Getty Chris Spielman speaks at a media engagement.
Chris Spielman has watched the Detroit Lions up close as an analyst, and as a result, the former linebacker has a great idea of what the team has done thus far and where they are trending. Realistically, Spielman thinks the Lions are in pretty good shape as they get prepared to take on the rest of their slate.
Before that, Spielman joined Mike O’Hara of DetroitLions.com for a video taking a look at where the Lions have gone and where they could be set to go in the future. Clearly, he likes what he has seen so far for the Lions, even in spite of a few small disappointments early on.
“I think they’re doing well. The one game they do regret I believe is the opening game against the Arizona Cardinals when they had them on the ropes and ended up with a tie when they probably should have walked out of there with a win. But the counter to that is in Philadelphia, remember, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside dropped a game winning touchdown pass and the Lions kind of got lucky in that situation and got a road win,” Spielman says.
Such is the nature of the game in the NFL, and as Spielman goes on to say, he believes the Lions are right where they are supposed to be considering their record and everything balanced out as a whole.
“I don’t think if you put them under hot lights, I don’t think they would be disappointed with the first four games and a 2-1-1 start,” he said.
Roster Rounding Into Form
Perhaps the biggest positive Spielman sees is the fact that the Lions have some key elements starting to jell with regards to their roster and some of the positions which have seen success early on.
“The roster is built well. I think Kerryon Johnson, despite the fumble, is coming off his best game. The line has been staying healthy, and you have a quarterback that’s playing at a high level. So all the things that the Lions have tried to do, they’re right where they should be,” Spielman said.
Truthfully, he’s right. Johnson has given the team’s ground game some punch, and Matthew Stafford is still making insane throws as well as managing the game better. Detroit’s offensive front is impressing as well. All things considered, those have been some of the biggest positives for the team.
If the Lions are to make a run through the final portion of their slate, it will be because these roster pieces step up and continue to dominate.
Bye Benefits
The Lions have been resting up during the bye week, and that’s good news for plenty of players on the roster who have needed some rest and relaxation given the hard-hitting nature of NFL football. Speilman sees that as perhaps the biggest positive about the early bye from Detroit’s perspective.
“We’ll see what the benefit is. I think rest, right? You’re always going to be challenged when you play Aaron Rodgers. But it’s a great opportunity to get a good road win,” Spielman said.
Many could argue the team will be challenged not to show rust, but considering the nature of some of the injuries they were fighting, that seems like hardly a valid concern at this point. The Lions will need all hands on deck to try and pull off the type of win Spielman references on the road. Getting some of their hobbled players rest is a good way to aid in that.
No matter how it’s sliced up, Spielman seems very pleased with Detroit’s start to the season. Given the often brutal nature of his honesty, that could be good news for the Lions moving forward this year.
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