Lions-Browns: A half-dozen themes to watch for

By Os Davis  |   Thursday, August 21, 2008  |  Comments( 7 )

Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions are three-point favorites in Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, which is certainly an unusual lead on many levels. Just about as certainly, reckon the Detroit bandwagon’ll get a bit more crowded by Monday with what should be the Motor City Kitties' third consecutive strong win in the preseason.

After all, the Lions have looked to be firing on all cylinders in exhibition wins over the defending champion New York Giants and the high-potency Cincinnati Bengals offense. Jon Kitna has been as sharp as he can statistically, “averaging” a “perfect” quarterback rating of 158.3; Calvin Johnson has perfected his Randy Moss impression; and the defense is squeezing the most out of its ultra-quick members while applying some nice pressure.

And while they say these games don’t count, the 2008 Lions preseason certainly looks legit in terms of confidence building. (Not to mention bandwagon jumping.) What to consider in Saturday’s rare battle of hyped up-and-comers? A few motifs we’re sure to see follow.

• The battle at the line. Forget the overall hypedness of the Browns, the trendiest pick to turn years of mediocrity into a playoff bid; the truth is that, by adding free agent Eric Steinbach and rookie wunderkind Joe Thomas two offseasons ago, the Cleveland brain trust created one of the top three O-lines in the game today. While constant pressure made Eli Manning and Carson Palmer look equally silly in preseason Games 1 and 2, the littler-than-thou Detroit defenders have yet to take on a quintet of this magnitude. Steinbach-Thomas-Hank Fraley-Kevin Shaffer and new addition Rex Hadnot – all strapping young lads, the lightest of whom is the 295-pound Shaffer – represents, as they say, the first real challenge the Tampa 2 boys have faced in 2008.

• Big Baby vs. Bodden. Thus far, indications incredibly imply that the Lions got the better end of the winter's Shaun Rogers-for-Leigh Bodden trade. Rogers has publicly lived down to the moral expectations Detroit doomsayers have been preaching about Big Baby throughout the summer, reportedly not appearing at a practice or two – heck, the odds of a Rogers appearance this week in Detroit are still questionable. Meanwhile, Bodden has been ubiquitous for the Detroit ‘D’, flying about as the system demands and notching three tackles last week. Should Rogers play, figure both to strut their stuff against former teams upon which they’d like to revenge. (And maybe the Rogers-for-Bodden trade won’t appear quite so ludicrous by season’s end, but this writer won’t be admitting it soon.)

• A good indication of both teams’ 53-man roster. The Lions, let’s face it, are thin everywhere on the depth chart and the Week 1 squad should present few surprises. As for the Browns, Romeo Crennel & Co. will be stitching together a team without Josh Cribbs, Brodney Pool, Willie McGinest, Jamal Lewis, Braylon Edwards and Derek Anderson: For nearly whomever Cleveland sends out there on Saturday night, each play will be meaningful in what may realistically be many an unknown’s last chance to suit up as a Brown this year.

• Brady Quinn. Now that Anderson is concussed and out, Quinn has been handed the keys to drive his own density in the final two preseason games. With tens of thousands of NFL enthusiasts, marketers and chicks in his corner, all eyes will be on Quinn against Detroit (and presumably against the Chicago Bears thereafter) as he attempts to swipe the starting job from Anderson, unimpressive early. Detroiters are surely just hoping the coming-out party doesn’t become an embarrassment.

• Travis Daniels. Will the Browns’ new acquisition fit in? Will he look rusty or quickly adapt? Will Daniels make a difference to a woeful Cleveland pass defense, the weakest aspect of the Browns’ game in 2008 (the aerial ‘D’ was a woeful 24th “best” in yardage allowed, 29th in passing TDs surrendered, and 31st in first downs allowed through the air in 2007)? No one better to warm up him up than the pass-happy Kitna and ultrafast tandem of Roy Williams and C.J., we say.

• The running Lions. As is the eccentric usual wont, Rod Marinelli and friends have laid out a little of the upcoming game’s strategy for the media. Against the Browns, Detroit will reportedly be concentrating on – surprise! – the running game. And who can blame them, really? Rookie Kevin Smith has shown a flash or two of brilliance in the preseason but hardly yet resembles a regular-season starter, while Tatum Bell has been surprisingly listless in what he should be considering a contract-year opportunity. Could Brian Calhoun emerge triumphant from this mess? Stay tuned ...

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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's ...
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