PX1 Lions Season 14 Preview

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With the off-season behind us, let's look at the upcoming season for the PX1 Lions! While the Lions made a splash by trading for WR Allen Hurns on draft day, that was pretty much the extent of excitement for the day. The draft appears to have been a ho-hum sort of draft with most draft experts not really grading it very well. While last years draft was one of the best with several starters coming out of it, this one may end up with no starters at all. Now, of course trading away the 2nd round pick and using free agency to fill most of the major holes had a lot to do with that, the draft was still a disappointment to say the least. We will not rehash the off-season player movements as that was just written about in our off-season recap so go check it out if there is any confusion.

So, what would the start of a new season be like without at least a little drama centered around a position battle? Oh yeah, it just happens to be the most important position of all and that of course is the QB. Rookie Josh Rosen and Free agent Jimmy Garoppolo are set to begin the pre-season with each hoping to start the season as QB 1.

First, we will discuss Garoppolo and what he brings to the table. He is a veteran with several seasons in the league so the experience he has gained is a definite advantage over the rookie. Unfortunately, his numbers are anything but spectacular. Last year he only started 5 games for the Patriots before he was benched. He was 60 for 105 with 752 yds, 1 TD and 6 INTs. He doesn't have a really strong arm and much prefers to get the ball out of his hand quickly. He doesn't take a lot of sacks and can be a smart manager of the game but has not proven to be the guy you want leading your team down the field with the game on the line. With a new opportunity in Detroit and a renewed focus, we will see how things shake out in the coming weeks.

As for the strong armed rookie, Josh Rosen, that arm is his greatest asset and he will need to lean on it if he has any chance of getting the starting job. While at UCLA, he was able to spread the ball all over the field and had much larger windows to make his reads easy. Even with receivers Hurns, Tate, Jones and Ebron, those large windows will be mostly closed. He will have to learn to go through his progressions quickly, make the right read and then use that strong arm to get the ball in their hands. Word out of Detroit thus far is that he is really struggling with picking up the offense and this has caused concerns for the coaching staff. With a new offensive scheme said to be in place, we are all led to believe that this was implemented to try to make his reads quicker and easier than they were last year with the veteran Stafford at the helm. Time will tell, and we are all excited to see how this battle shakes out.

As for the rest of the team, barring an injury, the starting lineup is set and the team is working to gel with all the new additions and hopefully start the season strong with confidence and optimism with what the season holds.

Here is a breakdown of the upcoming schedule for Season 14!

Week 1 - vs Vikings. Oh boy! What a way to start.. The Vikings were 2-0 against us last year with the last game played being the worst defeat of the season. The Viks won the division and finished the season 13-3.
Week 2 - vs Jets. These teams have not played each other recently. The Jets will definitely be looking to make improvements this year after going 4-12 last year.
Week 3 - vs Packers. In a strange schedule twist, this game will be the 3rd home game in a row so that makes two of the three being division games that much more important. The Lions and Packers split the season series last year with each winning at home. The Packers finished the season 10-6 and earned a playoff berth.
Week 4 - @Patriots. The Lions will visit The Pats for the first time with the current ownership. If Garoppolo is the starter, this will be a homecoming for him and may offer more motivation to prove himself to his former team. The Pats finished last season 4-12.
Week 5 - @ Bears. Another division opponent and another split from last season with each winning at home. The Bears, just like the Lions finished last year at 8-8.
Week 6 - vs Panthers. These teams met last year in Carolina with the Lions losing not only the game but also their slim playoff hopes as well. The Panthers finished 8-8 last season.
Week 7 - @Cowboys. The Lions will visit the Jerry Dome for the first time and this will start a three game road stretch. The Cowboys just missed the playoffs last year at 8-7-1.
Week 8 - @49ers These teams met last year in Detroit and the Lions were able to force several early turnovers that ended up being the difference and helped secure a win. The 49ers will surely be pumped up to get revenge as the Lions travel to San Fran for this matchup. The 49ers were 7-9 last year.
Week 9 - Bye week
Week 10 - @ Packers Completes the division series
Week 11 - vs Seahawks First time facing the Seahawks who finished 5-11 last season.
Week 12 - vs Dolphins Also the first time these teams have met. Dolphins finished 7-9 last year.
Week 13 @ Cardinals Haven't played the Cardinals as well and they will look to have a better season after finishing 5-11 last season.
Week 14 - @ Bills. This certainly looks to be a difficult match up. Not only did the Bills win their division last year but the Lions will leave their friendly dome for a nice December game in Buffalo. Buffalo finished 11-5 last year.
Week 15 - @ Vikings. Wraps up the season series.
Week 16 - Rams. For the 3rd week in a row, the Lions will face last years division winner as they welcome the Rams to town. They finished 8-8 last year and won their division.
Week 17 - vs Bears. This could be an extremely important game for one or maybe both teams as they wrap up their season schedule with a division contest.

The Lions are said to be in the process of completing their season 14 hype video. As soon as it's available we will post it here so be on the lookout. That is all for now from Lions Den. Good day and Go Lions!
 
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