Detroit Lions: 5 Keys To Success In 2015

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Mar 11, 2015; Davie, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins defensive tackle

Ndamukong Suh

answers questions from reports at Doctors Hospital Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

1. The Team Must Find A Way To Replace Ndamukong Suh

This may be the most obvious issue the team faces for the 2015 season: finding a way to replace All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Suh’s production in his five years has been outstanding, earning him four trips to the Pro-Bowl and four selections to the All-Pro 1st Team. He’s been the anchor to a dominant Lions defensive line since he entered the league in 2010, but this offseason he signed a massive contract to play for the Miami Dolphins.

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At 6’4″ 320lbs, Suh was a massive presence at the center of Detroit’s defense, and finding a way to replace him may be difficult. Along with Suh, defensive tackle Nick Fairley also left this offseason, signing a contract with the St. Louis Rams. The middle of the Lions defensive line has a gaping hole where these two players are, and they will need to find a way to fill it, or risk sacrificing some big yards on the ground and some valuable pass-rushing.

The first step the team made in terms of replacing production at defensive tackle was trading for Baltimore’s Haloti Ngata. At 6’4″ 335lbs, Ngata more than fills the physical gap left by Suh, but his talent is not quite on the same level. A few short years ago, Ngata was arguably the best at his position, but now at age 31, he is a little bit past his prime.

He hasn’t managed to play a full season since 2011, and his tackle totals have steadily declined over the last five seasons. He does have experience playing both defensive tackle and defensive end, giving him versatile talents that should come in handy in Detroit. Even though he’s aging, he should still be a very effective player for a few seasons to come, but it is unlikely he will be able to match Suh’s production. He seems to have a lot of faith in his new team’s defense (via the Detroit Free Press):

"“It’s exciting, man,” Ngata said of joining the Lions “I’ve never been a part of a defense like this. You have so many athletes: J.J. (Jason Jones), Ziggy (Anash), Caraun (Reid), Darryl Tapp. You just have so many playmakers all over the front on the D-line. I’m just excited to be a part of it.”"

Ngata is right, there are a lot of athletes up front, but it’s the middle of the line that will need the most help. The Lions will likely use a variety of different players in the middle of their defensive line, including Tyrunn Walker, Caraun Reid, and Gabe Wright. Each of these guys will be battling it out for the starting job, and should play an impact this season.

There’s not much of a chance that the team can find another player to fully fill Suh’s role for the team, but they need to do the best they can. Likely that will mean rotating a variety of players based on their skills and the team’s needs, but it remains to be seen exactly how they will do that.

Minnesota has Adrian Peterson, Chicago has Matt Forte, and Green Bay has Eddie Lacy, so the NFC North may be one of the scariest divisions in football in terms of starting running backs. The Lions must find a way to plug up the middle if they hope to have a chance at slowing down these backs and finishing near the top in their division.

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