The Detroit Lions busted free from the offensive doldrums which held them back in Week 1, enjoying an impressive 52-21 romp over the Chicago Bears in Week 2.
Detroit's victory was fueled by a major offensive resurgence. Against the Bears, the Lions managed 511 total yards and seven touchdowns. It was an impressive performance that showed the team took a leap forward from where they were against the Green Bay Packers.
Not everyone is sure that the Lions have turned a corner for the rest of the year, however. After the game against the Bears, ESPN analyst Dan Graziano listed Detroit's dominant performance being a sign that the franchise will be alright without Ben Johnson as an overreaction.
"We have one bad and one good, so let's see some more good before we assume all is well, right? I'm not necessarily as worried about John Morton's ability to replace Johnson as offensive coordinator as I am about the interior of the Lions' offensive line following the surprise offseason retirement of longtime center Frank Ragnow. It was the issues up front that were most worrisome in Week 1, and I think we need to see the reconfigured line in action for a few weeks before we decide whether it's going to be able to hold up."
As Graziano wrote, the Lions have a higher standard than being serviceable on offense. With this in mind, they need to continue to prove themselves week by week in order to feel good about where they're at.
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"And remember, when we say "just fine" about the Lions, we're talking about Super Bowl contender fine. The standards are high in Detroit. The Lions could still be a very good team and not be the same kind of wagon they were on offense this past season. They also could still be elite on offense. I just don't think we have enough evidence either way, and the interior offensive line questions leave some room to wonder."
Graziano is correct that there isn't enough information to show what the Lions will be. The Bears look like a potential disaster in the making, which could take some shine off what Detroit was able to do. It's also true that the Lions looked much improved in plenty of ways, and that isn't insignificant after a rough opener.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was impressed by Lions' offensive turnaround
St. Brown didn't want to go as far to say that the Lions were completely fixed, either, He was encouraged by the fact that Detroit was able to enjoy a big game with many improvements, but pointed to a few details that the team still has to fix in order to feel great about where things are heading the rest of the way.
"It's only Week 2. It's early. But I feel like we were a lot better than we were last week. Everything from the explosive plays to the communication to the details to the execution to taking care of the football. You look at just the whole top to bottom. There was a few drives that we kind of stalled out. We had a few three-and-outs after our defense got a turnover, that's the last thing you want to do. Those are things I feel like we need to be better on. But any time you put up 50 (points) in this league, (it) is tough against any opponent. You got to respect it."
There's a lot to like about where the Lions are trending after Week 2 as St. Brown points out, but it's alright to accept the fact that Detroit still has things to prove. They will have that chance in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens on the road.