Detroit Lions: If…And…But for 2015

Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick (25) runs the ball against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr (39) in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Dallas beat Detroit 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

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The running game rebounds from a shaky year in which injuries and a struggling offensive line played a big part in the falloff.

After averaging a respectable 112.0 yards per game on the ground in 2013 (17th in the NFL) thanks mainly to the combined efforts of Reggie Bush (1,006 yards) and Joique Bell (650 yards), only four teams in the league gained fewer yards on the ground than Jim Caldwell’s club this past season. As a team, Detroit gained a mere 1,422 yards rushing (423 yards less than Dallas’ DeMarco Murray) in 2014, a measly 88.9 yards per outing. Bell ran for 860 yards and seven scores while injuries limited Bush to 76 carries and just 297 yards. The veteran was released this offseason and latched on with the San Francisco 49ers.

Now it will be up to not only Bell and reserve Theo Riddick but rookie Ameer Abdullah to provide quarterback Matthew Stafford with some support. Abdullah was a second-round pick this year and the former Nebraska Cornhusker hopes to add a little oomph to a running attack that totaled a mere 396 plays this past season.

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