The Lions have looked stellar this preseason. For me as the season has gotten closer I have gotten less optimistic. You can make all the predictions you want, but we all know health has a lot to do with the W column. Injuries are part of the game and you have to overcome them to be a winner in this league.
Aaron Brown played so well in the preseason. For those of you who watched the preseason games are probably a little curious why Brown is gone. I know you all understand why they made the move for Williams over Brown. I know you guys (maybe some gals) saw a guy in Brown that looked so explosive with some shake and bake. Saw swing passes that went for 10 yard first downs because he just simply outran people. Here is the thing he has done that every preseason. He just doesn't get incorporated in the regular season. I'm not going to really question why. Linehan is a better OC than me. There has to be a point where you produce in the regular season. He may have not had the opportunity that D Williams had to produce but you still have to produce sooner or later.
The Bucs on the other hand have not looked good this preseason. We will be going on the road as we did last year. Are starting QB will step on the field this time. I'm going to be honest this has to be a W. Suh had a great game last year and hopefully he can do it again with KVB back and healthy.
The Bucs have two key changes from last year. Adrian Clayborn at DE and Mason Foster at MLB. As you know I was extremely high on Foster in the third or fourth round. Foster lacks superior athleticism but he just gets to the ball and makes tackles. He was a tackling machine and doesn't have miss tackles something Lions LBs can't say for the passed few years. To me Foster is an undersized MLB and should play the weakside. Bucs just didn't really have anyone else there and they have two quality OLBs. I had to watch a lot of Iowa games and notice something consistent out of Clayborn last year. When the game was on the line and their D was on the field with the lead he ran out of gas. It really seemed consistently that when that team got to the 50 yard line he was gassed and came off the field. That is why I just wasn't very high on him. They may have gotten a steal on Bowers in the second round. I don't know where he is sitting at health wise, but I bet the Lions staff got a good enough look at him that they probably have a decent idea.
As much as I don't like comparing things based on last year it's week 1. I leave you with this, week 1 on the road inter division really was a season changer. It wouldn't be as big but week 1 road win is big. People are pretty high on the Bucs, I'm not. We'll see how good both teams are I really believe. I think the if the Lions play decent and don't shoot themselves in the foot they will win. Penalties have been a huge problem for a long time and has continued this preseason. I am a believer that penalties can be cleaned up week to week, it hasn't happened yet. Corey Williams stay on sides! Lets start the season 1-0
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