One of the strangest sights at any NFL training camp this summer was the thousands of fans flocking to watch the Detroit Lions practice. Bill Keenist, club vice president, surveyed the 5,000 who showed up almost daily at Saginaw Valley State University and recalled there were actually fewer fans at a strike replacement game at the Silverdome in 1987.
More Top Picks Best Reading Wedges For Bed
Why the excitement? The Lions finished dead last in the NFC Central Division last year under departed coach Wayne Fontes. Is new coach Bobby Ross so charismatic? Barry Sanders is worth a look in practice, but almost nobody used to come to Lions’ training camps when they were held at the Silverdome.
Maybe it’s a sense of history. Whenever the Lions are down, it means they are soon destined to finish first. They won the division in 1993 after finishing last in 1992. They won in 1991 after finishing in a four-way tie for last (and second) in 1990. They won in 1983 after finishing fourth in 1982. Even their glory years in the early 1950s were preceded by three straight last-place finishes in 1946-48.
Who has the most exciting player in football?
The Lions.
Who had the No. 1 offense in the league only two years ago?
The Lions.
Who has the easiest schedule in the league?
The Lions.
Who has the best defense in the league?
Ahem. Not the Lions.
Who needs defense?
The Lions.
Unless they score 30 points a game, the Lions are likely to soon be wishing they wouldn’t have to play two rookies at cornerback. Ex-Bears safety Mark Carrier won’t know which way to turn to help out No. 1 pick Bryant Westbrook or No. 2 pick Kevin Abrams.
But there are things about the Lions that make them worth watching closely, starting with the effect Ross will have. Dubbed the “anti-Wayne” because his organization and style are so different, Ross nevertheless is following the winningest (and losingest) coach in Detroit history.
So far, players have accepted the change with open arms and closed mouths. At San Diego, Ross took over the last-place Chargers in 1991 and turned them into AFC West champions his first year. After dropping to 8-8 in 1993, Ross rebounded and pushed the Chargers to the Super Bowl in 1994. Then the bottom dropped out again, and players interviewed by Sports Illustrated blamed Ross for mishandling the situation, calling him an overbearing presence in the locker room.
Nevertheless, Ross has experience with up-and-down teams, which uniquely qualifies him for the Detroit job. The Lions play the way Barry Sanders runs–back and forth, sideways and frontways, always unpredictable.
The Lions’ first order of business in the off-season was to make sure quarterback Scott Mitchell was signed and happy. Coming off a season when he only masqueraded as a good quarterback (17 TDs, 17 interceptions), the Lions signed him for four more years at $21 million. Instead of dressing up at Halloween to mimic Fontes, Mitchell was shedding weight under Ross’ orders to report at 240.
Ross said he had never encountered a quarterback so dedicated to off-season study and conditioning. Yet a groin injury kept Mitchell with very little preseason game experience, which concerned Ross entering the opener.
Ross also was disappointed that Sanders missed two mini-camps while negotiating a new six-year, $33.5 million contract, but Sanders soon showed in the preseason that he doesn’t need as much practice as most mortals.
As far as accepting Ross’ stricter coaching, the Lions sound ready for something different.
“It was a big change, but I think it was a needed change,” tight end Pete Metzelaars said. “I think even Wayne would agree it was a needed change. Being under the spotlight and in the fishbowl for so long, he was kind of worn out by it all toward the end of last year.”
As if he needed help, Sanders will be running with a fullback escort this season for the first time with any consistency. Ross thinks it’s not that radical a change and Sanders has proved he would be effective all by himself. But the idea of Sanders following a blocker gives defensive players the shudders.
That the offense has a formal plan is somewhat of a departure. Under Fontes, the Lions changed coordinators and systems as often as they changed socks. Sanders always defended Fontes, reminding people that the Lions originally incorporated the run-and-shoot offense because it let them compete despite obvious shortcomings in personnel. Mitchell appreciates Ross’ system more.
More Top Picks Best Laptop Stands For Students
“Everything is so clear and concise,” Mitchell said. “There’s not a lot of hesitation in where you’re supposed to go with the ball and who you’re supposed to read. The problem we had in the past is there was a lot of confusion and there was never a big picture of what we were trying to do. We more or less threw a bunch of plays together.”
And still, they led the league in offense only two years ago with virtually the same skill-position players.
“Confidence would not be the proper word,” said receiver Herman Moore. “Just enthusiasm. I’m very optimistic about this season.”
Until the defense gets its feet planted, the offense will have to carry the Lions. That could happen, too, with home games against Atlanta and Tampa Bay to open the season, followed by road trips to Chicago and New Orleans.
The 20th-ranked defense, worst in the NFC Central last year, needs young players to come through quickly, starting with tackle Luther Elliss, linebacker Reggie Brown and the two rookie cornerbacks. Defensive end Robert Porcher looks like he has found a home and Carrier claims he is rejuvenated if for no other reason than he doesn’t have to tackle Sanders or cover Moore anymore. If that defense jells, watch out.