All eyes are on the Detroit Lions.
The Motor City kitties clawed their way to a 12-5 record last year, winning their division and ending a three-decade long drought.
It was their best finish since 1991. They advanced to the NFC Championship Game that year as well.
Five players on the roster would garner 2023 AP All-Pro honors. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and right tackle Penei Sewell both earned first-team acclaim.
Center Frank Ragnow, rookie tight end Sam LaPorta and special teams standout Jalen-Reeves Maybin were named to the All-Pro Second Team.
Plus defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs bagged Pro Bowl bids. Now it’s time to turn the page.
The Lions have shown their claws so far this preseason. Detroit is not the plucky upstart anymore. Opponents have them in their sights.
Can they reach those sixth- and seventh gears if needed to charge past the opposition?
Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson is back to lead the Leos attack.
29-year-old signal caller Jared Goff is coming off a solid campaign with a career-high (67.3) completion percentage. Goff’s steady hand was key to the squad’s success.
That begins with the offensive line. Sewell signed a contract extension in April, making him the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman.
Newly-acquired right guard Kevin Zeitler was a Pro Bowler with Baltimore last year. Taylor Decker is a linchpin at left tackle. Left guard Graham Glasgow re-upped after possibly his best season as a pro.
Gibbs has drawn rave reviews in recent weeks. Wide receiver Jameson Williams will be an X-Factor. The former first-round pick has struggled at times, yet is primed to take a leap forward.
Detroit’s defense should be significantly better. GM Brad Holmes has taken significant steps to shore up the defensive secondary.
Holmes took two highly touted cornerbacks with the team's No. 1 and 2 picks in April’s NFL Draft. Alabama alum Terrion Arnold and Missouri cover man Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Sophomore defensive back Brian Branch will be sidelined for a short stretch, though figures to play a big part once he returns.
The 6-footer shined as a rookie at nickel corner. Branch totaled 74 tackles, three interceptions, a sack and TD.
Brian Branch with a BEAUTIFUL breakup on Amon-Ra St. Brown 👀
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@BrandNewDET) August 11, 2024
🎥: @Lions | #OnePride pic.twitter.com/5bsO7RMo7o
Head Coach Dan Campbell revealed his plans during a media session July 29: “Nothing is set in stone. We really feel like the safety position could be good [for] Branch,” Campbell said.
“We have a lot of moving parts here, but right now it really is when Branch gets back and is ready to go, [which] he’s in a good place, he’s coming. His rehab is going well, he’s out there in walkthrough. Then you’re taking about a competition [with Ifeatu Melifonwu] at the safety position.”
Campbell would add, “We just feel like Branch, it can suit him well and give him a chance to see where he can go with it.”
Some questions still linger around the Lions’ linebacking corps.
NFL vet Alex Anzalone has been the anchor. He’s averaged 127 tackles a year the last two seasons. Can he continue at that clip?
Second-year starter Jack Campbell aims to raise his game a notch. And of course others will need to step up.
Important to note – the league moves to a new dynamic kickoff system this year.
That’s supposed to resemble a typical scrimmage play by aligning players on opposite teams closer together and restricting player movement to reduce space and speed.
In other words, no more sneaky onside kicks. The NFL argues its objective is to increase kickoff returns, but that remains to be seen.
As for bad news, the injury bug has already bit well ahead of Week 1.
First-string kicker Michael Badgley was lost for the season after tearing his hamstring July 25.
Defensive end John Cominsky tore the MCL in his right knee July 30, also done for the year.
Offensive guard Netane Muti was put on injured reserve after sustaining a shoulder injury the same day. CB Emanuel Moseley suffered a torn pectoral muscle last week and will be out indefinitely.
Reserve offensive tackle Connor Galvin sustained a season-ending knee injury in the first preseason game August 8.
Those are just a few. They are dealing with a depleted depth chart a month before the season even starts.
The Lions showed remarkable resilience last year. Each time they stumbled, they got up and regained their stride – with added resolve.
They will have to lean on those lessons for what lies ahead.