Posted by Rigs
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Lions @ Browns. When Detroit Lions faced Cincinnati Bengals it was the official unveiling of perhaps the greatest wide receiver ever drafted into the NFL. Perhaps hyperbole, but this is what most NFL scouts around the league were saying around draft time and probably repeating last week as they witnessed the first NFL preseason game for WR Calvin Johnson, yet another receiver picked by the Detroit Lions in the first round.

But this time it’s different. In limited action it was easy to tell that this kid has what it takes to be a star in the league. Most talent evaluators picked to be a lock for the hall of fame even before he played a down of professional football, so phenomenal are his talents and attributes. Against the Bengals in the team’s preseason opener, Calvin Johnson looked sharp. He caught two balls late in the first half for 45 yards that helped set up a Lions touchdown.

But one star receiver hardly makes a team and without the rest of the skill positions, a line and a solid defense the Detroit Lions will go nowhere. Fortunately, for the city of Detroit, this team is solid at all of these spots and could very well be the Cinderella story in the NFL this year.

All the top football minds in the media from Chris Mortenson to Peter King think this Lions team has something special. There is no doubt that it will have one of the most potent attacks in all of football. Starting QB Dan Kitna has for years been jettisoned from one to another before finally finding a starting spot on the lowly Lions. But with the help of Mike Martz, he has become one of the most prolific passers in the game, a sort of poor Kurt Warner in his prime. He throws entirely too many interceptions, granted, but he quietly racked up almost 4,500 yards at the same time.

He’s got a great set of receivers in Johnson and pro bowler Roy Williams. His line is still a bit shaky, but with newly acquired Tatum Bell penciled in as the starter at the RB spot the offense should be kicked up a notch this year.

The defense is young and also very good. And in the offensively challenged NFC Central, it should do very well. So if you’re looking for a surprise team this season look no further than the Detroit Lions, although with all the preseason hype the team is starting to receive, its success will hardly be a surprise.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 at 1:36 pm and is filed under Free Picks Betting Tips, NHL Free Picks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.