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When Steve Mariucci took over as head coach of the Lions last year, he didn't realize he was inheriting the oldest team in the NFC. He knew how downtrodden the Lions had been, just not how wrinkled and worn. Back-to-back seasons of 2–14 and 3–13 before his arrival, and two inexperienced quarterbacks in Joey Harrington and Mike McMahon, offered all the trimmings of a franchise on training wheels. Immediately following a 5–11 season chock full of injuries, Mariucci and club president Matt Millen began lopping off some of the dead weight, solidified a few depth chart eyesores in free agency, used the draft to inject some pure speed and athleticism, and even shaped the coaching staff more to Mariucci's liking. The result is a more hopeful 2004. The offense is now very young, and the growing pains of youth will cause a few headaches. But at least the Lions appear headed in the right direction for the first time in the 21st century. Quarterbacks In his third year, Harrington should be ready to take full control of Mariucci's West Coast offense. He certainly has more weapons. Harrington will be prodded to scramble a few more times rather than force a pass into a small hole, but both the running game and the improved speed at receiver should give him his first real chance to display his talents.
Injuries to running backs and wideouts never allowed Harrington to get comfortable with his teammates, and many of the replacements were sub-par. "We sat down and went over specifically how many times Joey worked too quickly through his progressions," says Mariucci. "Did he check it down without giving his No. 2 [option] a chance to get open? Was he hurried? Did he throw it away early? Should he have bought some more time?" Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren, one of Mariucci's early mentors in Green Bay, says an NFL quarterback usually proves in his third season whether he's going to grasp the position or not. If Harrington fails, the Lions re-signed McMahon. Mariucci will not hesitate to make the change this season. Running Backs A couple of hours before trading three draft picks to scoot up to select Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones with the 30th selection in the 2004 draft, Mariucci emphatically said: "We will not stand to be near the end of this league in rushing. That's not how I prefer to coach. By getting a Damien Woody to improve our offensive line, by adding wide receivers that pose a deep threat, the threat of the pass is going to keep those safeties out of the box so we can run the football against seven in the box more often."
Then along came Jones. Jones is big, has excellent vision, runs well inside the tackles and can block. He still has to work on learning a passing game that was never a priority at Virginia Tech. Dating back to his days in San Francisco, Mariucci favors platooning backs. Jones and Artose Pinner, who played little in his rookie season while recuperating from a broken foot, could form a respectable one-two punch. Both have to prove themselves as third-down backs, or Shawn Bryson, last season's leading rusher, could enter on passing downs. Though the years will eventually take a toll on fullback Cory Schlesinger's helmet-crashing ways, he remains a respected blocker and must be watched sneaking out of the backfield for passes. Receivers Put world-class speed burner Roy Williams, the seventh overall pick, opposite acrobatic Charles Rogers, throw in Tai Streets, and Harrington suddenly has targets. But they are young.
"They need to get better together," says Millen, "and they need to grow up pretty quick." Strictly as an athlete, Williams is in a class with Minnesota's Randy Moss. Rogers, the second overall pick in 2003, was having a nice rookie season before a broken collarbone sidelined him for the last 11 games. A healthy Rogers, a fast-learning Williams and a steady Streets (along with Az Zahir-Hakim) should stretch the field. Not everyone can be doubled. At tight end, Mikhael Ricks was released, and the Lions expect Casey Fitzsimmons to enhance the passing game in his second season. "Now we have some threats," says Millen, "so we can start dictating some coverages. That should make a difference for Harrington, too." Offensive Linemen Lions quarterbacks were sacked only 11 times last season, a remarkable statistic for a team constantly playing catch-up with a quarterback not known for his scrambling ability.
Adding Woody, an All-Pro, from New England and David Loverne from St. Louis in free agency is an improvement over Eric Beverly and retiring Ray Brown, who at 41 was finally beginning to wear down after a long, good ride. Woody's presence, either at left or right guard, will bolster the running game and make center Dominic Raiola and tackles Jeff Backus and Stockar McDougle even better. Mariucci's early thinking is to use Woody at right guard and let Loverne and 6-foot-7 Matt Joyce battle for the left side, the lone major question mark along the line. "I think you'll see a difference in how we utilize our offensive line," says Millen. "There's also more athleticism for [new line coach] Pat [Morris] to work with, and he can do more things with this group." Defensive Linemen The line has experience, depth and flexibility. One sensible change is shifting young talent James Hall to the left side -- if Kalimba Edwards rebounds from a poor season to start at right end.
The two behemoth tackles -- Shaun "Big Baby" Rogers and Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson -- will anchor the middle. Robert Porcher, the Lions' all-time sacks leader, end Jared DeVries and second-year player Cory Redding will be in the rotation. "The kid who has got to step up is Kalimba, and he knows it," says Millen. "We've talked to him about it a bunch, and he's up to it and feels good and has gotten a lot stronger." Linebackers Big upgrade here. Second-year outside 'backer James Davis has added 25 pounds in the offseason, up to 240. Speedy Boss Bailey is coming off a promising rookie season. Steady Earl Holmes is in the middle but is slowing down.
The new arrivals are second-round pick Teddy Lehman, a tenacious 240-pound speedster from Oklahoma, and another raw speedster, fifth-round pick Alex Lewis of Wisconsin. Lehman is likely to get a look in the middle as well as outside, and there remains a chance he could beat out Holmes. From the standpoint of sheer speed, Bailey and Lehman should provide some excitement at Ford Field. Defensive Backs The Lions ended 2003 with 15 players on injured reserve, tops in the NFC. The secondary was hit so hard, five cornerbacks came aboard after the team broke camp.
Cornerback Dre Bly became a Pro Bowl star. In free agency, Millen lured Jacksonville's Fernando Bryant, who blankets receivers and discourages passes his way. Millen then drafted McNeese State cornerback Keith Smith, known for his coverage and speed, in the third round. The Lions are counting on at least one of the corners out with injuries -- Rod Babers, Chris Cash or Andre Goodman -- to fully heal and spring back. Veteran free safety Brock Marion was signed to play center field. Brian Walker is at strong safety. Specialists Placekicker Jason Hanson is among the league's most reliable. He missed just one field goal (22-of-23) and one extra point.
Nick Harris returns as the punter after averaging 40.2 yards per kick. Chuck Priefer's coverage teams should be strong. Final Analysis Perhaps no team in the league added as much offensive talent as the Lions. But Detroit's new skill players are painfully young. The pieces, however, finally appear to be in place.
If this team can figure out a way to win on the road -- they have lost an NFL-record 24 consecutive away from home -- a run at a .500 season is a realistic goal. • Click here for a complete list of 2004 Team Previews from Athlon
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