Calvin Johnson still wasn’t in his typical record-breaking form Sunday, Oct. 13 against the Cleveland Browns. A knee injury has been bugging the Lions all-world wide receiver for the past couple of weeks, even forcing him to sit out of a crucial divisional tilt against the Green Bay Packers, in which the Lions lost 22-9.
A similar fate loomed for the team against Cleveland at halftime, with Johnson being held to just three catches for 25 yards. The Lions were down 17-7. Even as recent as two weeks ago, that would have been a loss for Detroit, but a little-known undrafted free agent tight end sparked a dormant passing attack without its best player fully healthy. Grabbing three touchdowns on the day, Joseph Fauria helped the Lions outscore the Browns 24-0 after halftime, and his team remains atop of the NFC North.
Reportedly too slow as a receiver and too poor of a blocker as a tight end, Fauria has been used sparingly this season, catching just seven balls on the year. But five of those catches went for touchdowns, leading all rookies. A big reason for his unexpected success would be his 6-foot-7, 255-pound frame, measures Cleveland couldn’t match the entire game. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King pointed out that Fauria had an advantage of seven, six and nine inches on the Browns defenders who single-covered him on his three touchdowns. The Lions often employ a red zone strategy called “lob it up to Megatron.” Now, they have a weapon that can excel in a similar scenario.
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First-string tight end Brandon Pettigrew is still struggling with drops, and No. 2 wide receiver Nate Burleson remains sidelined with a broken arm, so Fauria should get even more playing time than he has. That’s good news for fantasy owners who just picked him up, and even better news for Detroit, a team that has been searching for a towering tight end in a league where it’s practically required.
Although the Lions brass viewed tight end as a weakness coming into the season, the offensive line looked like an even bigger issue. Longtime blindside protector Jeff Backus retired and right tackle Gosder Cherilus left in free agency along with right guard Stephen Peterman. The only remainders were struggling center Dominic Raiola and solid-but-unspectacular left guard Rob Sims. The offensive line is a unit in football that thrives on cohesiveness and familiarity, and the Lions didn’t have that heading into the season, but they have quickly shaped up to be one of the better pass protecting teams in football. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted that Detroit, with three new starters on the line, ranks second in the NFL in sacks per dropback. Impressive, and quarterback Matthew Stafford’s league-low average of 2.27 seconds in the pocket per snap definitely helps that.
For a former No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Stafford has had a quietly great season after disappointing fans last season with poor mechanics and ill-timed interceptions. He is second in the NFL in fourth quarter passer rating. Even with studs like Johnson and (potentially) Fauria, Stafford still has to work with castoffs such as Kris Durham and Kevin Ogletree out wide, making the statistic even more impressive. The Lions have already reached their win total from last season, and Stafford’s resurgence is why.
The prized free agent acquisition for Detroit, running back Reggie Bush, has given his signal caller a much-needed hand when no one is open in the intermediate and deep parts of the field. Bush totaled 121 yards in the second half against Cleveland with 18 of those yards coming on a screen pass for a touchdown. Set up brilliantly by his blockers, Bush scampered untouched to put the Lions within three points in the third quarter. His speed and ability in the open field will be paramount this week when Detroit takes on the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, which features one of the best defensive lines in football. Taking away their pass rush with quick screens will allow Detroit to set up bombs to a hopefully-healthy Johnson and a now-planned-for Fauria.
The Lions are in an unfamiliar position right now: first place. High expectations are packaged with that, and no matter how long it takes Johnson to get back to his old, unguardable ways, the offense will still be looked upon to score points when necessary. Unlike last season, that can be done in spades, with Fauria and Bush becoming best friends with the end zone, the offensive line keeping their quarterback upright and Stafford throwing a dime when his team needs it most.