instant impact” I am not just talking about sacks. It is very possible that Hutchinson ends up with 10 sacks but still forces opposing quarterbacks out of the pocket or to make a rushed throw.
If the Lions’ defense can rise up in 2022 and become a top 20 or so unit in the league, the offense will do the rest.
