Detroit Lions: 5 Keys To Success In 2015

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Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell (35) runs past Chicago Bears defensive end

Cornelius Washington

(94) during the second half at Soldier Field. Detroit won 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

5. The Team Must Establish A Reliable Running Game

The Detroit Lions finished 28th overall in rushing yards last season, dragging their 12th ranked passing attack down into a 19th ranked overall offense. They also managed only 11 rushing touchdowns, just below the league average of 11.9. For the Lions to move up in the league, they will have to do better than league average standards offensively.

Last season’s rushing leader Joique Bell totaled only 860 yards, and the team’s second leading rusher Reggie Bush is now playing for the 49ers. Bell, however, thinks he will show even more improvement this season:

"“I’m going to rush for over 1,200 yards,” Bell told MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke. “That’s the minimum. If I do less than that, I’ll be surprised. I’ll be disappointed. Anything more than that, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”"

If he can have this kind of year, the team will be in good shape, but he has a lot to prove before this prediction can be believed. Bell has never started more than 6 games in his career, and is coming off of knee and achilles surgery this offseason.

The team drafted Ameer Abdullah in the second round out of Nebraska, and there are few questions about his ability to carry the load for a team, as he accumulated 226, 281, and 264 carries respectively in his final three seasons in college.

He was touted as the third best running back in this years draft, and his NFL.com draft profile describes him as having the potential to be an explosive player in the NFL and as having all the tools needed to be a good running back. He’s a bit undersized and his 13 fumbles in his four years at Nebraska are not a good sign, but it seems clear that he’ll play a big role for Detroit in 2015.

Theo Riddick will likely also share the load, but he’s more of a threat as a receiver than a runner. He was the team’s fourth leading receiver in 2014 with 316 yards through the air to only 51 yards on the ground.

Provided he can stay healthy, Joique Bell will finally get a chance to prove himself as the team’s best running back, but Ameer Abdullah will be hot on his heels. Hopefully this competition can help both players improve quickly, and enable them to be productive. The team needs to establish a strong running game in 2015 in order to take some of the pressure off of Matthew Stafford to win games.

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